Detective Story
- January 22, 2021
- LTZinc
Get on Steam"Detective Story" is a quest game where you play as detective Harold, investigating a chain of strange murders in the small town of Sherwood. Gather clues, interview witnesses, and navigate mazes to uncover the culprit, with the power to determine one of two possible endings. This easy-to-follow game combines hardcore elements for a unique detective experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The pixel graphics are visually appealing and add charm to the game.
- Some players found the storyline enjoyable, particularly for fans of detective thrillers.
- The game is inexpensive, making it accessible for those willing to take a chance on it.
- The game is extremely short, with many players reporting it can be completed in under 10 minutes.
- There is a lack of meaningful gameplay, with minimal decision-making and interaction.
- The quality of the writing and grammar in the English version is poor, detracting from the overall experience.
- story15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story of the game is polarizing, with some players finding it enjoyable as a detective thriller, while others criticize it as mediocre and derivative, likening it to low-effort RPG Maker projects. Despite its appealing pixel graphics and smooth controls, many reviewers feel the narrative lacks depth and originality, making it not worth the investment for those seeking a substantial gaming experience. Overall, it may appeal to fans of simple detective tales but falls short for those expecting a more engaging story.
“The story is enjoyable as a thriller or a detective TV show or book.”
“It is a short adventure, but the story seems enjoyable for those that like detective thrillers or crime novels.”
“Very smooth controls and an immersive storyline.”
“The story was mediocre, even awful.”
“Detective story is one of hundreds of low-effort retro-pixel RPG Maker asset/construction kit flips spamming the Steam catalog, made with the RPG Maker video game construction kit. In their own words, 'our easy to use tools are simple enough for a child.' Like all RPG Maker 'games', this is essentially a bunch of low quality/canned assets from RPG Maker coupled with a cringeworthy high school anime club fan fiction.”
“A game without a story, without being able to change the resolution as you wish, and without being able to make even a snapshot is, in a nutshell, a bad game.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are a mixed bag; while the pixel art is visually appealing, the RPG Maker engine limits resolution and lacks customization options, resulting in poor fullscreen performance. Players have reported various graphical glitches, such as inconsistent text formatting and clipping issues, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, some users appreciate the game's aesthetic and interface, especially at a discounted price.
“Not a bad storyline and pixel graphics look very good.”
“The game is quite good: the price does not bite (at a discount you can snatch for pennies), an interesting menu, interface, graphics.”
“As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
“Jarringly fast-paced, short, and contains many graphical glitches (text randomly changes font or size, cars driving by clip out of frame and move extremely fast).”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's music is limited to what is featured in the trailer, playing consistently throughout the menu and scenes. While the music is described as good and relaxing, it complements the gameplay of searching for clues in the 2D world, creating an engaging atmosphere.
“Good music, captivating gameplay.”
“The music is relaxing, and searching for clues in the 2D world is an interesting idea!”
“The music that you hear in the trailer is all that you get, both in the menu and during every scene in the game.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of interactivity, with minimal dialogue and no engaging mechanics such as clue collection or player choices, leading to a feeling of linearity and missed potential. However, some users still find aspects of the gameplay enjoyable. Overall, the experience is seen as lacking depth and not worth the investment.
“Good gameplay.”
“The dialogues are barebone and flat, being more focused on moving from one premade location to the next without any form of interactive gameplay, like collecting clues or making choices, which would have been a cool idea to implement in the RPG Maker engine. It's a shame we don't get that.”
“No gameplay, no story, not worth buying at all!”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of these games is heavily criticized as exploitative and deceptive, with many titles being labeled as cash grabs that rely on asset flipping and minimal original content. Reviewers express concern over the prevalence of misleading practices, such as fake reviews and the rapid release of low-quality games, suggesting a lack of integrity in the market. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as prioritizing profit over quality and genuine gaming experiences.
“These guys do nothing but copy premade game templates and tutorials, fill out a few things using the construction kit templates, slap on an asset-flipped set of sprites, and dump them on Steam and into daily indie game bundles as cash grabs.”
“Trying to get paid for someone else's game templates and assets... at best, this is shovelware; at worst, it's a scam and cash grab.”
“They all appear at almost exactly the same time, shortly after the game launched on Steam, all have a direct Steam purchase of the game, and the accounts are used consistently to write fake reviews for asset flips and other cash grabs.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for its jarring fast pace and frequent graphical glitches, including inconsistent text formatting and erratic vehicle movements that detract from the overall experience.
“The game is jarringly fast-paced, short, and contains many graphical glitches, such as text randomly changing font or size, and cars driving by clipping out of frame and moving extremely fast.”
“I experienced frequent crashes and instability, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the gameplay.”
“The frame rate drops significantly during intense moments, leading to a frustrating experience.”
