Post Mortem

  • August 26, 2011
49%
Game Brain Score Based on 306 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Post Mortem Game Cover
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In "Post Mortem," players step into the shoes of former detective Gus Macpherson, now a painter, who is drawn back into his old life when hired to investigate a series of gruesome beheadings in Paris. The game features stunning 360° panoramic views, detailed environments, and a riveting plot filled with intriguing characters and multiple game paths. It serves as a prequel to the Still Life adventure game.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

49%
Audience ScoreBased on 306 reviews
story104 positive mentions
graphics20 negative mentions
  • Intriguing story with a dark and creepy atmosphere set in 1920s Paris.
  • Well-written dialogues and a variety of NPCs to interact with, enhancing the detective experience.
  • Offers multiple endings based on player choices, adding replay value.
  • Bugs and technical issues, including crashes and unresponsive dialogue options, hinder gameplay.
  • Chaotic dialogue system that can lead to confusion and disrupt the narrative flow.
  • Clunky inventory management and some frustrating puzzles that rely on pixel hunting.
  • story272 mentions

    The story of "Post Mortem" follows retired detective Gus Macpherson as he investigates a complex murder case in 1920s Paris, featuring a dark and intriguing plot with numerous twists. While the narrative has potential and is engaging at times, it suffers from chaotic execution, bugs, and a lack of clarity, leading to confusion and frustration for players. Despite its flaws, many players appreciate the atmosphere and character interactions, making it a worthwhile experience for those who prioritize story over gameplay mechanics.

    • “The game is about 6 hours long and on paper everything looks great, as 'Post Mortem' offers an interesting setting (Paris in the 1920s), an intriguing plot, and a great atmosphere (it's really dark, disturbing, and creepy from the very beginning) along with a large number of NPCs (and we can have long and detailed conversations with them).”
    • “Gus is a likable protagonist and the story keeps you guessing.”
    • “The story really manages to attract your attention from the beginning to the end.”
    • “Unfortunately, this system (although amazing on paper) does not work at all, because the story can quickly get chaotic and confusing as the game’s engine just doesn't cope with the freedom it offers.”
    • “Due to this bad design decision, the plot can quickly become a mess and it’s a pity, because the story told in the game is actually really good: the seemingly ordinary investigation quickly becomes truly intriguing as it turns out that the victims had their secrets and there was a very specific reason why they were in Paris.”
    • “The story does not always make sense in its puzzle solving and I had to eventually rely on a walkthrough.”
  • graphics92 mentions

    The graphics of "Post Mortem," a 2002 point-and-click adventure game, are widely regarded as dated and lacking polish, with many players noting that they reflect the era of their release. While some appreciate the unique charm and atmospheric rendering of post-war Paris, others criticize the poor quality of certain visual assets and animations, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, many players emphasize that the engaging story and gameplay can overshadow the graphical limitations, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.

    • “The visuals have a unique charm, capturing post-war Paris well.”
    • “The visuals are pretty okay; the models show their age, but the environments are rendered nicely, having a very old-school noir grit to them that feels inseparable for me.”
    • “The horror story is strong, and the graphics, while dated, do much to support the atmosphere.”
    • “Let's start with the graphics - 'Post Mortem' is a game from 2002 and well… it simply looks like a game from 2002.”
    • “Yes, places and items and characters that you cannot interact with have really bad graphics even for that period (even for ten years before).”
    • “The box in the hotel that Gus uses to get upstairs is just a white box, the clairvoyant woman's door has no graphic assets, Hulot's paintings puzzle is impossible to pass because the paintings are just plain white boxes and you can't interact with them.”
  • gameplay72 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a point-and-click experience, featuring familiar mechanics such as item interaction, puzzle-solving, and dialogue choices, but it suffers from dated mechanics and clunky execution. Many players find the puzzles frustrating and the overall gameplay lacking depth, with some even suggesting that the game is better experienced through a let's play rather than playing it themselves. While the atmosphere and story are praised, the gameplay is often described as boring, trial-and-error based, and riddled with technical issues, leading to mixed reviews overall.

    • “The game employs familiar point-and-click mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is the usual affair, hunting for interactable elements in the environment, combining items in the inventory, talking to people and presenting them said items.”
    • “How you respond can result in different gameplay paths and endings (apparently there are 4 endings, two good, two bad!) but it's not super branchy - just early on there's a way to play the game slightly differently depending on how you talked to an NPC.”
    • “Even if this game had been seen as at least a 'good game' at the time it was released, its gameplay, story (the first three hours doesn't mean that you experienced all the story, I know, but I don't care), and music make this game boring to play.”
    • “Good story, but due to bad gameplay, bugs, and the difficulty of even getting this game running on a modern system, I recommend you just watch a let's play instead.”
    • “First impressions: I invested over an hour in gameplay, but within the first 10 minutes one quickly realizes there are no 'real' choices to make during dialogue sequences.”
  • atmosphere60 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its dark, creepy, and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the unsettling essence of 1920s Paris. While the music is noted to be limited and repetitive, the overall ambiance, enhanced by detailed environments and engaging dialogues, contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature despite some gameplay shortcomings. Reviewers highlight that the atmospheric design plays a crucial role in maintaining tension and engagement throughout the experience.

    • “All this creepy atmosphere, all dialogues, being scared about the ending (since there is a bad one), all these animations, dark tone of locations... and I felt it, for some time!”
    • “Although not generally touted as a horror game, it is dripping with atmosphere.”
    • “The game wouldn't click nearly as much if it wasn't for the area design, as the atmosphere can be tense when you're alone in them.”
    • “I am hard pressed to find a game that does atmosphere better through the art department alone, and I wish for an idealized game in similar settings, where writing and gameplay didn't look like an afterthought in comparison.”
    • “Sad, because the game had some potential when it comes to atmosphere and some story elements and characters.”
  • music58 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received for its atmospheric qualities and fitting the story's mood, but it suffers from a lack of variety, with only four tracks that quickly become repetitive. Some players noted issues with the music's execution, including bugs and jarring transitions to random upbeat tunes, which detracted from the overall experience. While certain tracks are praised for their creepiness and enjoyment, the inconsistency and limited selection leave a mixed impression.

    • “I feel so bad for everyone that worked on this because a real effort for the story was made here and that music really carries you through.”
    • “Still, what steals the show and what I recommend anyone do - is check out the soundtrack.”
    • “Beautiful art and good music, especially for when it was made.”
    • “The soundtrack quickly gets very repetitive.”
    • “I was irritated by some music that put me off and was absolutely unnecessary.”
    • “Music can get annoying with random snippets of 1920's rag tunes every 30 seconds or so.”
  • stability26 mentions

    The game is plagued by significant stability issues, with numerous bugs affecting gameplay, such as disappearing text in crucial documents and unresponsive dialogue options. Many players find the experience frustrating, as essential clues can be hidden in tiny clickable areas, making progress difficult. While some appreciate the story and atmosphere, the overall consensus is that the game's technical glitches detract heavily from its enjoyment.

    • “Unfortunately, 'post mortem' can also be quite buggy: sometimes it's impossible to read the documents or the notes we found because their text simply disappears, and it's not something to overlook as some of these documents are crucial to the story.”
    • “It's a buggy mess, and what's sad is I don't think what you are learning to deal with is bugs; it's just how the game is programmed. You get no reference for clues because sometimes what you have to click on is like a single pixel hidden around a poster or something, and you only get in-universe answers that say vague things like 'grab a corner and look behind a picture,' but how you actually go about doing that is clicking a very small pixel.”
    • “Good thing I got this game for so cheap because I can't even get it to start up before it freezes.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its over-the-top voice acting and absurd character portrayals, which some players find both entertaining and ridiculous. While the comedic elements are appreciated, they often detract from immersion, leading to a perception of the story as more silly than dark. Additionally, the lip syncing adds an unintentionally humorous layer to the overall experience.

    • “The lip syncing to the actors' voices is strangely hilarious.”
    • “I enjoyed it for sure, but it was not immersive; I found the story kind of ridiculous and hilarious instead of dark and twisted.”
    • “They look hilariously awful.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the necessity of replaying to uncover missed evidence required for good endings. This repetitive nature, combined with minimal interaction, detracts from the overall experience, making it feel laborious and unengaging.

    • “This also makes replaying the game more tedious – but it’s clear that the devs intended for you to replay the game, either to see how different approaches turn out, but more likely because you realize at the end of your first playthrough that you missed clicking on a pixel that represents a piece of evidence that you’ll need for the good endings.”
    • “Tedious with little interaction is the best way I can describe this.”
    • “It's incredibly tedious to read through.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization is questioned, as players express concerns about the necessity of collecting all evidence to progress, which may hinder the experience of exploring its multiple endings.

  • replayability2 mentions

    Users express a desire for increased replayability in the game, particularly in the context of purchasing it alongside other titles in a bundle. There is an implication that the current gameplay experience may not be sufficiently engaging to warrant multiple playthroughs.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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