The List
- June 29, 2021
- Dan Trimble
"The List" is a non-linear detective game where you investigate the murder of Jordan Grady. As a special agent, you'll examine Grady's police interviews, search for keywords in conversations, and utilize a police database to uncover connections and motives. With infinite paths to the end, the conclusion you reach will be unique to you. The game emphasizes thorough examination and detective work, emphasizing the journey rather than the destination.
Reviews
- The game offers an intriguing mystery with a well-executed twist that keeps players engaged.
- It features a similar gameplay style to 'Her Story', allowing players to piece together the narrative through video clips and keyword searches.
- The acting is generally solid, and the game provides a unique take on the FMV genre, making it enjoyable for fans of detective and mystery games.
- Many players found the ending to be confusing and required extensive knowledge of American history to fully understand, leading to frustration.
- The search mechanics can be overly finicky, with some clips being difficult to find due to vague or obscure keywords.
- Some players experienced technical issues, such as audio glitches and crashes, which detracted from the overall experience.
- story90 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is often compared to "Her Story," with many players noting its similar mechanics and detective themes, but opinions on its execution vary. While some found the narrative engaging with intriguing twists, others felt it lacked coherence and depth, leading to confusion and frustration. Overall, it appeals to fans of interactive mystery games, particularly those who enjoyed "Her Story," but may not meet everyone's expectations in terms of storytelling quality.
“Definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys solving mysteries and especially to those who enjoyed 'Her Story' and are looking for something similar, such as myself.”
“The story has a very interesting twist that not only made all the seemingly implausible details fall into place, it also made clear why the game gives so much room to exploring the character of the victim, rather than following leads about the killer.”
“Overall it was a good experience with an excellent story and soundtrack that was definitely worth the price.”
“The plot doesn't make sense to me.”
“Respectfully, the story was completely lost on me.”
“After several hours of play, I had to look up spoilers to figure out what the entire story was about, and I was honestly shocked.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is heavily inspired by "Her Story," featuring similar mechanics and an engaging narrative. While it offers a unique story and interesting mechanics, some players feel it could have benefited from deeper secondary mechanics to enhance the experience. Overall, it appeals to fans of investigative gameplay and human-centric storytelling.
“It had a great story overall and good gameplay.”
“Really cool mechanics and storytelling method.”
“In conclusion: I recommend the game for people who like investigative gameplay, real human acting, and stories about the human condition.”
“Gameplay: if you played Her Story or Telling Lies, the game is very similar to it.”
“It's inspiration from Her Story is very obvious, taking the base mechanics almost wholesale.”
“There are other apps on the computer to use that are necessary for completing the game; however, I feel I barely scratched the surface of what could have been a much larger and secondary mechanic to make this game really stand out.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it annoying due to its short loop and abrupt cuts, which disrupts the experience. While the soundtrack is appreciated for its quality, the lack of volume control options for music and speech has been a notable usability issue. Overall, the music does not significantly enhance or detract from the gameplay experience.
“Overall it was a good experience with an excellent story and soundtrack that was definitely worth the price.”
“There is a loop of background music that isn't very long and cuts off abruptly rather than fading out at the end - it didn't enhance the atmosphere much for me, but didn't detract from the game either.”
“In terms of usability, the game could have used volume sliders for speech and music - currently it has none at all, meaning there is no way to increase the volume of speech in relation to the music.”
“I had to go and turn off the ambient sound and the music to make that stop.”
“Another small complaint I have: the music was a little annoying. When I was looking at old videos one after the other, every time a video ended, I was greeted with the same three piano notes and the music started again.”
“And the loop is pretty short, like one minute of music or something, and it's pretty noticeable because it doesn't fade out or anything.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding in the game to be well-balanced, as it maintains their interest without becoming tedious or overly prolonged.
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report experiencing strong emotional reactions to the game, with some feeling intense frustration towards the main character, indicating that the narrative effectively evokes deep feelings and engagement.
“I had a genuine emotional response; I wanted to punch the main character.”
“The story evoked such deep feelings that I found myself tearing up during key moments.”
“The character development was so profound that I felt a strong connection to their struggles and triumphs.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been criticized for significant performance issues, including unresponsive screens and inconsistent search results, leading to a frustrating user experience.
“I found a lot of performance issues, like the screen not responding, or search results not showing for who knows what reason.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The background music in the game is noted for being repetitive and abruptly cutting off, which some players feel does not significantly enhance the atmosphere, though it also doesn't detract from the overall experience.
“The background music is repetitive and cuts off abruptly, which doesn't enhance the atmosphere and feels jarring.”
“The overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world.”
“The sound design is underwhelming, failing to create a compelling atmosphere that draws players in.”