OK, so I've played probably about 75% of the game, so I thought I should write my own review on the game. I've seen a few of the reviews that have come out about it and I don't really think they do the game justice, so here's my penny's worth!
From the start, I found this game really intriguing, the fact you start off as a cop who has been murdered while hunting for a serial killer I think is a very original idea to start a story with.
The story of the game is dark and creepy, and the fact it's set in Salem gives it the perfect backdrop. There is many layers to the story, in terms of having the character's own personal history which you find out more through the game, which is a really sad but lovely story; but then you also have the stories of the people involved with the serial killer and the stories of other ghosts around Salem.
Now to me personally, I love this sort of story, as growing up I was obsessed with ghosts and the history and stories behind them. I can imagine there's a lot of people out there who may find it a bit too grim, but the underlying plot of the game is a simple "whodunnit" and follows one big case, pretty much like LA Noire.
The gameplay itself I enjoyed, although I can see people seeing it as too easy and basic. I think the fact that the puzzles can be easy makes the story easier to follow and you don't get stuck on one particular puzzle. But then I have to admit there were a few sections that really had me scratching my head, trying to work out where I had to go next, or where the next clue was.
As a Tomb Raider fan, I'm used to exploring and searching for little titbits around the place, and I loved the fact I got rewarded for that in this game. And the fact you're a ghost and can walk through *most* walls makes it quite a fun experience.
The biggest hurdle in the game in terms of puzzles I would say is most likely the demons. They can be a right pain in the arse to kill, because as soon as they spot you, if you don't find a place to hide, they will kill you within seconds. Luckily if you're sneaky enough they are easy to kill themselves, but as the game progresses, there tends to be more than one in the same area which can lead to a real headache trying to work out how to kill them one by one without being spotted... that or you could just sneak past them, but like I said, I like to explore and knowing that a demon is waiting just round the corner would just add to my stress!
The controls are pretty straight forward and aren't too clunky, sometimes they let you down when you need them most (such as hiding from a demon) but to me they were easy to get the hang of.
Now on to the negatives.
What can I say, I don't really have that many hang ups with the game! I think the biggest one for me would be the achievement system and the investigations.
I think there was a review that said somewhere about the fact you don't get "punished" for getting a conclusion to an investigation wrong, which does take a way the challenge in this game, but like I said, I think it keeps the flow of the story moving.
There's also some sort of "badge" system that when you get a clue right the first time, you are given 3 out of 3 badges, but that's all it is... there's no rewards for this, no upgrades, nothing. It makes the game feel a little incomplete at times, but it doesn't make the game any less enjoyable in my eyes!
I absolutely love the main character Ronan, his style his tattoos and his personality I think fit really well in the game and I found myself really feeling for his character as you find out more about his story.
The girl however that becomes his sort of sidekick... it's almost like they're trying to make another Ellie from Last of Us and it just doesn't work as well. She#'s an ok character I guess, and she's needed for certain puzzles, but she's just... not quite there in terms of being a secondary character that you can get on with!
I think that's all I can say pretty much about the game. Overall I am loving it so far and cannot wait to finish it! It has a few problems here and there, but as an original game, I am more than happy to look over those issues!
What I would really love to see though is the company who have made the game have a little more faith in this gem that they've created, as there really has not been much PR on it at all! How are you meant to get people to buy your game if you don't have any faith in it yourself! Step up people, this game's brilliant and you should be telling people so! I think a sequel to this game would iron out a lot of the creases that stop this game from being perfect (for someone with the same interests as me!), but unfortunately due to the neglect this game seems to be getting I doubt a sequel is on the cards!
Overall, if you like ghost stories, and fancy yourself a bit of a detective, and you can handle dark and creepy story lines and atmosphere, you will enjoy this game for what it is... if not, just take a look at Rad Brad playing it on youtube and see what you think. It might not be your thing, but it's a fun game nontheless