I learned first Perjury When his colleague editor David Silbert dropped me a thread in our discord. He knows that I like video detective games, and when I saw the launch trailer for the first title of Paper Cat Games, Paper perjury, I was ecstatic. A junior police officer with great hair is starting to notice differences in evidence?! And she will solve the crimes?!?!? And it is inspired by Ace lawyer?!?!?!?!
A few weeks after its launch of December 9, I am delighted to share this Perjury is a delicious and solid mystery game for fans of the genre and the Ace lawyer series. It is an interactive novel with a good amount of investigation into crime scenes and to present evidence. Although it does not do anything revolutionary, it is an independent mystery well executed.
Welcome to the case
Perjury overturn a familiar charm. The art style of Pixel, combined with its punctual gameplay and click, instantly invites nostalgia. There are background details on which a click, evidence to cross and lies to catch criminals. Each case begins with a short briefing, then investigating and speaking, and ends with a few suspects in a police room for interrogation. The classic rhythm and mechanics will comfort all the players who are looking for a new mystery game.
There are remarkable elements. The text of the game is largely a dialogue, and this writing is well done. Each character has his own specific voice, with different values, accents, tics and interests. I was attracted to the sprites of the characters in the game, who are delicious, although some characters are more detailed than others. (A recurring character who is supposed to be a business manager of his 1940s or 50s seems that he could be a spoiled student.) In an appropriate way, but non -intrusive music helps to maintain history.
Perjury is an affectionate tribute to Ace lawyer series. When the bad guys are caught, their character animations escape from rage. There are some interior jokes, such as those on Step-Ladders. Many characters have names linked to the pun, such as a magician named Annie Card. Several times, Justina has the impression of being short of options, but at the last moment, she is able to bring him home! You can almost hear someone screaming, Objection!
It is this inspiration, however, which can be what holds Perjury back.
An imperfect crime
There have been a lot of mysteries in recent decades, some best than others, and the developers had to create their own niche. Perjury is retained by some of his own ambitions, starting with the title and promise of the launch trailer to go from “Paper-Pusher to Crime Solver”. I hoped the premise of Perjury– that if a modest office employee who sorted documents could find something that detectives had missed?
Unfortunately, apart from the game opening case, Perjury does not come back to this more unique premise. He quickly became a fairly regular detective game to investigate the scenes, bring together evidence and grill suspects. Protagonist Justina Smith, a new paper clerk, is authorized to free reign of crime scenes and to direct interrogations, which does not make sense. A few other moments have also brought me out of the game, like a maid who is also a kind of a key accountant of a several million dollars real estate company.
There are five interconnected cases; The former are stronger. Towards the end of the game, I felt like I was just trying to go through data collection so that I could present what I knew had happened. The game can be completed in approximately seven hours, although it may take 10 if you are investigating each background element (like me) and / or fight with some of the interrogations of these last cases and you must brutal a single Index (also like me) to find exactly what the game wants you to suggest, even if several articles may have worked.
In addition, the scope of the game sometimes extends in an unusual way. The protagonist’s main partner changes the game halfway, and even more strangely, there is a singular, steep and short-lived perspective to the POV of an antagonistic lawyer where the player tries to separate the argument from protagonist. It is a strange and disconcerting choice that does not feel “won”.
However, the end of each case and the game is ultimately satisfactory.
A fun mystery game for fans of the genre
There are moments of writing that are particularly heavy with visions of the world, but the increase is that the perspective of each character is, at some point, honored and seen. Just like the real world, nothing here is never black and white. Perjury has a real heart.
Perjury is the first game of Paper Cat Games. I looked at the credits, seeing only a few names and what seemed to be an impressive combination of freelancers. The game press kit Share the following:
“”Perjury started because creator James Acosta wanted to use Ace lawyer Mechanics outside the framework of the standard courtroom … Although it is not a writer or program of Paper perjury, And strives to make it even better. »»
I love to see people do and try new things. Big Bravo to James and Rebecca for having launched this comforting and thoughtful mystery game!
Although it is not a game for everyone, mysteries and Ace lawyer Lovers will find Perjury A case that deserves to be resolved.
Oh, and you can caress this cat, thank God.
Score: 8.0 / 10
PerjuryDeveloped by Paper Cat Games, was released on December 9, 2024 and is available on Windows PC, Mac and Linux. PDSF: $ 19.99.
