Murderous Muses
- April 11, 2023
- D'Avekki Studios Ltd
- 5h median play time
Murderous Muses has a whole lot of interesting ideas, but because of them it struggles to tell a cohesive story.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreIn "Murderous Muses," become the night watchman at Gallery Argenta, where Mordechai Grey's portraits are on display. Six prime suspects, his "Murderous Muses," are in the tribute exhibition, a year after Grey's unsolved murder. Explore the gallery, question suspects through Mordechai's eyes, and unlock police interviews to deduce the murderer in this procedurally-generated, replayable FMV adventure. Discover collectibles, solve puzzles for bonuses, and maintain a persistent trophy room.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Murderous Muses offers a captivating blend of FMV storytelling and puzzle-solving, with a rich narrative and intriguing characters that draw players into the mystery.
- The game features high replayability due to its randomized elements, allowing players to experience different murderers and storylines with each playthrough.
- The atmosphere and aesthetic of the game, including the unique art gallery setting and well-acted FMV segments, create an engaging and immersive experience.
- Many players find the initial learning curve steep and the mechanics confusing, with a lack of clear instructions leading to frustration during early gameplay.
- The 3D environment and navigation can feel clunky and outdated, detracting from the overall experience and causing motion sickness for some players.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the inventory system and puzzle design, are criticized for being tedious and not well-integrated, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- gameplay44 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of engaging FMV segments and complex mechanics that can be confusing at first, requiring players to invest time to fully understand them. While the unique mechanics and replayability are praised, many users find the instructions vague and the gameplay tedious, with some expressing frustration over the UI design and camera sensitivity. Overall, the game offers an interesting experience, but improvements in clarity and mechanics are desired for future iterations.
“A little confusing from the outset, but once you get to grips with the game's various mechanics it becomes very fun, with the game's randomized nature providing a fair amount of replayability.”
“Interesting gameplay with well-written and excellently-acted FMV sections.”
“The gameplay mechanics are definitely unique along with the storyline idea and replayability is off the charts when we're looking at paper.”
“There were times in my first playthrough that I didn’t understand the mechanics of what I should be doing and some extra things I wasn’t getting.”
“The game throws you into the thick of it with minimal explanation, leaving you to figure out the mechanics and overall objective on your own.”
“Instructions for performing basic game mechanics are poorly explained.”
- story42 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in "Murderous Muses" is praised for its complexity and depth, with players enjoying the gradual piecing together of character arcs and plot elements across multiple playthroughs. However, some reviewers found the narrative structure overwhelming and disjointed, leading to confusion about character motivations and connections. Overall, while the storytelling and character development are compelling, the randomized elements and fragmented presentation may hinder some players' engagement with the story.
“I really liked the story and the layers in it beyond just solving the murders.”
“The cast is marvelously macabre and the game is simply dripping with lore and hidden plot - which you'll slowly unravel as you play through the game's art gallery-based investigation, using a set of paranormal paintings to discover clues, reveal plot, and determine who the killer is, for that playthrough.”
“Filling in narrative gaps with every replay is profoundly satisfying, seeing the whole story come together left me stunned (in a good way) and the setting of Mirlhaven is rich and interesting.”
“Now the huge but: while I enjoyed playing the game the first time, and while I was excited for the case to be different each time (different murderer), even after playing 4 rounds I still don't fully understand why each of the characters would want to kill the painter, what the painter's intention was, what the videos with the little girl mean, how the characters are connected, etc. There is a huge amount of information in the videos but I still fail to see the story as a whole.”
“I have spent almost 7 hours being confused by the characters and the story of the painter and even though I have unlocked everything possible in the game I don't feel like it really mattered because everything is so complex and vague that I'm just left out.”
“In addition, both the story with all the different names and places as well as the puzzle mechanics completely overwhelm you at the beginning.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its procedural design and randomized elements, allowing players to experience different outcomes and mysteries with each playthrough. While some players noted initial confusion, they found that mastering the mechanics enhances enjoyment and encourages multiple runs. Overall, the combination of varied plots, character interactions, and engaging storytelling contributes to a fresh experience, although some repetition is inevitable.
“With endless replayability and intriguing procedural design, it invites you to unravel the secrets of Mirlhaven's dark gallery.”
“All their releases include interesting characters with stories that draw you in, a creepy setting hiding many mysteries of its own, and the ability for the murder mystery to be a little different each time, which has always been a good idea for replayability.”
“The multiple playthroughs, thanks to the randomized killer feature, add a layer of replayability that keeps the game fresh and exciting.”
“It's a twist on this studio's usual FMV game; it has a lot of the same functionality with a bit of moving around and light puzzling, but at its core, it's a random murder mystery with a bunch of different plots/killer possibilities. In other words, it's got a lot more replayability than their other games, which you've seen all of after half a dozen playthroughs tops, and you've seen 99% of after three.”
“Replayability is necessary to achieve all game objectives, yet it's also repetitive... as many games will be if replayed again and again.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's graphics receive mixed reviews, with praise for its unique aesthetic, artwork, and high-quality FMV content, while criticism is directed at the crude graphics of the game world itself, which some liken to outdated titles. Despite the graphical shortcomings, the visuals contribute to the overall atmosphere and narrative experience, particularly in creating a sense of dread. Recent updates have reportedly improved the graphics and motion controls, enhancing the overall presentation.
“I do recommend this game as the aesthetic, with the paintings, environment, and music, is very unique.”
“The graphics are good, and the acting is pretty well done.”
“After updates, the graphics and motion control have improved greatly!”
“It features an interesting narrative with cosmic horror elements, deliciously weird characters, and many surprises, but the graphics outside of the FMV content are extremely crude.”
“Otherwise, you would find yourself bored by the repetitive nature and/or distracted by quite primitive graphics.”
“Graphics look like they belong in a museum; you got it.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its clever use of art and well-executed horror elements, creating a creepy and immersive experience that enhances the storytelling. While the acting is noted as above average, some players feel that certain gameplay aspects, like puzzles and exploration, could have been more creatively developed to match the strong atmospheric foundation. Overall, the game's eerie and dreamlike setting effectively engages players, despite some criticisms of its gameplay mechanics.
“Ingenious use of paintings for context and atmosphere, and the acting is well above average for video games.”
“These excellent British actors bring you into a mysterious town which oozes atmosphere.”
“The horror elements are skillfully wrought into the story and contribute to an eerie (though never frightening or scary) atmosphere.”
“Not to mention, the atmosphere was extremely creepy - I kept on the edge of my seat thinking something was going to get me.”
“There are many horrors with 'bad' graphics which help to create an atmosphere of dread and disorientation.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received positive feedback, with players praising the high-quality performances and writing. However, some users expressed a desire for more interactive gameplay elements to enhance the experience further. The game successfully combines engaging storytelling with physical puzzles, maintaining the standard of excellence expected from the developers.
“Brilliant performance and fantastic writing as per usual - couldn't be happier with how this turned out.”
“True to par, the performances are the same top tier standard one would expect from a d'vekki title.”
“There are some notable appearances by regular favorites as always, most notably perennial talent Aislin D'eath who once more crafts a uniquely human performance as an artsy off-kilter undertaker.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unnecessarily complex, particularly due to the trial-and-error nature of puzzle-solving and the cumbersome painting system for viewing videos. The mechanics are criticized for being overly confusing, requiring players to take notes to streamline the process, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the experience.
“The FMV and acting are still great, but the game mechanics... man... they're ridiculously tedious and unnecessarily confusing, even with the added tutorials.”
“It's like they intentionally made it as tedious and confusing as possible to make a playthrough longer than an hour.”
“I'm not a fan of the painting system used to view the videos in the game; it feels clunky, and the only way to make it less tedious is to write down each of the 6 subjects' names on a sheet of paper, then list the 3 keywords you need from them underneath. This saves the time you'd spend going back and forth between the 6 portraits and the gallery, which on night 3 becomes necessary with the room being so big.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's music is noted for its unique aesthetic, complementing the visuals and environment; however, some players find the background music obtrusive and choose to mute it. Overall, the soundtrack is praised as incredible, contributing to the game's replayability and engagement.
“I do recommend this game as the aesthetic, including the paintings, environment, and music, is very unique.”
“The acting, writing, and soundtrack are overall incredible; it's replayable and so engaging.”
“There is background music, but I found it too obtrusive and a bit annoying as time went on, so I muted it.”
