As revealed last year, Hello Neighbor will be returning to screens later this year through a sequel, seeing players tangle with the previous game's creepy antagonist once again. During Microsoft's recent ID@Xbox Showcase, the developers behind Hello Neighbor 2, Dynamic Pixels, introduced players to the next entry in the franchise, showing off its innovative AI mechanics through new gameplay.
This time around, players assume the role of a local journalist looking into the mysterious goings-on of their neighbor, Mr. Peterson. The creepy figure is rumored to be linked to a string of missing children's cases reported in the town of Raven Brooks, and throughout Hello Neighbor 2, players will strive to get to the bottom of the unsettling mystery.
It won't be easy though, with Dynamic Pixels promising its new AI features will make it so no two attempts to investigate Mr. Peterson will ever be the same. According to the gameplay footage, "you'll be going up against an AI that is constantly evolving," with the studio showing exactly what that means through a look at how the villain adapts over time. In a birds-eye view of a player infiltrating Mr. Peterson's house, the player is shown taking a direct path to a key located in the backroom, making the antagonist tail him through the house before leaving.
The footage then cuts to the same chase but 15 cycles later, at which point the neighbor anticipates the direction the player intends to run in and cuts him off, forcing him to hide in a nearby closet before doubling back to grab the key. The footage then cuts to 100 cycles later, showing the villain anticipate the player choosing to hide in the closet and finally managing to catch him. Mr. Peterson won't just learn from the player alone, but from the entire Hello Neighbor 2 community, whose data will be used to advance the killer's AI over time. It looks to be an immersive system that creates an unpredictable gameplay experience every time players boot up the title.
Hello Neighbor 2's main villain won't be the only character affected by these mechanics, as the people of Raven Brooks will also be influenced by the player's actions. The town will be fully explorable in the sequel and is apparently filled with new characters with their own unique AI. Digital Pixels didn't divulge any details on exactly how this will work but did hint that they'll have their own stories to tell. Hello Neighbor's sequel is slated to drop at some point later this year, with players currently able to access an early Alpha build via the Microsoft Store.
Hello Neighbor 2Â will launch in 2021Â for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.