In "Scene Investigators," become a trainee detective solving challenging cases in a near-future setting. Use your observation skills and critical thinking to analyze each scene, find motives, and make plausible assumptions. Designed for fans of detective films, true crime, and escape room puzzles, the game offers a challenging and immersive investigation experience.
The game makes you feel like a real detective, requiring critical thinking and deduction skills.
The stories are unique and have depth, with some cases being interconnected, adding to the intrigue.
The graphics and quality of the items/clues are impressive, enhancing the overall experience.
Many questions require arbitrary assumptions that are not supported by the evidence, leading to frustration.
The game lacks a satisfying conclusion or summary after solving cases, leaving players without closure.
There are technical issues, such as clunky controls and bugs, that detract from the overall gameplay experience.
story
202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
78%
5%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the environmental storytelling and character depth, while others criticize the lack of cohesive narratives and the disconnection between cases. Many feel that the game fails to provide a satisfying overarching plot, leading to frustration as players are often left to piece together incomplete stories from limited evidence. Overall, while there are moments of compelling storytelling, the game is primarily focused on detective mechanics rather than a rich narrative experience, which may disappoint those seeking a more story-driven adventure.
“The story is woven between the lines of three different scenarios, spanning 20 years, and is both compelling and heartbreaking.”
“Each case file presents us with a vignette, a snapshot of what is going on in these people's lives, told exclusively through environmental storytelling.”
“I loved the storylines, and how some scenarios were connected.”
“At every step of where this game succeeds at uncovering environmental storytelling, it faceplants and is fully disappointing at what the story is that you're actually uncovering.”
“For one, there's no investment in the plot since most cases are siloed and have no impact on each other (with one exception).”
“This game lacks any kind of story really.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
68%
8%
The gameplay of "Scene Investigators" has received mixed to negative feedback, with many players finding it lackluster compared to "Painscreek Killings." Critics note that while the game attempts to create an investigative atmosphere, it often falls short due to mechanical flaws, a lack of engaging gameplay elements, and an over-reliance on reading documents rather than active investigation. Overall, players express disappointment, wishing for more complex mechanics and satisfying story resolutions.
“Could easily see this turning into a series (or DLC) with more cases and additional mechanics.”
“I like the gameplay a lot more than Painscreek and I think it works better as a basis for a game.”
“The gameplay is broadly similar to Return of the Obra Dinn, in that you reconstruct what happened by the scene left behind, except you're arriving after the action has already been settled.”
“Somewhat disappointed to not recommend this, but if you compare this to Painscreek, other than graphics it feels like a massive gameplay downgrade.”
“Firstly, the 'removal' of 30% of scene evidence—a game component meant to elevate the difficulty—means that we also lose 30% of the storytelling mechanic, leaving gaps in the case's plot that are only capable of being filled by our own logic jumps or through the exam questions.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their quality and stunning visuals, with some users noting that they fit well with the game's atmosphere. However, there are significant criticisms regarding inconsistent lighting and textures, which can hinder gameplay by making clues difficult to spot. Additionally, some visuals feel dated, and technical issues like a fisheye effect in ultrawide resolutions detract from the overall experience.
“Graphics and atmosphere: the visuals are stunning.”
“Once the textures are loaded, the game becomes fluid again and the level of graphics is high.”
“I love the graphics (I think they're a good fit for the content at hand).”
“It's easy to miss clues because of the graphics/lighting as well.”
“The game feels okay and functional on a surface level, but objectively it's a severely undercooked creation. Starting from basic things like a proper options menu and ending with the blatant lack of conclusions, you still cannot skip the intro voiceover, ultrawide resolutions have a severe fisheye effect, and there aren't any graphical settings besides texture quality ('full' or 'half' quality).”
“Somewhat disappointed to not recommend this, but if you compare this to Painscreek, other than graphics it feels like a massive gameplay downgrade.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The music in the game is praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the suspense and immersing players in a crime thriller experience. However, users report issues with the soundtrack's inconsistency, including random silences and volume fluctuations that detract from the overall enjoyment. While the ambient sounds are appreciated, technical problems with audio levels and music continuity have led to frustration among players.
“The soundtrack adds to the suspense, making you feel like you’re in a crime thriller.”
“The soundtrack is fairly decent here, and considering the amount of time you’ll spend in each scene, it manages not to get too repetitive.”
“I love the ambient music too; it's very much like the movie the game.”
“Other problems include typos, music that comes and goes seemingly at random, and a hypersensitive cursor in the final cases that sometimes moves very quickly and makes it difficult to point and examine objects.”
“The voices are also pretty quiet even at max volume, and the music sometimes randomly disappears for no reason, leaving you in silence.”
“- the sound is all over the place; the music and sound effects are obnoxiously loud upon opening the game, but turning them down even a bit makes them extremely quiet.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals and atmospheric music, creating a unique and eerie environment that enhances the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the subdued tone and the intriguing focus on clue-finding, which contributes to a chilling yet captivating ambiance. Overall, the game's atmosphere stands out as a key element, making it a distinctive experience in the gaming landscape.
“The atmosphere, looking everywhere for clues and making conclusions until having a unique answer.”
“Graphics and atmosphere: the visuals are stunning.”
“The stories you put together are awesome, sometimes chilling, and the eerie atmosphere gives it a nice touch.”
“The atmosphere is engaging, as you look everywhere for clues and draw conclusions until you arrive at a unique answer.”
“There's an interesting omission of the word 'crime,' which fits the subdued atmosphere perfectly.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly when it comes to deciphering clues and filling out forms based on extensive evidence. The repetitive nature of taking notes and analyzing details can feel frustrating rather than engaging, leading some to feel that the game lacks excitement and is missing key elements to enhance the experience. Overall, if players are not fond of meticulous investigation and repetitive tasks, they may struggle to enjoy the game.
“I really wanted to like this game, as I'm a fan of similar puzzle/detective games like Meridian 157, Painscreek Killings by this developer, Aurora Hills, etc., but I just couldn't get into Scene Investigators - playing through the first few levels with hints turned off felt incredibly tedious.”
“If the idea of taking extensive notes and poring over evidence repeatedly and pondering every possible scenario sounds tedious or frustrating rather than thrilling, then maybe it's not for you.”
“I wanted to recommend it, but I think it is missing a few things and just felt tedious towards the end.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that the absence of a story and limited gameplay features significantly diminish its value. Many feel that the price does not justify the experience, leading to a consensus that there is essentially zero replay value unless future updates introduce new content.
“Since there is no story whatsoever, the replay value is dead on arrival.”
“The price feels too high for what you get in terms of gameplay, challenge, features, replayability, polish, and overall experience.”
“There is zero replayability here though.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly during the final mission, where players experienced severe frame drops and stuttering, resulting in an average FPS of around 30. While some users express hope for future updates from the developers, the current performance issues detract from the overall experience.
“Terrible optimization, I had bad frame drops on my PC for no good reason.”
“The first thing I noticed was how poorly optimized this level is with an average FPS of about 30.”
“I think I might have enjoyed it more if it was possible to move around without the jerkiness and stuttering though - it's a great idea, and I really hope that can be fixed!”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as both compelling and heartbreaking, with a narrative that spans 20 years and intertwines three scenarios. However, many players express disappointment over the lack of resolution and depth in the storytelling compared to previous titles, particularly highlighting the impact of missing case files. Overall, while the potential for a rich emotional experience exists, it falls short for many players.
“The missing case files in particular were heartbreaking.”
“The story is woven between the lines of three different scenarios, spanning 20 years, and is both compelling and heartbreaking.”
“Because I was really looking forward to this game, and I saw how EQ Studios were able to make a fantastic story brought together by lots of little bits of evidence that also painted clear pictures about the characters' personalities, motives, and how they interacted with those around them, it feels extra heartbreaking to play this and see almost none of what I saw before.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The stability of the game has been criticized for a clunky and buggy user interface, with users reporting issues when navigating using both controllers and mouse/keyboard. Additionally, players expressed frustration over the lack of feedback on incorrect answers, indicating that the overall experience can be inconsistent and frustrating at times.
“The user interface was clunky and buggy (I used both a controller and mouse/keyboard at the same time to navigate it).”
“It's a bit buggy at times, and I'm somewhat annoyed that it doesn't tell you which answers you got wrong (you only know how many of them are correct but not which ones).”
“The interface can be buggy.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely limited to the quirky names of knock-off products, with players expressing a desire for more engaging comedic elements throughout the experience. Overall, the humor does not significantly enhance the enjoyment of the gameplay.