Murdered: Soul Suspect

Editor's Notes

Digital PS4 version reviewed.

Introduction

There appears to be a shortage of mystery-style video games that have been made available over the last several years. An argument can be made that Rocksteady’s 'Arkham' series includes a fair amount of detective work on the part of the Dark Knight, but I’m talking about games that, from start to finish, have you scouring for clues, following up on leads, and piecing everything together; culminating in an epic final reveal. Both 'L.A. Noir' and 'Heavy Rain' did admirable jobs of mixing sleuthing with action set pieces, but games of that calibre seem to be few and far between. 'Murdered: Soul Suspect', a supernatural, detective thriller, developed by Airtight Games, attempts to bridge this gap with a twisting narrative that drives the player forward with interesting characters and an intriguing script. But is story alone enough to carry the game?

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

An inventive cutscene introduces 'Soul Suspect' by presenting the back story of the main playable character - Detective Ronan O'Connor. His troubled past is beautifully rendered as tattoos ink across his arms, legs, and back, and his entire body becomes a tableau of storytelling that immediately brings the player up to speed on the thematically-heavy, story-driven game that is about to begin.

Ronan's pursuit of Salem's infamous serial killer, referred to as the Bell Killer, ends in dramatic fashion and with Detective O'Connor's body left lifeless along the street, riddled with bullet holes. Where some may think this represents the game's explosive conslusion, it is in fact the opening moments of Airtight Games' new IP. It's no spoiler that players assume the role of Ronan O'Connor's ethereal character, tasked with discovering the mystery of Salem's serial killer and his own personal murderer. Until resolved, he is chained to the world of the living, unable to find peace with his loved ones in the afterlife.

In his new form, Ronan is unseen and unheard by those that surround him. However, initial exhilaration turns to isolation when boundaries are established and the rules of the dead are set into place. Although walking through objects and people on the street quickly becomes second nature, gaining access to buildings previously sanctified - a reflection on the tumultuous history of 17th century Salem - is substantially more restrictive. If an outer door is closed, access is barred. A minor nuisance that prompts the game's tutorial; because, it's not much fun being a ghost without at least a few powers to play with?

Most significant of these powers - and detrimental to solving your murder - is the ability to possess random NPCs to listen in on their thoughts. While some deliberate on the ongoing chaos of the Bell Killer and how frightened they've become, others prattle on about their everyday lives; completely inconsequential to game as a whole. Other times, thoughts and details about the mystery project clues that lead you ever closer to revealing your killer's identity.

More interesting than simple mind reading is the ability to influence the characters you possess; planting subliminal thoughts prompts your host body to perform a variety of basic actions. Whether conducting a search of the internet or moving aside a pile of documents for closer inspection, these routine actions - no longer an option in your current ghostly form - add to the growing list of clues that require deciphering. And solving mysteries, big or small, is at the very heart of 'Murdered: Soul Suspect'.

Perhaps not the most challenging of game mechanics, deciphering these clues amounts to nothing more than the gathering and evaluation of the evidence, placing them in the correct and most detrimental order, and arriving at a conclusion. How much evidence you collect and how quickly you find a solution will determine how well you successfully completed that piece of the puzzle. While there doesn't appear to be much consequence to random selections, I found that by not paying attention - by not immersing yourself in the story - you lose out on a great deal more than a sense of accomplishment.

'Murdered: Soul Suspect' is not completely devoid of challenge, however. In an attempt to give the game a heightened sense of tension, the developers at Airtight Games added a touch of horror into the mix. Demons, with the power to take your soul, creep and slither (quite effectively, I might add) the hallways and streets of Salem. Perhaps another reflection on the historical trauma that Salem experienced during the Witch Trials of the 1600s, these demons add a bit of stealth and combat to the game. Although not terribly frightening in design, these demons will keep you on the constant lookout.