Historia - Chapter 2 is a free simulation video game wherein an ancient evil awakens in a small sleepy town and a heroine must step up to obstruct it. Developed by Lucid A96, this 2D story-rich visual novel is a psychological horror interactive fiction story that features a whole new perspective.

As the second installment to Historia - Chapter 1, Historia - Chapter 2 offers the ability to play as one of the major side characters in the first game and see things from her point of view. While not strictly a sequel, the game is still a treat for those who enjoyed Chapter 1.

The truth about Michelle

Historia - Chapter 1 is a free action VN that follows the story of a young man named Doug Lovett living in his small hometown of Penrith. Doug first starts off as a normal high schooler ready to graduate and leave his uncomfortable family life. However, an incident regarding his best friend sets off a chain of events that lands him in a silent war against an ancient and powerful evil being.

In the first game, he meets the lonely outcast Michelle and becomes deeply entangled in her affairs. Now in Historia - Chapter 2, we see the same plot play out from her side and discover just how she ends up becoming the way she does during the first game. Similar to Chapter 1, this is a kinetic novel and doesn’t offer any gameplay other than clicking through dialogue.

This means that the story is strictly linear and without any option to choose your dialogue or actions, you can’t change the ending. The game’s charm mainly stems from its engrossing writing and the cool in-game glitches that add to the horror aspect. It’s recommended to play through Chapter 1 if you haven’t yet in order to understand the whole story—and fortunately, it’s bundled alongside Chapter 2.

A route riddled with despair

All in all, Historia - Chapter 2 is a great little horror story to try out if you like visual novels that don’t require a lot of gameplay. While there are no other endings and you need to have read the first game before trying this one, it’s well worth the trouble if you’re a fan of psychological horror plots that don’t guarantee a happy ending for all characters.