This game is one of the greatest. Dialogue and writing is amazing, as is the deep insight into human nature and political conflicts. This type of depth elevates the game above being just a game and into a piece of art. I honestly haven't been this touched by a game since Planescape Torment. It is unfortunate what happened to the design team though. The fruits of their labor were stolen. This makes me wary to recommend you to buy the game, as the money no longer goes to who it should go to. Basically, a bunch of investors ousted the original creative talent and stole the game. Oddly, this is much like what happened to Revanchol inside the game world.
The game has an interesting premise and I love the noir atmosphere. Managing the variety of police personalities is interesting. Dark humor lightens the game, whose main plot is definitely in the grim noir side. My only gripe with the game is the way it offers an illusion of choice, when there isn't really any. Nothing you do (other than failing the game that it ending because of it) alters the plot. There are several places where the game implies your choices matter, such as in the competition with Carter. But it simply doesn't; the plot is written in one way and the game forces you to lose the competition, for example, no matter what you do. This kind of railroading might be fitting for the existentialistic dread common to neo-noir, but it is an annoying things to find in a game. Still, worth it for playing through once. Some of the side cases and personalities are quite interesting, while the main plot is quite basic.
I only started playing this masterpiece in 2021. It is truly a game crafted with love, giving detailed attention to history. Wonderful work; I really want to buy the developers a beer for this labor of love. I think the only reason this didn't become a major hit is the combat system, which is a bit clunky. I understand where it is going and appreciate the spirit of it. However, the combat becomes quite a mess when facing multiple opponents. Honestly, there should be a locking view in duels and a different, free-for-all mode when facing multiple enemies or in a mass fight. Small difficulties with the combat mode, a bit clunky mounted combat and some obscure UI choices are the only real complaint. I heartily recommend the game as a whole to anyone interested in RPGs and historical settings. This is a game that can actually teach you things.
