Her Story is a non-chronological FMV murder mystery. It takes you on a journey to uncover the fate of a woman's missing husband, and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance (and consequential death.) The entire story is told in one setting, with one camera angle, by one actress.
While there are a lot of things that make Her Story stand out, what REALLY does it are the mechanics. You comb through a video database, using keywords to dig up new clips and decipher the story. There's really no other game out there that has attempted this type of thing - at least so successfully. So, if nothing else, you're certainly in for a few hours of interesting gameplay.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 3.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Story: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Overall game score: 4/5 [3.8/5]
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
The singular camera shot puts the main character, Hannah, at center stage. She sits at a table in an interrogation room, talking to unseen police officers. And... that's all there is to it.
The simplicity of this visual has its pros and cons, of course. The already-complicated story is easier to follow because of it. Plus, the devs don't ruin the game by trying to direct something beyond their skill level. But, on the flip side, a lot of neat ideas will always go unexplored when no risks are taken.
All of this footage resides within a police database, on a computer interface straight from the 90s. The setup is clean and easy to get a feel for; it's perfect for this type of experience.
Besides that, there's really not much to discuss here. Nothing particularly pops out about Her Story's visuals, beyond its FMV nature. There was an opportunity for some interesting exploration of an oft-neglected game genre, but I do understand that that's a much more difficult and time-consuming task. At least what IS here serves its purpose just fine.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Audio:
There is a nice, understated piano-heavy soundtrack that fills the gaps when you aren't watching a video clip. While you probably won't notice it while playing the game, it's actually quite beautiful music. The artist's name is Chris Zabriskie. (http://www.herstorygame.com/soundcredits/)
Viva Seifert, the sole actress, has a lovely voice. Her smooth, slightly low tone makes for a fantastic listening experience.
Overall, 4/5.
Story:
This is where Her Story becomes very divisive amongst its players.
I've seen many people criticize the plot - especially the big twist. It's understandable, because there are definitely points where the writing falls short. But it's still quite compelling at the end of the day. While this is certainly not the best out of all similarly tropey media, it's still entertaining. In fact, the drama and improbable nature are exactly what make it fun. I think that if you view Her Story as a soap opera turned into a single-setting game, you'll get more from the experience.
It's especially fun to go back and notice foreshadowing you may have initially missed, or discover small details as you unearth the game's truth in its haphazard order. [SPOILERS] Why does Hannah sometimes take coffee, but refuse it the next day? [SPOILER ENDING] Things like this draw your attention; it makes everything much less cut-and-dry than you might initially expect.
Another big part of Her Story landing so well is Viva's acting. I think she gives a fantastic, nuanced performance, marked by well-delivered lines and good usage of body language. The entire game would have fallen flat if its actress did her job poorly. Thankfully, she did not disappoint.
I quite like the ending too. Many screen simulators struggle to find an ending that gives actual closure. But Her Story did so beautifully. It wraps up things very neatly, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction.
Do all of the beats hit flawlessly? Most definitely not. The writing is far from perfect, and it can be a bit dull at times. But I believe it's all a lot better than people generally give it credit for. It's more than a clear-cut case of murder. It makes you guess, and gives you plenty of motivation to keep digging.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is Her Story's strongest suit by far. It's the staple. A few years down the line, this is what you'll remember.
Its database-scouring mechanics rely completely on your intellect and attention to detail. While it's easy to think of the first few searches - 'murder', 'Simon', 'killed' - you must hone in on words that seem increasingly random. But you'll quickly find that there's often more meaning behind them than you'd initially believe.
You follow these threads, going from one video to next, looking for dialogue that sticks out. This gameplay loop demands you hang onto every word spoken by the actress. It calls your attention to her mannerisms and word choice.
The only real downside to this mechanic is that it does become a bit repetitive. After all, it's very simple, and never evolves in any way. Thankfully, the game doesn't overstay its welcome. It ends at just the right time.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Worldbuilding:
Everything we know about the world outside of the dim interrogation room is relayed to us by Hannah. While the storytelling techniques are very interesting, there's a lot to be desired in terms of worldbuilding - a single setting and very small cast of characters do not leave room for much depth. We get little alternative perspective, though there is some interesting stuff near the chronological ending.
That being said, Hannah's backstory is fascinating on its own. The small snippets of her life, the consistent details, the connections you make... it all adds to a history that will leave you speculating. The fairy tales. The coffee. The Wind and the Rain.
I just wish we'd gotten to see, or know, more.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Overall game score: 4/5. While I may not recall much else from it in a few years, I will always remember how Her Story relays its narrative. The unique, fun mechanics mixed with the FMV style make it a landmark in the indie community. I have to respect that, even if it falls short at times.
While there are a lot of things that make Her Story stand out, what REALLY does it are the mechanics. You comb through a video database, using keywords to dig up new clips and decipher the story. There's really no other game out there that has attempted this type of thing - at least so successfully. So, if nothing else, you're certainly in for a few hours of interesting gameplay.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 3.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Story: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Overall game score: 4/5 [3.8/5]
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
The singular camera shot puts the main character, Hannah, at center stage. She sits at a table in an interrogation room, talking to unseen police officers. And... that's all there is to it.
The simplicity of this visual has its pros and cons, of course. The already-complicated story is easier to follow because of it. Plus, the devs don't ruin the game by trying to direct something beyond their skill level. But, on the flip side, a lot of neat ideas will always go unexplored when no risks are taken.
All of this footage resides within a police database, on a computer interface straight from the 90s. The setup is clean and easy to get a feel for; it's perfect for this type of experience.
Besides that, there's really not much to discuss here. Nothing particularly pops out about Her Story's visuals, beyond its FMV nature. There was an opportunity for some interesting exploration of an oft-neglected game genre, but I do understand that that's a much more difficult and time-consuming task. At least what IS here serves its purpose just fine.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Audio:
There is a nice, understated piano-heavy soundtrack that fills the gaps when you aren't watching a video clip. While you probably won't notice it while playing the game, it's actually quite beautiful music. The artist's name is Chris Zabriskie. (http://www.herstorygame.com/soundcredits/)
Viva Seifert, the sole actress, has a lovely voice. Her smooth, slightly low tone makes for a fantastic listening experience.
Overall, 4/5.
Story:
This is where Her Story becomes very divisive amongst its players.
I've seen many people criticize the plot - especially the big twist. It's understandable, because there are definitely points where the writing falls short. But it's still quite compelling at the end of the day. While this is certainly not the best out of all similarly tropey media, it's still entertaining. In fact, the drama and improbable nature are exactly what make it fun. I think that if you view Her Story as a soap opera turned into a single-setting game, you'll get more from the experience.
It's especially fun to go back and notice foreshadowing you may have initially missed, or discover small details as you unearth the game's truth in its haphazard order. [SPOILERS] Why does Hannah sometimes take coffee, but refuse it the next day? [SPOILER ENDING] Things like this draw your attention; it makes everything much less cut-and-dry than you might initially expect.
Another big part of Her Story landing so well is Viva's acting. I think she gives a fantastic, nuanced performance, marked by well-delivered lines and good usage of body language. The entire game would have fallen flat if its actress did her job poorly. Thankfully, she did not disappoint.
I quite like the ending too. Many screen simulators struggle to find an ending that gives actual closure. But Her Story did so beautifully. It wraps up things very neatly, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction.
Do all of the beats hit flawlessly? Most definitely not. The writing is far from perfect, and it can be a bit dull at times. But I believe it's all a lot better than people generally give it credit for. It's more than a clear-cut case of murder. It makes you guess, and gives you plenty of motivation to keep digging.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is Her Story's strongest suit by far. It's the staple. A few years down the line, this is what you'll remember.
Its database-scouring mechanics rely completely on your intellect and attention to detail. While it's easy to think of the first few searches - 'murder', 'Simon', 'killed' - you must hone in on words that seem increasingly random. But you'll quickly find that there's often more meaning behind them than you'd initially believe.
You follow these threads, going from one video to next, looking for dialogue that sticks out. This gameplay loop demands you hang onto every word spoken by the actress. It calls your attention to her mannerisms and word choice.
The only real downside to this mechanic is that it does become a bit repetitive. After all, it's very simple, and never evolves in any way. Thankfully, the game doesn't overstay its welcome. It ends at just the right time.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Worldbuilding:
Everything we know about the world outside of the dim interrogation room is relayed to us by Hannah. While the storytelling techniques are very interesting, there's a lot to be desired in terms of worldbuilding - a single setting and very small cast of characters do not leave room for much depth. We get little alternative perspective, though there is some interesting stuff near the chronological ending.
That being said, Hannah's backstory is fascinating on its own. The small snippets of her life, the consistent details, the connections you make... it all adds to a history that will leave you speculating. The fairy tales. The coffee. The Wind and the Rain.
I just wish we'd gotten to see, or know, more.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Overall game score: 4/5. While I may not recall much else from it in a few years, I will always remember how Her Story relays its narrative. The unique, fun mechanics mixed with the FMV style make it a landmark in the indie community. I have to respect that, even if it falls short at times.