Ghosts of Miami
- August 22, 2017
- Pillow Fight
Ghosts of Miami mixes a detective story and romantic themes in a colorful and vibrant setting, but a couple of mechanical flaws make it slightly tricky to experience repeat playthroughs.
Get on Steam"Ghosts of Miami" is a narrative-driven detective game set in 1986 Miami. Set against the backdrop of the cocaine epidemic, you play as private investigator Chelo Martínez, seeking to solve five missing persons cases, including the disappearance of her father. Your choices in investigating, handling witnesses, and pursuing relationships will shape Chelo's growth and the outcome of each case. Be prepared for a rich, immersive story filled with decisions that matter.
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Reviews
- The game features a captivating story with well-developed characters and a unique 80s aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
- The music and art style are praised for their quality, contributing to an engaging atmosphere that immerses players in the setting.
- The game encourages critical thinking and offers meaningful choices that affect the outcome of the story, making it feel interactive and rewarding.
- The lack of a traditional save system and a clear skip function for previously seen dialogue can lead to frustration during replay, as players must start from the beginning of cases.
- Some players find the romance elements forced and poorly integrated, detracting from the main mystery-solving focus of the game.
- The game suffers from occasional bugs and unclear dialogue, which can disrupt immersion and make it difficult to follow the story.
- story59 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of "Ghosts of Miami" is widely praised for its engaging narrative and well-developed characters, set against a vibrant 1980s Miami backdrop. Players appreciate the stakes involved, as failing to uncover certain elements can lead to worse endings, adding depth to the experience. However, some users noted mechanical issues, such as a lack of a skip feature and bugs, which can hinder the enjoyment of replaying the story.
“If you're looking for a queer, socially relevant, and charming story focusing on marginalized people, I can't recommend this game enough!”
“The game really shines in its story and characters.”
“The plot is engaging and exciting to figure out and find all the little variations.”
“This game has no story.”
“But of course I can’t advance the story because I can’t click on the damn choices.”
“And given the branching and escalating nature of the story, this game sorely needs a better save system, checkpoint system, and dialogue traversal.”
- music26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy 80's synth soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players highlight the quality and vibrancy of the music, noting it as a standout feature that complements the game's art and narrative. Overall, the soundtrack is described as one of the best in recent memory, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
“A very unique visual novel that feels very well-rounded between the world, art, characters, and music.”
“The darkness of this game is astonishing, considering this is the best soundtrack I've heard in a video game in a long time.”
“The soundtrack is pretty decent too, a shame it’s not available for sale.”
“In terms of music, the soundtrack is catchy and filled with 80's synth.”
“In terms of music, the soundtrack is catchy and filled with 80's synth.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback, with many players appreciating the charming art style and the well-executed 80's aesthetic. While some users noted that graphics may not be the primary focus of the game, the overall visual presentation is considered lovely and well-researched.
“I really loved the art style.”
“In terms of overall aesthetic, the game is lovely on all fronts.”
“The 80's setting isn't just for the aesthetic; the dev team must've done a lot of research.”
“🔲 Graphics don't matter in this game.”
“Sure, the first thing the game asks me to do when I boot it up is to configure it with the standard screen resolution, graphics quality, and input.”
“A mystery-solving game (where the main shtick is finding missing persons rather than solving murders) where you also get to date people, all wrapped up in an 80's aesthetic?”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Ghosts of Miami" features engaging mechanics where player choices impact missing person cases, providing a refreshing twist in the visual novel genre. However, it suffers from significant mechanical shortcomings, such as the lack of text speed adjustments, quicksave options, and the ability to skip previously-seen text, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game's graphics and writing are generally well-received.
“There is actual gameplay with missing person cases where your choices actually matter, which is like a breath of fresh air after some of the half-baked visual novel plots that only serve as a vehicle for the romance options.”
“Ghosts of Miami mixes a detective story and romantic themes in a colorful and vibrant setting, providing a unique gameplay experience.”
“Game-breaking mechanics aside, the graphics are very nice and the writing is okay.”
“Ghosts of Miami is an 80s-themed visual novel with a solid story and horrible gameplay systems.”
“My biggest issue with the game involved its mechanics; it doesn't have options to adjust text speed, quicksave, skip previously-seen text, or to press the scroll wheel to get a full look at the game's art – and all of this stuff is pretty standard for visual novels, so I didn't understand why this game didn't have those!”
“Ghosts of Miami mixes a detective story and romantic themes in a colorful and vibrant setting, but a couple of mechanical flaws make it slightly tricky to experience repeat playthroughs.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users consistently highlight the game's "infinitely replayable" nature, indicating that it offers a compelling experience that encourages multiple playthroughs without losing its appeal.
“Infinitely replayable.”
“Infinitely replayable.”
“Infinitely replayable.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the character Chelo's use of colorful Spanish slang like "cojones" and "cabrones," which resonates well with the 80s Miami setting and its Spanish-speaking audience. Players find the comedic timing particularly amusing, especially when they can fast forward through dialogue while waiting on the log screen.
“Chelo using words such as 'cojones' and 'cabrones' is incredibly funny, especially since this is 80s Miami; there are going to be Spanish speakers!”
“What’s extra hilarious is that I can still fast forward the dialogue in the background with the ~ key while I’m stuck on the log screen.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its emotional depth and stylistic presentation, effectively enhancing the overall experience. Players find the audio elements particularly impactful in creating an immersive environment.
“It's great to listen to and effective at building up emotion and atmosphere.”
“I like the game's atmosphere and style.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly noting that multiple playthroughs can feel repetitive and monotonous.
“Multiple playthroughs are a tad tedious.”
