A visual novel about a disgraced private detective and a menacing serial killer, with a script that’s claiming to be of the high standard you’d expect in the next big TV show – that sounds right up my alley. From the moment Dry Drowning was announced for a release on Xbox One in 2020, my inner investigator simply had to find out more about it. Waiting until 2020 seemed my only option, although I’d kill for the chance to check it out sooner. Fortunately, I’ve had the chance to sink a few hours into Dry Drowning on PC and, thankfully, no one has to die.
The year is 2066 and we are taken to Nova Polemos, a self-governed city that’s practically regarded as a country in its own right. Meet protagonist Mordred Foley, a private detective who’s had his fair share of brushes with the law, with the most recent charges – of which he was acquitted – claiming falsification of evidence during a stupendously high profile case. All he wants to do now is move on with life and onto the next case alongside his partner at Foley Investigations, Hera. Little does he realise that the next person to walk through his door will trigger a chain of events that’ll haunt Mordred and dredge up a past that’d rather be forgotten.
As a visual novel, one can expect a heck of a lot of reading to be the order of the day to unravel the story at hand, whilst providing minimal interaction to progress through conversations with a varied bunch of characters. Having met a fair few of the folk residing in Nova Polemos, it’s clear that many are harbouring secrets and having a tough time in this land that’s full of prejudice. Not only will the tale delve into politics, but also racism, sexism and so much more, with nothing seemingly off-limit across what’s set to be a 20+ hour experience. Despite the storytelling being the main focus though, this is a visual novel that has a couple of tricks up its sleeve to set itself apart from others.
Mordred, for example, has an innate ability to know when someone’s lying, which is an incredibly useful trait for interrogating people. Uncovering their lies with evidence is the hard part and that’s where a nifty mini-game comes in as you attempt to ‘break their mask of deception’. Given only three lives, the onus is upon you to choose items or text to support your theories, with failure a real possibility. What this succeeds in doing is drawing the player in to really take note of the happenings and process the information gathered throughout the investigation.
Other notable features are the puzzles and important decision making. The first puzzle I came across involved cracking the code for a safe, with the correct numbers to input obtainable by examining everything around you and using a bit of logic. As for the decision making, well, there will be some that feel relatively minor and then some where you’ll legitimately ponder for a while, with a lingering doubt afterwards about the choice.
One of the standout aspects so far however would be in the visual department, because although there’s a heavy noir vibe going on, there are lovely uses of colour too; especially in the city, given the fact that it’s supposed to be a futuristic setting. Here’s hoping the environments continue with this trend throughout to ensure a real treat on the eyes.
From the gruesome nature of the cases at hand and the darkness surrounding them, to the supernatural abilities of Mordred Foley aiding in the investigations and the crafty puzzles ahead, there’s a whole lot to be intrigued by already. Whilst this is just an initial impression, Dry Drowning does appear to tick a lot of boxes that could make the visual novel genre appeal to a wider audience once it arrives as a full release on Xbox One in 2020.
Of course, if you can’t wait that long then you could always just take the plunge on Steam for PC instead, where Dry Drowning is available from 2nd August. Massive thanks to VLG Publishing and Studio V for the early access to it!
