Her Story

I can't believe how many reviewers here dismiss this game because it has "no ending," as they're they're clearly expecting a familiar murder-mystery wrapup. (Or maybe they just don't get it.) Unless you've failed to find a lot of significant video clips, this admittedly strange sequence of police interviews with, uh, Hannah starts coming into real focus during the next-to-last interview and finally puts all the (wild and crazy) jigsaw pieces in place during the final one. But you have to think about what you're hearing then. And after that, you have to think back about what you heard before. And when you completely understand "her story," you will be walking around in a daze for quite a while. I wouldn't call this a game. I think it is a fascinating experiment in storytelling. But for lack of another word, I have to admit the "gameplay" is awful. I'm confident many people must give up after fooling with it for a few sessions. I think there's only one way to approach it that shields you from unending word-search frustration - but there actually is one good, solid way to play it. In fact the gameplay is such a real issue that I'm surprised I'm giving it four starts (it's the only reason I'm not giving it five), but what can I say? I finished it several nights ago and I'm still thinking about it.

Really enjoyed this game. The idea is that you have access to video clips of police interrogations ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes, searchable via words in their transcripts. One clip will have some keywords that you want to explore more, so you search for them to unlock new clips, and so on. There is a great sense of adventure unlocking this mystery, and the presentation is original. It's not that long (I wish it had been longer!!) and there is no replay-ability, so probably I'd wait for this to go on sale. Overall I completely recommend this game and I hope we see more games like it in the future, games that experiment with new ways of telling stories.

Overall I think the game was worth Sam Barlow's time and effort making and releasing it and worth my time playing it. It's very different and has some cute ideas, which really help the game e.g the old desktop, the old computer sounds, the sounds of the room you're in. I think the LOGIN database interface is a problem though. I mean you'd have to think "Why can't I just watch the all the clips in order?". I think being able to bring up a precise line in the interrogation only really makes sense if you've already heard it completely and, as is said in one of the readme files on the desktop, want to use a specific line as evidence in court. If you suppose that there is a valid reason that you can't just watch all the clips in order and have to fit them together like a linear jigsaw, then I suppose it's an interesting idea and fun. As for the game not having an ending as such.....it KIND OF has an ending. Actually, though it's different from the norm, I like the idea of deciding for yourself when you've learned enough. I suppose there is replay value. Not a lot, but for the price there's probably enough. The story and acting are ok. Some have called cliché, but I think there are a few things to set it apart from similar murder stories. There are parts that are shocking though a little implausible. One reviewer dismissed the game as "feminist", but I don't think it is necessarily. It could be argued that there is a little bit of sexploitation, though that might just be a matter of perception. So I think you get your money's worth in this game and that Sam Barlow has come with a minimalist game that works.

Take on the role of a detective utilizing a primitive search database to uncover the full story behind a shocking murder. Your money will buy you about 2-3 hours of a narrative experience that will hold your attention throughout the duration of the mystery. The clues provided do a fantastic job of navigating you through the story, leading you to draw one conclusion one moment and watch it shattered the next during the next big revelation. The game is amazing at simulating the experience of pouring over case files in search of answers. The keywording that allows you to navigate between videos is well done, and I cannot recall a moment where I felt cheated due to a video not being properly searchable. If you ever found the detective elements of games like Witcher 3 or the Arkham series to be a bit too shallow for your liking and want something that digs more into fact finding, this is a fantastic romp for you. Denied a perfect score only due to it's brevity and lack of replayability due to its very nature.

Her Story is one of the best detective/mystery games I've played. In Her Story, you sit in front of the computer searching at the police archives for video footage as you try to discover what happened. The game asks from the player to search words or phrases in the archives so that you can find a new video footage. So Her Story unfolds with every new video you choose to see in a way that is both unique to every player and interesting at the same time. I played the game with a pen and paper on the side, although that is not necessary, I felt like that's how I wanted to experience it; like an oldschool detective. Writing words down for future searches and making notes to myself. I should say at this point that the game lets you put descriptions or tags at each video you see for future reference. I found myself making assumptions and trying to make connections. Some of them were dead ends while others lead me to unlock another video, another piece of the puzzle. When it was over it felt like a personal victory, like I had solved a great mystery. I strongly advise you to avoid any spoilers.