Playing Chicken Police: Into the HIVE! felt like diving into a vintage crime drama, except instead of grizzled detectives in trench coats, we get Sonny Featherland – a sarcastic rooster – and his hot-headed partner, Marty. This sequel takes everything that made Paint it RED! a cult indie hit and tries to push it further. But does it?
The game starts with a strange case: a praying mantis widow comes to Sonny, asking for help to find her husband’s missing body. From there, Sonny and Marty end up in The Hive, a dark, dangerous part of town where insects are forced to live because of unfair laws. The story mixes humor and serious topics like guilt and inequality, all wrapped in clever satire.
The visuals are amazing. The black-and-white style with splashes of red and yellow gives it a classic noir feel. There’s also a new color mode, which makes things easier to follow, but I kept going back to the noir style—it just fits the mood perfectly.
The voice acting is a big highlight. Every character, whether it’s a grumpy cockroach or a shady moth, feels real thanks to great performances. Sonny’s deep, dramatic voice mixed with jazzy music creates a vibe that’s hard to forget. But some of the accents feel out of place, which is a bit distracting.
The gameplay is mostly point-and-click with a lot of talking. Investigations are fun, especially when you get to interrogate suspects and choose between being nice or tough. But there are some issues. I spotted typos in the dialogue and even bugs in the game (not the insect kind). For example, a character’s eyepatch switched sides because of a graphic error—it broke the immersion.
The story starts strong, with lots of twists and interesting characters. But the ending feels rushed, like the developers ran out of time or money. Some storylines are left unfinished, and the final scenes are confusing.
Compared to the first Chicken Police, this game has bigger ideas and better mechanics. But it’s less polished and the rushed ending holds it back.
What’s good:
- Beautiful noir visuals
- Great voice acting
- Fun and clever dialogue
What’s not so good:
- Bugs and typos break the mood
- Some unfinished storylines
- Rushed and confusing ending
Chicken Police: Into the HIVE!: Should you play it? If you liked the first game, this sequel is worth checking out. It’s still funny, weird, and full of charm. But if you’re new, start with Paint it RED! to get a better feel for the world of Clawville. – Tom Henry
