Silence: The Whispered World 2

This is a Point & Click story game. It has both trading cards, and achievements. It's a sequel to a game from around 2010 called 'The Whispered World'. The graphics are astounding, and the voice acting is top-notch. The plot is pretty solid, but not that engaging. The story itself can seem childish at times, but the game is not meant for young children to play, as there are "adult" jokes and references scattered throughout it.
Here you alternate playing as three different characters. You are a teen boy (Noah/Sadwick), his little sister (Renie), and an oversized green caterpillar (Spot). You start out with Noah & Renie hiding in a bunker while it's being aerially bombarded. From their surroundings, it looks like World War 2 is the time period. After a very heavy hit, Renie can be heard but not seen. Noah climbs down into a hole to find her, only to find they have left the real world, and are now in the world of Silence. The goal, of course, is to find your way back to the real world.
There is no manual saving. The game automatically saves at certain checkpoints, so when you quit and come back you will continue from the last checkpoint you passed. The loading screens are atrociously long... so long they should be considered criminal acts against the player. The game has a great hint system for times you get stuck on what to do next. Also, you will have to play through at least twice to get all of the achievements.
Once you get all the achievements, this game has absolutely no replay value. If you are not an achievement hound though, you probably won't even bother to play it again after your first time through. It just doesn't contain anything that really lures you back to play again. Also, the puzzles are not hard at all. This game pretty much holds your hand the whole way through.
You can not skip cutscenes either, so that can be a little tedious. Your first time through should probably take you 6 to 7 hours to complete. However, that is kind of short for a story, so there is not any time to really get into the backstories or the development of the characters. Thus, they do somewhat come off as one-dimensional and shallow. Personally, I thought most of them weren't even that likable.

I do like these games by this dev, and would recommend this one with a little caution. I played through twice, the second time to get all of the achievements. It was hard but I got through the entire second game as required to get the achievements. BUT, in the end 3 of the hardest ones did not pop, the ones for balance, not dying, and not skipping any talk (this one may be bugged). I must say that I did not enjoy the balance scenes, and the ending star races. I do not play these relaxing games to endure races or feats of precision.

It plays more like a visual novel than a point & click game in a lot of ways, but the story is compelling and it definitely doesn't overstay its welcome

It has been long overdue playing Silence. I’ve replayed The Whispered World in preparation for this game, that was a couple of months ago. Luckily, the story and characters were still fresh enough. Silence is definitely more enjoyable with that knowledge, many NPC return, some inside jokes are referenced and the story kind of continues. I say kind of because the focus is on a different set of characters and some plot details have been heavily changed. I don’t mind the new characters or wanting to change things, but I don’t understand why the main character suddenly has a sister, why ‘Corona’ is now called ‘Silence’ etc. That’s just rewriting history to make things work and it doesn’t feel right. In a sense, Silence does feel like a new game. That is certainly the case when it comes to the gameplay. The previous game was more of a pure point and click adventure game with less focus on the story. Here things have been so simplified and there are so many cutscenes/dialogues, that it feels closer to a walking sim with some light point and click elements.
I’m not saying this in disapproval, I’m just pointing out the differences to be fully aware what you’re getting yourself into. Looking past all of that, the game’s quality is very high. The graphics are gorgeous, you have to see them in motion to appreciate the magic. The cutscenes are properly directed, they’re not half-assed. The text is fully voice acted and everyone does a fine job. The UI is great, the gameplay is smooth and everything feels super polished. Basically, you can tell the game had a lot of budget. The only flaw I noticed is everything regarding the achievements. There are too many that require very specific steps. It went so far that I opted with playing the first run completely blind and the second time using a guide to get the achievements missed. There are also a couple that seem very harsh or buggy with the requirements, think of completing the game without skipping anything etc. The first run took me 5 hours. The second run took 4 hours, it was stressful trying to follow the guide fully to not miss anything.
Silence is a great game, I had a blast playing it the first time. Renie is such a lovable character, the story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Those feelings are similar to the first game but the games are still very different. I highly recommend the game to newcomers. When it comes to fans, I only recommend it if you’re open to change in every sense of the word. Coming with expectations would be the wrong way to approach this game. It’s on sale often and it’s therefore absurdly cheap. So you can always give it a try without losing much out of it.

Just as Whispered World was, this is the same: such amazing games.

Though I liked the first game more when it comes to art, as it was hand-drawn, but this also looks hand-drawn, just a 3D version of it; I don't know, it just doesn't seem as appealing imo.

Also, the game seems easier than the first one, as it is more linear outside of controlling different characters in different zones; I was stuck WAY less than I was on Whispered World.

Achievement hunting is a pain though, as it was with the first one, but this one took me longer due to having to do 3 1/2 playthroughs because I missed something again and again apparently; these games really need a chapter select, as it would improve QoL by a lot, so if there is a 3rd Silence game, then chapter select needs to be a must-do.

I had one achievement bug on me twice on each playthrough, so I had to force it to pop because I wasn't about to do another playthrough just find it broke again, as it was becoming a waste of time.

Silence, developed and published by Daedalic Entertainment, is a beautifully melancholic adventure that continues the story first introduced in The Whispered World while standing firmly on its own as a meditation on loss, imagination, and the fragile line between reality and dreams. The game begins in the midst of a bombing during wartime, where siblings Noah and Renie are forced to take shelter in a bunker. In the chaos, they find themselves slipping into the dreamlike realm of Silence, a mysterious world that exists between life and death. What follows is a deeply emotional journey that explores their relationship, their longing for safety, and the courage required to face both fear and grief. The story’s premise is both intimate and fantastical, using the surreal landscape of Silence as a reflection of the characters’ inner turmoil and innocence lost to the cruelty of war.
From the moment the game begins, its artistic direction commands attention. Every frame looks as if it has been hand-painted, merging 2D and 3D art into a stunning tableau that brings the world of Silence to life. The environments, from serene meadows to twisted ruins, are brimming with color and texture, creating an atmosphere that feels simultaneously comforting and unsettling. Daedalic’s art team has long been known for their dedication to craftsmanship, and here they surpass themselves. Lighting and perspective enhance the illusion of a living painting, and even small details—such as the way dust floats through light or the flicker of a candle—lend the world an almost tangible warmth. This meticulous artistry is complemented by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that weaves gentle piano notes and ethereal tones into moments of wonder and sadness. The music perfectly captures the dreamlike melancholy that defines the entire experience.
Gameplay in Silence follows the structure of a modernized point-and-click adventure, streamlined for accessibility without losing the charm of exploration and interaction. Players control Noah, Renie, and a shape-shifting caterpillar companion named Spot, each of whom plays a unique role in navigating the puzzles and obstacles of the world. Spot, in particular, stands out as a clever mechanic, able to inflate, flatten, or split himself to trigger switches or manipulate the environment. The puzzles themselves are deliberately simple, emphasizing fluid progression and storytelling over cerebral challenge. There are no obtuse logic leaps or complex inventory management typical of traditional adventure games. Instead, Silence focuses on flow and emotion, ensuring that nothing distracts from the narrative. While this design choice makes the experience more accessible to a broader audience, some players may find the lack of difficulty and limited interactivity too light, feeling more like an interactive film than a classic adventure.
The strength of the game lies not in its complexity but in its pacing and tone. The world of Silence is filled with characters who embody both whimsy and sorrow, from quirky rebels fighting a mysterious evil to spectral figures haunted by memories of the real world. Dialogue is often laced with gentle humor and philosophical undertones, balancing innocence with existential weight. Noah’s internal struggle as an older brother, torn between protecting Renie and confronting his own guilt, drives much of the emotional depth. Renie herself is portrayed with a blend of childlike curiosity and heartbreaking vulnerability, her optimism serving as the emotional counterpoint to the despair around her. Together, their interactions form the heart of the game, making even the quietest scenes resonate with authenticity.
Despite its emotional power, Silence does falter in certain areas. The story’s brevity—lasting only around five hours—leaves some of its more intriguing elements underdeveloped. The world is rich with imagination, but the narrative sometimes rushes through its set pieces without giving players enough time to absorb their full meaning. Supporting characters, while visually interesting, often serve more as narrative devices than fully realized personalities. There are also moments where the pacing feels uneven, particularly toward the end, when emotional revelations come abruptly rather than gradually. However, these flaws do little to diminish the overall impact of the story. The brevity almost mirrors the fleeting, dreamlike nature of the world itself, where everything feels transient and slightly out of reach.
Technically, the game runs smoothly, and Daedalic’s use of cinematic camera work helps emphasize the scale and emotion of each scene. The voice acting is strong across the board, though occasionally uneven, with some performances standing out more for their sincerity than their polish. The English localization captures the tone well, but the original German performances retain a slightly deeper nuance in emotional delivery. The user interface is clean and intuitive, keeping interactions focused on the characters and story rather than cluttered menus or systems. These small design choices reinforce the developers’ intent: to let players immerse themselves in an emotional journey rather than a mechanical one.
Silence is ultimately less about solving puzzles and more about feeling the weight of its world and story. It trades complexity for intimacy, spectacle for sincerity. The themes of love, sacrifice, and the fragility of hope linger long after the credits roll, and its bittersweet ending feels both inevitable and profound. It’s a game that rewards empathy more than intellect, asking players to reflect rather than conquer. While it may not appeal to those seeking deep interactivity or branching narratives, for those drawn to storytelling through art and emotion, it stands as one of Daedalic’s most affecting works.
In the end, Silence feels like a painting that has come to life—a storybook dream that evokes both nostalgia and sorrow. It is a gentle reminder of how games can convey emotion through subtlety rather than spectacle, using light, sound, and dialogue to speak to the heart. Its flaws are part of its humanity, its simplicity part of its charm. It is not a game of grand revelations or mechanical triumphs, but a quiet, heartfelt tale that finds beauty in sadness and meaning in the spaces between words.
Rating: 8/10

First thing first: Finding ourselves BACK in this world was so unexpected. As we play the little sister to the first game's MC, it was jarring to be back as we know exactly what this world is... or so we think. There is a bit of retconning going on here that feels slightly out of place. While playing there was a part of me thinking: "There is no way..." to various happenings.
So setting the story aside, focusing on the main game mechanics:
The art is very nice as can be expected from Daedalic.
The music is great, which is another Daedalic hallmark.
The voices are alright, and this one... the voice actors did try. They were good for the parts, but there were just some parts where it felt off. And we know what and why, and I think that story aspect is why the voice acting felt off to me?
Some of the puzzles were a bit iffy, some I had the right idea but the wrong method or clicking the wrong place, some I just had to look up, others were intuitive. Mostly the puzzles were okay.
Now the story: If we set aside the world and what we know about it, putting this in a vacuum then the story was pretty good. There were some iffy parts that were seemingly just annoyances but that's with all point and click games. Our little caterpillar buddy is back and great fun, and the characters and creatures we run across are pretty cool with good designs. And the endings are really good, and I'm glad to see them but... again, a bit of reconning and understanding of what the choices actually are with one essentially being heart breaking in what it means but seemingly .. just...
It's hard to describe things without being spoilery, so I'll just say: Yes, I'd recommend playing the game. It's fun, I did go through it all, and I enjoyed it. I don't see a bunch of replay value except the last few minutes, but it's still a lot of fun and worth the price. When playing though, don't compare it to the first one often, and while there are tons of connections to the first game, don't really consider the first game's full story.