I'll write my full thoughts later, but some immediate thoughts on Murdered: Soul Suspect.
-The best part of the game is its audio and cinematics.
-Audio is all around great. Good voice acting, good music, good audio design, both gameplay sounds and ambient sounds.
-Cinematics were a joy, and there's a lot of them. Almost all cinematics are CG cutscenes. They had good cinematography, good pacing, and for the story it is I would say overall good writing. Had some believable conversations between characters, the story managed to surprise without going over-the-top, and it felt stylized perfectly like a detective-ghost story.
-The story I would say got better after the first part, had likable characters and relationship between characters. The plot even managed to surprise me a few times. This is hard to talk about without spoiling, but there were a few plot twists that were well-foreshadowed but I seriously didn't see coming.
-That said, the ending is a mixed bag. On one hand, I wouldn't say it was bad. But on the other, I felt it could of been better. Some unresolved plot threads which I think were meant for a potential sequel which I really can't see happening.
-There were elements of the game that felt rushed. I think the ending was one of them, but also side-quests are kind of dropped half-way into the game, yet there are signs that there were supposed to be side-quests in the levels but they didn't amount to anything. Feels like either budget or time had them cut some corners.
-It IS NOT a game for everyone. I think it's one of those love it/hate it games, where you'll either play it and love it, or play it and find it dull.
-Some glitches present in the game. Auto-saving system of the game helps make it not that big of a deal though.
-Time in this game will alter so dramatically. To just do the story, you could easily beat the game in 3-5 hours. However, there is so much optional content to explore, and that I would say a lot of it is worth exploring, that your playtime could easily be extended to a 10-13 hour playtime.
-I think it's best to go into the game thinking of it as a TellTale-styled game. Gameplay is sort of minimalist styled.
-Certain elements of gameplay feel underutilized, especially specific ghost powers.
-That said, your main ghost powers are all handled well and are fun to use (my favorite being the last power you got).
-Demon sections I found to be unoffensive, but could of been handled better.
-My favorite level in the game was the last main one. Some great atmosphere there.
There's more, but in basic on my opinion:
What I Loved:
-Audio department (voice acting, music, ambiance, gameplay sounds)
-Cinematics (well-handled, stylistic, and fun to watch)
What I Liked:
-The Story (a few weak parts, but also some strong parts)
-The characters
-Exploration element
-Some of the ghost you encounter and ghost stories you can get in each level (some are deliciously dark, twisted, or even creepy).
-Clipping and
powers were a joy to use
-Possessing cats
-Collectibles add a lot to the lore and character backgrounds
-Many fun references to films, ghost stories, superstitions, and more.
Indifferent Towards:
-Split dialogue chains
-Demon sections
-Investigations (often were too easy, or hard because the answer was simpler than you thought it'd be, but sometimes feel rewarding)
-Hub world Salem (was very interesting at first, but it really is a bit too small, and it hardly changes at all or adds anything as the game goes on. You can do everything in it literally the first time you enter the hub world).
Disliked:
-Side-Quests (the ones there are interesting, but way too few and signs many were cut)
-Too many NPCs (especially in the hub) having repeating thoughts, and too many thoughts about superficial things about the story.
-Some plot threads left open by the end.
-Too many collectibles and one area closes off after you complete it so you can't go back to get them again.
-Many ghost powers way too underutilized.
-Shoe-horned in video game references.
I didn't feel so strongly to hate anything about the game. There were a few disappointing elements, but I actually liked a lot about it.
BUT, if I were to review it in a general sense, and not just for my own opinion, I'd probably give it a 6-7. It lacks main-stream appeal, it lacks action, some ideas are really underutilized, there are obvious signs of cut content, and just when it comes down to it you'll either like it or you won't, it's kind of designed like a more interactive visual novel almost. That said, it had wonderful sound design, some great cinematics, a good story, good characters, good exploration element, some fun powers (though some underutilized), and some deliciously dark moments sprinkled throughout.
