Honourable mention:
The Shapeshifting Detective (PC, Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch)
Full disclosure - I know the guy who made this along with 3 or 4 of the cast, but that's got no bearing on it making this year's list. If I'd hated it, I'd just have omitted mentioning the thing.
Shapeshifting Detective is an FMV Whodunnit, and 2018's strongest entry in this curiously British revival of the genre. If you've played the studio's previous title, The Infectious Madness of Dr Dekker, you'll find this one a little different.
It's a lot more streamlined, with conversation trees instead of the great-in-theory but frequently maddening text input system of Dekker. This design choice gives proceedings a slightly more constrained feel but the story moves along at such a pace that repeated playthroughs are enjoyable if you're at all invested in the characters. The murderer is randomly chosen for each playthrough.
Better writing, better acting and better design compared to D'Avekki's first game, then, and I'm super excited for what they do next. Hint: Tim and Lynda are already writing it...
The Shapeshifting Detective (PC, Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch)
Full disclosure - I know the guy who made this along with 3 or 4 of the cast, but that's got no bearing on it making this year's list. If I'd hated it, I'd just have omitted mentioning the thing.
Shapeshifting Detective is an FMV Whodunnit, and 2018's strongest entry in this curiously British revival of the genre. If you've played the studio's previous title, The Infectious Madness of Dr Dekker, you'll find this one a little different.
It's a lot more streamlined, with conversation trees instead of the great-in-theory but frequently maddening text input system of Dekker. This design choice gives proceedings a slightly more constrained feel but the story moves along at such a pace that repeated playthroughs are enjoyable if you're at all invested in the characters. The murderer is randomly chosen for each playthrough.
Better writing, better acting and better design compared to D'Avekki's first game, then, and I'm super excited for what they do next. Hint: Tim and Lynda are already writing it...
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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan
"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan