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
- The game features a unique and engaging story that unfolds gradually, rewarding players for their patience and exploration.
- The FMV acting is well-executed, with a strong cast that brings the quirky characters to life, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- Murderous Muses offers high replayability due to its randomized elements, allowing players to experience different murder scenarios and character interactions with each playthrough.
- The game suffers from a confusing tutorial and lack of clear instructions, leaving players feeling lost and frustrated during their initial playthroughs.
- The 3D environment and navigation can be clunky and poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience and making it difficult to engage with the story.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the 'eyes' system for questioning suspects, can feel tedious and limit player interaction, leading to a less satisfying detective experience.
- gameplay82 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 provide a compelling experience 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.”
- story67 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "Murderous Muses" is praised for its intriguing and layered narrative, which unfolds gradually and rewards players for piecing together various character arcs and mysteries through multiple playthroughs. While the cast of characters and the eerie atmosphere are well-received, some players feel that certain story elements, particularly side narratives, lack clarity and depth. Overall, the game offers a rich tapestry of lore and engaging storytelling, though it occasionally struggles with cohesion due to its randomized elements.
“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-out storyline which goes nowhere because they leave it in the dark or up to interpretation.”
“Murderous Muses has a whole lot of interesting ideas, but because of them it struggles to tell a cohesive story.”
- replayability26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % 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" is seen as an exaggeration, as repeated play can become somewhat repetitive despite the initial excitement.
“The multiple playthroughs, thanks to the randomized killer feature, add a layer of replayability that keeps the game fresh and exciting.”
“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.”
“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.”
“A further refinement in D'avekki Studios' FMV format, replayability is better than their two previous 'investigate the murderer' games, as instead of watching for just one difference in a person's behavior, each suspect has up to three different tells per playthrough.”
“Replayability is necessary to achieve all game objectives, yet it's also repetitive... as many games will be if replayed again and again.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepy and immersive qualities, enhanced by the ingenious use of paintings and strong acting that contribute to a dreamlike, eerie setting. While the horror elements are skillfully integrated, creating a sense of dread and disorientation, some aspects may feel overdone. Overall, the atmospheric design is considered a standout feature, even if the gameplay itself falls short of expectations.
“Ingenious use of paintings for context and atmosphere, and the acting is well above average for video games.”
“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.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are a mixed bag, with unique and aesthetically pleasing elements like paintings and high-quality FMV content, but the overall in-game visuals are often described as crude and reminiscent of older titles like Duke Nukem 3D. While some players appreciate the primitive graphics for their atmospheric contribution to the cosmic horror narrative, others find them lacking in quality. Recent updates have reportedly improved the graphics and motion controls, but the general consensus is that the game's visual presentation is inconsistent.
“I do recommend this game as the aesthetic, with the paintings, environment, and music, is very unique.”
“After updates, the graphics and motion control have improved greatly!”
“Graphics look like they belong in a museum; you got it.”
“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.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is well-received, with players praising the high-quality performances and engaging story. However, there are calls for more interactive gameplay elements to enhance the experience, as the current format limits opportunities for actors to fully showcase their talents. The integration of physical puzzles and exploration is noted, but some players desire a more dynamic approach in future titles.
“Along with the usual creepy and off-kilter performances (a ventriloquist with a 'sentient' puppet, a pair of twins where only one is ever present etc), players must also solve physical puzzles and find keys to unlock doors and progress through the story, encountering clues and the odd easter egg along the way.”
“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.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and confusing, particularly due to the trial-and-error nature of puzzle-solving and the cumbersome painting system for viewing videos. Many feel that the mechanics are intentionally designed to prolong gameplay, making it necessary to take notes to streamline the experience. Despite the high-quality FMV and acting, the overall gameplay experience suffers from these frustrating elements.
“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.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % 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. Overall, while the music contributes to the game's atmosphere, it may not appeal to everyone.
“I highly recommend this game; the aesthetic, including the paintings, environment, and music, is very unique.”
“There is background music, but I found it too obtrusive and a bit annoying as time went on, so I muted it.”
