Detective Grimoire Review (PC)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Detective Grimoire
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: No
  • Reviewed on:
Detective Grimoire

Detective Grimoire is another video game that started life on mobile devices and made the switch to the PC and Steam some time after, probably in order to reach a larger audience, so all those who get access to it should judge it with a clear understanding of the limitations of its original platform.

The story of the video game is rather simple, but there are some compelling moments along the way, and the central mystery is interesting enough to hold a gamer’s attention until the end of the experience, which thankfully does not try to stretch content too much.

The owner of an amusement park set in the swamp for reasons that are initially unclear has been killed and the titular character is called upon to solve the crime, which seems to have been committed by a mythical beast that does not actually exist.

Detective Grimoire has seven main suspects and a few other supporting characters that live around the location of the crime, and the player needs to move from one to another in order to gather clues, conduct conversations and try to get all the data they need in order to finally identify the criminal and close down the case.

The writing is above average, but there are still some moments when it falls flat and does not generate any kind of emotion.

At the same time, there were some moments when I chuckled because the way the various characters treat the subject of murder is a little bizarre, but I appreciated that the title delivered important information clearly when it was needed.

Swamp mystery
Swamp mystery

Detective Grimoire knows that such a simple title lives and dies by the quality of the story, so the narrative is strong, easy to follow and introduces a major twist that, unfortunately, can be predicted by gamers before it actually occurs.

From a mechanical standpoint, Detective Grimoire is a pretty standard adventure game that asks players to move from screen to screen, hunting for clues on all of them, interacting with the various characters and assembling a list of details about the situation.

At first, interaction opportunities are limited to info about a NPC's job and where they were when the murder occurred, but as the player talks to them and finds clues, they open up and start to react to the items that they are shown.

Gamers also need to move around and do a little pixel hunting in order to collect all potential info about the crime, and at certain points, each character can be challenged, based on known information, in order to get a big hint about the identity of the murderer.

The puzzles are pretty easy and involve dragging and connecting mechanics, which were probably well suited to mobile devices, but they sometimes feel a little forced on the PC.

There are also sequences which ask players to connect thoughts and form new ideas for the investigation that do not always make a lot of sense, although the game seems to understand this and always allows players to try again if they make a wrong move.

Detective Grimoire makes it easy to keep info organized and to evaluate which of the suspects is the most likely to be the murderer at any point, and once the story nears its end, it will be easy to see where the clues point and how to finish the experience.

The biggest problems with the gameplay are that the player needs to actively click in order to switch from movement to talking modes and the feeling that the entire experience belongs on a mobile device rather than a PC.

Detective Grimoire does not look great but there are some nice touches when it comes to the art style and to the way the entire experience is presented.

The entire title is drawn using highly stylized representations for both the characters and the locations, and there are a lot of small details included here and there to make the world feel alive and worth exploring.

The animations are also lovingly put together and manage to infuse the characters and the environment with some personality, which is crucial for a game that has a rather small world for the player to explore.

The quality of the audio in Detective Grimoire is better than for plenty of bigger AAA releases, with some solid voice work for the characters, who speak every line of text that also shows up on the player's screen.

The actual soundtrack is also impressive, subtly boosting the mystery surrounding the story and the feeling of danger that accompanies the investigation, and the initial warning about the use of headphones needs to be heeded by all players.


The Good

  • Interesting mystery
  • Beautiful design
  • Superb soundtrack

The Bad

  • Weak puzzles
  • Limited locations

Conclusion

Detective Grimoire is a well-paced adventure title that features a lot of talking, some good puzzles, a lot of weaker ones, quirky characters and locations, and a murder mystery that will be solved by most gamers before the protagonist has a clear clue about it.

A player's enjoyment of the title will depend a lot on their genre preferences, but I suspect that even the most hardened shooter fans will probably appreciate the attention to detail and the humor the PC port has to offer.

story 8
gameplay 7
concept 8
graphics 8
audio 9
multiplayer 0
final rating 8.5
Editor's review
very good
 
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