Review – Chromagun 2: Dye Hard
Could you imagine what would happen if Valve believed the number three existed? Forget Half-Life 3, I want Portal 3. Since that will probably never happen, I have to look elsewhere for games that make me use my brain in weird, complex, mind-bending ways. That’s where ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard comes in. This FPS puzzle adventure narrative game sends you on an Avengers-style time heist to steal the titular ChromaGun after you somehow managed to break yours. Completely your fault, obviously, and not anyone else’s.
Welcome to my… well, I don’t want to say Portal..
This is about where the comparisons to Portal begin and end, since the main similarities are the use of colours and the fact that it’s a puzzle game. In ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard, the core idea is that colours are basically magnetic to themselves. The titular ChromaGun lets you paint objects using the three primary colours — red, yellow, and blue. Mixing colours creates secondary colours, and if you keep mixing, you’ll eventually just end up with black.
Most of the time, your goal is to move objects onto buttons to raise stairs, open doors, or trigger whatever other mechanism is standing between you and the exit. At first the concept feels pretty simple, and honestly, it is a very straightforward idea. Where it starts getting tricky is when the game makes you use multiple surfaces, usually coloured panels on the walls, to maneuver an object into a very specific position.
That’s when things start to feel weirdly mathematical. You might need to open certain doors while closing others just to get a sphere to roll exactly where it needs to go, otherwise it gets pulled the wrong way because one coloured surface is attracting it when it shouldn’t be. The puzzles end up relying a lot on spatial awareness, and it doesn’t take long before your brain starts working harder than you expected.
One of the more green sections, but still quite white.
I do really enjoy ChromaGun 2’s voice acting. Not to keep bringing up Portal again, but it honestly gets pretty close to that level of quality. It’s not quite on the same level when it comes to humour, but the game definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously. Most of the writing feels very tongue-in-cheek. Some jokes land, some might go completely over your head, and a lot of that just comes down to your sense of humour. The important thing is that it never feels one note, and the dialogue keeps things entertaining throughout.
The visuals are a bit more of an even split. This is another place where people will probably compare it to Portal, since most of the game takes place inside test chambers made up of white walls, white floors, and very clean, sterile environments. The difference is that ChromaGun 2 is all about playing with colour, so the game doesn’t stay plain for long. You’ll end up covering the place in paint most of the time anyway. There are also a few moments where you can look out windows and see bits of greenery outside, but for the most part the sterile test chamber look is the main aesthetic.
Who knew electricity could add something extra interesting to look at?
ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard is one of those games that feels pretty easy to sum up once you’ve spent some time with it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t nail what it sets out to do. It has some really solid puzzles and great voice acting, while the rest of the presentation is fairly plain. That said, the simpler look makes sense for what the game is going for, and it still ends up being more visually interesting than the first Portal in particular. It’s a really fun time if you enjoy puzzle games and you happen to be a fan of the series I keep bringing up but refuse to name again. If you’re not, this probably isn’t the game that’s going to change your mind.
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Graphics: 6.0 It’s not to say that ChromaGun 2 looks bad, its just quite boring. Some areas give you a bit more visual stimulation, but for the most part you’re adding your own colour. |
Gameplay: 9.0 Really fun and interesting puzzles. A lot of the time I found myself getting stuck, but as soon as I figured it out it became brutally obvious. |
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Sound: 6.5 I really like the voice acting and the dialogue. It doesn’t always land, but it’s great when it does. Where it’s lacking is music and atmosphere, that’s to say it basically doesn’t exist. |
Fun Factor: 8.5 This is a puzzle game I would be happy to return to. The puzzles are fun, but not simple in a way that would make a second playthrough pointlessly easy. |
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Final Verdict: 8.0
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ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard is available now on Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X.
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.
A copy of ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard was provided by the publisher.
