The Shapeshifting Detective

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 614 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • replayability
The Shapeshifting Detective Game Cover
Reviewing The Infection Madness of Doctor Dekker, I argued that full motion video games had undergone a stunning metamorphosis.
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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.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 614 reviews
story131 positive mentions
grinding24 negative mentions
  • The shapeshifting mechanic adds a unique twist to the detective genre, allowing players to gather information in creative ways.
  • The game features strong acting and well-developed characters, making the story engaging and entertaining.
  • The atmosphere is immersive, with a compelling narrative that keeps players guessing throughout the experience.
  • The pacing can be slow, with repetitive transitions and unskippable scenes that may frustrate players.
  • The story can feel disjointed at times, with some plot points left unresolved and a lack of clear consequences for choices.
  • The randomization of the murderer can diminish the impact of the narrative, making it feel less satisfying upon completion.
  • story352 mentions

    The story of the game is a mix of intriguing supernatural elements and a murder mystery, featuring a shapeshifting detective tasked with uncovering the truth behind a murder. While the narrative is engaging and the acting is generally well-received, many players noted that the story can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with limited impact from player choices leading to a somewhat linear experience. The randomized nature of the killer adds a layer of replayability, but some found it detracted from a cohesive storytelling experience, leaving the overall plot feeling muddled and occasionally confusing.

    • “The story is good with supernatural/sci-fi elements and the characters were believable.”
    • “The story was interesting enough to motivate me to finish the game in 3 1/2 hours in one sitting, gaining the 'find the killer on your 1st playthrough' achievement in the process.”
    • “The story is engaging (especially the creepy bits that are left for your imagination).”
    • “The story and characters are decent, but the dialogue choice mechanic seems a bit unrefined.”
    • “Although the culprit rotates on each playthrough, there is not a lot of replayability as most of the story remains the same.”
    • “The story just makes all the characters suspicious with lots of weird mysteries like UFOs, time travel, ghosts, etc., and just randomly chooses the suspect.”
  • gameplay131 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily narrative-driven, featuring a unique shapeshifting mechanic that allows players to impersonate characters to gather information. However, many reviews highlight that the gameplay can become tedious and repetitive, with limited interactivity and a lack of meaningful choices, making it feel more like an interactive movie than a traditional game. While the concept is intriguing and the production quality is praised, the execution leaves some players feeling frustrated by the pacing and mechanics.

    • “The unique gameplay and cryptic storyline complement each other well.”
    • “Loved it, excellent investigation mechanic with the shifting between characters to get to the heart of the mystery.”
    • “The shapeshifting mechanic is very cool; it really added a dimension to piecing together what happened.”
    • “The main problem with the game mechanics is that you cannot skip scenes during your first playthrough, even the scenes you’ve already seen.”
    • “The gameplay is limited as it is just an interactive movie; nonetheless, it doesn't feel too limiting, and resolving the mystery and finding out the murderer is left to the player.”
    • “Unfortunately, shapeshifting detective has flaws in both its storytelling and its gameplay.”
  • replayability60 mentions

    The game features a mix of high and limited replayability, primarily due to the randomization of the killer, which allows for different experiences in each playthrough. While some players appreciate the unique elements and multiple endings, others feel that the core story remains largely unchanged, diminishing the overall replay value. Overall, it offers decent replayability, especially for those who enjoy uncovering hidden details and exploring various outcomes.

    • “There's high replayability with over 1600 HD responses and a different killer each playthrough.”
    • “The game has some replayability - the culprit is different each time, and there were some scenes that were pretty well hidden that I couldn't find the first time I played through.”
    • “Speaking of that, the murderer is chosen randomly every new game, giving it a high degree of replayability.”
    • “Although the culprit rotates on each playthrough, there is not a lot of replayability as most of the story remains the same.”
    • “The game offers some choices that don't matter much to the story, so there's not much replay value.”
    • “While it increases replayability, it also makes the narrative feel a bit arbitrary, as you never get a definitive story ending.”
  • atmosphere43 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is consistently praised for its eerie, immersive quality, enhanced by effective sound design, visuals, and strong performances from the actors. Players appreciate the tension and mystery created through atmospheric settings, which contribute significantly to the overall experience, despite some critiques regarding pacing and interactivity. Overall, the game's ability to evoke a creepy and captivating ambiance is a standout feature that draws players in.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “The entirety of the game there is a constant tense, creepy atmosphere that helped to keep the mystery element of the game effective.”
    • “The options are limited, but the atmosphere just sucks you right in.”
    • “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.”
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it forgettable while others appreciate its ability to enhance the atmosphere. Many noted that the soundtrack effectively sets a chilling and suspenseful mood, fitting well with the game's themes and contributing to an immersive experience. Overall, while not all players found the music memorable, it was generally described as appropriate and well-executed for the game's context.

    • “I was entertained for the whole time; there was density in suspense, especially by the soundtrack, and it really felt like getting to the climax when you had to save other people and name the murderer in the end.”
    • “The music is chilling, the transition scenes are chilling, and the jump scare kinda got me, as well as the odd placement with what felt like a shining reference.”
    • “The voice acting is solid, and the soundtrack helps create a moody, immersive atmosphere without overwhelming the scenes.”
    • “Sound effects/music: both are forgettable.”
    • “The music is not memorable but it never annoys.”
    • “It does have the 'horror' tag but that's mostly just ominous music and tiny, rare jumpscares.”
  • graphics27 mentions

    The graphics in the game are a mix of high-quality FMV visuals and amateur performances, leading to a somewhat inconsistent experience. While some scene transitions are praised for their beauty and sharpness, the overall execution can feel robotic due to the acting quality. The atmospheric settings and lighting contribute to an immersive experience, particularly in the context of its narrative-driven gameplay.

    • “In a much different way than most games are made, getting enough video footage presents its own challenges, but if you're able to compose the right shots with quality lighting, you've done a significant amount of the work necessary to get good visuals.”
    • “The FMV visuals are sharp, and the town of August is well-realized through dimly lit rooms and eerie settings that help build tension.”
    • “Atmospheric setting – the visuals and sound design create a mysterious and immersive world.”
    • “It did provide the most life-like graphics possible for that time, but with amateur actors filling prominent roles, their wooden performances could make them seem more robotic than AI.”
    • “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.”
  • humor25 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players enjoying the hilarious interactions and quirky characters, while others found some dialogues annoying or lacking depth. The acting and comedic scenarios, particularly involving the shapeshifting mechanic, often lead to funny outcomes that elicit genuine laughter. However, despite the occasional standout moments, some players felt that the humor wasn't consistent enough to elevate the overall experience.

    • “The actors had a lot of fun with their characters with some hilarious interactions.”
    • “The acting is hilarious and the mechanic of shapeshifting is cool.”
    • “There are very funny scenes and off-track stories that made this whole game laughable and kept me entertained.”
    • “The humor fell flat and often felt forced, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I expected a lot more laughs, but the jokes were stale and predictable.”
    • “The attempts at humor were cringeworthy and detracted from the overall experience.”
  • grinding25 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. While the story and visuals are praised, the need to repeatedly interact with characters and navigate the same environments detracts from the enjoyment, making multiple playthroughs feel like a chore rather than a rewarding experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
    • “The gameplay is quite tedious with going backwards and forwards with no direction.”
    • “The way the story develops/unfolds is painful, the interactions are boring and tedious and there isn't much user interaction at all.”
    • “The repetitive gameplay and pacing issues can make it feel tedious, especially on subsequent playthroughs.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization received mixed feedback; while some players experienced no performance issues after initial loading, others felt that the gameplay mechanics were not well-optimized, allowing for unpunished backtracking. The graphics and production values were praised, particularly for an FMV game, though some noted that the acting quality varied, with a few performances feeling overly wooden. Despite these critiques, the strong acting and engaging story contributed positively to the overall experience.

    • “Game took me a bit to load, but once loaded, performance issues weren't a concern.”
    • “Performance: played only on my desktop with no issues.”
    • “Shapeshifting detective is, in most respects, an expertly executed FMV game with great performances all around.”
    • “The idea of a shapeshifting detective is cool and all, but everything else with the gameplay I feel 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 performances and direction.”
    • “I'm writing this shortly after finishing the game, and I can barely recall any worthwhile dialogue or notable performances.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    While the game's cast is engaging, the emotional impact of the story's conclusion is perceived as unsatisfying and arbitrary. Players appreciate the strategic elements that make them feel clever, but the overall emotional resonance leaves much to be desired.

    • “The emotional weight behind the conclusion of the story is profound and leaves a lasting impact.”
    • “The character development throughout the game is incredibly moving, making the player truly care about their fates.”
    • “The game masterfully evokes a range of emotions, from joy to sorrow, creating a deeply immersive experience.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Players have reported stability issues, particularly during character interactions where the video freezes, animations halt, and sound is absent, leading to a frustrating experience that nearly caused some to abandon the game.

    • “There is a minor thing that bothers me when I started off this game, and it almost made me drop it. When you speak with a character and you get the options, the video freezes, the character doesn't move, and there is no sound around.”
    • “Bugs and glitches are a constant issue.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the character development mechanics are authentic and well-executed, contributing positively to the overall gaming 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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

72% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
3-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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