Publisher: Raw Fury
Developer: Clifftop Games
Year: 2021
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Switch

Rating: 8

On the eve of the release of Kathy Rain 2, I decided to finally play the director’s cut version of the original. I reviewed Kathy Rain a few years ago and didn’t see a need for an upgrade to the 2016 classic. And while I still don’t feel it was necessary, there are some definite improvements that make this the preferred version for me, though not everyone agrees.

The most significant difference between the two versions is the extended story line. The first few days are identical, but the fourth day is significantly extended, with a few extra areas and puzzles to solve in order to figure out where to go in Conwell Woods. While I appreciate more opportunities for Kathy Rain to sass everyone around her (700 additional lines of dialogue!), the additional puzzles feel awfully contrived, including the need to find fuel and a spark plug to fix a boat. It’s already established earlier in the game that Kathy has cash on her (even though it’s not in the inventory), so forcing her to search around town for items rather than just go to the gas station and hardware store is really silly.

The ending is also expanded upon, leaving things much less ambiguous. Many hated the original ending and many hate the new one; I thought the original ending was fine, if underwhelming. And, honestly, I feel the same here. While more questions are answered, the ending is still not terribly memorable; I wonder how much of the change was in response to the fans, or just to set up the sequel.

The greatest improvement in my opinion is the interface. The former used a verb wheel to interact with the world, and here it’s been simplified to a simple one-click interface that streamlines the puzzles without dumbing anything down. There’s also extra animations, and improved lighting, shadows, and weather effects.

If you have already played Kathy Rain, I can’t say that coughing up the money for the Director’s Cut is worth it, except to support the developers. If you’re deciding between which one to pick, I would definitely go with the new and improved version, though you really can’t go wrong either way.