Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

About Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is the third Spirit Hunter game from the Japanese studio EXPERIENCE. It came out in Japan in 2022 and was released worldwide by Aksys Games in February 2024 on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. It follows Spirit Hunter: Death Mark and Spirit Hunter: NG, and returns to the same city.

Rumours of supernatural events are circulating at Konoehara Academy, a prestigious school in Tokyo's H City, and the head of the Kujou family, known as the Spirit Doctor, takes the case. Notices appear announcing people's deaths, some students are not what they seem, and the investigation points to a spirit called the Departed, which seems to want something from you.

Most of the game is reading and searching. You walk the school's corridors in a new side-scrolling view, then search each room in first person for items and clues, choosing a partner to take along. When a spirit strikes, the game moves into a Suspensive Act: you pick an action, and your partner's stats change its chance of success. The store and the publisher both warn that crucial mistakes mean certain death.

The art is painted and dark, with mangled faces, insects crawling over skin and a figure peering over a toilet stall, and the store warns of blood, gore and some partial nudity. It suits players who liked the first Death Mark, and anyone who likes Japanese ghost stories told through reading and careful choices.

How to play Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

1. Buy it on Steam, PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch and start a new game; earlier Spirit Hunter games help but are not required.
2. Read the story and talk to students to learn the rumours behind each incident.
3. Walk the academy in side view, then search each room in first person for items and clues.
4. Choose which partner comes with you; who you bring changes where you can go and what you find.
5. In a Suspensive Act, pick the action that fits what you have learned about the spirit.

Tips

• Search every spot in a room before leaving; the item you need in a confrontation is often hidden in a corner.
• Think about which partner suits each chapter, since their stats change the odds in Suspensive Acts.
• A high success rate does not mean an action is right; let the clues about the spirit guide your choice.

Questions