Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure

That alone demonstrates the great balance in tone achieved in Tesla Effect, the sixth installment in the long-running Tex Murphy adventure game series.

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Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure (developed under the working title Project Fedora) is the upcoming sixth game in the Tex Murphy series of detective adventure games, developed by Big Finish Games and published by Atlus. Like the previous three games, it will tell much of its story through live-action full-motion video sequences, and feature freely explorable 3D environments during gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 479 reviews

story78 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game successfully captures the charm and humor of the original Tex Murphy series, making it a nostalgic experience for fans.
The FMVs are high-quality and well-produced, adding a cinematic feel to the gameplay.
The puzzles are engaging and provide a good mix of challenge, with options to skip difficult ones for casual players.

The graphics in the 3D environments are dated and may not appeal to modern gamers.
Some puzzles can be frustratingly obscure, leading to excessive pixel hunting.
The story can become convoluted, making it difficult to follow for newcomers to the series.

story
193 mentions
40 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative, humor, and character development, while others criticize its convoluted plot and lack of coherence, especially for newcomers. The blend of genres—from noir detective to horror and conspiracy—offers a unique experience, but some feel it strays too far from traditional storytelling, leading to unresolved character arcs and disjointed pacing. Overall, while the storytelling and cutscenes are praised, the execution can feel uneven, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.
- “The game is amazing in many ways... the story itself is a very interesting one that plays on more than one tone (emotions, sci-fi, secret sides of characters, twists to the story in every turn).”
- “The story is excellent, given its goofy/campy nature (which I feel makes it even better, too many games these days try to make themselves to be more serious and profound than they really are).”
- “The story was fun and funny, and the puzzles were whatever difficulty you wanted!”
- “The story, in my opinion, tries to be too much at the same time.”
- “The storyline deviates from a noir detective story to a sort of horror, to a grand conspiracy theory.”
- “The story is all over the place; after a while, it just assumes you know your Tex Murphy games and suddenly introduces many characters and concepts that feel out of place.”
humor
90 mentions
99 % positive mentions
-2 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of silly, cheesy, and tongue-in-cheek elements, often drawing on classic noir and detective tropes, which some players find nostalgic and charming. While many appreciate the witty dialogue and memorable character interactions, others feel the humor can be forced or overly abundant, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully delivers a blend of funny moments and engaging storytelling, appealing to fans of the genre.
- “The actors who played the original characters reprise their roles here, and immediately become the stars of the show through some genuinely funny writing and a massive amount of charm.”
- “The humor in the game is perfect, the atmosphere gives you that noir feel of those great old private eye movies/shows.”
- “Funny characters, great storyline, lots of puzzles that will get your mind working (or skip if you're too lazy), and plenty of strange locations to explore.”
- “I think these were supposed to be funny parts from the originals, but without their context, I didn't find them funny at all, just strange and confusing.”
- “The humor fell flat for me; it felt forced and out of place, rather than genuinely funny.”
- “I expected clever jokes, but instead, I got tired clichés that didn't make me laugh.”
graphics
86 mentions
24 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are outdated and reminiscent of early 2000s titles, often described as primitive or low-budget. However, the full-motion video cutscenes are generally praised for their quality, providing a nostalgic charm that aligns with the game's narrative and humor. While the visuals may not meet modern standards, they do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay and story.
- “Aesthetics, mechanics, narratives, and full-motion videos are extremely creative and beautiful.”
- “The cinematic scenes are in HD and look great, and the in-game graphics are above average.”
- “Great graphics compared to older Tex games.”
- “There is no HUD, you can’t see your feet, everything is very simple and, one might say, primitive, graphics-wise.”
- “The graphics are very dated and look like they could be from a game in the early 2000s; however, the comedy is, in my opinion, hilarious and the story is 'batshit crazy' and I love it.”
- “Any FPS players will be turned off by the game's graphics, and it is obviously not where the attention was put.”
gameplay
56 mentions
21 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Tesla Effect" has received mixed reviews, with some praising its nostalgic charm and updated mechanics, while others criticize it for being simplistic and outdated. Players appreciate the blend of full-motion video and adventure elements, but many find the puzzles tedious and the overall design lacking cohesion. While the game offers enjoyable moments and a fun story, it often feels burdened by its reliance on traditional adventure game tropes and poorly executed mechanics.
- “The gameplay, as I said, is fairly simple.”
- “Tesla Effect manages to maintain the charm and style of the original Tex Murphy games while also updating gameplay to suit the modern era.”
- “The gameplay is mostly about discovering pieces of the mystery through dialogues with real actors in full motion video, and walking around and finding hidden objects in full 3D.”
- “I rarely feel this angry about a gameplay experience, especially something cheap, but this game is like an insult.”
- “While other adventure games have been innovating to create unique mechanics, puzzles, and systems to remove the tedium of adventure games, Tesla Effect just recycles the same stuff it pumped out all those years ago with all the tedium attached.”
- “The gameplay eventually becomes burdensome, and I just wanted to get to the next part of the story.”
music
29 mentions
62 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting its atmospheric quality and nostalgic elements reminiscent of the 70s and 80s. The soundtrack is described as immersive and fitting, effectively setting the mood for various scenes and complementing the engaging story and characters. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's enjoyment and emotional depth.
- “The game is amazing in many ways... the soundtrack that easily immerses you in this unique world.”
- “Impressive musical scores and lots of humor make this an all-around pleasure to play.”
- “The music is amazing.”
- “Well, the same can't be said for the music.”
- “They seem to have spent most of the money on the full motion video cutscenes, voice acting, and music, thus the rest of the game is not up to modern standards.”
- “Special mention has to be made about the music though.”
atmosphere
16 mentions
69 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of noir and cyberpunk elements, creating an immersive experience enhanced by a memorable soundtrack and interesting characters. While some reviews highlight a lack of atmosphere in certain areas, the overall sentiment reflects a well-crafted environment that effectively supports the game's humor and narrative twists. The detailed 3D environments and realistic sound effects further contribute to a captivating and unforgettable atmosphere.
- “This game has a unique character and atmosphere, and is quite unforgettable.”
- “The game is amazing in many ways.. the atmospheric cyberpunk future it provides combined with the 80-70s elements that work perfectly.. the soundtrack that easily immerses you in this unique world.. the very interesting characters that can hardly be forgotten even if they don't play a huge role in the story.. and speaking of that, the story itself is a very interesting one that plays on more than one tone (emotions, sci-fi, secret sides of characters, twists to the story in every turn..etc).”
- “The cutscenes and atmosphere are dead-on some of the best cyberpunk/noirpunk I've seen, and the FMV in this game is far and above the best I've seen across any medium.”
- “Atmosphere is absent.”
- “Poorly designed sets that are lacking atmosphere; unbalanced interaction areas; incomprehensible, impossible to follow dialogue mechanic; pointless gameplay.”
- “Straightforward point-and-click adventure with an atmosphere like no other game (could be my nostalgia again).”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by tedious and often frustrating pixel-hunting for obscure objects, reminiscent of older text adventures. Players may find the last third of the game particularly sluggish, with a lack of resolution in the finale, making it essential to have a walkthrough handy to alleviate some of the tedium. Despite these issues, the game's comedic elements and style may still appeal to fans of the genre.
- “I don’t know if the budget for the actors ran out, or if the ending was rushed, or what could have happened, but the last third of the game becomes a tedious slog, culminating in a finale that doesn’t really wrap much up and has some truly perplexing elements.”
- “At least the game gives you an optional flashlight to help you out with finding said objects, but it's still quite tedious.”
- “A) tedious, sometimes frustrating pixel-hunting for silly objects that are employed in unprecedentedly obtuse ways: 'find all baseball cards to unlock safe' / 'clean petri dish to open locker' ..... game is from 2014 but more reminiscent of 1980s text adventures.”
emotional
6 mentions
83 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of humor and nostalgia, with players appreciating its heartwarming moments and quirky characters, despite criticisms of its graphics and story coherence. While some find the dialogue and characterization lacking, many feel a strong connection to the retro adventure game experience, evoking fond memories of their youth. Overall, it offers a mix of silliness and sentimentality that resonates with fans of the genre.
- “Absolutely awesome homage to the retro classic with lots of heart-warming retrospections.”
- “Actors and actresses are all cute and enthusiastic; they bring me excellent visual and emotional experiences throughout the game.”
- “If you are a fan of noir, science fiction, quirky characters, and a silly but heartfelt homage to hard-boiled detectives, you will not regret the experience of Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure.”
- “This game was a tragic pig-piling of incredibly vague dialogue choices, badly cliched characterization, lame sexist jokes, and an all-around boring story with no mystery.”
replayability
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players note limited options and low replay value, others appreciate the different choices and endings that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “There are a few ways to play this game, and whatever ending you get depends on the choices you made, which definitely makes it replayable.”
- “This game also has replayability.”
- “Replay value is close to zero.”
- “There is some replayability here, but not a ton.”
- “Not much replay value.”
optimization
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for improved graphics and the absence of video stuttering compared to previous titles in the series. However, some users noted issues with repetitive sound bites and uneven performances from certain actors.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I love how the developers have fine-tuned the mechanics, making every action feel responsive and satisfying.”
- “The game's optimization ensures that I can enjoy stunning graphics without sacrificing performance.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “The game feels unpolished, with noticeable lag and performance issues that detract from the overall experience.”
- “Despite the improved graphics, the optimization fails to deliver a smooth experience, making it frustrating to play.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is mixed; while some users appreciate the advertising efforts, others feel that it fails to effectively communicate critical dangers within the game.
- “The game does not do a very good job of advertising things that can kill you.”
- “Really great advertising.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits minor graphic glitches and text errors that are generally not bothersome to players. However, users have reported significant issues with a sluggish and buggy user interface, particularly on Mac systems.
- “The only really bad part of the game is the horribly buggy and sluggish UI (on the Mac, at least).”
- “The game has a couple of bugs; I have only found minor graphic glitches and miscues, as well as misspellings in the text of the audio cutscenes. These are small issues that I don't really care about.”
character development
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, character development is generally well-received, with most users praising the character design and wardrobe choices, though a few exceptions were noted.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
- “The choices you make truly impact character growth, leading to a personalized experience that feels rewarding.”