THE GOOD:Fairly High Production Value, Great Cinematic Sequences, Great Score and Some Songs You Wouldn't Expect To Find For a Game, Refreshing Pace for the Jaded Gamer
THE BAD:
Some Camera issues, Character Movement is Awkward, Inaptly Labeled for it's Genre, Life System is Almost Unecessary, Probably Will Not Appeal to the Action-Oriented
SUMMARY:
If you're tired of conventional game play then this is the game for you. Right from the start you feel like you're in a movie. In fact, the game plays more like an interactive movie than it does a video game.
There are basically two types of control methods deployed in the game. For lesser action sequences you control your character much like the classic RPGs and point-and-click adventures with the joystick movements replacing the mouse button to give you more of an interactive feel. The only downside to this is that your character movements do not orient to the moving camera positions which can be confusing sometimes when you need to move quickly.
The second control method is a reflex system where you have to move both joysticks in coordination with the icons on the screen. This type of movement gets progressively harder to complete but will not get overly difficult under normal difficulty. There is a life system implemented in these types of sequences that allow you to continue through the sequence if you mess up. This is mostly unnecessary for normal difficulty but could be better implemented for hard.
The game is somewhat mislabeled though. It does start out as a Murder Mystery but gradually develops into a Sci-Fi Thriller. This may be a turn-off for some people looking for the ultra realistic but if you're able to suspend your disbelief it makes for an incredible story.
There is an unlockables system too in which you find cards during the game and they give you points to purchase movie sequences, pictures, and songs from the game. Finding cards is not overly difficult either and you should be able to find enough the first time through the game to purchase everything.
This game definitely doesn't have conventional game play. If you prefer hack-and-slashes, this is not the game for you. If you're looking for a great story that you can get immersed in, give it try. I give it a 9.2/10 only on the grounds of the few camera and movement issues.
forums
