This Is the Zodiac Speaking

48%
Game Brain Score Based on 85 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
This Is the Zodiac Speaking Game Cover
Taking inspiration from the infamous Zodiac Killer, you too can feel the fear of hunting the hunter, or are you in fact also his prey?
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"This Is The Zodiac Speaking" is a single-player adventure thriller set in the 1970s California, based on the story of the infamous Zodiac serial killer. As a journalist, Robert Hartnell, you receive a chilling call from the killer, putting you in the center of the investigation. The game combines stealth and detective modes in a stylized world, offering a dark and fact-based experience.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

48%
Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews
story8 positive mentions
gameplay4 negative mentions
  • The game offers an interesting premise and a unique take on the Zodiac Killer story, providing a mix of stealth and puzzle-solving gameplay.
  • Some players found the atmosphere engaging, with good use of sound and a decent soundtrack that enhances the experience.
  • For its low price during sales, many consider it a decent time killer, especially for fans of the horror genre.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs, poor AI, and a lack of polish, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • Voice acting and dialogue often feel stale and mismatched, leading to a disconnection between the narrative and gameplay.
  • Many players found the gameplay repetitive and tedious, with frustrating mechanics that hinder the enjoyment of the story.
  • story52 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it predictable and underwhelming, while others appreciate its exploration of psychological themes related to a serial killer. Although it attempts to weave an interesting narrative based on true events, many criticize the writing and voice acting as lacking depth, making it difficult to fully engage with the plot. Overall, while the story has potential, it often falls short in execution, leaving players feeling indifferent.

    • “It is more than a psychological crime thriller; it explores the very essence of what makes a killer tick, and being based on a true story, it is surprisingly and hauntingly accurate!”
    • “But Robert's a brave boy who, being the good horror protagonist with a rough backstory, takes on the case without much to worry about, thinking he'll be the one to crack Zodiac's infamous cipher and bring him to justice!”
    • “No, this is a game that wanted to tell a story about the character you play as, and how his life goes after meeting the killer in person, and his relationship with the other victims due to survivor's guilt and his childhood.”
    • “In terms of story, I was quite underwhelmed.”
    • “The story itself is generic and one-dimensional.”
    • “While it has a competent story to tell, it lacks the means to tell it in an engaging manner.”
  • gameplay35 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating due to poor level design and a lack of depth in the various mechanics. While the stealth elements and mystery-solving aspects are intriguing, they are often undermined by clipping issues and an overall easy difficulty level that diminishes the challenge. Additionally, the execution of the game's ideas feels underwhelming, leading to a generally unsatisfying experience.

    • “Nice soundtrack, graphics, sound, voice acting, and overall gameplay.”
    • “Most of the gameplay revolves around stealth, and when not in stealth, you collect items around the level.”
    • “The gameplay, while not going around your own house, is pretty easy to play even on 'killer mode' with the zodiac running around the levels.”
    • “To start off, I think the game looks good and I liked the premise; however, I found the gameplay to be quite tedious.”
    • “I’m a fan of stealth games such as Dishonored, but this gameplay was borderline frustrating.”
    • “Monotonous gameplay, unsatisfying ending, poor level design.”
  • music20 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and mood, particularly in tense moments. However, some players found the soundtrack repetitive across levels and experienced technical issues, such as the music overpowering dialogue. Overall, while the soundtrack contributes positively to the experience, it may not be enough to sustain engagement throughout the game.

    • “Nice soundtrack, graphics, sound, voice acting, and overall gameplay.”
    • “The music choices really drove the mood home as well.”
    • “He's quite imposing too; it's very spooky to hear the music tense up, look into the misty streets, and see his tall, large, dark outline as he creeps around; kukri in one hand, python revolver in the other.”
    • “I also turned the music off and listened to my own music; you could argue this ruined the game because I broke the atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack is spooky, but there is no variety between the levels.”
    • “The issue with the killer and some technical issues with the audio being wonky at times (music being too loud over a scene, had to lower it multiple times) really affected the experience.”
  • graphics13 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed to negative feedback, with many reviewers describing them as mediocre or even "awful," particularly on the Nintendo Switch. While some moments are deemed passable, the overall visual quality is criticized for detracting from the gameplay experience, making it difficult to recommend.

    • “Nice soundtrack, graphics, sound, voice acting, and overall gameplay.”
    • “The story was interesting, and the graphics were nice.”
    • “This is the zodiac speaking is certainly playable on the Nintendo Switch and in fairness, it does have its moments where even the graphics are passable.”
    • “The graphics aren't anything to write home about and the story itself is really eh; I really did not like the player character.”
    • “This is the zodiac speaking is certainly playable on the Nintendo Switch and in fairness it does have its moments where even the graphics are passable (even if they are few and far between) – if you really want to enjoy the clever concept of the game though, I’d implore you to try it on a platform where the awful visuals won’t ruin the experience for you.”
    • “[awful visuals with nauseating pop-in, therapy sessions include dialogue choices that make very little sense, scrutinizing everyday objects got old really fast, avoiding the zodiac killer is a breeze]”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    Reviews of the game's atmosphere are mixed; some players appreciate the effort put into creating a tense environment, while others feel it falls short, citing issues like poor AI and a lack of engaging visuals. The atmosphere is described as potentially effective during moments of tension, but can be undermined by distractions such as turning off the game's music. Overall, while there are elements that contribute to a scary atmosphere, many players believe it could be significantly improved.

    • “It's got good atmosphere, and I can tell a lot of work went into this.”
    • “The atmosphere, the image, the emotion you get from that image.”
    • “The game never really had any atmosphere to begin with, unless half the screen being black and janky AI creates a scary atmosphere.”
    • “I also turned the music off and listened to my own music; you could argue this ruined the game because I broke the atmosphere.”
    • “Really, the Zodiac Killer is kind of annoying when he's not chasing you or being intimidating via atmosphere.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and tiresome, often describing it as a monotonous effort that detracts from the overall experience. The gameplay is criticized for being unpolished and lacking innovation within the genre, with specific complaints about scavenger hunts and stealth mechanics.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A tiresome and tedious effort, 'This is the Zodiac Speaking' is very unpolished and doesn't offer anything new in the genre.”
    • “Tedious scavenger hunts, mundane, aggravating stealth, awkward English localization, killer AI.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including persistent bugs, glitches, and unresponsive AI, which have been reported since 2020. Players have noted that achievements are often unachievable due to these bugs, leading to frustration and a perception that the developers are neglecting these longstanding problems. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern for users.

    • “After looking into it, I found that this game has a history of buggy achievements, so much so that I believe no one has unlocked the achievement on Xbox or PS due to it being bugged. It seems like the devs don’t care, as these issues go back to 2020 and they still haven’t been fixed.”
    • “Very buggy and unexplained.”
    • “[Plagued by glitches, inconsistent AI, bad controls, low quality visuals]”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its clunky execution, which detracts from the overall experience and leaves players feeling uncomfortable and overwhelmed.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

49% average critic score

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