According to me, there is something incredibly badass about a skilled independent investigator. The ability to sneak into areas, find clues, investigate crime, make your way out of sticky situations, and deliver a vigilante brand of justice.
ColePowered Games has proven that while modern graphics are great, you don’t necessarily need them for a good game. You can make an incredibly immersive, edge-of-the-bench detective sim using a pixellated art style.
If you like murder mystery thrillers or watching the adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, I can guarantee that Shadows of Doubt will appeal to you. But is it for the average gamer, too? Should you even try it?
Shadows of Doubt releases on September 26, 2024, on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 (PS5), and Steam.
Shadows of Doubt Proves That Detective Work Is Not About Glory and Glamour but Grit and Grime
Before I start with my impressions of Shadows of Doubt, let me go ahead and tell you that I am no crime-thriller or detective-thriller nerd; however, I couldn’t get myself to stop playing ColePowered Games’ title.
The game primarily offers two modes and relies on procedural generation to keep things fresh. You can discover a case in a mode called ‘The Dead of Night’ and then select from various pre-generated cities or even generate your own. Additionally, you can go around or explore the life of a detective on your terms in the game’s sandbox mode. I was 7 hours into the game and couldn’t even crack my first case.
I tried to play the Sandbox mode, too, but it held my hand a lot less than ‘The Dead of Night’ so naturally I didn’t get too far with it. However, don’t let that discourage you from trying the game yourself because I could be a lousy detective (even virtually), but Shadows of Doubt is phenomenal and you will lose track of your time.
Everything about it feels so authentic—the thrill of the chase, the pounding of one’s heart when hiding from foes, and most of all, exploring a graphic crime scene. Shadows of Doubt was unlike anything else I have ever played.
The only detective game I had played so far was Rockstar Games’ L.A. Noire but that felt like an arcade game compared to this. Shadows of Doubt truly feels surreal. You are all alone in a city of your choice in the late nineteenth century. A corporation has been voted into power and there is a dark atmosphere all around.
The moment you step outside of your cozy bed, you know that no one is coming to help you. That is not because they cannot because they are too busy helping themselves.
You venture into the street when Shadows of Doubt‘s background score (which I enjoyed with my IEMs) hits you and you feel like you have transcended into the game’s world.
I won’t spoil anything from what I played, but you will be in for various surprises and a test of your wits and your skills as a detective in Shadows of Doubt. You will find clues, link them together, and create your evidence board all while trying to ensure that you don’t make a misstep.
Shadows Of Doubt Will Make You Question Everything, Trust No One
The gameplay for Shadows of Doubt makes it abundantly clear that the game isn’t a cakewalk. Expect the game to only walk you through the basic mechanics once, and you will have to chart your course after that.
That is, of course, because the game assumes that you might be whoever you are in real life, but the moment you set foot in the game’s world, you are a detective.
You will have an entire city to explore; the environment is breath-taking. The art style may be pixelated, but Shadows of Doubt does not fall short in terms of graphical fidelity.
You will receive a case, get to the crime scene, look for leads, and clues, and work your way through the case (based on your intelligence) before you can submit a murder resolution form at the local police precinct.
There were a couple of rough edges and some immersion-breaking bugs during my playthrough, probably because I was playing a review copy before the game’s whole release.
However, it was not anything too shabby and can mostly be fixed with a Day One patch. The game design is efficient: easy to learn, hard to master, the graphics are charming, and the gameplay is addictive. I have nothing but good things to say about Shadows of Doubt.
About the negatives, the menu screens and the game’s UI were a little lackluster for a complete beginner. I also found the character AI to be a bit predictable, which made interrogation and investigation involving the game’s NPCs feel like a chore.
Is Shadows of Doubt Good?
Yes, yes, and YES! The game made me fall in love with it. I know for a fact that I am going to clock hundreds of hours into the game (I might jump back into it after writing this review).
There are no major downsides to it, and Shadows of Doubt is a definite recommendation. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone who enjoys thinking on their feet. The only word of caution is that the game requires patience. As I mentioned, I clocked 7 hours in my playthrough and am yet to make it past my first case.
This is mostly because you cannot rush an investigation, as you have too much to lose if you do. The game is a love letter to Sherlock fans, detective thriller nerds, and passionate gamers and should not be skipped at all! Pro Tip: Don’t try to act smarter than you are in the game, and you shall be fine.
Shadows of Doubt Review (PC) – Lurk in the Shadows to Find True Justice
Shadows of Doubt feels fresh but familiar enough to tell an enchanting tail. One of the best games I have played this year.
