Still Life
- June 1, 2011
- Microids
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"Still Life" is an investigative thriller following FBI agent Victoria McPherson as she explores a series of murders with chilling similarities to a case from her grandfather's past. Travel between modern-day Chicago and 1920s Prague, gather evidence, and solve puzzles to unravel the mystery. The game offers a gripping narrative and atmospheric settings, immersing players in a captivating story of crime and family legacy.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Engaging and intriguing storyline that keeps players invested.
- Well-designed characters with distinct personalities and good voice acting.
- Challenging puzzles that require logical thinking, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- Frustrating puzzles, particularly the lockpicking and cookie baking, which can feel overly difficult and obscure.
- The game ends on a cliffhanger, leaving players without closure and prompting the need to purchase the sequel.
- Outdated graphics and some technical issues, such as poor lip-syncing and slow character movement.
- story327 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Still Life" is generally praised for its engaging and intriguing narrative, which intertwines the investigations of two characters across different time periods, creating a compelling murder mystery atmosphere. However, many reviewers note that the plot suffers from inconsistencies, plot holes, and a lack of resolution, often feeling rushed or incomplete, particularly towards the end. Despite these flaws, the storytelling, character development, and immersive atmosphere keep players invested, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
“The story is gripping, the idea with the sub-story is original and offers variety.”
“The story kept me wrapped in and it was enough for me to go through this entire game start to finish in one sitting.”
“Still life is a detective murder mystery that builds good suspense with an intriguing twisted story that is enjoyable to follow and solve.”
“Unlike the open-ended narratives of Sierra or LucasArts titles, Still Life presents a very linear story.”
“The story just doesn't interest me.”
“The plot is more hole than anything else, really.”
- graphics97 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, with many reviewers noting low resolution and poor character animations, particularly for a title released in 2005. However, the artwork and atmospheric environments receive praise for their detail and mood, contributing positively to the overall experience despite the technical limitations. While some players find the visuals acceptable for their time, others express frustration with the need for third-party tools to run the game on modern systems.
“The graphics are very detailed with a combination of 2D/3D elements combined with particle systems to mimic a 3D environment.”
“Brilliant storyline and characters, and gorgeous graphics.”
“For a game from 2005, the graphics and animations look great.”
“The graphics are outdated, and getting the game to run on modern systems like Windows 11 requires a third-party tool, which can be a hassle.”
“While the character models looked alright, the animations for them are pretty poor, and the graphics themselves are quite low resolution, even for 2005.”
“The graphics of the game are clearly dated now and the resolution is very low, but that doesn't have an effect on the story, gameplay, and atmosphere of the game, so please don't be put off by them.”
- gameplay56 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the puzzles challenging but often frustrating and illogical, leading to a reliance on walkthroughs. While some appreciate the fluidity and intuitive nature of the mechanics, others criticize the clunky controls and slow pacing, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is noted for its strong story, graphics, and voice acting, suggesting that while the gameplay may be lacking, the narrative elements are compelling.
“Great for puzzle enthusiasts and gamers who dislike having to run and hide during gameplay.”
“The gameplay is rather fluid and intuitive.”
“Probably the best thriller adventure game out there... great voice acting, great graphics, great story, great music, great gameplay...”
“Main problem is that there isn't much gameplay here.”
“The gameplay requires some getting used to, especially the use of the inventory.”
“The music and artwork are beautiful, but the gameplay is such an enormous slog that it ruins the experience.”
- atmosphere49 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and unique qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the compelling visuals, strong sound design, and engaging settings that evoke a sense of intrigue and suspense. While some sections, particularly in Prague, may lack the same depth as others, the overall experience is described as captivating, with a blend of dark themes and well-crafted environments that enhance the storytelling. Despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics, the atmospheric elements are considered a significant draw for players.
“The atmosphere and narrative, though linear, have enough intrigue to keep genre enthusiasts engaged—just be prepared for some rough edges along the way.”
“I can't tell you enough how enjoyable this game's locations and atmosphere are to experience and explore. Although this game is niche and not very well known, it's one of the most refreshing experiences I've had playing a game in a while and not something that I'm going to forget anytime soon.”
“The soundtrack/score by Tom Salta is particularly well-crafted, working brilliantly to convey the atmosphere of a scene.”
“They achieved such a depressing and bleak atmosphere with them in this game, particularly in the 1920s Prague sections.”
“In this kind of game which relies heavily on film-like atmosphere, the slow moving speed sometimes breaks the overall flow of the game.”
“The graphics of the game are clearly dated now and the resolution is very low, but that doesn't have an effect on the story, gameplay, and atmosphere of the game so please don't be put off by them.”
- music37 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its effectiveness in creating tension and immersion throughout the narrative. While some tracks are highlighted as exceptional, others are described as less memorable, and there are moments of silence that can feel jarring. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong complement to the game's story and visuals, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
“The music lifted me up as it was perfectly in sync with the movement and the happenings of the opening cut-scene of this masterpiece.”
“The soundtrack and story is immersive.”
“The soundtrack/score by Tom Salta is particularly well-crafted, working brilliantly to convey the atmosphere of a scene.”
“The sound effects and music are simple, there's nothing really special about them.”
“I thought the music, sound effects and voice acting were all really good, although some scenes were completely silent which again can be quite jarring.”
“There's always tension (scenario/music,) but nothing will pop out at you.”
- humor16 mentions
- 94 % positive mentions
- -12 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark, deadpan wit, particularly from the protagonist, Victoria McPherson, whose sarcastic and engaging personality stands out amidst the grim themes. While some humor stems from the delivery of lines and character interactions, it can occasionally feel callous or lose its charm due to the serious context. Overall, the humor is a significant aspect that adds to the game's entertainment value, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate a mix of quirkiness and dark comedy.
“There's a lot of humor that comes almost entirely from the delivery of sentences.”
“The main character you play has an enjoyable sense of humor and the occasional comment on things.”
“An amazing game, really fun if you enjoy a third-person old school Resident Evil-like look with a murder mystery twist; it is definitely enjoyable and you almost instantly fall in love with the female protagonist because of her quirks and dark humor.”
“The thing that makes this stand out is the story, which is interesting and has some good scenes, but the character models are really bad. Some characters are more comical (not funny - just poorly designed) than serious.”
“The humor in this game falls flat; it tries too hard to be funny but ends up being cringeworthy instead.”
“While the game aims for humor, most of the jokes feel forced and fail to land, making the experience more awkward than entertaining.”
- grinding13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious, particularly due to frustrating puzzles that disrupt the narrative flow and require excessive backtracking. Many found certain puzzles overly complex or irrelevant to the story, leading to reliance on walkthroughs and diminishing enjoyment. Overall, while the game has strong elements, the grinding nature of its mechanics detracts significantly from the experience.
“The game itself started well but became tedious in the final hours due to consecutive, obtuse puzzles which really slowed the narrative down.”
“However the story loses its pace as you spend most of your time running back and forth, and a few of the puzzles are either too tedious to solve without resorting to a walkthrough, or just had frustrating timing to the point that I had to download a save to get past it.”
“Because while the mystery is great and the characters are generally well-written, the game mechanics and overall implementation are really tedious.”
- stability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report smooth performance without crashes or major issues, others experience bugs, graphical glitches, and occasional freezing during cutscenes. Some users have found workarounds for these problems, but the presence of challenging puzzles and animation glitches can detract from the experience.
“After all that, the game runs great.”
“The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't experienced any crashes.”
“I appreciate how smooth the gameplay is; it feels very stable.”
“The bad: some puzzles are very hard or worse, bad animations and full of glitches.”
“Graphical glitches - in post mortem, you couldn't alt+tab; if you did, the game crashed.”
“Thankfully after it freezes or something weird happens during a cutscene, just kill the game and then restart it; usually the cutscenes would play fine the second time around.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game varies significantly, with some players praising its pacing and depth, while others find it lacking due to genre constraints. While many characters are well-rounded and appropriate for their roles, the overall engagement and player control in character interactions are limited, leading to a more passive experience. Voice acting and storytelling quality also receive mixed feedback, with some noting a lack of depth in character arcs.
“Pacing and character development were great for this genre of game.”
“Well-rounded story and character development, good voice acting, a lot of intrigue and mystery, interesting and challenging puzzles, good soundtrack...”
“You will be presented with action scenes, outstanding storytelling, and good character development.”
“There's no real character development here (a function of the genre rather than poor writing), but most characters feel appropriate to their role.”
“The story itself is reasonably interesting, but the character development and voice acting are somewhat lacking.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a mix of experiences regarding optimization; while some found the image sharp and free of performance issues, others noted that the game is not well-optimized for Windows 10, suggesting potential compatibility concerns.
“I assumed it would be somewhat of a blurry mess, but the image was sharp with no performance issues.”
“The game is not optimized for Windows 10.”
“Check disable fullscreen optimizations.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users indicating that there is little incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
“The replay value is virtually nonexistent.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
