Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller

I know this is going to sound ridiculous but do you guys remember the old CSI Games that came out for the Xbox 360 back in the day? It's them, but with an MC who looks like Scully from X-Files. It's got a steep introductory curve to get used to the interface, but once you get your head around that you're on for quite a good game!

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After the first episode I had hoped it would've picked up however the story remains painfully trite. The controls keep changing and are extremely un-intuitive, the puzzles are much the same and are based on logical leaps so high, I couldn't even reach them using a pogostick on a trampoline.

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It's a good story well written and all, immersive. Nice SFX, music and excellent voice-overs. But it suffers from glitchy, buggy and clunky interface and sequences: sometimes you need to redo sequences many times to catch an item that does not enter the inventory. Sometimes just a small action unlocks a location with no info on what to do. And the cognition phases are sometimes obscure and suffering from the interface. You need perseverance to play this game but it is worth it for the atmosphere.

I’m fully aware that the writing is sometimes inconsistent, but I absolutely love a good thriller — with solid twists — regardless of the format. And this game is a thriller, even if it never quite reaches brilliance. There’s a clear DNA of my beloved (and dearly missed) Gabriel Knight 3 here, and it genuinely helped scratch that itch. It made me nostalgic in the best way, while also reminding me how much I hope the last two Gabriel Knight games will eventually receive proper remakes, just like the first one did. The tone is serious and more mature than the average adventure game, with several genuinely intense moments. Be warned: the game does not shy away from gore — but it’s never gratuitous. It serves the story and the atmosphere rather than existing for shock value. Erica Reed herself is a strong point. She’s not treated like a clueless protagonist: she’s intelligent, capable, and refreshingly rebellious. Anti-system, anti-rulebook — she doesn’t blindly follow orders, and that makes her far more engaging than many adventure leads. Overall, despite its flaws and uneven execution, the experience remains positive for me. It’s a flawed but compelling thriller that knows what it wants to be. Rating: 7/10

One of the best pnc games I've played in a while. Terrific storyline and game features. Graphics are a little funky, but everything else more than makes up for it. I really hope this series continues.