Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller

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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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 248 reviews

story119 positive mentions

stability44 negative mentions

Engaging storyline with unexpected twists and a compelling narrative.
Unique gameplay mechanics involving psychic powers that enhance puzzle-solving.
Strong voice acting and immersive atmosphere that keeps players invested.

Frequent bugs and glitches, particularly with character animations and game stability.
Some puzzles can be overly complex or illogical, leading to frustration.
Graphics and animations feel dated and can detract from the overall experience.

story
277 mentions
43 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its engaging and intricate narrative, featuring a mix of suspense, supernatural elements, and character development, particularly around the protagonist, Erica Reed. While some players found the pacing slow and the plot occasionally convoluted, many appreciated the well-crafted twists and emotional depth, making it a compelling experience for fans of adventure and mystery genres. Overall, the story stands out as a significant strength of the game, despite some criticisms regarding dialogue and pacing.
- “The story is amazing, you can really see Jane Jensen's handiwork and are reminded of the suspense in the Gabriel Knight series.”
- “The story gets more and more intriguing as it unfolds, all the puzzle pieces come together to form a clear and crazy picture at the end.”
- “This is one of the best adventure games and story plots I've experienced in a long time.”
- “I must admit by the halfway point of the fourth episode, I had more or less lost all interest in the story and the game, but completed it because I’m a self-imposed victim of the sunk cost fallacy.”
- “The story is okay, but the voice acting is really bad.”
- “My god, this plot is painfully bad; I am baffled at what the writers were thinking.”
graphics
86 mentions
26 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, featuring a comic book-inspired art style that some players find beautiful, while others criticize the overall quality as rough and glitchy. Many reviews highlight issues with character animations and graphical glitches that can detract from immersion, though some players appreciate the unique aesthetic and engaging story enough to overlook these flaws. Overall, while the visuals may not meet modern standards, they contribute to the game's atmosphere and narrative experience.
- “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 plot is enticing, the puzzles challenging, and the artwork is just fantastic.”
- “And the graphics get really screwed up, with pieces of characters' bodies moving independently and facial expressions getting outright nightmarish.”
- “The graphics are just plain ugly.”
- “The graphics and characters' movement mechanics were janky and glitchy - a couple of moments when Erica's head flipped out.”
gameplay
80 mentions
30 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring unique mechanics centered around the protagonist's psychic abilities that enhance puzzle-solving and narrative engagement. While many players appreciate the intriguing story and the introduction of new gameplay elements in each chapter, others criticize the clunky controls, sluggish mechanics, and occasional glitches that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a captivating point-and-click adventure, but its execution in gameplay can be frustrating for some players.
- “Very engaging story, intelligent puzzles, and interesting game mechanics make this game turn out to be almost perfect.”
- “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, even though it is technically a point-and-click game.”
- “Each episode introduces new mechanics that keep puzzles interesting, and the story has cool twists.”
- “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.”
- “Many feel that the interface and gameplay are rather clunky.”
music
61 mentions
61 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the story. While some players find the soundtrack captivating and well-composed, others describe it as inconsistent, with moments of generic or annoying tracks. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a strong aspect that complements the game's narrative and gameplay, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “The music and voice acting are excellent though.”
- “The art style is beautiful, the plot is amazing, and the music was one of my favorite parts of this whole experience, very atmospheric!”
- “Great voice acting, soundtrack on point: perfectly fits and gives even more pathos to emotional moments.”
- “Every move command is delayed a very long time, too, which is doubly frustrating when the game assaults you with gruesome time-sensitive tasks and panicky music.”
- “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.”
- “-music is getting annoying over the duration of 4 episodes.”
stability
44 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is frequently described as buggy, with numerous glitches affecting animations, character models, and gameplay stability, including hard freezes that require a system reboot. While some players find these issues amusing or manageable, they can detract from the overall experience, particularly in later episodes. Despite these technical shortcomings, many reviewers still appreciate the game's story and gameplay, suggesting that the bugs may be overlooked by those willing to endure them.
- “There were a large number of glitches with these animations, parts of people's bodies clipping through themselves, body parts disappearing, and classic 'freak out' animations as character upper bodies flailed around.”
- “But, unfortunately, this game freezes constantly and I can't even just turn it off; I have to reboot my computer.”
- “And the game regularly freezes for several seconds, occasionally crashes, and permanently slows down to an unplayable crawl in the middle of episode 2.”
atmosphere
21 mentions
57 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its haunting beauty, effective music, and immersive storytelling, creating a compelling dark and creepy environment reminiscent of thriller classics. While many players appreciate the moody ambiance and character depth, some note issues with graphical glitches and polish that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, successfully drawing players into its intriguing and dramatic world.
- “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.”
humor
14 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of unintentional glitches and quirky character animations, which often lead to both amusing and bizarre moments. Players find the absurdity of character models morphing and jerky animations to be entertaining, even if they detract from the overall atmosphere of the detective narrative. Additionally, the interactions between characters, particularly regarding the protagonist's precognition powers, add a layer of comedic relief amidst the game's darker themes.
- “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's pretty funny that no one really questions you much on it. Your partner has some funny things to say about it at times; he's one of the few who knows the truth.”
- “Starting at episode 3, I had some funny bugs with Erica's model: from time to time, after a load or a cutscene, her model was completely freaked out... hands in the air, head pushed back against her back, and head spinning 360° permanently. Funny to watch but kind of breaks the mood.”
emotional
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its dark, twisty narrative and impactful soundtrack, which evoke strong feelings and resonate deeply with players. While some reviews note a lack of character development and convoluted plot points that detract from emotional satisfaction, others praise the heartfelt storytelling and powerful moments that leave players feeling devastated and moved. Overall, the game is described as a thrilling and emotionally powerful experience, with standout voice acting that enhances its emotional depth.
- “It's amazing, heartfelt, and has a fantastic story to go with it.”
- “Great voice acting, soundtrack on point: perfectly fits and gives even more pathos to emotional moments.”
- “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.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with slow-paced investigations and character movements contributing to a sense of boredom. While some appreciate the engaging story and fun elements, many feel that the complexity and repetitive clicking required for navigation and puzzles detract from the overall experience, requiring significant patience.
- “Game play is slow, which gets tedious and boring. This game could have been great if they kept it simple and didn't overcomplicate already complicated constructs.”
- “You should have plenty of patience on reserve for it because it can be extremely tedious.”
- “Reached episode three, and by this point, the puzzles have become a lot more tedious.”
character development
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the deep character design and engaging story, others feel that inconsistencies in the plot and a lack of emotional depth hinder the overall experience, leading to a less satisfying conclusion.
- “This game features fairly deep character design for computer games.”
- “The story and character development are both excellent.”
- “I walked into this game feeling like it had so much potential, and then a lot of it ended up wasted somehow 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.”
- “This one has fairly deep character design for computer games.”
optimization
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game received mixed reviews; while some users experienced significant performance issues on lower-end hardware, others praised its exceptional performance with minimal flaws. Overall, the technical performance appears to vary greatly depending on the system used.
- “The performance here was amazing, and I can barely find a single flaw in it.”
- “Performance issues on my toaster laptop aside, I have no complaints.”
- “So that's an F on technical performance right away.”
- “Performance issues on my toaster laptop aside, I have no complaints.”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its branching paths, allowing players to explore different dialogue options and achievements. After completing the game, players can choose to pursue various outcomes or achievements, enhancing the incentive to replay.
- “There are branching ways of approaching the game, which can lead to different dialogue and achievements, enhancing its replayability.”
- “In terms of replayability, once you finish the game, you can either pursue achievements or explore other dialogue options and possible outcomes.”
- “In terms of replayability, once you finish it, you'd either go for the achievements or explore the other dialogue options or possible outcomes. However, I'm not planning to do either for now.”
- “While there are branching ways of approaching the game that could lead to different dialogue and achievements, it ultimately feels limited in terms of true replayability.”
- “After completing the game, I found that the replayability factor is lacking, as the alternative paths don't offer enough new content to warrant another playthrough.”