Exclusive Chainsaw Preview!! The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners Chapter 2 Retribution Gameplay

This is my preview of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 2: Retribution: Saints & Sinners Chapter 2 gameplay from the first 30 minutes, with my first (scared) impressions. It doesn’t spoil much of the story. I also had access to a debug menu, so I could spawn some of the fun new weapons, like two different chainsaws. Keep in mind those aren’t available from the start in the game you’ll play.

VAL sponsored this video. That pays for our time, not for my opinion.

I’d posted an earlier version of this video but had to take it down because of a miscommunication with a third party, so I re-edited it into a better preview.

How I played it

I played an early build on PC, through Oculus Link, because that’s where I had the special menu. Gameplay-wise the sequel doesn’t change much. It continues the story, and the biggest difference is the new weapons, so I wanted to show you what those feel like.

The release plan when I made this:

• Quest 2: December 1, 2022, the day my full review comes out
• PC VR: February 2023
• PSVR 2: after that, in 2023

The first 30 minutes of Saints & Sinners Chapter 2 gameplay

It starts creepier than I expected, and more psychological. There’s a feeling of paranormal activity in the first area that had me saying “if she turns around I’m gonna scream” out loud. I had shivers all over my arms.

My objective was to escape a hotel with the blueprints. The hotel is very creepy, with a flashlight that keeps turning off until you shake it, things falling out of nowhere and noise everywhere. I made so much of it that I worried I was pulling in a horde, and at one point I had to choose between jumping down or fighting my way through.

Once I got out, I handed over the blueprints and got my next task: find a nearby skiff, which the map shows you. There’s also a new flare you can throw to distract walkers.

The chainsaws and other weapons

The chainsaw is the star. You start it by pulling the string, and it’s heavy, so I had to use two hands. Cutting a walker in half for the first time was insane. The second chainsaw from the debug menu works the same way but felt stronger to me, though maybe I just had a better grip.

I also spawned an SMG and a few other weapons. The tougher, armoured walkers showed up too, and one soaked up a lot before it went down.

My first impressions: worth the wait?

The preview got me as excited as I was about the first game. Gameplay feels the same, which is a good thing, and it seems even creepier. The new weapons, especially the chainsaw, feel like a lot of time went into them. You can cut walkers in any direction you want, and the animations make it so satisfying. (Or I’m a psychopath for saying that.)

Not everything is positive, though. I’m wondering if the game will be too much like the first one, and whether that gets repetitive.

My full Quest 2 review comes out with the Quest 2 release at the end of the week, where I’ll explain what the game is like, compare it a bit with the PC version and tell you if it’s worth it. You can wishlist it on the Meta Quest store or on Steam.