Cute 3rd-person adventure with an interesting idea but a short season

As Spirit enlighten his own murder? sounds at least very interesting and I do not personally remember a game with similar themes. Whether the game idea and implementation of Airtight Games rises?

When police investigators Ronan O'Connor goes one night to an apartment, he has no idea that this would be his last place he enters as a living person. Once at the apartment notices Ronan based the sounds of a struggle and gaping wide open door, something is wrong here and rushes directly to the possible perpetrators, without batting an eyelid. What he does not know the perpetrator has a tremendous power and hurls the police investigators across the apartment until it is finally thrown through a window at the end. Ronan is a ghost and take a moment to understand that he had died, but he still sees a chance and noticed that his body is still alive. Trying to merge his mind again with his body is doomed to failure because Ronan It must watch as the perpetrator his body riddled subsequently with a few shots. Now there is no turning back and OConnor leaves his body permanently. When he sees his dead wife Julia, he can hardly believe his luck and wants nothing more than to be reunited with her. But unfortunately this is not possible, because his soul has found no peace. Only when Ronan has cleared up his murder, he is allowed to leave the intermediate world and enter into the light.

As Square Enix at last year's E3 entitled Murdered: Soul Suspect (short: MSS) presented and was also seen first gameplay, I found the game idea quite refreshing. As mind his own murder uncover in a 3rd-person adventure? A similar game is not known to me personally and I was very eager to put himself hand. After MSS was initially announced only for the last gene, I was very pleased, as well as the implementation of the current gene Xbox One and PlayStation 4 has been confirmed and so I have resorted to the review on the Xbox One version.

Gloomy setting in the small town

After very serious beginning is likely to be soon clear MSS is a rather gloomy 3rd-person adventure, and this impression remains on the entire season are made. The soundtrack, which actually consists of rather less musical but more of atmospheric sound effects, also creates an oppressive atmosphere. Since her murder uncovers your quasi within a night, you move your protagonist Ronan therefore only in the dark by Saleem, a small town that also acts bleak and lifeless. Of course, you hit on some residents who either reside alone or in groups and talk about various topics, the killings are usually omnipresent. Lively looks all but not always. Even animals (except cats and crows which can be found at least in some sections) one seeks in vain otherwise. It often happens also that the townspeople walk and eventually disappear in a wall and reappear as if they were also ghosts. Although this is less dramatic and perhaps does not fall on any, but logically, the whole certainly not. The various venues such. As a small beach with boats capsized, a cemetery and an asylum fit very atmospheric in the setting and confirm the seriousness of this title.

In terms of appearance the title convinces and I personally like the sinister look of MSS. Especially your character Ronan were some details donated so that z. B. outfit features like a chain on the jeans and wrist seals move. Also, Ronan looks every now and then the environment and plays a lot with his eyes This not only looks good, but gives the dish a certain authenticity. For some joke the cigarette that keeps Ronan over the entire season in the mouth makes. Nothing to complain about there with the other residents and AI people who are all together to look good and animate nice, although one or the other animation would also not hurt but I'll get even. Particularly difficult I'm doing me personally with the overall impression of the city Saleem. On the one hand there is the successful presentation with some buildings, a gas station and, of course, a cemetery and other evocative places that have other than grass floors really nice textures. On the other hand irritated me but the very small side size and the few life on the street. Everything is closed and only provided with dark glass and you can not even look into the slices in a cafe z. B.. If you want, you could run with Ronan in less than 6 minutes the playable areas and thus does not remain really nice space for details. However, do not be put because of the abfrühstücken of pure adventure ranging from built-in elements.

Yes do not touch anything! The gameplay in detail

It should be clear, but I was surprised by the fact that you can touch the spirit nothing. I asked myself the question whether the lack of inventory is in an adventure title really a good idea and would ever be enforced. Well, what can I say, it comes! One need from time to time just someone human at his side, such. As a medium. Otherwise you could get in the game also along well alone. As mentioned at the beginning is your main task is to uncover their own murder, that your souls may find deserved peace and Ronan may occur in the glare full of warmth. What initially sounds like a simple plan turns out to be in the later stages as a far more difficult task full of entanglements, without great now to spoilers. But, how can you now contribute actively to the solution as a ghost of his murder case?

Quite simply means influencing! Your ado can namely possession of people or even animals (cat) take and therefore perform limited actions. Take the example of your murder at the beginning, where the police receive few testimonies on the road. A policeman stands open with notepad in front of a witness and is manifestly a few questions. Would not it be great to read the thoughts of the cops to find out what he thinks about the statements of the witness? Of course, that would be cool, and by a simple head pressure that happened quickly. So learn your eg, the police officer is of the opinion:. The witness is much too upset to make factual statements. Of course, because who will have the right words in a visible body in the street. Fortunately, you can help with Ronan Again, take possession of the witness and associates in a quasi Minigame their thoughts. The aim is to find the right subject or the right motives (up to three) from the images, so that the witness remember what you wanted to say. This type of mini-games, there are not only the thoughts of other people, but also in your own. In most cases, Ronan is in one place or to look for clues in a room. Do you have all the clues together, or thinks of reaching a settlement with the found so far. can only take up the minigame. Indicated her all pictures correctly and thus drives the story, you'll get a good rating of three stars, but what if it is even wrong? Nothing at all, except for the her only gets a star in the worst case, you are allowed so often guess wrong, as you wish. Eventually all combinations are exhausted and there only remain the right choice to finally continue the story here.

Sometimes it also happens that you must accept their possession of someone to see through the eyes of the person. This allows you eg. As the views of notepads or a PC monitor to get even further evidence, or to give the person concerned a food for thought in the right direction. In some situations, you have to try yourself as a poltergeist and thus televisions, radios, phones, printers, cameras, and drink machines to faulty bring for some distraction to worry. It is not so nice when the. To distracting person to the respective object, such as a radio goes and shuts the unit without a visible animation. I would have expected at least an attempt to move a hand simply gone.

Tach, spirit! May I briefly in here?

Even as a ghost, you have to abide by some rules and we may only enter or leave the building when a doors and windows are open, or be kindly opened for you. Of course you can, thanks to a man taking ownership of abuse to get past obstacles as a kind of free taxi, or to enter other rooms. Housed in a building then you are allowed to let off steam and you run through walls and closed doors, much as you like. Personally, I have often caught myself as I used transitions, rather than simply time to go through the wall. :) That must be the force of habit.

As mentioned previously, it sometimes happens that you meet a cat. If this is the case, you can strongly assume that does not get further without the help of her parlor Tigers, because usually you have to be owned by the furry little four-legged friend take over and move you through ventilation ducts and climb trees. The cat's control is pretty funny and been very well implemented, because the animations are quite successful and also the cute sounds when jumping to higher or lower levels not missing. In addition, you are allowed to press a key meowing as much you like. While this is not important for the game, but was probably just installed as an additional fun factor. An absolute fun Killer, however, are the supposed demons that affect the actual gameplay in any way for me. That is to say that you could play through MSS normally even without this element. What is clear, though, that the demons are actually spirits in the intermediate world were long present and have lost, but it is unclear why this suddenly appear in a section. But well, what these evil spirits for now, anyway? So when they see you, it's your turn! If you are lucky, you have a few seconds to bring you through teleportation in security and to hide in one of SoulShadows. Of course, you will follow the demons and you have to move from SoulShadows to SoulShadows until the creeps give up their search and return to their scripted navigation points. As a spirit you have, of course, for an important skill and can switch by pressing a button in another view that hides almost all the objects and displays to you the evil demons along with the line of sight in Orange. Thus Post your tactics plan to you to approach the villains from behind off, because this is only possible if you show the demons back. Help you can often have a little diversion in the form of a raven, which are mostly found in the vicinity. The crowing of a raven attracts a demon on immediately and you can take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate. One can argue about, but this gameplay element simply is full of inconsistencies. If you completed one of these nasty spirits that lasts a few seconds and during combat encounters this a terrible scream, so other demons in the immediate vicinity should be aware of what did not happen. But looks another demon in your direction as you turn off the other, this automatically makes the hunt for you. The only logical sense to integrate these demons is the artificial extension of the relatively short playing time, because if you could you only focus on the main story and there were no demons, experienced players could already after 3-4 hours the taxes contrary.

Ronan, who Helpful collectors

Even as a spirit Ronan has no peace and so you are allowed to decide whether you want to help a few other desperate spirits in a few side missions, which also are in a similar situation. As a good example ahead, I have personally helped all to finally find peace and that goes also here pretty easy. As with the already known gameplay you collect in the vicinity of the relevant mind for clues, possibly influenced one way or another person and uses the found clues together until dissolved. The result tells you the respective spirit that leaves you with subsequent Thanks. An advantage on you the helpfulness not really, but at least you get the odd Achievement. General MSS is very generous in this respect, because you get almost everything for a reward. :-)

Many more have been collecting from the various fragments in the game such. As little messages of Ronan's late wife Julia, or even small diary entries of bells murderer. Of which there are many in Saleem and I still had not found, but of course some of the fragments bring you even Achievements but often small render sequences to learn more about the story. This often gives you insight into some of the details that you would not see otherwise.

Conclusion

+ Interesting Setting
+ Nice gameplay elements (take ownership)
+ Gloomy atmosphere
+ Good animated characters (especially Ronan)
+ Games implemented as funny cat

- Partially inappropriate textures (Grass)
- Lifeless and a little too small city
- People disappear in walls
- Demons superfluous and annoying
- Low season the main story

With Murdered: Soul Suspect Airtight Games has provided a nice 3rd-person adventure on its feet, that the word "gameplay" redefined in some areas. As Spirit reveal his murder initially sounds very exciting, but unfortunately provided by the frequently changing voltage curve to the test. Sometimes one is tied up and being surprised by sudden turns, or you guessed in advance what will happen. Nevertheless, the adventure has been implemented solid with the exception of very annoying demons. MSS is due to its settings for adventurers quite interesting, although it ranges from the game time for a Sunday.

(Full Review: GamesFinest.de)