I'm on the fence about this game, but certainly it would be great if there were more, but better-made, who-done-its. On the first case, I clicked on some wrong items by mistake, and the police chief told me that I was basically a crummy detective even though I solved the crime on the first "guess". I played two more cases, being certain not to click things incorrectly (by the second person that you interview for each case, you should know what all the objects are because they repeat), and was more satisfied with the results. But I did guess the murderer each time I played - no challenge there. I still had 12 minutes left to play after solving 3 cases but didn't bother trying another one. Will not buy.
I loved this game. Finished it within the one-hour-free trial, which is why I gave it an OK rating for difficulty level. I kept looking for the sequel, and then gave up after a year or so. I finally found it, and I'm downloading it and going to play it now.
True that it's not for sensitive people because it can be perceived as disturbing. A fight between a divorced couple about how to raise/treat their daughter; a doctor who's experimenting on brains for his own advancement.. Not too far from the truth in many real-life situations. This just takes it to a "horror story" level rather than what happens in real life.
The game didn't respond well at all, with the cursor hanging constantly. And when I got into mini games, there were no instructions. I'd get a few steps into it, like putting the figurines that I found onto the table and then waiting, used up hints, waited some more. I couldn't find clues. Off on wild goose chases. Couldn't find how to get the electric circuitry into the left half of the library - that's when I gave up. Twenty-five minutes of hit and miss. I guess if I had used a game guide or walkthrough, could've gotten it. But it wasn't fun, just tedious. And again, the skipping cursor (I wasn't online looking for software updates or doing my weekly scan either).
The game was long and challenging. I couldn't finish it in one, not even in two, sittings. That makes me feel that I got my money's worth. I got to know the map really well so that I wouldn't have to keep following paths, and I had to use "hint" a lot to find out that there was "nothing you can do here." But otherwise, tons of unique paths and hidden object scenes. While other games may leave one you hanging, waiting for part II, this one has that already included it seems. You go from one story into another, and that's a bonus!
So much fun trying to save the victims. Nice to have a storyline that I could follow and connect the dots, versus stumbling around trying to guess and hearing that *boop* sound that meant I was wrong! Graphics and sound were pretty cool too. I am waiting for a BFG games sale again to buy this (I missed the Columbus weekend sale because I couldn't decide which to buy), and am hoping that the full-on version is as great as the one-hour trial.
First hour of play was fun. Then, like the game's own title, it became a "broken record." I had to constantly go back to a place that I had already searched, and it became tedious -- no fun at all. Play Redrum instead.