The Darkest Files

Very good and well done, just wished it was longer

What an outstanding game. I very much recommend it to anyone who enjoys investigation and mystery games. I played on the highest difficulty from start to finish, so if some of the mechanics I describe don't apply if you play on lower difficulties, I wouldn't know. [b]TL;DR.[/b] Loved it, give me 14 more. I'm actually sad I finished the game and there isn't more of it for me to enjoy. [b]SOME NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS:[/b] + [b]The investigative process.[/b] You get acquainted with the many (so many) documents very organically. The sorting system is pretty intuitive: by the time I had to compile conclusions for the prosecution, I could recite the important paragraphs by heart. + [b]Witness testimonies.[/b] Getting several versions of the same events, deducing who's lying, who's telling the truth, and who's simply misremembering --- I had a blast going through the same couple of rooms over and over again. + [b]Art design.[/b] The game is gorgeous. I appreciate the darker tones and the lack of vibrant colours everywhere, so my eyes only focus on what's actually important. The art style really helped things stay cohesive. + [b]Voice acting.[/b] Every single character was cast and directed perfectly. Every voice actor involved deserves nothing but praise. + [b]Esther Katz.[/b] I appreciated the authenticity of Esther Katz. She's a woman of her time, but she demands respect, she's assertive, and she knows what she wants in life. I love a strong female protagonist that isn't either sexualized or treated like a passive accessory to the events of the story. + [b]Simon Peters.[/b] Shout out to my boy Peters. I loved their dynamic with Katz. The progression from petty university rivals to true partners who trust each other to share the burden of their job and watch each other's backs. All that without shoehorning a romantic plot between them just because they're a man and a woman. Much respect for that alone. + [b]Epilogue.[/b] With an asterisk, I appreciate the last part of the game where the narrative shifts directly to Esther. Without spoiling anything, I figured out where the story was going pretty early on and I think they handled it very well. Even if I found that chapter disappointingly short. [spoiler]+ [b]Cat.[/b] We get an office cat, and I think that's delightful. Best girl Marlene.[/spoiler] [b]WHAT WORKED LESS WELL:[/b] - [b]Memory search.[/b] I can see the logic of "I interrogate witness --> witness remembers more --> can see more detail." I swear I'm with the developers on that one. But by god looking for the smallest changes of scenery in the sea of grey that is witnesses' memories is a task and a half. Pressing the button to make the clickable object gleam for half a second works only every fifth time and you still miss stuff! Honestly, I didn't really want to search for clues that way because it felt like cheating. - [b]What am I missing?[/b] You only need a few documents in total to prove guilt: not everything you find is gonna be used for anything other than context. Both times on my first playthrough I managed to miss ONE important document. Both times, ONE. I got the achievement for "hey, you found everything!" and then it turned out I didn't. Had to reload from the very first witness both times. - [b]Esther's colleagues.[/b] I wish we got more from both Wohlmuth and Fischer. Paula almost gets there, but Christoph falls a bit short. And I'm only putting this in the negative part of the review because I loved the characters and wanted more of them.

I just wished the game had been longer.

I loved the game but am now emotionally exhausted.

Actually got goosebumps at the end of the game - incredibly well-written, very educational and respectful. Gameplay mechanics are great - very engaging to go through evidence, piecing together the truth and conclusions for trial. So excited to see what the developers do next ~

An important historical game that immerses you in the fight against the remnants of the Nazis and an effort to bring them to justice.

A fantastic detective game, really enjoyable.

The game gives me more understanding of Germany and Nazi history. I'm feeling so disgusted while playing, so fortunate that I am living in a much civilized time.