Her Story

I had read up on this "game" and it had sounded interesting and worth giving a go. I love old FMV style games such as Gabriel Knight : The Beast Within and Phantasmagoria, figured a modern take on the genre would be good. Sadly this is not even in the same league as the afore mentioned games. Boring and uninteresting is all I can remember of it.

I've read a review of this game quite a long time ago and already managed to forget about it. I grabbed the thing when I saw it on the GOG main page and I'm happy to express my opinion. The plot summary is as follows: you are logged into a police data network and you dig through an old archive in order to discover the truth behind a murder. It took me 5 hours to complete the game. After first one I thought that I already know what's going on, but there was still a few surprises down the road! Even after uncovering the main plot twist it is still an engaging task to find missing bits of a puzzle. The acting of a lady (Viva Seifert) playing the main character is really good, it helps with immersion a lot. Narrative is done in a clever and thought-provoking manner. Gameplay (navigating through the police database) is practical enough not to discourage from playing. And I love the old-school look of the virtual desktop, as well as the filter applied to a camera footage. If you are looking for a unique experience in a game focused on narrative, I can honestly recommend Sam Barlow's creation to you!

I went into this game not really knowing what I would expect (or how to even play it). However it was a rollercoaster I won't forget in the first place. I have to say that this game probably has the most f-cked up plot twist I've ever experienced in a game. I won't spoil more than that since this game is really a game you should explore on your own. While watching the clips the penny will drop for you and you will understand (almost) everything.

This is one of those games that cannot be simply categorized as a game. It's more of an interactive show of some sort. The concept is simple, you watch a bunch of clips from the library and unveal the story of a murder by you self. Story wise it's pretty heavy stuff and the actress they got delivered quite good. On the other hand, it's a really short "game". If you want to enjoy some new format some new concept, this may be the game for you. If you are more focused on value, you may want to avoid this.

A very interesting game, which amazingly is able to construct a linear narrative for the player from free text random searches of video clips. There is an ending, but the reward is in the journey, as your opinion of the story, and what form that takes, changes as you explore. Think of it as an exploration game, but one based entirely on information gleaned from one side of a conversation.