I have decided to review a game called still life. Mainly because I'm excessively bored and it's either this or stare blankly at the wall (in hindsight that probably would have been a better idea).

Anyway, Still Life is a game released by Microids in 2005. It a point and click puzzle game from the same guys that made syberia.
I have often heard that people were really disappointed with how the story of Fahrenheit went off the wall about half-way through (I personally liked the direction the story went but then again I like being different). If you felt this way then I think that still life is probably the game you really wanted. It is a murder mystery story in the same vein as fahrenheit but without the sci-fi elements, and with a darker atmosphere.

The game is the second of a trilogy (I don't think the final chapter is ever going to come out), yet this doesn't detract from the story in any way. You never feel like there are things you should already know. The problem here however is that if the final part does not come out you are not going to be able to find out who the killer is as it is not revealed to you in this game.

The story of Still Life revolves around PI Gustav McPherson and his granddaughter FBI Investigator, Victoria McPherson. Your time as Gustav is spent investigating the death of prostitutes in Prague in the late 1920's while as Victoria you investigate the deaths of mistresses at an S&M club "Red Lantern" in the present day. (The killer just wanted his money back).

Your main nemesis is a top hat wearing, silver masked serial killer bearing a similar MO to Jack the Ripper who you encounter as both Gustav and Victoria.
This man seems to be responsible for both series of killing's over seventy years apart.

The puzzles in this game are beautifully balanced. They are never too hard to make you feel stupid or frustrated and never to easy to not provide a stern challenge.

Except one.

Now maybe I'm stupid but I spend hours at this. I cried blood from the sheer frustration of it. You need to pick the lock to a struggling artist's shit-hole apartment. Why the fuck he has a lock that would stump the greatest lockpicker in the world and make him want to shoot himself from feelings of inadequacy I don't know. Unless he's afraid that someone is going to break in and steal his fabulous paintings that might be worth all of 20 cent if he was lucky. I eventually said fuck it and looked up a guide, something I hate doing in puzzle games.

Otherwise It gets a thumbs up!



And you can't argue with him.