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.
Reviews
- The game features a compelling story with rich lore and interesting characters, making it engaging for players who enjoy mystery and narrative depth.
- Murderous Muses offers high replayability due to its randomized elements, allowing players to experience different murderers and storylines with each playthrough.
- The FMV segments are well-acted and contribute to the game's unique atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
- The game has a steep learning curve, with confusing mechanics and a lack of clear instructions that can frustrate new players.
- Navigation within the 3D environment is clunky and can lead to disorientation, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Some players found the puzzles to be repetitive and simplistic, which may diminish the challenge and engagement over multiple playthroughs.
- gameplay41 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this title is characterized by a steep learning curve, with many players finding the mechanics initially confusing and poorly explained. While the unique mechanics and randomized elements offer significant replayability, they can also feel tedious and overwhelming, particularly for newcomers. Despite these challenges, the engaging story and strong performances in the FMV sections help to elevate the overall experience, making it worthwhile for those willing to persevere.
“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.”
“Confusing at first, but it's designed to have a few playthroughs and definitely has some clever mechanics, so it's worth sticking with it.”
“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.”
- story33 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in "Murderous Muses" is praised for its depth and complexity, with players enjoying the gradual unraveling of character arcs and plot through multiple playthroughs. The game features a unique blend of randomized elements and engaging horror themes, creating an eerie atmosphere that enhances the narrative experience. While some storylines are well-developed, others feel incomplete, leaving players eager for more clarity and depth in future installments.
“I really liked the story and the layers in it beyond just solving the murders.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Thanks to the random game generation system, I felt I only got to see a small portion of the story in one playthrough, and didn't have enough evidence to solve the mystery.”
“Yet another example of something that's quite common with d'avekki studios - a half-baked written storyline which goes nowhere because they leave it in the dark or up to interpretation.”
“Some elements of the story are randomized and every suspect could end up being the killer.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its randomized elements, such as different killers and clues, which keep each playthrough fresh and engaging. While some players noted that much of the deduction occurs during the first run, the variety in character interactions and plot twists encourages multiple playthroughs. However, the claim of "infinite replayability" may be overstated, as repeated sessions can become somewhat repetitive despite the initial excitement.
“Great acting in a highly replayable murder mystery.”
“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.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepy and immersive qualities, enhanced by the clever use of art and well-executed horror elements that create a dreamlike, eerie setting. While the acting is noted as above average, some reviewers feel that the gameplay does not match the atmospheric depth, suggesting that the puzzles and exploration could benefit from more creativity and variety. Overall, the game's atmosphere effectively engages players, drawing them into its unsettling world.
“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.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are a mixed bag, with unique artistic elements and high-quality FMV content contrasting sharply with crude in-game visuals that some liken to outdated titles. While the aesthetic and atmosphere contribute to the overall experience, many players feel that the regular textures and environments fall short, though recent updates have improved motion control and graphics quality. Overall, the graphics serve to enhance the game's narrative and cosmic horror themes, despite their primitive execution.
“I do recommend this game as the aesthetic, with the paintings, environment, and music, is very unique.”
“Graphics look like they belong in a museum; you got it.”
“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 repetitive nature and/or distracted by quite primitive graphics.”
“Graphics look like they belong to a museum, you got it.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received positive feedback, with players praising the strong performances and writing. However, some users expressed a desire for more interactive gameplay elements to enhance the experience further. The game maintains a high standard typical of d'avekki titles, featuring engaging puzzles and intriguing character portrayals.
“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.”
“Brilliant performance and fantastic writing as per usual - couldn't be happier with how this turned out.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during crucial moments.”
“Despite its intriguing premise, the optimization is lacking, making it difficult to enjoy the experience fully.”
“I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that hindered gameplay, indicating a clear need for better optimization.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and confusing, particularly due to the trial-and-error nature of puzzle-solving and the cumbersome painting system for accessing videos. The mechanics are criticized for being unnecessarily complex, requiring players to take notes to streamline the process, which detracts from the overall 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.”
- music2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's music is noted for its unique aesthetic that complements the visuals, but some players find it obtrusive and annoying over time, leading them to mute it.
“I highly recommend this game; the aesthetic, including the paintings, environment, and music, is very unique.”
“The music in this game creates an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, making every moment feel more engaging.”
“There is background music, but I found it too obtrusive and a bit annoying as time went on, so I muted it.”
