Its never a good sign when a small army of suited and identical looking government officials come to town.

Equal satisfying this time around are the puzzles from which Puzzle Agent 2 draws its name. While the ratio of good to bad puzzles still titled more towards the good as opposed to the bad in the first Puzzle Agent, there is no denying that the game still produced some real clunkers. Thankfully the minds behind Puzzle Agent 2 have clearly learned from their mistakes, and while PA2 has a smaller number of overall puzzles than the original (33 to PA’s 37), these puzzles do not include, in my opinion at least, a single example that I can point to as an example of a bad or uninteresting puzzle. Gone are the many puzzles filled with repetitive and tedious busy work, such as the multiple box making/line drawing puzzles of NT:PA, and in their place stands challenges that feature both more diversity and overall cleverness in design.

A good number of the puzzles in Puzzle Agent 2 also feature multiple solutions, a choice which severs to both helps prevent player frustration and give further replay value to the game by allowing those inclined to try and find every possible solution to previously completed challenges. Perhaps the difference in quality in the puzzles of both games can be best expressed thusly: in the first Puzzle Agent, I more often found myself impatiently wading through a puzzle, with my focus always being towards getting back to the far more interesting story and setting of the game. In short, the puzzles of Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent at times felt more like an obstacle to the fun than part of it. In Puzzle Agent 2, by way of comparison, I found myself actually anticipating when I would encounter another puzzle and looking forward as much to next chance to test my wits as I was the next amusing cutscene or moment of character interaction.

Believe it or not, this all actually makes sense once you know the rules.

Puzzle Agent 2′s puzzles tend to be more visually interesting and humorous in their overall execution this time around as well, which in turn should help further endear them to players. One example of this that stood out for me personally was the game’s take on the classic ‘move a bunch of animals from one side of a river to another’ puzzle. Instead of just telling players they are wrong when they make a mistake, the game visually illustrates the unfortunate fate about to occur to the animals by way of a wonderfully drawn Graham Annable illustration (which leads, among other things, to the memorable image of a snake having swallowed a bear whole). In general, the puzzles in Puzzle Agent 2 tend feature more animations and greater amounts of visual pizzazz than examples from the first game. Telltale has definitely brought the overall quality of their puzzle design, both from a visual and gameplay perspective, in PA2 up to the level of the game’s other elements, thus allowing the puzzles to now feel more like a cohesive part of the overall game.

Nor is the game a slouch in the visual department outside of its puzzles. While the game does reuse several locations from the first game, it also adds a good number of new ones, most which are every bit as memorable as the originals. The setting of Scoggins truly comes to life, with the stylized character designs complementing the generally vaguely menacing or off-putting environments nicely. Graham Annable’s art style fits perfectly with the kind of stories that the Puzzle Agent series is trying to tell and really allows the game to stand out, both from other Telltale releases and the gaming industry as a whole. Puzzle Agent 2, again like the first game, also deserves especial credit for its sound design. Without the expertly composed music and sound effects featured in PA2, many of the more intense scenes in the game would likely fall flat or come across more silly than scary or disturbing. The voice acting in PA2, whether from newcomers to the series or the game’s returning players, remains excellent across the board as well, with Doug Boyd, the voice of Tethers, particularly deserving credit since it is his character that must anchor the entire affair. I have commented time and again on the atmosphere created by both games, and there can be no doubt that a larger portion of said atmosphere is owed to the aural strength the game brings to the table.

This is Korka. She really loves puzzles. Really, really loves puzzles. Really, really, really loves puzzles.

Overall, Puzzle Agent 2 is a substantial improvement over the original title on almost every level. If the first game left many in doubt over the viability of the Puzzle Agent brand as an ongoing franchise, PA2 should silence most, if not all, of these doubters. While the game does not stand on its own particularly well, since those who did not play the first game will likely find themselves lost in regards to the game’s twisty and twisted narrative, this fact that does nothing to take away from quality of this sequel. At around four to five hours in length (depending on how many of the optional puzzles a player chooses to tackle), PA2 is a short but very sweet experience that more than justifies its ten dollar (on PC/Mac at least, the game currently is 4.99 on iPhone and 6.99 on iPad) price tag. Fans of adventures games, particularly the Professor Layton series, lovers of brain teasers, or those just looking for something off the beaten path will find plenty to love in this superior sequel. Puzzle Agent 2′s ending clearly hints at where the series will likely go should there be a Puzzle Agent 3 and I for one hope we get to see just such a game somewhere down the line. After playing through Puzzle Agent 2, I am all in for more puzzling escapades with one Agent Nelson Tethers, Puzzle Agent extraordinaire.

A review copy on PC of this game was provided for the reviewer by the developer. The reviewer spent approximately five hours playing the game and completed the game.