|
|
|
GHOST FILES: THE FACE OF GUILT (PC)
|
Publisher: Artifex Mundi.
Developer: Brave Giant. Released: April 2017. Genre: Hidden Object. Posted 19th October 2023. By Tom Clare © 2023 |
|
If you prefer atmosphere to gore and an absorbing mystery to heart-rending terror, then Ghost Files might just prove the ideal Halloween option. A hidden object game with plenty of point ‘n’ click elements, The Face of Guilt sees police detective Emily Meyer thrown in at the deep end, charged with pursuing an escaped serial killer. This PC title sees players chasing the helpfully-monikered ‘Guilty Man’, whose aim appears to be to bump off all the members of a jury who convicted him of murder, many years earlier.
This was not Brave Giant’s first rodeo. In the three years prior to Ghost Files’ release, the developers had drummed up a trio of Demon Hunter titles and a trilogy of Queen’s Quest games, among others. Despite this frankly frightening rate of turnover, The Face of Guilt isn’t left wanting for quality. In many ways, it’s your typical hidden object game and it doesn’t pull up trees with regards to gameplay mechanics or original features. However, sparkling graphics, accessible point ‘n’ click action and a moreish nature results in an engrossing distraction.
Ghost Files' attractive artwork and enjoyable, easy-to-follow gameplay help to ensure an addictive mystery adventure
Emily moves from one location to the next in a linear story progression. Both the point ‘n’ click and hidden object sections fare well, and there’s even a dash of crime scene investigation here as the player uses a forensics kit to compare fingerprints, blood samples and shell casings to shed light on the case. Every action is simple, but there’s a satisfying sense of process and progression to it all, collectively. There’s nothing convoluted, but by linking key finds throughout the adventure, Ghost Files keeps the player abreast and invested.
The vast majority of the search puzzles are on the money. In short, if you like hidden object titles, there’s plenty to enjoy here. Yes, there is the occasional ‘find a dozen twigs in a bunch of leaves’ idea that is less than inspiring, but the way the game transitions between search quests and piecing together visual puzzles, or deciphering lock combinations, feels satisfying and lends the adventure a surprisingly good pace. There are a gaggle of mini-games to keep things ticking over and they are never overused. These range from simple combat combinations, to plotting chessboard-style moves to pass through a guarded cemetery unseen, and triangulating coordinates on a map using number clues.
The vast majority of the search puzzles are on the money. In short, if you like hidden object titles, there’s plenty to enjoy here. Yes, there is the occasional ‘find a dozen twigs in a bunch of leaves’ idea that is less than inspiring, but the way the game transitions between search quests and piecing together visual puzzles, or deciphering lock combinations, feels satisfying and lends the adventure a surprisingly good pace. There are a gaggle of mini-games to keep things ticking over and they are never overused. These range from simple combat combinations, to plotting chessboard-style moves to pass through a guarded cemetery unseen, and triangulating coordinates on a map using number clues.
|
|
Ghost Files’ appearance is economical yet attractive. As was perhaps to be expected from a developer with such frequent output, there’s little in the way of character animations or cinematics, but just enough in the form of effects to affirm your actions. The mixture of street scenes and messy interiors really pop thanks to the game’s sharp, distinct use of colours and prettily drawn environments. There’s also an appreciable divergence in tone between the grimy alleys, crime scenes and occasional fantasy settings.
Suitably ominous and mostly well-suited, the music is largely inoffensive, but perhaps a little unmemorable in the final reckoning. Perhaps the only area the game fares especially badly is in its voicing. The acting is sometimes a little hammy, sometimes a little wooden, but the quality of the recorded dialogue comes across as pitchy and crunched, and isn’t handled with the same level of care as other aspects of the game’s presentation.
Suitably ominous and mostly well-suited, the music is largely inoffensive, but perhaps a little unmemorable in the final reckoning. Perhaps the only area the game fares especially badly is in its voicing. The acting is sometimes a little hammy, sometimes a little wooden, but the quality of the recorded dialogue comes across as pitchy and crunched, and isn’t handled with the same level of care as other aspects of the game’s presentation.
|
|
A mixture of puzzle solving and hidden object scenes ensure the player's powers of perception get a good workout
The Face of Guilt amounts to an engrossing weekend’s worth of play. You’ll likely finish it in five to six hours, though there is some additional lifespan for those wanting to attain the game’s 22 achievements. These are nothing too elaborate but involve collecting additional evidence, photographs and tarot cards, all of which can be pored over in what is a remarkably lavish-looking extras room. Ghost Files is the gaming equivalent of a good puzzle book: it may not strive especially hard to imprint its own identity on the hidden object genre, but if it’s a good mental work out you’re after, it does a fine job. When all’s said and done, players likely won’t remember the smaller details, but those who like to unravel a fun mystery will find this ticks all the right boxes.
|
VERDICT
"...Ghost Files doesn’t pull up trees with regards to gameplay mechanics or original features. However, those who like to unravel a fun mystery will find this ticks all the right boxes." OVERALL: 7/10 |
OTHER INVESTIGATIONS WITH FEMALE LEADS REVIEWED
Cate West: The Vanishing Files (2009, DS)
|
Born Punk (2022, PC)
|