The Shapeshifting Detective

Reviewing The Infection Madness of Doctor Dekker, I argued that full motion video games had undergone a stunning metamorphosis.

77%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, graphics

83% User Score Based on 359 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Shapeshifting Detective is a single player simulation game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Wales Interactive and was released on November 6, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In "The Shapeshifting Detective," you play as a supernatural detective who can shapeshift into other characters to unlock secrets and private encounters. You must solve the murder of Dorota Shaw by investigating three tarot readers with the ability to predict or commit murder. With over 1600 video responses and a randomly chosen murderer at the start of the game, you must shapeshift to investigate and manipulate relationships to solve the murder.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 359 reviews

story88 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

Engaging story with interesting characters and a unique shapeshifting mechanic that adds depth to the gameplay.
High-quality production values, including good acting and a captivating atmosphere enhanced by the background radio stories.
Replayability due to the randomization of the murderer, encouraging players to explore different dialogue options and outcomes.

The game can feel repetitive as players must often click through similar dialogue options and scenes, leading to a tedious experience.
Lack of a clear sense of progression or consequences for choices, making it difficult to feel invested in the investigation.
Short playtime of around 3-4 hours may leave some players wanting more content and depth in the story.

story
206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
51%
6%
The game's story, centered around a shapeshifting detective investigating a murder, is described as intriguing yet convoluted, with a mix of supernatural elements and character-driven narratives. While the acting is generally praised, the pacing and linear progression detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of repetitiveness and confusion in plot development. Despite its flaws, many players appreciate the engaging atmosphere and the potential for multiple endings, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of interactive storytelling.
- “The story is engaging, the characters feel like real people, and there's plenty to see on subsequent playthroughs.”
- “The acting was top rate though and the story intriguing.”
- “Great entertainment, good actors, and an enthralling story; the whole concept of a shapeshifting detective is brilliant.”
- “The story seems too convoluted and you get to change characters all the time.”
- “The way the story develops/unfolds is painful, the interactions are boring and tedious and there isn't much user interaction at all.”
- “But the play is bunk, and overall the story is garbage due to compromises made for supposed replayability.”
gameplay
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The gameplay of "The Shapeshifting Detective" features a unique shapeshifting mechanic that allows players to gather information by transforming into different characters, which adds an interesting layer to the investigative experience. However, many players find the gameplay to be somewhat tedious and linear, often involving repetitive interactions and limited decision-making that can detract from the overall immersion. While the game offers a charming narrative and solid production values, it struggles with pacing and depth, leading to mixed feelings about its replayability and engagement.
- “The mechanics are surprisingly different, with Dekker encouraging depth on a single playthrough and The Shapeshifting Detective encouraging replayability to ferret out all its secrets.”
- “The game was immersive, the occult stuff was interesting, and I liked the gameplay mechanic - shifting into different characters to gather information and find hidden secrets about the characters.”
- “As a fan of detective games, I quite liked this one and the shapeshifting mechanic made for some interesting investigative skills to come into play.”
- “The shapeshifting mechanic ends up being a hindrance, forcing you to try all combinations just to get through the story.”
- “Gameplay feels a little on rails.”
- “Unfortunately, I found the first half an hour to be painfully dull, generic gameplay, not offering anything new.”
replayability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
58%
8%
The game offers significant replayability due to its random selection of the murderer, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique and encourages players to uncover different secrets and endings. While many players appreciate the depth and variety in gameplay, some note that the overall experience may feel limited after multiple runs, particularly if guides are used. Overall, it is regarded as a solid title with decent replay value, especially for fans of interactive narratives.
- “Unlike The Bunker, this game has good replay value. A lot of this is due to the fact that the game will pick one of three people at random to be the killer. This means each playthrough feels unique, even if you try to pick the same options. There will be differences due to that random element, and that is what I love about this game.”
- “Multiple endings provide replayability and overall an enjoyable experience.”
- “The game randomly chooses the murderer and tailors the information for each playthrough, meaning it is very replayable.”
- “Has some, but limited, replay value, so fairly short game (one run through is 2-3 hours).”
- “After that, the replayability factor kind of drops off.”
- “I'd recommend buying this game while it's on sale, as it's probably not quite worth the full $20 price tag given the limited replay value.”
atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
27%
10%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating and eerie qualities, effectively enhancing the storytelling and gameplay experience. Players appreciate the combination of strong visual and audio elements that create a chilling yet charming ambiance, drawing them into the narrative. While some find the interactivity limited, the overall atmospheric design is considered a standout feature that elevates the game.
- “The atmosphere is amazing, and the writing and acting feels a little off at times, but in the best possible way, actually adding to the charm of this game.”
- “I have to admit that what exclusively and initially drew me here was its FMV mystery-solving aspect; I was unwittingly and overwhelmingly captivated by this production -- its stylistic and atmospheric qualities both beautiful and chilling, ominous and exhilarating, its stories intricate and detailed and philosophically rich.”
- “The shapeshifting detective is a beautifully written, performed, shot, edited, scored, and paced FMV game that's basking in atmosphere and a beautifully crafted tension; an outstanding thriller that's streamlined and refined what an FMV game can be.”
- “Most of them are greetings, small talk, fairy story, rendering atmosphere description; seems useful but you will finally find out it's just useless words and repeated interludes when you switch between scenes.”
- “The game does a spectacular job capturing the oppressive atmosphere of a small town; everyone knows everyone else, but nobody interacts or helps one another in ways that really count.”
- “A Lovecraftian madness system was itself affirmed by a fever dream atmosphere (formed by ethereal visuals and a droning soundtrack) that genuinely unsettled over long play sessions.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the acting and dialogue genuinely funny, often eliciting laughter through unexpected moments and sassy responses. While some scenes are intentionally humorous and contribute to an entertaining experience, others may feel cringeworthy or tedious, leading to a varied reception of the comedic elements. Overall, the game's quirky characters and supernatural storyline add to its memorable, if sometimes inconsistent, comedic charm.
- “I bought this game as a joke, prompted by the quite funny acting in the trailer.”
- “Some of the dialogue is hilarious and will definitely elicit a chuckle.”
- “There are very funny scenes and off-track stories that made this whole game laughable and kept me entertained.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the suspenseful and creepy atmosphere, effectively complementing the storyline and acting. Reviewers note that the soundtrack, along with eerie sound effects and radio readings, creates a captivating and immersive experience, particularly during intense moments. Overall, the combination of haunting melodies and thematic soundscapes contributes significantly to the game's emotional impact and mood.
- “Everything is top notch: the acting, storyline, the wonderful soundtrack, the visual (excellent camera work)...”
- “The soundtracks are good, fit the creepy and suspense atmosphere.”
- “The excerpts as you move from location to location give a kind of strange background music to the game’s theme.”
- “A Lovecraftian madness system was itself affirmed by a fever dream atmosphere (formed by ethereal visuals and a droning soundtrack) that genuinely unsettled over long play sessions.”
- “It did a good job setting a spooky mood, with the background music and radio readings that play in between choosing locations.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with many expressing frustration over the slow-paced gameplay and the need to frequently switch between characters. While the production quality and story concept are appreciated, the lack of meaningful interaction and the drawn-out nature of the gameplay detract from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging adventure.
- “Cool idea and good video production, but unfortunately the gameplay feels slow and tedious.”
- “Interesting concept, but the story dragged and the gameplay was repetitive and grinding.”
- “The way the story develops is painful, the interactions are boring and tedious, and there isn't much user interaction at all.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their high quality and pretty visuals, particularly during scene transitions, contributing to an immersive experience. However, some players feel that the overall presentation is undermined by issues such as story design and pacing, which detracts from the visual impact. The game's FMV style presents unique challenges in discussing graphics, but the ethereal visuals effectively create a haunting atmosphere.
- “Some of the scene transition visuals are very high quality, with pretty graphics.”
- “A Lovecraftian madness system was itself affirmed by a fever dream atmosphere, formed by ethereal visuals and a droning soundtrack that genuinely unsettled over long play sessions.”
- “The visuals and tone are good too, contributing to the overall experience.”
- “No matter how well the game is made, the graphics, sounds, blablabla, the stupid story design managed to get my thumbs down!!”
- “Since it's an FMV game, it's a bit hard to talk about graphics.”
- “This game does not deserve a bad review if you see it as a future way to watch movies.....and the graphics look so real....sorry some bad humor comes with it.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The optimization of the game is mixed; while the shapeshifting mechanic allows for extensive exploration of dialogue options without penalties, it can lead to a less structured gameplay experience. However, once loaded, performance issues are minimal, and the strong voice acting enhances the overall enjoyment, making the game feel well-executed despite some initial loading delays.
- “Shapeshifting detective is, in most respects, an expertly executed FMV game with great performances all around.”
- “Seeking out all the permutations of the scenes is the real joy of the experience - mostly because the performances are just so unendingly entertaining that you want to see it all.”
- “The idea of a shapeshifting detective is cool and all, but everything else with the gameplay wasn't optimized very well, as you can go back and forth shifting from one character to the next and use up all your dialogue options (because you can) progressing through the story without being punished for it.”
- “A game like this lives or dies by its performance and direction.”
- “Game took me a bit to load, but once loaded in, performance issues weren't a concern.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game rewarding, as the satisfaction derived from strategic planning and clever decision-making enhances their sense of intelligence and engagement within the narrative.
- “The emotional depth of the characters really drew me in, making me feel connected to their struggles and triumphs.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the story; it made me reflect on my own life and the choices I've made.”
- “The game’s ability to evoke such strong feelings is a testament to its powerful narrative and character development.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight that the character development in the game feels authentic and well-integrated with the mechanics, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The mechanics and character development are quite genuine.”
- “The depth of character development really allows players to connect with the story.”
- “I love how the character development evolves throughout the game, making each choice feel impactful.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have reported stability issues, particularly during character interactions where the video freezes, characters become unresponsive, and sound is absent, which has led to frustration and nearly caused some players to abandon the game.
- “There is a minor issue that bothers me when I started this game; it almost made me drop it. When you speak with a character and get the options, the video freezes, the character doesn't move, and there is no sound.”

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72%Critics’ scoreBased on 10 critic reviews

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4h Median play time

13h Average play time

3-15h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Shapeshifting Detective is a simulation game with mystery theme.

The Shapeshifting Detective is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 13 hours playing The Shapeshifting Detective.

The Shapeshifting Detective was released on November 6, 2018.

The Shapeshifting Detective was developed by Wales Interactive.

The Shapeshifting Detective has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

The Shapeshifting Detective is a single player game.

Similar games include The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker, Dark Nights with Poe and Munro, SIMULACRA, Contradiction: Spot The Liar, Late Shift and others.

The Shapeshifting Detective

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