Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny
- July 13, 2018
- City Interactive S.A.
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamArt of Murder: Cards of Destiny is a point-and-click adventure game where players assume the role of Federal Agent Nicole Bonnet, hunting down a vicious serial killer. The killer leaves a trail of clues in the form of cards, taunting Nicole and staying one step ahead. Players must search dangerous and macabre locations to find and decipher clues, ultimately bringing the killer to justice. The game features a tense plot with surprising turning points and takes players across different federal states.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging story with interesting twists and a variety of locations to explore.
- Improved graphics and atmosphere compared to previous titles in the series.
- Challenging puzzles that require careful observation and item combination.
- Frustrating gameplay due to poorly designed puzzles that often rely on trial and error.
- Awkward dialogue and voice acting, likely due to translation issues, detracting from the experience.
- Slow character movement and clunky mechanics make progression tedious and unenjoyable.
- story33 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and filled with interesting twists, while others criticize it for being convoluted, forced, and riddled with plot holes. Many appreciate the improved narrative compared to previous titles, but issues such as underdeveloped characters, clunky dialogue, and a lack of intuitive gameplay detract from the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as a step up from earlier installments, yet still falls short of delivering a cohesive and satisfying narrative.
“It has the mistakes known from the previous titles (interface, puzzles, translation, voice acting problems), but still it's a great adventure game; the player could feel her/himself a real agent and I really liked the story.”
“I think the story is engaging too, leagues above the first two outings, has vibes of the Bone Collector, that Denzel Washington film from 1999.”
“The story is so much better than in previous games and the puzzles were engaging, although rather easy.”
“Bizarre, convoluted, nonsense story with plot-holes galore.”
“It is a mean game all along, hating its main character, hating all the rest of the characters, giving you sudden deaths with no shame, like a game done by designers wanting to sh*t on the whole point and click adventure genre making a decent story a chore to play with bad writing, bad characterisation, bad design, bad puzzles and annoying use of environments, which turns a generous length into a painful experience.”
“Bad story, bad mechanics, awful dialogues, annoying puzzles.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful and detailed visuals, improved graphic engine, and decent resolution, while others criticize them as outdated and lacking adaptability. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, they are not enough to compensate for other gameplay shortcomings, leading to a consensus that they are decent but not exceptional.
“Truly the trilogy is rich in story and content. I did find I miss this graphics era of gaming since I feel it looks great; we get so much but do not need to worry about our computer's lack of space.”
“Beautiful graphics, mostly fair puzzles, thrilling soundtrack, characters and dialogues a bit under-developed, but a story which increased in tempo and tension and made you want to play to the end.”
“+ great looking and detailed pre-rendered graphics.”
“The story is okay, but the gameplay is boring, the character moves very slowly, the graphics are old, the resolution can’t be adapted, etc. I won’t keep playing this game.”
“All of this could be forgiven if the graphics, music, story, dialogue and plot were good, but alas, mediocre is the best I can say about it.”
“+ improved graphic engine, resolution and inventory system.”
- music11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its excellent soundtrack and ability to create a tense atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. While some reviewers noted that the background music effectively sets the tone and adds a sense of danger, others felt it occasionally overshadowed the dialogue. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, though some aspects of the audio experience, like voice acting, received criticism.
“The soundtrack is excellent and the atmosphere is really tense at times; the hair on the back of my neck was standing up while investigating the theater.”
“It has a great soundtrack.”
“Some highlights are still memorable, with great atmosphere, varied and fitting soundtrack.”
“Edit: I must add that the voice acting is awful as well, not matching the tone of what the game is telling. The way it is designed, the main character is absolutely useless as an FBI agent, and it is almost a pity that a good work on graphics, videos, and above all, music is wasted on this mess.”
“The background music also tends to drown out the dialogue, but that's a plus in my opinion.”
“Backgrounds, music, and pre-rendered cut-scenes are all well done.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it boring and slow, while others appreciated the graphics and mechanics despite some awkward pacing and clunky interface. Many noted issues with puzzle balance and a lack of intuitive flow, which detracted from the overall experience.
“The interface is a little bit clunky but it functions well enough not to interfere too much with gameplay.”
“Gameplay was fine, graphics were good, puzzles were a little unbalanced (some too easy, some only solvable with save-scumming), which made the pacing a little awkward.”
“I would have liked to have seen a few achievements integrated into the game, but that is just personal preference and doesn't affect the gameplay at all.”
“The story is okay, but the gameplay is boring. The character moves very slowly, the graphics are old, and the resolution can’t be adapted. I won’t keep playing this game.”
“Bad story, bad mechanics, awful dialogues, annoying puzzles.”
“My main issue is that it completely lacks intuitive gameplay; you won't get into the flow of the storyline.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with repetitive tasks that disrupt the flow and enjoyment. The detailed processes required for simple actions, such as scanning documents, contribute to a sense of monotony that detracts from the overall experience.
“I love puzzle games, I love crime games, but I got bored with this one. I really was hoping it would have a bit more of a flow to it, but it got tedious.”
“The forensic work is also tedious.”
“The game is insanely tedious; anything that can be dragged out seems to be so.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its tension and immersive qualities, with an excellent and varied soundtrack that enhances the experience. Players report memorable moments that evoke strong emotional responses, contributing to a gripping investigative environment.
“The soundtrack is excellent, and the atmosphere is really tense at times; the hair on the back of my neck was standing up while investigating the theater.”
“Some highlights are still memorable, with great atmosphere and a varied, fitting soundtrack.”
“The game does a pretty decent job of creating a tense atmosphere.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game appears to be unintentional, with some players finding the English translation amusingly awkward. However, there are moments that are genuinely funny, such as the absurdity of the FBI having a dedicated bomb-defusing room.
“It's funny that the FBI has its own bomb-defusing room.”
“The humor in this game is so unexpected and delightful, it keeps you laughing throughout.”
“The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me in stitches!”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent programming, with users reporting no technical issues or bugs, indicating a high level of stability.
