Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller

About

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller is a single player action game with drama and thriller themes. It was developed by Phoenix Online Studios and was released on September 19, 2013. It received positive reviews from players.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller is a four-part series where players assume the role of FBI agent Erica Reed, who has the ability to see the past and solve crimes. The game follows Erica's investigation into her younger brother's murder and a new serial killer case in Boston, with Erica's unique abilities playing a crucial role. This award-winning game includes exclusive director commentary for all episodes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller screenshot

+10

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 550 reviews

story266 positive mentions

stability91 negative mentions

Engaging and well-crafted storyline with unexpected twists and turns.
Unique gameplay mechanics involving psychic powers that enhance puzzle-solving.
Strong voice acting and a captivating soundtrack that complements the dark atmosphere.

Clunky controls and slow character movement that can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
Graphical glitches and awkward animations that detract from the overall experience.
Some puzzles can be overly obscure or frustrating, requiring trial and error to solve.

story
628 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The story of "Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller" is a compelling blend of dark themes, intricate plot twists, and character development, often drawing comparisons to popular thrillers like "Silence of the Lambs" and "Saw." While many players found the narrative engaging and immersive, with a strong emotional weight, some criticized its pacing and convoluted elements, particularly in the later episodes. Overall, the game is praised for its rich storytelling and the ability to keep players invested in the unfolding mystery, despite some technical flaws and uneven execution.
- “A dark and twisted adventure game with great puzzles and a riveting story.”
- “The story is very interesting and dark.”
- “The story is engaging and the puzzles are challenging.”
- “After the first episode, I had hoped it would've picked up; however, the story remains painfully trite.”
- “Despite the interesting game mechanics sometimes, this game has probably the most idiotic plot I have ever seen.”
- “The only reason I drudged through the last two episodes was that I wanted to see the rest of the story, and it turned out to be disappointing as well.”
graphics
201 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique comic book art style and cutscenes, while others criticize the dated and glitchy character models and animations. Despite the visual flaws, including occasional humorous glitches, the overall aesthetic and atmosphere are often praised, with some players willing to overlook the graphical issues due to the engaging story and gameplay. However, there is a consensus that improvements in graphics and animation would enhance the overall experience.
- “I loved the cutscenes' comic artwork; they did an excellent job of capturing the moments.”
- “The graphics are in a nice comic book style and stay at a high quality level throughout the four episodes.”
- “The artwork is hauntingly beautiful and the music adds the right atmosphere on top of it.”
- “The game suffered from huge graphical issues, clipping issues, and even greater issues with animations at launch.”
- “The graphics are just plain ugly.”
- “The graphics and character animations are really well done.”
gameplay
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
62%
8%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring unique mechanics centered around the protagonist's psychic abilities that enhance puzzle-solving and interaction, but it suffers from clunky controls, sluggish pacing, and frustrating backtracking. While some players appreciate the innovative elements introduced in each episode, others find the overall experience tedious and marred by technical issues. Despite these drawbacks, the engaging story and character development keep some players invested in the experience.
- “Great detective/crime adventure with supernatural elements that add interesting gameplay mechanics to the classic point-and-click formula.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are distinct and unique, as the main character Erica has psychic abilities to see some of the past and memories at crime scenes, which makes the scenes fun and thrilling.”
- “Each chapter introduces new gameplay and puzzle elements that, for the most part, add to the game.”
- “The story might be okay, but the mechanics of the game are unbearable.”
- “But between the controls and the sluggish, unreliable gameplay involving those controls, the game became too much of a chore for me to finish.”
- “Slow gameplay (even for a point and click adventure) and awkward menus really hurt what should be a great experience.”
music
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
35%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth, with many praising the beautiful soundtracks and impressive voice acting, particularly from the lead character. However, some players noted that the music can be overly loud or repetitive at times, and a few found certain tracks generic or annoying. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience.
- “The music is haunting and beautiful, and the talented Raleigh Holmes (lead singer of the Scarlet Furies) does a fine job bringing Erica to life.”
- “The soundtrack is through the roof. It fits the atmosphere perfectly and is actually one of the best soundtracks I've ever listened to.”
- “Awesome story, great art style, great sound, music, and I didn't notice any major bugs.”
- “The music is repetitive.”
- “It captures the feel of the game nicely when there's a long enough piece of music in the area, but for crying out loud, the same four bars of ambient atonal sound gets real old real fast when you're wracking your brain trying to figure out how not to die.”
- “But the dramatic staging backfires: since I can look for side cutters, shovels, and other objects without time pressure, the excited music doesn't fit at all and is annoying after a few minutes.”
stability
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and freezes that can disrupt gameplay. While many players find these issues annoying, they often do not consider them game-breaking, allowing for some enjoyment despite the technical flaws. Overall, the experience is marred by animation glitches and occasional crashes, particularly in later chapters, but some players still appreciate the story and gameplay enough to recommend it.
- “This game is completely bug-free now with the latest updates.”
- “The art is nice and even the character models are good.”
- “The game crashes a lot and I do not recommend it if you have little patience for game bugs and graphic glitches.”
- “It's buggy as hell, with crashes, errors (like asking you to skip a cutscene when one isn't playing) and graphical glitches that really erode any enjoyment you get from playing.”
- “But, unfortunately this game freezes constantly and I can't even just turn it off; I have to reboot my computer.”
atmosphere
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
37%
7%
The game excels in creating a captivating and immersive atmosphere, often compared to classic thrillers like "Se7en" and "Saw." Players praise the haunting artwork, exceptional soundtrack, and strong voice acting, which collectively enhance the dark, tense, and sometimes creepy vibe of the game. Despite some minor graphical issues, the overall atmosphere is consistently described as engaging and well-crafted, making it a standout feature of the experience.
- “One of the best atmospheric adventures in recent years.”
- “The artwork is hauntingly beautiful and the music adds the right atmosphere on top of it.”
- “It successfully creates that dark/thriller murder mystery atmosphere (a bit like Se7en in a way).”
- “Nice serious atmosphere but terrible gameplay.”
- “Weird graphical glitches around the character's mouths and shoulders/arms make the whole atmosphere pretty hilarious, not good in a detective game where atmosphere should be important.”
- “Severely lacking in both atmosphere and polish.”
emotional
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
12%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its intense storytelling, which evokes a range of feelings from sweet sadness to devastation, often enhanced by a powerful soundtrack and voice acting. While some players appreciate the heartfelt moments and surprising plot twists, others criticize the lack of character development and occasional melodrama that can detract from the overall emotional impact. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy emotionally driven narratives and complex, dark themes.
- “Really enjoyed the story which had some good tension and emotional weight to it.”
- “This game really is a work of art - it is the most thrilling and emotionally powerful game I've ever played, and I strongly recommend it.”
- “It’s an emotional roller-coaster ride that keeps you on your toes and just wondering what will happen.”
- “The story is slow and boring.”
- “The emotional moments feel forced and lack depth.”
- “I didn't connect with the characters at all; their struggles felt superficial.”
humor
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from unintentional glitches and quirky animations, which players found amusing rather than detrimental to the experience. Many noted that the character models occasionally morphed into bizarre shapes, leading to both laughter and a break in the game's serious tone. Overall, while the game has a dark narrative, the humorous elements, including funny dialogue and absurd visual bugs, contribute to a unique and entertaining experience.
- “Sometimes the character models will morph into shapes they're not supposed to - it's funny to look at best and horrifying at worst.”
- “You have precognition powers which help you in cases, though it is pretty funny no one really questions you much on it; your partner has some funny things to say about it at times.”
- “Seeing Erica's head twist around her body like a possessed contortionist was funny, but you don't want to laugh in a psychological thriller.”
grinding
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious, with slow-paced investigations and repetitive tasks leading to frustration for many players. While some appreciate the engaging story and challenging puzzles, the overall consensus is that the gameplay could benefit from simplification to reduce the monotony and enhance the experience. Despite these issues, a few players still find enjoyment in the game, highlighting its unique approach compared to more action-oriented titles.
- “Game play is slow which gets tedious and boring; this game could have been great if they kept it simple and didn't keep overcomplicating already complicated constructs.”
- “And you should have plenty of patience on reserve for it because it can be extremely tedious.”
- “On top of that, it can get tedious getting around to different locations and picking up items from certain places, then taking them to other places, etc. Other than that, the gameplay is very engaging and the puzzles are challenging but not impossible.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including bugs, stuttering, and interface problems. While a few users praised the overall performance and smoothness, many highlighted inconsistent performance and technical flaws that detract from the experience. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be lacking, leading to frustration among players.
- “The performance here was amazing and I can barely find a single flaw in it.”
- “There's no need to have graphics settings in this game, in my opinion; it should default to fantastic.”
- “Performance issues on my toaster laptop aside, I have no complaints.”
- “So that's an F on technical performance right away.”
- “The new cast does suffer from inconsistent performance.”
- “Too many bugs; the optimization is terrible.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its depth and emotional resonance, particularly in the character of Erica Reed, whose growth is highlighted throughout the episodes. However, others feel that inconsistencies in the plot and a lack of development for certain characters detract from the overall experience, leading to a less satisfying conclusion. Overall, while there are strong elements of character development, particularly in the context of the engaging story, some players believe it could have been executed more effectively.
- “This one has fairly deep character design for computer games.”
- “A bit cocky at times, but as her character development grows with each new episode, you start to like her even more and sympathize for what she has to go through.”
- “I walked into this game feeling like it had so much potential, and then a lot of it ended up wasted somehow both through holes in the character development and the plot's inconsistencies.”
- “One of the main assets of the game is the dark, twisty story (there are some genuinely surprising turns here), although I felt that the plot became rather convoluted towards the end and the lack of character development resulted in a less than emotionally satisfying conclusion.”
- “Depending on how you play the game, you will definitely see character development.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game offers significant replayability due to its branching narrative and the impact of player choices on character relationships and outcomes. Players can explore different dialogue options and pursue various achievements, encouraging multiple playthroughs to experience all possible scenarios.
- “Erica's responses and actions create consequences, as well as shaping her relationship with some characters and her superiors; she can be diplomatic or snappy, which increases the game's replay value.”
- “In terms of replayability, once you finish it, you'd either go for the achievements or explore the other dialogue options or possible outcomes (not planning to do either, for now).”
- “The fact that the plot branches and there are often multiple ways to progress enhances replayability.”
- “There are branching ways of approaches which could lead to different dialogue and achievements, which gives the game replayability.”

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9h Median play time

15h Average play time

2-33h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller is a action game with drama and thriller themes.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, iPad and others.

On average players spend around 15 hours playing Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller was released on September 19, 2013.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller was developed by Phoenix Online Studios.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller is a single player game.

Similar games include Blacksad: Under the Skin, Gray Matter, STASIS: BONE TOTEM, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, Kathy Rain and others.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller

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