Title: Murdered: Soul Suspect
Type of Game: Adventure, Mystery, Supernatural
Developer: Airtight Games
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: June 3, 2014
Platforms Available: PC Game, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Maturity: Mature 17+
Reading Time: 7 minutes
A Unique Story Structure
One of the most intriguing aspects of Murdered: Soul Suspect is its unique narrative structure. Unlike most games that start with the protagonist’s life, this game begins with the death of the charismatic police officer, Ronan. Denied eternal peace, he must wander the world as an incorporeal soul until he uncovers the truth behind his cold-blooded murder while on duty. This original whodunit may not be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of compelling narratives in games, it’s a top choice.
If I wanted to make my job easier, I would write that Murdered looks like a combination of L.A. detective investigation. Noire and the ghost part of Beyond: Two Souls. But it’s not that simple, and while the comparison comes to mind occasionally, in the end, it’s closest to a strictly corridor game. You may move relatively freely between several locations connected by a central town. Still, aside from finding optional story notes, all progression is strictly straightforward, and there’s no way to deviate from it. Unlike recent interactive movies (games from Telltale and Quantic Dream), you cannot influence the story in any way, let alone make major decisions. It’s simply a story game of the type where the story is fixed and waiting for you to uncover its secrets, which is really worth it. The magic, in short, is that if you allow yourself to become engrossed in the story, you won’t feel the need to test the limits of the game or feel them.
Ghostly Mechanics and Challenges
A tattooed, tough-looking guy named Ronan with a criminal past who also races through the world of the dead with his sleeves rolled up. The requisite cigarette in his mouth is highly likable among all the stereotypical “good guys” swarming at you from all sides. Add a tragically deceased wife, a town with a dark history, and a brutal serial killer, and you can’t even think of any invisible barriers. Aren’t they all clichés? Absolutely. It’s just that in computer games, where Bioshock’s pseudo-philosophical mumbling is considered a narrative highlight, such clichés should pay off in gold.
Main Charm
The main charm isn’t in originality but in the quality of craftsmanship, and here, Murdered: Soul Suspect clearly shines thanks to its atmospheric setting, great cinematography, excellent dubbing, story, and its characters. However, before you can fully commit to the narrative, you’ll have to deal with some specific issues. After all, being dead brings a lot of annoyances in addition to a lot of great features, such as passing through walls or teleportation. The worst one is the fact that you have very few options to intervene in the real, material world. Aside from slightly affecting people’s minds and jamming electrical appliances, you can do virtually nothing, and even something as simple as opening a book is an intractable problem. This entails a lot of unique situations that have yet to be seen elsewhere. Just because our hero is invisible to ordinary mortals doesn’t mean he’s doomed to solitude.
Town of Salem
The small town of Salem is populated by the souls of the dead, who, like Ronan, wander the streets helplessly, searching in vain for the longed-for peace of mind and, above all, the soul itself. Their stories are classic optional quests with their own storyline and, without exception, are a joy to complete. In addition, Ronan soon meets a girl named Joy or even her friend Iris Campbell and sister Rose (both sisters dubbed by actress Hannah Telle, who rose to fame with her role as Max Caulfield from the Life is Strange series) was one of the sisters mentioned above, Rose Campbell, who was recently murdered by the eponymous unknown serial killer Bell Killer as the main antagonist of the game, whom Ronan was on the trail of and eventually killed. To Ronan’s luck, The girls Joy and Iris are the only ones able to communicate with the world of the dead. Although Ronan and Joy are not very sympathetic to each other initially, their common motivation forces them to work together in their investigation.
Detective Work and Game Progression
On the other hand, the detective work is the strangest part of the title. You remain “locked” at important points in a relatively small space where you have to collect all the important clues. In practice, it looks like you’re running around waiting for the necessary icon to appear for exploration. Once you’ve found all of them, you have to answer a prepared question in a special menu by matching up the correct evidence; otherwise, you won’t be able to move on. If, for some reason, you fail, that’s okay. You have unlimited attempts to find the proper solution. On the one hand, the game lacks any major challenge, but there is always something new going on, and there is no danger of stereotyping. The only thing that breaks the relaxed gameplay is the violently implemented sneaking passages in which you have to avoid aggressive ghosts capable of devouring and killing Ronan. Such encounters are only occasional and simple, so they don’t matter much.
Conclusion
Anyway, what needs to be said in conclusion as a verdict and “message” for people thinking about this game is that Murdered: Soul Suspect definitely targets a different audience than traditional gamers due to which the game both stands and falls with the story and doesn’t have much competition in its presentation in my opinion. However, it doesn’t even offer the illusion of freedom of choice like competing titles. Unless you’re a fan of finding hidden bonuses, it will only have a little to offer after the eight hours required to finish it. In short, it should be treated as a classic linear story game. However, as previously mentioned, the game is well worth the great story, and I can’t help but recommend it. The game hit me right in the heart, and I finished it in two sittings. And that’s a lot more than dozens of hours spent constantly repeating the same activities in contemporary open worlds.
Where to Buy Murdered: Soul Suspect
Steam (PC): Available for $19.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.
PlayStation Store (PS3, PS4): The game is priced at $19.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.
Xbox Store (Xbox 360, Xbox One): Available for $19.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.
Official Page: Visit the official Murdered: Soul Suspect page for more information.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Murdered: Soul Suspect Subreddit.
