"Style has a substance all of its own" - Joseph Stalin
I remember a few weeks ago speaking to a friend who was bemoaning the impossibility of replaying detective mystery games because, already knowing their mysteries the experience falls flat as there is nothing to solve.
"Lol, Skill Issue" I responded and here I am on a second playthrough of Paradise Killer
Its kind of insane how much Paradise Killer works, because in theory all of its ideas sound like they should fall utterly flat on their faces. An Open World investigative detective game? Taking a genre that's traditionally strictly linear so as to control the pacing of the story and parcel out small bits of information as it builds towards a meticulously planned reveal of the truth behind it all ; and just letting the player piece it (relatively) unguided? A whole ass 3D open world made by, going by the credits, essentially 2 people? Platforming mechanics in first person added on top of what is essentially an adventure game visual novel? To steal a joke from a certain someone - "That's not a recipe for disaster, that's the fucking Anarchist's Cookbook!"
Paradise Killer sort of does the impossible by turning these seemingly contradictory design decisions to work in its favour. Its to its credits that even on a second playthrough I was utterly enthralled, going from brutalist skyscrapers built to rule over masses of kidnapped innocents to drop down and airdash into one of their living quarters finding things like a set of dominoes or a love letter, evidence of their humanity that the syndicate tried so hard to deny them. There was always something out there to spot through the corner of my eye, a blood vial, a conversation with the ever entertaining Shinji or a new music track to earworm its way into my brain. Incidentally both the idea of having music unlock with finding it in the open world and the in-universe customizable music playlist are kind of amazing and I hope someone else does something similar at some point.
Another possible weakness would of course be that a 3D world made by two people on a low budget is going to be hard to get fancy with shaders and complex geometry etc but Paradise Killer embraces these limitations. The sort of brutalist architecture of the syndicate as these big Imposing rectangular buildings of concrete tower over the player contrast against the more obviously japanese inspired residential areas, the looming, harsh structures of the power of the Syndicate almost looking down at the housing of the citizenry they opress. The garish at times mix of purples and gold of the Opulent Ziggurat, a sort of marriage of city pop album cover and horrifying lovecraftian death cult adds to me a sense of a sort of banality of evil. These people just dont really reflect on the morality of their insane plan all that much as they do their intrigues, their high fashion and luxury lifestyles. A couple of days ago I read a piece on this game comparing Paradise Killer to Those Who Walk Away from Omelas, a famous story about a society built on the suffering of a single child and in that sense PK becomes a whole lot closer to home, for all its musings on Eldritch Gods and transdimensional demons and pocket dimension islands.
Because ultimately whilst I don't sacrifice people to appease a race of genocidal space aliens my existence and prosperity is partly also built on the suffering of others, namely animals and the exploited, imperialized world.
Paradise Killer even did the impossible for me, it made me care about its lore and worldbuilding told mainly through the medium of item descriptions. Dark Souls couldn't make me care but PK did with about a fraction of the budget. Its just very good at drawing you in, and I think a detective game is more condusive to making me interested in the approach when all you are doing at the end of the day IS learning about the world, the architecture, the character designs everything else is feeding into your brain as you explore every nook and cranny hunting for clues in this world. As much as the open world can fool you into believing you're in total control, there is a deliberate parceling out of information based on the order you find things but it never becomes a railroad of forced linearity, there are always threads to pull even if those threads themselves are interlinked and may require steps in a certain order.
There is a lot of Paradise Killer that will turn people off, as I said before its kind of a miracle it works (for me) and there is definitely stuff to criticise. The collectible currency is easy to find and use but other than the footbath upgrades (and incidentally I sincerely hope people realized that the investment in blood crystals was worth it because the game doesnt really signal that these unlock movement powers until youve already spent the sum) starlight upgrades and various minor things you get way more than you'll ever need. I was achievement hunting for this game on a second playthrough and I was suprised at how little I had to go out of my way to get for the achievements. At first it looks like the collectibles are haphazardly spread around but I can definitely say now that there is a method to the madness. There is a cost to unlock the fast travel spots (sure) but also to use them (boo), though again this is the BOTW thing where there are way more blood crystals than you could ever need and I ended up with a surplus of 30, so really I think the fast travel cost is just to make a use for it, which seems a bit like breaking a bone so you can use your new set of crutches but its not that big of a deal, the island is small and most out of the way places you probably wont need to go more than once or twice.
If there was one word to describe Paradise Killer it might be indulgent, and there is definitely a case to be made that the game could have been improved if at certain design meetings someone had told the creators NO but I think indulging is good once in a while. Even if it alienates a substantial portion of the audience I like the boldness of the vaporwave aesthetic, even if Im not the biggest fan of the genre if ther was ever one album to convert me it might be the OST to this game which is a certified banger.
I'm certainly not the person who could or even should make this point well, especially cause I might make it wrong and step over what others who are more directly affected by this but given the diversity in character designs which is both a credit to the overall aesthetic of the game and to better inclusivity in the industry, its kind of unfortunate given the obvious japanese inspiration of the setting (the city pop, the combinis, the japanese whisky, dead nebula's zaibatsu, etc etc) that there are no on-screen Japanese Characters. Similarly, again its not a point I feel confident in making but I think there is something to be said about the wave of fascination with certain superficial aspects of japanese popculture that this game belongs to that could be said to come from a place of the "othering" of Japan as a sort of mythical special place for westerners to endlessly gawk at in the naïve belief that its a place to escape to, either physically or mentally from the banality of the places we live in.
Not maliciously of course and Im not suggesting any conscious prejudice or anything of the sort on the part of the developers, but I think its a phenomenon worth examining and reflecting on. In the art book for the game there is an account from one of the designers which I'll paraphrase here but essentially it was something like During the pandemic it was depressing to live in boring, grey, dull England, I wanted to go to somewhere cool, Like Japan! I love Japan! This is on the one hand understandable, lord knows I have thrown myself in escapism when I have been unsatisfied with my current life situation but I think its a remnant of a particular european/western attitude towards Japan. I think its great to show appreciation for other cultures and learn more about them, even celebrate aspects or (respectfully and appropriately) incoporate them into your own, but its important to remember that Japan or any other country, is a country, its not Disney Land.
All that aside, Paradise Killer remains a tremendously absorbing mystery game which I have played through a second time I think I have enjoyed even more than the first. Even the relatively rushed and not super involving trial sequence didnt really feel all that out of place : Paradise Killer is a game about investigation more than Justice, both mechanically and thematically. I enjoy how it all fits into the story as Lady Love Dies is essentially a lib, critical of the excesses of the syndicate and their worse crimes and corruption but never for a second doubting their overall goal. She's evil but doesn't think she's evil, which is refreshing to me. See you in Perfect 25.
I remember a few weeks ago speaking to a friend who was bemoaning the impossibility of replaying detective mystery games because, already knowing their mysteries the experience falls flat as there is nothing to solve.
"Lol, Skill Issue" I responded and here I am on a second playthrough of Paradise Killer
Its kind of insane how much Paradise Killer works, because in theory all of its ideas sound like they should fall utterly flat on their faces. An Open World investigative detective game? Taking a genre that's traditionally strictly linear so as to control the pacing of the story and parcel out small bits of information as it builds towards a meticulously planned reveal of the truth behind it all ; and just letting the player piece it (relatively) unguided? A whole ass 3D open world made by, going by the credits, essentially 2 people? Platforming mechanics in first person added on top of what is essentially an adventure game visual novel? To steal a joke from a certain someone - "That's not a recipe for disaster, that's the fucking Anarchist's Cookbook!"
Paradise Killer sort of does the impossible by turning these seemingly contradictory design decisions to work in its favour. Its to its credits that even on a second playthrough I was utterly enthralled, going from brutalist skyscrapers built to rule over masses of kidnapped innocents to drop down and airdash into one of their living quarters finding things like a set of dominoes or a love letter, evidence of their humanity that the syndicate tried so hard to deny them. There was always something out there to spot through the corner of my eye, a blood vial, a conversation with the ever entertaining Shinji or a new music track to earworm its way into my brain. Incidentally both the idea of having music unlock with finding it in the open world and the in-universe customizable music playlist are kind of amazing and I hope someone else does something similar at some point.
Another possible weakness would of course be that a 3D world made by two people on a low budget is going to be hard to get fancy with shaders and complex geometry etc but Paradise Killer embraces these limitations. The sort of brutalist architecture of the syndicate as these big Imposing rectangular buildings of concrete tower over the player contrast against the more obviously japanese inspired residential areas, the looming, harsh structures of the power of the Syndicate almost looking down at the housing of the citizenry they opress. The garish at times mix of purples and gold of the Opulent Ziggurat, a sort of marriage of city pop album cover and horrifying lovecraftian death cult adds to me a sense of a sort of banality of evil. These people just dont really reflect on the morality of their insane plan all that much as they do their intrigues, their high fashion and luxury lifestyles. A couple of days ago I read a piece on this game comparing Paradise Killer to Those Who Walk Away from Omelas, a famous story about a society built on the suffering of a single child and in that sense PK becomes a whole lot closer to home, for all its musings on Eldritch Gods and transdimensional demons and pocket dimension islands.
Because ultimately whilst I don't sacrifice people to appease a race of genocidal space aliens my existence and prosperity is partly also built on the suffering of others, namely animals and the exploited, imperialized world.
Paradise Killer even did the impossible for me, it made me care about its lore and worldbuilding told mainly through the medium of item descriptions. Dark Souls couldn't make me care but PK did with about a fraction of the budget. Its just very good at drawing you in, and I think a detective game is more condusive to making me interested in the approach when all you are doing at the end of the day IS learning about the world, the architecture, the character designs everything else is feeding into your brain as you explore every nook and cranny hunting for clues in this world. As much as the open world can fool you into believing you're in total control, there is a deliberate parceling out of information based on the order you find things but it never becomes a railroad of forced linearity, there are always threads to pull even if those threads themselves are interlinked and may require steps in a certain order.
There is a lot of Paradise Killer that will turn people off, as I said before its kind of a miracle it works (for me) and there is definitely stuff to criticise. The collectible currency is easy to find and use but other than the footbath upgrades (and incidentally I sincerely hope people realized that the investment in blood crystals was worth it because the game doesnt really signal that these unlock movement powers until youve already spent the sum) starlight upgrades and various minor things you get way more than you'll ever need. I was achievement hunting for this game on a second playthrough and I was suprised at how little I had to go out of my way to get for the achievements. At first it looks like the collectibles are haphazardly spread around but I can definitely say now that there is a method to the madness. There is a cost to unlock the fast travel spots (sure) but also to use them (boo), though again this is the BOTW thing where there are way more blood crystals than you could ever need and I ended up with a surplus of 30, so really I think the fast travel cost is just to make a use for it, which seems a bit like breaking a bone so you can use your new set of crutches but its not that big of a deal, the island is small and most out of the way places you probably wont need to go more than once or twice.
If there was one word to describe Paradise Killer it might be indulgent, and there is definitely a case to be made that the game could have been improved if at certain design meetings someone had told the creators NO but I think indulging is good once in a while. Even if it alienates a substantial portion of the audience I like the boldness of the vaporwave aesthetic, even if Im not the biggest fan of the genre if ther was ever one album to convert me it might be the OST to this game which is a certified banger.
I'm certainly not the person who could or even should make this point well, especially cause I might make it wrong and step over what others who are more directly affected by this but given the diversity in character designs which is both a credit to the overall aesthetic of the game and to better inclusivity in the industry, its kind of unfortunate given the obvious japanese inspiration of the setting (the city pop, the combinis, the japanese whisky, dead nebula's zaibatsu, etc etc) that there are no on-screen Japanese Characters. Similarly, again its not a point I feel confident in making but I think there is something to be said about the wave of fascination with certain superficial aspects of japanese popculture that this game belongs to that could be said to come from a place of the "othering" of Japan as a sort of mythical special place for westerners to endlessly gawk at in the naïve belief that its a place to escape to, either physically or mentally from the banality of the places we live in.
Not maliciously of course and Im not suggesting any conscious prejudice or anything of the sort on the part of the developers, but I think its a phenomenon worth examining and reflecting on. In the art book for the game there is an account from one of the designers which I'll paraphrase here but essentially it was something like During the pandemic it was depressing to live in boring, grey, dull England, I wanted to go to somewhere cool, Like Japan! I love Japan! This is on the one hand understandable, lord knows I have thrown myself in escapism when I have been unsatisfied with my current life situation but I think its a remnant of a particular european/western attitude towards Japan. I think its great to show appreciation for other cultures and learn more about them, even celebrate aspects or (respectfully and appropriately) incoporate them into your own, but its important to remember that Japan or any other country, is a country, its not Disney Land.
All that aside, Paradise Killer remains a tremendously absorbing mystery game which I have played through a second time I think I have enjoyed even more than the first. Even the relatively rushed and not super involving trial sequence didnt really feel all that out of place : Paradise Killer is a game about investigation more than Justice, both mechanically and thematically. I enjoy how it all fits into the story as Lady Love Dies is essentially a lib, critical of the excesses of the syndicate and their worse crimes and corruption but never for a second doubting their overall goal. She's evil but doesn't think she's evil, which is refreshing to me. See you in Perfect 25.
god where do I even begin
This game would've been better as a simple visual novel but instead there's weird 3d platforming gameplay hamfisted into a narrative filled to the absolute brim with unlikeable characters.
On that last point, I know you're probably not meant to like them because they're all selfish and have their stupid petty agendas against each other but there's a difference between a character having unlikable/negative traits and a character being straight up annoying. The cast of this game, including the protagonist, falls into the latter category -- interactions with them were a slog of unfunny dialogue, petty conflicts, and stilted relationships.
Cool setting, I guess. But even that means little to me. Wish I liked it!
This game would've been better as a simple visual novel but instead there's weird 3d platforming gameplay hamfisted into a narrative filled to the absolute brim with unlikeable characters.
On that last point, I know you're probably not meant to like them because they're all selfish and have their stupid petty agendas against each other but there's a difference between a character having unlikable/negative traits and a character being straight up annoying. The cast of this game, including the protagonist, falls into the latter category -- interactions with them were a slog of unfunny dialogue, petty conflicts, and stilted relationships.
Cool setting, I guess. But even that means little to me. Wish I liked it!
SO CALLED "FREE THINKERS" WHEN LOVE DIES: ALL THAT REMAINS ARE THE FACTS
okay so the aesthetic of this game is out of this world. first of all. loved going through the world and collecting all the collectibles (there are a TON which is amazing for ME in specific i love collecting things) and doing funny parkour without taking fall damage. related to this the soundtrack is also a jam and a half especially the title theme
the word "diverse" has been tainted but there's something very nice about the varied backgrounds of the characters (especially witness who is iranian probably kurdish? i am not kurdish but i am iranian and he HAS AN IRANIAN ACCENT it makes me sooo happy) and the queerness of it wrt love dies and her optional flings. i love the whole cast and how messy they are even if they suck shit the world they're in sucks shit so it's influenced them. except for yuri because he's a dick but that's the point i guess?
as a mystery... it's great. i love it. i like how starlight groups all your evidence together so that i don't have to do the heavy lifting and thinking. the final act with the trial was also a delight and i like how different characters can be convicted based on the evidence you have at the time (whether you start the trial prematurely or not) and how co-conspirators can drag each other down with them it's like watching dominoes topple. though unfortunately for all the free will love dies gets as detective and executioner (especially once the trial is over) it feels kind of empty. like the only consequences come if u mess with the based married couple and even then it's not much
but don't let this stop you from playing!! Please play this game im so normal about it
okay so the aesthetic of this game is out of this world. first of all. loved going through the world and collecting all the collectibles (there are a TON which is amazing for ME in specific i love collecting things) and doing funny parkour without taking fall damage. related to this the soundtrack is also a jam and a half especially the title theme
the word "diverse" has been tainted but there's something very nice about the varied backgrounds of the characters (especially witness who is iranian probably kurdish? i am not kurdish but i am iranian and he HAS AN IRANIAN ACCENT it makes me sooo happy) and the queerness of it wrt love dies and her optional flings. i love the whole cast and how messy they are even if they suck shit the world they're in sucks shit so it's influenced them. except for yuri because he's a dick but that's the point i guess?
as a mystery... it's great. i love it. i like how starlight groups all your evidence together so that i don't have to do the heavy lifting and thinking. the final act with the trial was also a delight and i like how different characters can be convicted based on the evidence you have at the time (whether you start the trial prematurely or not) and how co-conspirators can drag each other down with them it's like watching dominoes topple. though unfortunately for all the free will love dies gets as detective and executioner (especially once the trial is over) it feels kind of empty. like the only consequences come if u mess with the based married couple and even then it's not much
but don't let this stop you from playing!! Please play this game im so normal about it
This isn't really a detective game so much as it is a collectathon, IMO. Not a bad thing, but the direction was initially surprising so I figured I'd mention it. If you collect every pick-up in the game, the conclusion is pretty evident, and if you miss even one or two pieces, you'll likely come to a completely different conclusion. There's not much "deduction" to be done, as the game basically spells it out for you if you find everything. Again, not a good or bad thing IMO, just worth mentioning up front. If you're into soaking up atmosphere while listening to synthwave and exploring a hyper-colored paradise, you'll dig the game. If not, you definitely won't.
So I walked away entirely unsure of what the devs believe and I still am but to me it's one of the most damning condemnations of cops and punitive criminal justice systems ever made
8.5/10
A very fun murder mystery with a killer soundtrack. The setting is so bizarre and out there that I never got tired of learning more about the world and the NPCs. There isn't much to the gameplay, just a lot of exploration and some light first person platforming, which does get old after a while, but thankfully I was almost done with the game by the time that happened.
A very fun murder mystery with a killer soundtrack. The setting is so bizarre and out there that I never got tired of learning more about the world and the NPCs. There isn't much to the gameplay, just a lot of exploration and some light first person platforming, which does get old after a while, but thankfully I was almost done with the game by the time that happened.
I can't exactly convey why this game is so fucking good in a review, I need like 15 pages in a video essay.
saxophone solo
I really liked this game, but the grammatical errors absolutely ruin it for me. "Okay, you type your reviews like a menace" this is a published game. You should be able to use commas correctly. In this game, there are no (or very few) commas used with direct addresses. Instead of saying, "You should come to my house, LD." it's "You should come to my house LD." Incredibly pedantic, but it pisses me off so much because i actually liked all elements of this game. Im still rating it very positively- this game would not get higher than 4 stars for me even if this mistake was corrected- but seriously. I (obviously!! look at how this is typed!!) dont care what your grammar is like in your social media posts, just when it's a published work! With unintentional errors! It kills me!
Anyways, i loved the story, i loved figuring everything out, and i loved exploring! I played on switch and i would play on pc in the future because i think first person platforming is bad on switch and I didn't explore everything i wanted to because i am just a mouse and keyboard first person controls person at heart. but as a fan of weird ass mysteries, this really entertained me.
Anyways, i loved the story, i loved figuring everything out, and i loved exploring! I played on switch and i would play on pc in the future because i think first person platforming is bad on switch and I didn't explore everything i wanted to because i am just a mouse and keyboard first person controls person at heart. but as a fan of weird ass mysteries, this really entertained me.
The ending of this game feels lackluster.
The open-world, vaporwave soundtrack, lore and worldbuilding is top notch. Unraveling the mystery of the game feels amazing. I remember I was stuck on a clue, then discovered more about that clue and was shocked at how many answers I found.
Great game, the ending just felt empty.
The open-world, vaporwave soundtrack, lore and worldbuilding is top notch. Unraveling the mystery of the game feels amazing. I remember I was stuck on a clue, then discovered more about that clue and was shocked at how many answers I found.
Great game, the ending just felt empty.
Um dos melhores jogos de investigação/mistério que joguei a tempos, junto com sua pegada ''collectathon'', ele propõe um mistério enorme junto com um dos universos mais densos que já vi (Ok, as vezes parece que eles só tacam coisa pra encher linguiça, mas ainda) com personagens que te prendem, enganam e fingem de tudo. Seu estilo de arte sendo bem único no modo que é utilizado, juntando com a OST incrível que tem, o que mais peca pra mim talvez seja a gameplay. Ok, é um jogo de mistério e eles focaram totalmente nisso, e o resultado foi super positivo, mas ainda, se você coloca que a mecânica pra achar as coisas é num first person, tenta adicionar uma coisinha ou outra. De qualquer forma, SUPER recomendado, principalmente pra quem quer começar num mundinho meio Visual Novel, esse jogo te deixa querendo mais coisa nessa vibe, 100%
The collectathon stuff slightly overstays its welcome but everything else about this game was great - the vaporwave x lovecraftian visual style, the insane immortal cult setting, the unravelling of an actually good murder mystery, the perfectly pleasant seeming characters almost making you forget the horror of their human farming, the banging music. Good shit
Couple minor gripes - fast travelling should've just been free (bet most players end up not using it until the end of their playthroughs like I did) and meditation could've lasted longer, gets annoying to refresh
Couple minor gripes - fast travelling should've just been free (bet most players end up not using it until the end of their playthroughs like I did) and meditation could've lasted longer, gets annoying to refresh
100% completion
Paradise Killer is part visual novel murder mystery, part first person platformer, and part collectathon. The vaporwave aesthetic is well-earned by the game's critical tension with the titular paradise. That tension permeates the entire narrative, as characters both luxuriate and suffer in their self-imposed immortality.
The mystery is enjoyable to uncover, with lots of dramatic moments if the player chooses to chase down every line of inquiry. The characters are memorable and nuanced, with complicated overlapping motives and skillsets. Unlike similar titles, there isn't a specific hard truth to uncover; rather, the player can present evidence that they feel is more incriminating in order to weave a compelling narrative of the crimes. This did make the ending slightly unsatisfying, as all the crimes have multiple plausible culprits.
I also found island navigation to be a bit irritating at times. The map is useless, and the overall design is a bit mazelike. That said, it is a small enough space that this issue fades into the background as you progress. First person platforming certainly adds a retro vibe, but this implementation is not a significant improvement over its very dated predecessors. With all the upgrades unlocked I did end up enjoying jumping around the island, but there were quite a few moments of frustration mixed in there as well.
Overall the imaginative world, consistent vibe, and exemplary writing made this a unique and compelling experience. I can forgive a few shortcomings when they come from a place of artistic experimentation, and the result is a game with a tremendous amount of heart and personality.
Paradise Killer is part visual novel murder mystery, part first person platformer, and part collectathon. The vaporwave aesthetic is well-earned by the game's critical tension with the titular paradise. That tension permeates the entire narrative, as characters both luxuriate and suffer in their self-imposed immortality.
The mystery is enjoyable to uncover, with lots of dramatic moments if the player chooses to chase down every line of inquiry. The characters are memorable and nuanced, with complicated overlapping motives and skillsets. Unlike similar titles, there isn't a specific hard truth to uncover; rather, the player can present evidence that they feel is more incriminating in order to weave a compelling narrative of the crimes. This did make the ending slightly unsatisfying, as all the crimes have multiple plausible culprits.
I also found island navigation to be a bit irritating at times. The map is useless, and the overall design is a bit mazelike. That said, it is a small enough space that this issue fades into the background as you progress. First person platforming certainly adds a retro vibe, but this implementation is not a significant improvement over its very dated predecessors. With all the upgrades unlocked I did end up enjoying jumping around the island, but there were quite a few moments of frustration mixed in there as well.
Overall the imaginative world, consistent vibe, and exemplary writing made this a unique and compelling experience. I can forgive a few shortcomings when they come from a place of artistic experimentation, and the result is a game with a tremendous amount of heart and personality.
i really loves this in a kind of indescribable way.
slow to start but became infinitely more playable with each unlock, further cementing my belief that movement in every video game is too slow by default.
i dont have time to meander i have to go to work
slow to start but became infinitely more playable with each unlock, further cementing my belief that movement in every video game is too slow by default.
i dont have time to meander i have to go to work
One of the most unique mystery games I have ever played. The vibes and worldbuilding are so incredibly distinctive and full of character, and the freedom you are given by roaming around this open world and tackling things in whatever order interests you has never really been done before to this degree. The mystery itself is quite engaging as well, always keeps you on your toes with new reveals and twists that make you question what you thought you understood about this case, and sometimes even what you understand about this world. If you know you enjoy mystery you owe it to yourself to play this game.
Remember way way back, before Persona 5 and Dark Souls, when Atlus and From Software were making weird niche games that rarely left Japan and sold only like 10,000 copies? Because Paradise Killer will bring all those memories rushing back. It's a zany, colorful blast from the past that would feel right at home on Dreamcast.
Although it's often compared to Phoenix Wright, Paradise Killer has more in common with collectathon platformers. You spend most of your time running around Island 24, gathering clues, collecting blood vials, and interrogating suspects. It's a true open-world game -- there are only a few progress-blocking gates, and most of them can be worked around in multiple ways. You can also end the game at any point. Once you feel you've collected enough evidence, you can return to the judge and start the trial.
Being an open-world game, Paradise Killer exhibits the same pros and cons that are common in the genre. Early on, when the world was still full of collectibles, I had a lot of fun running around, jumping up mountains, and chatting with random characters. But as I neared the end and there were only a few unresolved mysteries and uncollected items left, my patience began to wane as I aimlessly ran around the map in search of the missing piece. Ultimately I was able to find everything without resorting to checking a guide, but not before feeling a twinge of boredom.
Naturally, the game's open-world nature impacts not only the gameplay, but the narrative as well. In my case, I stumbled upon a very big piece of evidence right at the end of the game -- it was literally the last thing I found before taking my case to trial. Because my playthrough unfolded the way it did, this revelation led to a serious sense of deus ex machina. It was like the final piece clicking into place and it felt all too convenient. If I'd found it earlier and had been given time to mentally fit it into my investigative puzzle, perhaps it wouldn't have felt like such an abrupt contrivance. I suppose that's just the nature of open-world games. Everyone's experience will be a bit different, for better or worse.
The final trial is also relatively straightforward. If you're expecting the twists and turns of an Ace Attorney game, you'll be disappointed. Despite that, however, the character are well written and the story that's here is enjoyable enough.
Finally, I must note that the soundtrack is an absolute banger. If anything, I think it's underutilized -- the songs are played as background music when they really deserve more time in the spotlight.
Anyhow, that's Paradise Killer in a nutshell. Come for the platforming and vaporwave vibes, stay for the characters. I'll see you in Perfect 25.
Although it's often compared to Phoenix Wright, Paradise Killer has more in common with collectathon platformers. You spend most of your time running around Island 24, gathering clues, collecting blood vials, and interrogating suspects. It's a true open-world game -- there are only a few progress-blocking gates, and most of them can be worked around in multiple ways. You can also end the game at any point. Once you feel you've collected enough evidence, you can return to the judge and start the trial.
Being an open-world game, Paradise Killer exhibits the same pros and cons that are common in the genre. Early on, when the world was still full of collectibles, I had a lot of fun running around, jumping up mountains, and chatting with random characters. But as I neared the end and there were only a few unresolved mysteries and uncollected items left, my patience began to wane as I aimlessly ran around the map in search of the missing piece. Ultimately I was able to find everything without resorting to checking a guide, but not before feeling a twinge of boredom.
Naturally, the game's open-world nature impacts not only the gameplay, but the narrative as well. In my case, I stumbled upon a very big piece of evidence right at the end of the game -- it was literally the last thing I found before taking my case to trial. Because my playthrough unfolded the way it did, this revelation led to a serious sense of deus ex machina. It was like the final piece clicking into place and it felt all too convenient. If I'd found it earlier and had been given time to mentally fit it into my investigative puzzle, perhaps it wouldn't have felt like such an abrupt contrivance. I suppose that's just the nature of open-world games. Everyone's experience will be a bit different, for better or worse.
The final trial is also relatively straightforward. If you're expecting the twists and turns of an Ace Attorney game, you'll be disappointed. Despite that, however, the character are well written and the story that's here is enjoyable enough.
Finally, I must note that the soundtrack is an absolute banger. If anything, I think it's underutilized -- the songs are played as background music when they really deserve more time in the spotlight.
Anyhow, that's Paradise Killer in a nutshell. Come for the platforming and vaporwave vibes, stay for the characters. I'll see you in Perfect 25.
It's a real shame to say but I think this game is too well made for me to enjoy it properly 😔
That may sound off, but my score is personal to my experience and my enjoyment, which unfortunately both grew more strained the longer I played for. To be clear off the bat, this game being a fully explorable map was not something I expected at all, especially not anything so big and complete, it's wild really. That aside though, the investigating areas and interrogating characters is exactly what I wanted, and there's a lot of that which was perfect... Until there was a little too much of it.
It feels strange to say, but without spoiling anything there is so, so much more to this mystery than it first appears. I was 9 hours in and suddenly meeting new characters for the first time uncovering huge new parts of the story that I hadn't even considered to that point. To preface, this is largely because of how *I* played, and I'm sure most people would've found this much earlier than I did, but therein lies most of where this game feel short for me to be honest.
Paradise Killer is so unbelievably open that you're quite literally just sent out onto the island. The nature of investigating means you're constantly finding new clues, hearing testimonies from people and then checking out their stories to see if they hold up. Which in a single game mechanic, translates to backtracking. You will speak to the same people so many times throughout the game that just travelling across the map to get to them becomes a chore. You'll retrace the same paths so many times it may take you 9 hours to realise that there's a whole other area you've never been to because you were planning on exploring it after you'd expended all the clues to be found in this location first 😅
To further this issue, at least for someone as directionally challenged as myself, the map simply isn't very helpful. Some locations require specific routes to be reached and even by the end of the game there were places I'd been to a dozen times and could still only access by climbing up somewhere nearby and jumping down to it from above. And to make this problem sting just that bit more, the fast travel system costs in-game currency (crystals you find around the map) to both unlock each travel station and then costs again every single time you use it. So lazily skipping to that one guy who's miles away from everyone else and then doing it again to come back costs 2 crystals. Which are also used for other things on the island, and are in finite supply, so by the end i'd run out and was forced to run the entire length of the island multiple times bouncing between suspects and key locations 😭
Anyway I've rambled more than I wanted to already, I don't mean to knock this game per se but a couple of frustrating design choices paired with too much freedom for my personal liking made for an almost too realistic Investigative experience. I'm a big fan of a lot of what the game has and does, but the case files grew too great for me to keep up with and constantly running back and forth and getting lost just made it feel like a chore to get through by the end, sadly.
If the idea of investigating this way appeals to you by all means please go play and love it, just know in advance that you have total agency over the order you do things which can very easily bite you when you decide to speak to A before B only to learn that B gives you a new question for A :p
Didn't expect this to be my next review but just wanted to share those thoughts I s'pose. Two things I can't criticise at all for this game are the art style and the music, my god is the island a vibe to be on when you first start😌
That'll do it, thanks for reading y'all. I'm working through Elden Ring at the minute (it's great, I suck! :D) so my next completions will likely be smaller games I've picked up on steam recently. Getting pretty eager for Apollo Justice though so anticipate a potential review for that maybe.
Take it easy🙏
Some quick micro-reviews for anyone interested in stuff I haven't talked about--
- FF13 was fantastic, really loved the setting, story and characters. Combat was fun but the level design could've been more interesting.
- Knowledge or Know Lady was dumb as hell, had a lot of fun with that.
- Max Payne 3 is unquestionably a Rockstar game pretending to be Max Payne but the gunplay is unreal so its hard to care. Also I started listening to Health so that's neat.
- The World Ends With You was great too, really enjoyed the narrative and characters in that, looking forward to trying NEO and hopeful that the controls will be less awkward.
That may sound off, but my score is personal to my experience and my enjoyment, which unfortunately both grew more strained the longer I played for. To be clear off the bat, this game being a fully explorable map was not something I expected at all, especially not anything so big and complete, it's wild really. That aside though, the investigating areas and interrogating characters is exactly what I wanted, and there's a lot of that which was perfect... Until there was a little too much of it.
It feels strange to say, but without spoiling anything there is so, so much more to this mystery than it first appears. I was 9 hours in and suddenly meeting new characters for the first time uncovering huge new parts of the story that I hadn't even considered to that point. To preface, this is largely because of how *I* played, and I'm sure most people would've found this much earlier than I did, but therein lies most of where this game feel short for me to be honest.
Paradise Killer is so unbelievably open that you're quite literally just sent out onto the island. The nature of investigating means you're constantly finding new clues, hearing testimonies from people and then checking out their stories to see if they hold up. Which in a single game mechanic, translates to backtracking. You will speak to the same people so many times throughout the game that just travelling across the map to get to them becomes a chore. You'll retrace the same paths so many times it may take you 9 hours to realise that there's a whole other area you've never been to because you were planning on exploring it after you'd expended all the clues to be found in this location first 😅
To further this issue, at least for someone as directionally challenged as myself, the map simply isn't very helpful. Some locations require specific routes to be reached and even by the end of the game there were places I'd been to a dozen times and could still only access by climbing up somewhere nearby and jumping down to it from above. And to make this problem sting just that bit more, the fast travel system costs in-game currency (crystals you find around the map) to both unlock each travel station and then costs again every single time you use it. So lazily skipping to that one guy who's miles away from everyone else and then doing it again to come back costs 2 crystals. Which are also used for other things on the island, and are in finite supply, so by the end i'd run out and was forced to run the entire length of the island multiple times bouncing between suspects and key locations 😭
Anyway I've rambled more than I wanted to already, I don't mean to knock this game per se but a couple of frustrating design choices paired with too much freedom for my personal liking made for an almost too realistic Investigative experience. I'm a big fan of a lot of what the game has and does, but the case files grew too great for me to keep up with and constantly running back and forth and getting lost just made it feel like a chore to get through by the end, sadly.
If the idea of investigating this way appeals to you by all means please go play and love it, just know in advance that you have total agency over the order you do things which can very easily bite you when you decide to speak to A before B only to learn that B gives you a new question for A :p
Didn't expect this to be my next review but just wanted to share those thoughts I s'pose. Two things I can't criticise at all for this game are the art style and the music, my god is the island a vibe to be on when you first start😌
That'll do it, thanks for reading y'all. I'm working through Elden Ring at the minute (it's great, I suck! :D) so my next completions will likely be smaller games I've picked up on steam recently. Getting pretty eager for Apollo Justice though so anticipate a potential review for that maybe.
Take it easy🙏
Some quick micro-reviews for anyone interested in stuff I haven't talked about--
- FF13 was fantastic, really loved the setting, story and characters. Combat was fun but the level design could've been more interesting.
- Knowledge or Know Lady was dumb as hell, had a lot of fun with that.
- Max Payne 3 is unquestionably a Rockstar game pretending to be Max Payne but the gunplay is unreal so its hard to care. Also I started listening to Health so that's neat.
- The World Ends With You was great too, really enjoyed the narrative and characters in that, looking forward to trying NEO and hopeful that the controls will be less awkward.
Paradise Killer equally values exploration and style with a liberal dose of visual novel seasoning, and while I must acknowledge the Playstation Plus fog lingering over my takeaway that does little to devalue how I powered through this game in two pretty visceral, almost astonishing pair of seven hour sessions.
I'll grant that as I got into the back third of the game that the city's labyrinthian construction became extremely annoying, and the mystery isn't actually all that mysterious. After my first marathon, I felt confident enough to approach the judge with my accusations only to realize I had very little evidence to present.
That could've felt discouraging, but instead it was exactly the push I needed to keep digging into Paradise 24's secrets. And I was truly surprised by many of the later revelations Lady Love Dies' detective work offered, and even if I was only confirming my early suspicions I really enjoyed the process of finding out exactly why some character made a choice, let alone their role in the broader mystery.
Better yet, the trial made me aware that I'd forced the hands of some characters to solidify my hypotheses, that there were several more clues to find and mysteries to solve, and that while I may have satisfied the demands of the court I may not have fully solved the mystery of Paradise 24.
As I began uncovering lie after lie, it was undeniable that not only did the Blood Crystal economy feel mightily restrictive (though I'm sure more than enough of them exist for the obsessive collectors) but the city itself was quite a burden to navigate even with all the movement upgrades. It got less and less fun making my way towards the character I wanted to talk to the closer I got to the end...but the thinker in me also began to interpret that impatience as an extension of the gameplay. In those moments, I started finding the time it took to get from one suspect to another a representation of both my and Lady Love Dies' frustration with the increasingly desperate lies of her former friends who'd become my new adversaries.
I'd like to think I nailed the trial. It sure seemed to feel like it. But I also know that there are mysteries I didn't solve, environmental puzzles and narrative links left dangling. Perhaps I was allowed to accuse one person of too many crimes, and finishing one or two of those Resident Evil-esque puzzles may have been the key.
I suppose for now I'll just have to feel okay with what I chose. But I wouldn't surprise myself if I came back to this when I'm looking for something to play and tried to uncover the mysteries I presented to the Judge as tangential.
At the very least, it'd be nice to wander around this place listening to its dope ass, mysteriously joyful soundtrack in search of the various Sinji interactions I missed. Because at the very least, the truly curious player just has to know if the reward for finding all of his instances is the removal of the hilarious emoji obscuring his banger.
I'll grant that as I got into the back third of the game that the city's labyrinthian construction became extremely annoying, and the mystery isn't actually all that mysterious. After my first marathon, I felt confident enough to approach the judge with my accusations only to realize I had very little evidence to present.
That could've felt discouraging, but instead it was exactly the push I needed to keep digging into Paradise 24's secrets. And I was truly surprised by many of the later revelations Lady Love Dies' detective work offered, and even if I was only confirming my early suspicions I really enjoyed the process of finding out exactly why some character made a choice, let alone their role in the broader mystery.
Better yet, the trial made me aware that I'd forced the hands of some characters to solidify my hypotheses, that there were several more clues to find and mysteries to solve, and that while I may have satisfied the demands of the court I may not have fully solved the mystery of Paradise 24.
As I began uncovering lie after lie, it was undeniable that not only did the Blood Crystal economy feel mightily restrictive (though I'm sure more than enough of them exist for the obsessive collectors) but the city itself was quite a burden to navigate even with all the movement upgrades. It got less and less fun making my way towards the character I wanted to talk to the closer I got to the end...but the thinker in me also began to interpret that impatience as an extension of the gameplay. In those moments, I started finding the time it took to get from one suspect to another a representation of both my and Lady Love Dies' frustration with the increasingly desperate lies of her former friends who'd become my new adversaries.
I'd like to think I nailed the trial. It sure seemed to feel like it. But I also know that there are mysteries I didn't solve, environmental puzzles and narrative links left dangling. Perhaps I was allowed to accuse one person of too many crimes, and finishing one or two of those Resident Evil-esque puzzles may have been the key.
I suppose for now I'll just have to feel okay with what I chose. But I wouldn't surprise myself if I came back to this when I'm looking for something to play and tried to uncover the mysteries I presented to the Judge as tangential.
At the very least, it'd be nice to wander around this place listening to its dope ass, mysteriously joyful soundtrack in search of the various Sinji interactions I missed. Because at the very least, the truly curious player just has to know if the reward for finding all of his instances is the removal of the hilarious emoji obscuring his banger.
All praise the New Weird. The New Weird will never die but when it does I will track down its killer and catalog the crime on my Nightmare Computer.
For a solid week, this game is the only thing I could think about. It infected my dreams. Along the way, it had me tossing and turning over not just its mystery plot but thoughts about dead malls and beach vacations, economic inequality and clique-ridden virtual communities.
Also, there’s some jumping puzzles. You don’t have to do the jumping puzzles. (I did all of the jumping puzzles.)
Just an amazingly strange and singular game. Easily one of my favorites of the past few years. Possibly one of my favorites ever. I’ll have to think about it a bit more. Not just because I want to; I have to.
For a solid week, this game is the only thing I could think about. It infected my dreams. Along the way, it had me tossing and turning over not just its mystery plot but thoughts about dead malls and beach vacations, economic inequality and clique-ridden virtual communities.
Also, there’s some jumping puzzles. You don’t have to do the jumping puzzles. (I did all of the jumping puzzles.)
Just an amazingly strange and singular game. Easily one of my favorites of the past few years. Possibly one of my favorites ever. I’ll have to think about it a bit more. Not just because I want to; I have to.
Paradise Killer's hook may be a little difficult to grasp without having played it- It's a murder mystery story, obviously, and a great one too, but it's more than that.
The real selling point of Paradise Killer is the "open world" part. It's not just a linear quest that just lets you meander as much as you want, it makes complete and perfect use of its open-endedness to be something that very few games before have done: To put it bluntly, Paradise Killer is the rare detective game that actually makes you feel like you're a detective, rather than just some guy being led through a linear, scripted "investigation" that you have no input on. Paradise Killer actually lets you tackle any of the many threads of clues in any way- you can focus on any given one before the others or even ignore some completely, the choice is yours and it feels real.
This ties extremely well into the story- like the investigation itself, it's up to the player to deepen their understanding of the lore of Paradise Killer's world. Almost everything in the game is optional, collectibles, character plotlines, even the investigation: you're allowed to start the trial early and try to manipulate it in any way you desire, even to purposefully accuse innocent characters to save your favorite ones.
Almost every other aspect of Paradise Killer is stellar- the characters are all immediately interesting and all have their own hidden complexities, the music is amazing and the atmosphere is incredibly memorable- just existing in the world of PK is a treat. It's such a beautifully executed game, and I'm eagerly looking forward to whatever comes next.
The real selling point of Paradise Killer is the "open world" part. It's not just a linear quest that just lets you meander as much as you want, it makes complete and perfect use of its open-endedness to be something that very few games before have done: To put it bluntly, Paradise Killer is the rare detective game that actually makes you feel like you're a detective, rather than just some guy being led through a linear, scripted "investigation" that you have no input on. Paradise Killer actually lets you tackle any of the many threads of clues in any way- you can focus on any given one before the others or even ignore some completely, the choice is yours and it feels real.
This ties extremely well into the story- like the investigation itself, it's up to the player to deepen their understanding of the lore of Paradise Killer's world. Almost everything in the game is optional, collectibles, character plotlines, even the investigation: you're allowed to start the trial early and try to manipulate it in any way you desire, even to purposefully accuse innocent characters to save your favorite ones.
Almost every other aspect of Paradise Killer is stellar- the characters are all immediately interesting and all have their own hidden complexities, the music is amazing and the atmosphere is incredibly memorable- just existing in the world of PK is a treat. It's such a beautifully executed game, and I'm eagerly looking forward to whatever comes next.
This game is great in so many ways but it's very disappointing there isn't really a proper epilogue.
This is a very unique game that's somewhat a mix of Ace Attorney's investigation part (the trials not so much) and a walking simulator instead of point and clicking on a fixed screen. PK is set in an extremely alien world that is very confusing at first but very interesting to discover about. The game's lore is fairly extensive and there is quite an amount of info to discover, both on characters and the universe.
Despite its simplicity, the game's map is quite beautiful and interesting. There's a charm to all of the vaporwave visuals, the music, the empty town you're free to explore with no one to stop you. It might sound like a cheap walking simulator but the game did manage to stay fun to explore. You really have fun climbing all over the place, looking for random loot or shortcuts, discovering new things in town. However I also think that part of the game is the weakest. First, the game becomes too reliant on an ability to see where points of interest are, because without it you're never going to 100% the game. I think the only thing you can do about this is to remove the ability and any sort of counter to not induce FOMO in players. Second, a lot of the things you find, more than half, is useless. Most of it is just the in-game currency, so that's okay but it still doesn't really feel rewarding because this is the sort of game where you want info, lore, stories, not money and collectibles. As for the collectibles, they really just give you a random message that has nothing to do with the game, like a description of a soda can's flavour. I found that very boring and disappointing, as few are the items to actually extend lore. Think of Fromsoftware's games, where every item has a little story instead of a cheap nothing description.
The characters and story of the game were very interesting. Slowly exploring the mystery builds up into big discoveries and greatly extend the plot. I think the trials at the end could have been a bit more (like giving final lines to people you execute and making it harder to come to the true conclusion, the game basically serves you the solution even though you can figure it out by thinking) but it's alright, it wasn't bad.
Despite its simplicity, the game's map is quite beautiful and interesting. There's a charm to all of the vaporwave visuals, the music, the empty town you're free to explore with no one to stop you. It might sound like a cheap walking simulator but the game did manage to stay fun to explore. You really have fun climbing all over the place, looking for random loot or shortcuts, discovering new things in town. However I also think that part of the game is the weakest. First, the game becomes too reliant on an ability to see where points of interest are, because without it you're never going to 100% the game. I think the only thing you can do about this is to remove the ability and any sort of counter to not induce FOMO in players. Second, a lot of the things you find, more than half, is useless. Most of it is just the in-game currency, so that's okay but it still doesn't really feel rewarding because this is the sort of game where you want info, lore, stories, not money and collectibles. As for the collectibles, they really just give you a random message that has nothing to do with the game, like a description of a soda can's flavour. I found that very boring and disappointing, as few are the items to actually extend lore. Think of Fromsoftware's games, where every item has a little story instead of a cheap nothing description.
The characters and story of the game were very interesting. Slowly exploring the mystery builds up into big discoveries and greatly extend the plot. I think the trials at the end could have been a bit more (like giving final lines to people you execute and making it harder to come to the true conclusion, the game basically serves you the solution even though you can figure it out by thinking) but it's alright, it wasn't bad.
Paradise Killer is weird as hell, but it's absolutely my kind of weird. I'm a big sucker for worldbuilding and unusual settings, and Paradise Killer sure does deliver that in droves. The world seems to be entirely built around juxtaposition; high-energy disco and jazz music imposed against the ghoulishly empty streets, the fantastical sculptures and temples cast against the grimey tower blocks in the town below, and of course the bright and cheery facade of the island in general cast against its horrific purpose and history. And this isn't a case of 'seemingly nice world with a sinister undercurrent'; the world of Paradise Killer is cheery, idyllic, suave, mysterious, horrific and terrifying all at once, and this is all quite apparent from the get go. It's such an interesting way to present a Lovecraftian/cosmic horror-type setting like this; I've never seen anything quite like it, and I loved every second of it.
Of course you need a game to go with the setting, and it felt like Paradise Killer's gameplay revolved around two fairly disconnected cores. There is a kind of collectathon nature to the game, where you're encouraged to scour the island, complete puzzles and platforming challenges to find various things. Sometimes these things are important clues which tie into the other half of the game, but more often than you're just finding money or snippets of lore. And I'm not sure this really adds too much? The platforming is often very janky, and sometimes things are hidden out of the way at the ends of areas with nothing else to see, and so this aspect of the game can come across as a little time-wasting (especially as the island is fascinating enough that I found exploring it to be its own reward). I do think on the whole I was grateful for the collectathon elements as a change of pace in between more intense investigative parts of the game, but it's definitely not where PK shines brightest.
The investigation side of PK, on the other hand, absolutely gripped me; I legit lost a fair few hours of sleep trying to piece together pictures of what might have happened from the snippets of clues I had at the time. The characters you spend much of the game interviewing are all fantastic with excellently written dialogue, and it is absolutely fascinating trying to piece together their motives and backstories. By the end of the investigation I still feel there were one or two things that didn't really fit into place anywhere, which was a little frustrating, but aside from that I think this is probably one of the best-written video game mysteries out there.
The other part of this project that has clearly had tonnes of love and care poured into it is the presentation. Paradise Killer is incredibly stylized, especially in it's UI and in little flares like character's VA's constantly blurting out catchphrases mid-conversation. I mostly like these touches, they help to make the game feel even more standout and unique than it already is, but it does lead to the game being a very full-on and generally loud experience that isn't easy to play for too long at a time. And of course I have to mention the music, which is fantastic and somehow fits the setting absolutely perfectly (I wouldn't even be surprised if the music came first and the game was designed around it). But there are a couple of presentation choices that I didn't get along with. Most of the VA is... pretty bad, to be honest, but this almost feels like a deliberate choice? I quite liked the weird things all the characters would constantly yell mid-conversation, but it feels like most of the VAs weren't really given much direction and the performances come off pretty weak. I also kinda hate the way characters are presented in the world. Every NPC in Paradise Killer is a static jpeg that is either locked in place or slowly rotates to try and face you at all times. None of the characters have any presence or 'pop' at all, and it just looks kinda bad... nothing breaks immersion like walking past a taxi driver too fast and seeing her collapse into an infinitesimal one-dimensional being, or walking straight past a suspect because he was standing flush against a wall and your brain just assumed he was part of a wall texture. I get that 3D models are a whole other thing and would look out of place in this world, but I would have preferred PK to do something like Doom where the jpegs are locked to always face you exactly. In fact, as a proof of concept, Paradise Killer does exactly this with the various inanimate collectibles in the game, and they all stand out from the world just fine.
So yeah, little things like the character models, outdated-looking textures and some stiff platforming controls do give Paradise Killer an unmistakable air of jank (topped off with its lack of autosave, which seems a bizarre choice to make in 2020). But if some corners did have to be cut to make this then it was absolutely worth it, because that time that was saved was clearly redirected into making this game as special, well-written and memorable as possible. It's a great experience, with a great mystery to solve and a highly satisfying ending, and this is one I can thoroughly recommend.
Of course you need a game to go with the setting, and it felt like Paradise Killer's gameplay revolved around two fairly disconnected cores. There is a kind of collectathon nature to the game, where you're encouraged to scour the island, complete puzzles and platforming challenges to find various things. Sometimes these things are important clues which tie into the other half of the game, but more often than you're just finding money or snippets of lore. And I'm not sure this really adds too much? The platforming is often very janky, and sometimes things are hidden out of the way at the ends of areas with nothing else to see, and so this aspect of the game can come across as a little time-wasting (especially as the island is fascinating enough that I found exploring it to be its own reward). I do think on the whole I was grateful for the collectathon elements as a change of pace in between more intense investigative parts of the game, but it's definitely not where PK shines brightest.
The investigation side of PK, on the other hand, absolutely gripped me; I legit lost a fair few hours of sleep trying to piece together pictures of what might have happened from the snippets of clues I had at the time. The characters you spend much of the game interviewing are all fantastic with excellently written dialogue, and it is absolutely fascinating trying to piece together their motives and backstories. By the end of the investigation I still feel there were one or two things that didn't really fit into place anywhere, which was a little frustrating, but aside from that I think this is probably one of the best-written video game mysteries out there.
The other part of this project that has clearly had tonnes of love and care poured into it is the presentation. Paradise Killer is incredibly stylized, especially in it's UI and in little flares like character's VA's constantly blurting out catchphrases mid-conversation. I mostly like these touches, they help to make the game feel even more standout and unique than it already is, but it does lead to the game being a very full-on and generally loud experience that isn't easy to play for too long at a time. And of course I have to mention the music, which is fantastic and somehow fits the setting absolutely perfectly (I wouldn't even be surprised if the music came first and the game was designed around it). But there are a couple of presentation choices that I didn't get along with. Most of the VA is... pretty bad, to be honest, but this almost feels like a deliberate choice? I quite liked the weird things all the characters would constantly yell mid-conversation, but it feels like most of the VAs weren't really given much direction and the performances come off pretty weak. I also kinda hate the way characters are presented in the world. Every NPC in Paradise Killer is a static jpeg that is either locked in place or slowly rotates to try and face you at all times. None of the characters have any presence or 'pop' at all, and it just looks kinda bad... nothing breaks immersion like walking past a taxi driver too fast and seeing her collapse into an infinitesimal one-dimensional being, or walking straight past a suspect because he was standing flush against a wall and your brain just assumed he was part of a wall texture. I get that 3D models are a whole other thing and would look out of place in this world, but I would have preferred PK to do something like Doom where the jpegs are locked to always face you exactly. In fact, as a proof of concept, Paradise Killer does exactly this with the various inanimate collectibles in the game, and they all stand out from the world just fine.
So yeah, little things like the character models, outdated-looking textures and some stiff platforming controls do give Paradise Killer an unmistakable air of jank (topped off with its lack of autosave, which seems a bizarre choice to make in 2020). But if some corners did have to be cut to make this then it was absolutely worth it, because that time that was saved was clearly redirected into making this game as special, well-written and memorable as possible. It's a great experience, with a great mystery to solve and a highly satisfying ending, and this is one I can thoroughly recommend.
'Paradise Killer' was one hell of a ride for me. The best thing I can say about it is that there's nothing like this game out there. It masterfully blends a lot of different gameplay elements and concepts and creates a very risky package that works surprisingly well.
First off, I must say I had a lot of fun exploring the island and it never felt bloated with nonsense content just for the sake of throwing content into it; every collectible feels like a reward for your time invested in its world and I really appreciate that design decission. The character movement, albeit a bit clunky sometimes, is very comfortable and once you've unlocked every upgrade it breathes a lot of verticality into the formula like few other open-world games do.
This matches surprisingly well with the main investigation topic of the game. Uncovering the island's secrets never gets old and there's always some new bit of information you can add to your court record if you take your time to properly talk to every character involved and explore every area thoroughly. This gives the progression of the game a certain degree of non-linearity (even with the plot being solid and closed) that differentiates Paradise Killer from other games such as the Phoenix Wright saga, where everything is much more linear and straight-forward. You really feel like an investigator following leads and uncovering buried secrets.
Story-wise, the themes used for PK's lore are a very unique choice. Mixing religion with cosmic horror while reimagining the western concept of Paradise and afterlife and tapping into some of the biggest modern alien conspiracies was definitely a very risky move, but the creators managed to pull it off somehow. The artistic and sound design choices are also on point and help a lot in that regard, as the Vice City-esque island filled with vaporwave music gives the world this distinctive flair of fabricated reality that boosts the game's thematic choices.
Paradise Killer is a game that rewards the invested player who really take their time to delve deep into it, and that's exactly how I would recommend playing: embracing it as the creators' did with their ideas. This was a very pleasant surprise and its weirdness can't be a better match for year 2020.
First off, I must say I had a lot of fun exploring the island and it never felt bloated with nonsense content just for the sake of throwing content into it; every collectible feels like a reward for your time invested in its world and I really appreciate that design decission. The character movement, albeit a bit clunky sometimes, is very comfortable and once you've unlocked every upgrade it breathes a lot of verticality into the formula like few other open-world games do.
This matches surprisingly well with the main investigation topic of the game. Uncovering the island's secrets never gets old and there's always some new bit of information you can add to your court record if you take your time to properly talk to every character involved and explore every area thoroughly. This gives the progression of the game a certain degree of non-linearity (even with the plot being solid and closed) that differentiates Paradise Killer from other games such as the Phoenix Wright saga, where everything is much more linear and straight-forward. You really feel like an investigator following leads and uncovering buried secrets.
Story-wise, the themes used for PK's lore are a very unique choice. Mixing religion with cosmic horror while reimagining the western concept of Paradise and afterlife and tapping into some of the biggest modern alien conspiracies was definitely a very risky move, but the creators managed to pull it off somehow. The artistic and sound design choices are also on point and help a lot in that regard, as the Vice City-esque island filled with vaporwave music gives the world this distinctive flair of fabricated reality that boosts the game's thematic choices.
Paradise Killer is a game that rewards the invested player who really take their time to delve deep into it, and that's exactly how I would recommend playing: embracing it as the creators' did with their ideas. This was a very pleasant surprise and its weirdness can't be a better match for year 2020.
This is one of those masterpieces that left a burning hole in my heart because I never wanted it to end. I finished Paradise Killer several months ago and I still can't stop thinking about it.
Truly an iconic, unique gem that has somehow never garnered the respect it deserves. Paradise Killer is fluid in terms of genre, it's execution unprecedented in how it doesn't rigidly fall into any single genre or category: It's not a visual novel, but is text-heavy as a murder mystery. The writing isn't anything spectacular, but the story has the perfect amount of complexity and depth at a comfortable pace. The game has platforming elements, but isn't your traditional platformer. It has a large open world for investigating, yet isn't an RPG, horror, or action/adventure game. Imo the best part is that there's zero combat. If there were combat it would ruin the game and detract too much from the exploration aspect. I could explore this gorgeous world for hours, and the music is banger after banger gold. Top tier atmosphere with vibes you could get lost in forever. The only cons are that the game was way too short. My run was 25 hrs and that me really stretching the game out as much as I could, exploring every last crevice and piece of lore. There is also, unfortunately, no replayability, though it has tempted me more than once.
Truly an iconic, unique gem that has somehow never garnered the respect it deserves. Paradise Killer is fluid in terms of genre, it's execution unprecedented in how it doesn't rigidly fall into any single genre or category: It's not a visual novel, but is text-heavy as a murder mystery. The writing isn't anything spectacular, but the story has the perfect amount of complexity and depth at a comfortable pace. The game has platforming elements, but isn't your traditional platformer. It has a large open world for investigating, yet isn't an RPG, horror, or action/adventure game. Imo the best part is that there's zero combat. If there were combat it would ruin the game and detract too much from the exploration aspect. I could explore this gorgeous world for hours, and the music is banger after banger gold. Top tier atmosphere with vibes you could get lost in forever. The only cons are that the game was way too short. My run was 25 hrs and that me really stretching the game out as much as I could, exploring every last crevice and piece of lore. There is also, unfortunately, no replayability, though it has tempted me more than once.
There must be some people out there trying to keep vaporwave alive, but this feels like a relic, even at only a couple years old. The subtractive colours, the city-pop inspired ost, the statues, the beach aesthetic, the general Japaneseness of the environments---it never added up to much outside of this game, and having to amble through large, vacant, and cumbersome to traverse environments of it didn't exactly endear me to the trend.
The gameplay influence seems to be drawing from the Tex Murphy and Ace Attorney, games that on top of being more original, insightful satires of their respective genres (film noir and courtroom drama), generally feature more engaging central mysteries as well. Paradise Killer has a couple of interesting qualities in that respect, though. Formulating the case around proving a scapegoat's innocence maintains intrigue without losing narrative focus, and the malleability of the trial sequence allows for multiple outcomes. While I don't like the aesthetic all that much, there's also something to navigating a mystery in a world where the physical and judicial laws feel alien. One must make sense of what the world is in and of itself before one can discern what violates it.
While I like the festive, sexualized character portraits, the dialogue and flavour text are largely verbose and overbaked. Visiting the many characters began to felt like busywork, and again, the sprawl of it all is tiring. And on that note, holy moly are there a lot of collectibles. They add very little to the game, and it's weird to have so many objects littered around haphazardly in proximity to clues that are of real importance.
What's interesting about to me about it feels like it's trying to hard, and the parts I don't care for feel like they're trying too little.
The gameplay influence seems to be drawing from the Tex Murphy and Ace Attorney, games that on top of being more original, insightful satires of their respective genres (film noir and courtroom drama), generally feature more engaging central mysteries as well. Paradise Killer has a couple of interesting qualities in that respect, though. Formulating the case around proving a scapegoat's innocence maintains intrigue without losing narrative focus, and the malleability of the trial sequence allows for multiple outcomes. While I don't like the aesthetic all that much, there's also something to navigating a mystery in a world where the physical and judicial laws feel alien. One must make sense of what the world is in and of itself before one can discern what violates it.
While I like the festive, sexualized character portraits, the dialogue and flavour text are largely verbose and overbaked. Visiting the many characters began to felt like busywork, and again, the sprawl of it all is tiring. And on that note, holy moly are there a lot of collectibles. They add very little to the game, and it's weird to have so many objects littered around haphazardly in proximity to clues that are of real importance.
What's interesting about to me about it feels like it's trying to hard, and the parts I don't care for feel like they're trying too little.
This review contains spoilers
This game has style. There's no one that could argue that fact, and with an interesting plot and deep world building, I thought I was in for a great ride. Well, yes and no. Some of the plot beats were really cool, (inside the pyramid, and dropping down "that" hole are great examples of woah moments) But once you figure out the plot, it really leaves you with a bittersweet feeling. Once meeting the cast, its pretty obvious who are explicitly the masterminds behind the coups, and who are going to be bit players in the "game of thrones" -esque approach to the end of the world. You play for another 8 or so hours after that where the game really hammers you over the head that the Characters who suck, really suck, and the cool characters, are actually totally cool.
The world building is vast, almost dauntingly so, and I'd be a liar if I told you I remember all the God's names and reasons for xyz.. because they don't matter towards the end. With all the world building this game has it truly disappoints in its shallowness of experiencing CHARACTER building. These characters are immortal, and have been alive for an unfathomably long time, however there's not much to note about any one of them. The Marshal loves her subordinates. and being alive for millennia that's her only fault? The couple who have been friends with the protagonist for eons are one note caricatures of the "role" they play in their society. A bartender and the "ferryman". Characters in this game that I believe have good character building are Acid and Witness, who subvert their own roles in society based on their past actions within this story told, and are more than they seem, even if it is more of what you expect.
The ending is very matter of fact, where I feel like you could argue for some characters innocence or at least a lesser punishment than death, there is none of that. You either avoid and half truth your way to saving characters you enjoy, or murder the whole lot of them (besides the doctor, unless I missed something the doctor is kind of just there)
Some Character's do almost nothing compared to others, and all punishment is death, and understandably in a trial for the murder of their entire upper government any guilt is guilt of the crime I could agree to that, except for the fact that the protagonist did something similar to this thousands of years ago and She was exiled. Now anyone that has completed this game compare the crimes of Love Dies and the Day breaks and tell me who the more "criminal" character is.
I went on for way too long, and honesty I had fun with this game. I was just disappointed with my own expectations of what the intro of the game lead me to think. That's my own fault.
(I was torn between giving this game a 6 or a 7, but considering I went out of my way to get the platinum I'll give it the 7)
The world building is vast, almost dauntingly so, and I'd be a liar if I told you I remember all the God's names and reasons for xyz.. because they don't matter towards the end. With all the world building this game has it truly disappoints in its shallowness of experiencing CHARACTER building. These characters are immortal, and have been alive for an unfathomably long time, however there's not much to note about any one of them. The Marshal loves her subordinates. and being alive for millennia that's her only fault? The couple who have been friends with the protagonist for eons are one note caricatures of the "role" they play in their society. A bartender and the "ferryman". Characters in this game that I believe have good character building are Acid and Witness, who subvert their own roles in society based on their past actions within this story told, and are more than they seem, even if it is more of what you expect.
The ending is very matter of fact, where I feel like you could argue for some characters innocence or at least a lesser punishment than death, there is none of that. You either avoid and half truth your way to saving characters you enjoy, or murder the whole lot of them (besides the doctor, unless I missed something the doctor is kind of just there)
Some Character's do almost nothing compared to others, and all punishment is death, and understandably in a trial for the murder of their entire upper government any guilt is guilt of the crime I could agree to that, except for the fact that the protagonist did something similar to this thousands of years ago and She was exiled. Now anyone that has completed this game compare the crimes of Love Dies and the Day breaks and tell me who the more "criminal" character is.
I went on for way too long, and honesty I had fun with this game. I was just disappointed with my own expectations of what the intro of the game lead me to think. That's my own fault.
(I was torn between giving this game a 6 or a 7, but considering I went out of my way to get the platinum I'll give it the 7)
Big aesthetic vibes, a complicated mystery, and a KILLER soundtrack
Awesome detective game, plays like a first person collectathon the only downside for me was the trial at the end, I hoped to see something closer to the trials in Ace Attorney, but if you did everything right before entering it had no surprises
🔔 UMA ANÁLISE VALE MAIS DO QUE MIL IMAGENS 🔔
Desenvolvido pela Kaizen Game Works, Paradise Killer é um jogo que junta elementos de exploração na primeira pessoa com um enredo misterioso e um formato visual novel. Ambos os aspetos são fundamentalmente interessantes mas o cerne da questão está na soma das suas partes, que nos traz um dos jogos mais estranhos no catálogo da Nintendo Switch. Com um mistério cativante por resolver e uma ilha tropical inteira por explorar, Paradise Killer consegue elevar a fasquia colocada por jogos como Danganronpa ou Ace Attorney.
O enredo segue Lady Love Dies, uma detetive previamente exilada, na tarefa de investigar homicídios cometidos na ilha tropical conhecida como Paradise Island. As infelizes vítimas fazem parte de uma entidade chamada The Syndicate, responsável pela criação do local paradisíaco em questão. Não referindo todo um leque de contextos, a história é inquestionavelmente estranha mas ao mesmo tempo, consegue ser sedutora com todos os seus mecanismos narrativos. Explorar mais elementos na análise seria estragar a surpresa, mas envolve muitos deuses e demónios; esta é sem dúvida uma demanda como nunca antes viram. O único senão de Paradise Killer é o seu conteúdo quase bíblico, muito massudo, com a quantidade absurda de sabedoria exigida e proveniente de todos os contextos (nomes estranhos de personagens, testemunhos complexos, entre outros).
A jogabilidade divide-se em dois pólos: exploração e investigação. A exploração, onde controlamos Lady Love Dies numa perspetiva de primeira pessoa, é um autêntico mundo aberto: é possível caminhar, correr e saltar até onde bem apetecer ao longo de cenários idílicos. Isto é incentivado, visto que há objetos por apanhar em algumas localidades. No entanto, e apesar de ser divertido, explorar a ilha deixa de ser uma novidade interessante após os primeiros atos. A velocidade-base de Lady Love Dies é muito lenta comparativamente ao espaço por explorar, mas para mitigar esse aspeto, Paradise Killer tem no mapa vários pontos de passagem rápida. Infelizmente e por razões que passam completamente ao lado, a utilização destes pontos exige uma moeda de troca, de nome Blood Crystals, a unidade monetária em Paradise Island. Sem estes cristais não existe outra hipótese senão caminhar lentamente até ao destino e os cristais não são propriamente o elemento mais abundante. Isto torna-se ainda mais feio quando somos obrigados a dar voltas à ilha para interrogar suspeitos.
A investigação destaca-se então como o ponto mais interessante da aventura. Na busca pela verdade do homicídio, Lady Love Dies e o seu muito útil portátil Starlight, interrogam os habitantes de Paradise Island. Todos eles têm um novelo narrativo por desvendar, o que contribui para o clímax do julgamento. É extremamente importante ter o máximo de informação possível pronta para este momento decisivo; quanto melhor Lady Love Dies conhecer os habitantes de Paradise Island, melhores serão as suas probabilidades de declarar alguém culpado. O que torna Paradise Killer cativante (até certo ponto) é a possibilidade de declarar alguém culpado desde que Lady Love Dies possua informação suficiente para avançar com o argumento. Isto pode resultar em acontecimentos inesperados, mas não deixa de proporcionar uma aventura mais aberta ao contrário dos limites tão sufocantes do género.
_______________ CONCLUSÃO ________________
Único dentro dos seus pares, Paradise Killer apresenta características não lineares na construção do enredo. No entanto, e mesmo com um leque de personagens únicas e uma história cativante, a exploração inclui alguns elementos medíocres e incompreensíveis. Ainda assim, resolver o mistério passo a passo é uma tarefa muito satisfatória que vai certamente agradar a muitos fãs deste tipo de jogos.
Pontos Positivos:
✅ Abordagem única dentro do género
✅ Mistério muito interessante
✅ Personagens caricatas
Pontos Negativos:
❌ Pontos de passagem rápida mal implementados
❌ Movimentação natural da personagem lenta
______________ FICHA TÉCNICA ______________
◻️ ➡️ "Paradise Killer – Análise"
◻️ 🙋♂️ Read more of my reviews by clicking here
◻️ 🗂️ Metacritic’s page here and OpenCritic’s here
◻️ ✍️ in European Portuguese
◻️ 📝 on 23/07/2020
____________________ FIM _____________________
Desenvolvido pela Kaizen Game Works, Paradise Killer é um jogo que junta elementos de exploração na primeira pessoa com um enredo misterioso e um formato visual novel. Ambos os aspetos são fundamentalmente interessantes mas o cerne da questão está na soma das suas partes, que nos traz um dos jogos mais estranhos no catálogo da Nintendo Switch. Com um mistério cativante por resolver e uma ilha tropical inteira por explorar, Paradise Killer consegue elevar a fasquia colocada por jogos como Danganronpa ou Ace Attorney.
O enredo segue Lady Love Dies, uma detetive previamente exilada, na tarefa de investigar homicídios cometidos na ilha tropical conhecida como Paradise Island. As infelizes vítimas fazem parte de uma entidade chamada The Syndicate, responsável pela criação do local paradisíaco em questão. Não referindo todo um leque de contextos, a história é inquestionavelmente estranha mas ao mesmo tempo, consegue ser sedutora com todos os seus mecanismos narrativos. Explorar mais elementos na análise seria estragar a surpresa, mas envolve muitos deuses e demónios; esta é sem dúvida uma demanda como nunca antes viram. O único senão de Paradise Killer é o seu conteúdo quase bíblico, muito massudo, com a quantidade absurda de sabedoria exigida e proveniente de todos os contextos (nomes estranhos de personagens, testemunhos complexos, entre outros).
A jogabilidade divide-se em dois pólos: exploração e investigação. A exploração, onde controlamos Lady Love Dies numa perspetiva de primeira pessoa, é um autêntico mundo aberto: é possível caminhar, correr e saltar até onde bem apetecer ao longo de cenários idílicos. Isto é incentivado, visto que há objetos por apanhar em algumas localidades. No entanto, e apesar de ser divertido, explorar a ilha deixa de ser uma novidade interessante após os primeiros atos. A velocidade-base de Lady Love Dies é muito lenta comparativamente ao espaço por explorar, mas para mitigar esse aspeto, Paradise Killer tem no mapa vários pontos de passagem rápida. Infelizmente e por razões que passam completamente ao lado, a utilização destes pontos exige uma moeda de troca, de nome Blood Crystals, a unidade monetária em Paradise Island. Sem estes cristais não existe outra hipótese senão caminhar lentamente até ao destino e os cristais não são propriamente o elemento mais abundante. Isto torna-se ainda mais feio quando somos obrigados a dar voltas à ilha para interrogar suspeitos.
A investigação destaca-se então como o ponto mais interessante da aventura. Na busca pela verdade do homicídio, Lady Love Dies e o seu muito útil portátil Starlight, interrogam os habitantes de Paradise Island. Todos eles têm um novelo narrativo por desvendar, o que contribui para o clímax do julgamento. É extremamente importante ter o máximo de informação possível pronta para este momento decisivo; quanto melhor Lady Love Dies conhecer os habitantes de Paradise Island, melhores serão as suas probabilidades de declarar alguém culpado. O que torna Paradise Killer cativante (até certo ponto) é a possibilidade de declarar alguém culpado desde que Lady Love Dies possua informação suficiente para avançar com o argumento. Isto pode resultar em acontecimentos inesperados, mas não deixa de proporcionar uma aventura mais aberta ao contrário dos limites tão sufocantes do género.
_______________ CONCLUSÃO ________________
Único dentro dos seus pares, Paradise Killer apresenta características não lineares na construção do enredo. No entanto, e mesmo com um leque de personagens únicas e uma história cativante, a exploração inclui alguns elementos medíocres e incompreensíveis. Ainda assim, resolver o mistério passo a passo é uma tarefa muito satisfatória que vai certamente agradar a muitos fãs deste tipo de jogos.
Pontos Positivos:
✅ Abordagem única dentro do género
✅ Mistério muito interessante
✅ Personagens caricatas
Pontos Negativos:
❌ Pontos de passagem rápida mal implementados
❌ Movimentação natural da personagem lenta
______________ FICHA TÉCNICA ______________
◻️ ➡️ "Paradise Killer – Análise"
◻️ 🙋♂️ Read more of my reviews by clicking here
◻️ 🗂️ Metacritic’s page here and OpenCritic’s here
◻️ ✍️ in European Portuguese
◻️ 📝 on 23/07/2020
____________________ FIM _____________________