TOEM 2 Review: A Cosy Photography Adventure

Review by Chris Law, originally published on Apologies for saying too much.

Disclosure: Chris was provided with a review code by the game's PR company. All opinions are his own.

Indie games and cozy games are often synonymous with simple graphics, simple mechanics, and concepts that pull an overworked, underpaid character out of the hustle and bustle of the big city into quaint towns where corporations try to ruin the good things in life. Every now and then, you get a game that creates a cozy feeling without leaning into archetypical tropes of the genre, and it feels warm by giving you a simple task and letting you experience the game at your own pace, with your own goals. Toem 2 lets you return to a world that provided that feeling effortlessly.

What is TOEM 2?

It has been several years since the so-far unnamed photographer made their journey to Mount Kiiruberg to witness a once-in-a-lifetime Toem at its summit. Much like their previous expedition, their grandmother convinces them to explore the world and witness it in all its beauty, including another Toem, this time as the Whirling Birch bloom at the Whirlhill festival.

What's new in TOEM 2

Immediately, you are brought into the world of Toem, and the improvements are visible. The character designs have been given more depth, the world feels fuller, and you are given a skill that is so ubiquitous that you wouldn't expect to be excited about it, but you are... You can now jump! Traversal has opened up drastically, but that isn't the only improvement apparent when starting the game. There is now drone photography to replace the original game's tripod mechanic, and there is also a focus option which allows the camera to track moving characters, making the creature compendium a lot easier to complete.

TOEM 2 gameplay

These additions are seemingly monumental to the player despite their simplicity. The game itself follows a very similar pattern to the first. Each area has a collection of characters in various screens who require help with reasonably easy tasks. Fulfilling the needs of these people lets you put a stamp in your journal, and with enough stamps you can progress to the next area. The joy of this game stems from this; as long as you capture the essence of the request, you are free to take the picture in any way you would like. Selfies for most tasks would be time-consuming but are an option. Quick snaps of passing items also work; you gain as much or as little as you want from the game, depending on the effort you are willing to put in.

Areas, locals and tools

Each area you visit in Toem 2 has a local for you to befriend when completing the "main task" in the area. These are recognisable from the tools they provide the photographer. In the farm area, you gain pruning shears which help tackle some pesky weeds; in a medieval hamlet, a hammer can fix any battered old fixture; and in a city on the river, you can plug any leak with a screwdriver and a plunger. These tasks are different enough in each area without overstaying their welcome.

Is TOEM 2 worth it?

I picked up the first game purely by coincidence and squeezed both it and its DLC for everything I could. When the sequel was announced, I was excited, and it's safe to say I wasn't disappointed. When it boils down to it, Toem is a photography game that doesn't have all the bells and whistles it could have for photography hobbyists to really dig their teeth in. It does, however, encapsulate the joy of exploring, embracing communities, helping people out, and just taking a second to admire your surroundings. I spent a long time searching for a creature, and it was incredibly frustrating, but as soon as I found it, there was a wave of relief, and all that frantic energy was replaced instantly by just enjoying the design of it and appreciating that it was hard to find because it was so well done.

Written by Chris Law

Find more of Chris's reviews and writing on his Substack, and follow him on Instagram.

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