Rhem 2: The Cave
Description official descriptions
Rhem 2 takes place immediately where the first game left off. However, it is not necessary to have played Rhem 1 first since all of the information you need to play this sequel is given to you at the beginning of the game.
Kales and his brother, Zetais, have found entrances to underground territories in the world of Rhem. As the game begins, Zetais gives you the first piece of a star-shaped key which will open a portion of the subterranean caves. Your mission: To fully explore the pathways and caverns below the surface of Rhem .. to find all of the pieces of the key .. and, finally, to find and photograph a mysterious disk that Zetais wants to examine.
Rhem 2 is an adventure that relies heavily on solving puzzles to advance the story. The majority of the interaction entails working with electrical cables which will ultimately restore power to the various parts of the world. Players will encounter logic and mechanical puzzles, those dependent on colors or numbers as well as an open/close door maze-like puzzle. Manipulation of some puzzles requires locating specific clues about them in other parts of the underground caves.
This sequel, like its predecessor, features a point-and-click QuickTime interface in first person perspective. Various cursors appear for navigation and interacting with the environment. Screen load transitions can be adjusted to suit the players taste and style of play. Ambient sound effects can be heard throughout and motion effects can be seen. The prerendered graphics are preset for 32-bit color / 800x600, and there are no options to change resolutions. Video-quality cut-scenes feature real actors and actresses. Inventory appears in a separate screen, which is different than the first game. Ten save-game slots are available and are saved by number without the option to customize.
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Credits (Windows version)
17 People (5 developers, 12 thanks)
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Reviews
Critics
Average score: 70% (based on 16 ratings)
Players
Average score: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 7 ratings with 1 reviews)
Enjoyable with a walkthrough, impossible without
The Good
It was definitely very atmospheric. I had this game as a kid and playing it now gives me mad nostalgia vibes. There is a strong steampunk streak in the game, which is slightly similar to Myst but also very unique and unlike any other game I have played. I have fond memories of sniffing around in the elevators early on in the game and playing with the temperature gauge. It is definitely anything but forgettable, like many of the games I enjoy it has an ambience of loneliness, sparseness and an almost unsettling tone (especially when it becomes clear you're not truly alone in the cave). Definitely would recommend.
The Bad
The game is absolutely impossible for anyone under a 250 IQ unless you have a walkthrough. You will be checking the walkthrough constantly for almost every puzzle. It has only been through recent replay that I have even managed to get about halfway through and even with a walkthrough it's really damn difficult. I can pretty much speedrun the original Myst and Riven in an afternoon at this point (although a lot of that is memory, admittedly), but Rhem II is a whole different kettle of fish. I refuse to believe anyone has solved this game on their own.
The Bottom Line
It's definitely worth checking out. Especially since, like the first Rhem (which I never played), the entire game was pretty much developed by one dude (Knut Muller, from Germany). It's actually pretty impressive when you consider that this is all one man's work. Even Cyan (whose game Myst is the most likely comparison to Rhem) had a team, albeit a small one, working on their games. And yes, I am aware that Muller didn't LITERALLY do it all himself, but he did almost everything. Just make sure that you have detailed notes of the solutions to all the puzzles, and be prepared to do some heavy duty math (no joke, there is literally a puzzle which involves complex algebra pretty early in the game). Also, don't think too hard about the plot since it has almost nothing to do with the actual gameplay --- not that that's a problem.
Windows · by John Kamer (3) · 2022
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Related Sites +
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Apple Games Article
An article featuring RHEM 2: The Cave and and another adventure title. -
Developer Solution
Walkthrough by Knut Mueller, creator of the game -
Graham's Walkthrough
Full solution for Rhem 2 -
Hints for Rhem 2
Low-spoiler hints for the puzzles in Rhem 2. -
MaGtRo's Walkthrough
posted on Gameboomers.com -
Rhem 2
Official Site -
Zarf's Review
A review of The Cave by Andrew Plotkin (July, 2005).
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Jeanne.
Additional contributors: arensb, Zeppin.
Game added August 19, 2005. Last modified March 2, 2024.