Once, yet never again.The old Full Motion Video format, a genre used in a variety of games on the Sega CD itself, utilized not only the omniscient nature and specifications of the console itself, but also using it to its fullest advantage.
Then came Psychic Detective, the only game deemed worthy of bringing the format to various other consoles, including the PlayStation, where it promptly, might I add, fell flats on its face with the execution.
The graphics start shallow, with pixilated and low-quality graphics spread all over the screen as the first clip plays. This can be very defiant and takes from the realism of the drama / comedy, not that is was very real to begin with.
What makes the graphics so horrible in the game especially however, is the huge border planted around the slow moving, rickety screen in the middle of the gameplay. This is infuriating, as the game simply doesn't want to give enough space. Though this may be tolerable due to the lack of game play shown in later acts.
I can safely say though this is very annoying, the item sprites for different interactions are very pleasing to look at and can be modest on the eye, these include but are not limited to; cigarettes, lighters, notes etc. Overall due to their small size, they are very easy and pleasing to see.
The story is.. well, another story, ironic, right? Psychic Detective portrays itself as a mere mystery game. Eric, the psychic, works in a nightclub / lounge where he performs certain acts to different people. As the game develops, the initial goal of Eric is to find the murderer of Lana's grandfather, though this quickly dilates into other objectives, including religious cults, tombs, and even a game of Black Diamond for a boss fight at the end of tour 45 minute journey.
Though this story seems interesting enough, none of this is explained in detail at all and it quickly becomes a mess of, "Go to X Point, do something.". The mystery aspect also counts shallow as later in Act 1 it becomes apparent that it is not a clear objective at all.
Personally, the story can also be very stutter at times, forcing itself into sequence after sequence in a very linear path. Branching paths could've been used to create a more effective ending sequence that is predominant and solid.
While the game deserves decently high ratings for both graphics and story alike, the same cannot be said for game play. The game devotes itself to clue-telling and amazement of the story rather than providing typical game play in this context. Though the way it does this is interesting, yet not executed in a great manner.
At the beginning of the game, Lana vaguely trains Eric in order to look through other people's eyes, which becomes a perilous feature and the crucial aspect of the game. The entire premise includes searching for clues for the murderer... whilst intruding on privacy by using psychic powers to look through someone elses mind.
Though it is interesting, it executes itself in a way that it includes a very basic amount of game play, only requiring to push an unspecified amount of buttons per act. Of course, you could be going through every view per second but that way goes stale as there is no way to know what happens unless you are equally persistent in playing this game again.
There is no way to know beforehand what is happening which can lead into some very confused players when they get bad endings.
Oh, and did I tell you about the worst part? The game of Black Diamond at the end of play through, this game gives you no clues on how to beat it, no explanations on why it is even there. Only trial and error will get you this far, and that is very sad indeed.
The sound is not as equally unpleasant actually, aside from a few scratchy tones that are persistent with the fmv video audio, nothing seems too out of place for a console like the PlayStation, though it is remarkable to note that it uses Sega CD styled sound effects including boings, build-ups, etc.
Generally, the music amplifies a mystic and mesmerizing atmosphere, usually doing well in all situations, though it is more effective in the beginning of Act 1 and the end of Act 3. The minor tones give a lot of insight into the scene that is being introduced and can also get you ready for any upcoming events.
For this game, my overall rating is a 6.2.
(Game play: 4, Sound: 9, Graphics: 6, Story: 7
The maturity yet humorous actors plus the defining qualities of the actors relay shine this game a more specific and remarkable aspect of the advantages that this game has, on the contrary, the game is very barren in terms of game play and different types of graphic featured throughout the experience.
I feel that an experience is a better word to describe this type of game, it doesn't offer much in turn of game play but if you are more pleased with story driven games, this game is worth a looking at.
Graphics
6 Sound
9 Addictive
3 Depth
3 Story
7 Difficulty
8
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