Murdered: Soul Suspect is a game about Detective Ronan O’Connor, who has to go about solving his own murder from the afterlife before he can move on, presumably to Heaven. It’s based in Salem, Massachusetts, famous for the Salem Witch Trials, wherein a bunch of crazy people accused many women and girls of being witches, and burned them at the stake.
Murdered: Soul Suspect is for a very specific kind of gamer. I kind of liked it, despite (and occasionally because of) the fact that I recognised its many, many flaws, but a lot of people will see those flaws and catch the first train out of town. The bigger issue at play here is the fact that the crime-solving isn’t very interesting, since there’s not much to actually solve. You don’t need to find every clue to progress (only enough to guess the solution). What’s worse, when you’re asked to decipher clues to determine Ronan’s next move via a deduction minigame, you can make as many wrong guesses as you want. An on-screen indicator suggests you have a limited number of guesses, but it never drops to zero, and there’s no benefit or punishment tied to your performance. The only thing with a hint of consequence is the line of questioning Ronan delivers to various witnesses; a good portion of the conversations you’ll have will arbitrarily end before you have the chance to ask every possible question, though it doesn’t seem as though the game plays out any differently based on what you’re able to ask.
Murdered: Soul Suspect is a game which lacks universal appeal that said, Murdered was never going to be game of the year. Instead, it’s more like a B-grade movie. If you know what you’re getting into when you start to play, then you can enjoy it despite its many failings. The disclaimer here is that if you enjoy a game which is a bit. The best parts of Murdered – aside from the kitty possession, of course – happened when I veered away from the main campaign. There are about 200 collectibles to gather in Salem, and collectively all the pieces form something of a celebration of Salem’s history.
Then there are the side missions, which I found slightly trickier than the main campaign puzzles and also more satisfying. Scattered around the town are ghosts who are, like Ronan, having trouble coming to terms with this whole death thing. Wander around the environment for a bit and you can work out the stories of their final moments and help them find peace. For some reason I found watching their ghosty souls disappear much more satisfying than when I actually completed the game.
Yes you can possess a Cat 🙂
A good mystery should keep you guessing until the very end. It should deliver a solution that defies your earlier instincts and speculation, while also making complete sense. Murdered: Soul Suspect does keep you guessing until the end, but for the wrong reason. You’ll wonder if and when Soul Suspect will transcend issues like inconsistent clue-discover, tacked-on combat, or a general lack of polish, to just let the interesting core mystery really shine. Well, I’ve got a spoiler for you: it never really does. Soul Suspect’s fate is a sad tragedy because it tells a somewhat engaging story with a few likeable characters. Fedora permanently fixed to his head, protagonist Ronan O’Connor is an interesting lead–and the fact that he dies 30 seconds into the game helps jumpstart the intrigue. A reformed criminal-turned-cop still facing plenty of strife, Ronan is unable to move on from his ghostly state and reunite with his deceased wife until he finds out who killed him (and numerous other citizens of Salem). With ghostly powers that let him speak with fellow spooks, inhabit the living to read their thoughts, and look back in time when encountering spirit-infused items, it’s an interesting-enough premise. Sadly, the fact that he’s unable to communicate with common folk makes for some lonely stretches of story.
It’s really sad that Murdered: Soul Suspect fails to fulfil its promise. There are some interesting characters and plot-lines, as well as some really great visuals (depending on what or who you’re looking at), but the game’s strengths are haunted by mediocre gameplay and substandard production values. You won’t feel any smarter having solved Soul Suspect’s mystery, nor will you feel tested by its combat. Perhaps it’s a blessing that most will quickly forget this game and get on with their lives.
You can grab a copy for your nearest retailer or ecommerce websites like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal & Games the Shop.
Not of Thanks: We played this game on a Playstation 4 review copy by our Friends at E-Xpress Games.
