Murder, She Wrote
4.5
5
61
61
very enjoyable
wow, i am surprised that the developers got the rights to replicate this once-popular television program in a video game.
that said, in this hidden object murder mystery, you follow mystery writer, Jessica Fletcher, as she helps local authorities solves murders. i know the theme sounds depressing, but, like the TV program, this is the most pleasant and least bloody way to enjoy a murder mystery. (tellingly, the weather is always sunny in this game.) the game focuses on the clues and motives and introduces you to a cast of potential murderers as the story develops.
graphics: the quality of the images is above average, but not spectacular. each hidden object scene starts out with a typewritten list of items you must find on the left sideboard, starting with the missing keys from jessica's typewriter (which re-types the item list to include the formerly missing letters). you can still find the missing items without finding all the letters first, but your task is a lot more challenging if you try to do it this way. each hidden object scene includes mini-games and puzzles to solve, too. these are not too difficult, but do require some thought. most of the items in these scenes pertain, at least peripherally, to the storyline. some objects in these scenes are shifted around from one interaction to the next, just to keep you looking with fresh eyes. randomly clicking on items invokes a cursor/time penalty. i didn't need to use the hint button but clicked on it anyway to see how quickly it restores itself, and i thought it was fast.
music: not intrusive, but the program was never about the music anyway, was it?
storyline: dialogue scenes develop the story as it progresses from one scene to the next. the voiceovers are accompanied by text and can be sped up with a click. each story scene provides useful information by summarizing clues and posing questions that help move the story along nicely. the plot is simple but effective and works very well with a video game.
my interaction: one hour demo, timed mode. each game has five books (i think i counted them correctly) that you click on to solve. you cannot open a new book until you've solved the one you're working on. the adventures are either casual or timed modes.
my only complaint: when will this game be available for iPhones?? (i am specifically thinking of playing this game whilst traveling.)
in short, this is a fun and relaxing way to enjoy solving murder mysteries! if you were a fan of the TV series, then you will love this game. if you haven't had the opportunity to watch this program, i expect this video game will help capture more fans for Jessica.
June 3, 2012
Great game
I loved this game a good HOG and good puzzles, not too stressful but a good play. keep these games coming Congrats Big Fish
April 16, 2012
One of the best casual games on the market
This easily ranks among the top 10 casual games on the market. The story line is fun and engaging, the voice acting is pretty phenomenal, and the game has a very relaxing feel.The game is mainly hidden object, but sprinkles a lot of fun mini games along the way. Many of the objects you search for are involved in the story line so you feel more involved in solving the mystery. Having multiple, separate mysteries to solve also keeps things stimulating. I'm anxiously awaiting "Murder, She Wrote 2"!
July 29, 2012
More Murder, She Wrote PLEASE
Played this game from a cd I had purchased. Always loved this tv series and was surprised and pleased to find a game. Seems this is the last I've seen since then. Bring on more!!! There are other great tv shows that can be transformed into games - Diagnosis Murder, or the Dr. Kay Scarpetta novels. HINT, HINT!!! LOL
June 2, 2012
Love this game want more cases!
I love this game and hoping for a second edition with more cases to come out. Is that a possibility?
April 14, 2012
Awesome
I wish all games had this platform! I just love the Story Line and the different ways to find the hidden objects! They really out did their selves with this game! I recommend this game to everyone.
Thank You,
ModemMom
March 18, 2012
As fluffy as the TV show
This game was fun, just like the TV show. Not very challenging, but entertaining all the same. Hope more games come out to make it a series.
February 24, 2012
Murder, She Wrote A Winner.
Like the other reviewers I am a fan of the TV series.
This game is a very close adaptation of the series.
Graphics are good and there is the trademark music at the beginning.
Finding the letters for the typewriter and its ribbon (for a hint) is a novel idea.
HOS is uncluttered and most objects are relatively easy to find. The same scene is repeated several times but the objects are in different places.
Assembling clues (the mini-games consist of jigsaws, matching items, spot the difference etc) is fairly easy.
VO for the characters a good idea since there is a lot of character interaction.
Kept me enthralled for the hour of the demo.
Will have to buy this if I want to find out who the murderer is.
February 15, 2012
Inventive and Fun
I bought this because I have fond memories of the show - but the game itself is a blast.
A lot of inventive ideas to liven up each Hidden Object Scene - the typewriter keys that type out the lists, things that require 2 or 3 steps, mini-puzzles. The storylines are written just like the show - lots of suspects, and a twist or two.
It's not the hardest game I've played in a while -- but its certainly the most fun.
February 3, 2012
Could have been better
I am a longtime fan of the original television series that this game is based upon, so perhaps my sights were set a little higher than they should have been....
The graphics are clean and colorful enough. The HOG scenes are of easy to medium difficulty; the stories of each individual chapter do stand alone and are reminiscent of the original series - but they are a tad simplistic.
The gameplay is pure HOG; there's really no interactivity and everything is quite static. If you're a fan of the older HOG-only games and also a fan of Jessica Fletcher, you'll probably enjoy this game - otherwise, there are better hidden object games to be played for your money.
January 16, 2012