A Mystery with Big Indie Ideas
If I could choose to be any fictional character, I think I might choose to be a private detective from the 1930s or 1940s. There is something endlessly appealing about the whisky-drinking, self-narrating, monochrome world that the PI explores in the films and novels of that era. It is a time of interesting cases involving femme fatales, corruption, and murder, mostly set in a nameless city where it seems to be forever dark and raining.
Video games have played with this genre a few times, with notable examples like the utterly brilliant The Wolf Among Us and equally as good Disco Elysium.
But now, we have The Last Case of John Morley, a title from a small development team with some big ideas. I put on my trilby, drank a shot of the hard stuff, and got out my notebook to play.
A Tale of Polish and Passion
It is worth stating right at the start that The Last Case of John Morley has been put together by a small team, and considering that context, it is a great achievement in terms of its story and environments. However, be warned: it is rough around the edges, suffering from some audio problems and clunky design mechanics. For me, none of this mattered too much as I was fully engaged with the story, but for those who are a bit more particular about polish, consider yourself warned.
You play as John Morley, who starts the game in hospital recovering from injuries sustained after going over a waterfall during his last private investigation. Upon arriving back at his office, he is approached by Lady Margaret, who hires him for a new job. This involves a cold case regarding the murder of her daughter, Elodie, whose death was officially blamed on a burglary gone wrong. Lady Margaret doesn’t believe that to be the truth and urges the detective to go to Bloomsbury Manor to start the investigation. John Morley accepts and begins to unravel a plot much more complicated than he could have ever imagined.
Murder, Lore, and Ghostly Echoes
I liked the storytelling here; it feels like an old-fashioned murder mystery. As you progress through the case, whole scenes from the past are unearthed and played out, adding depth to the mystery and the players involved. We swap to a couple of different locations on the journey, and there are titbits of story and information found in papers, pamphlets, and diary entries. There is also a huge twist at the end that I didn’t see coming at all and enjoyed very much.
Admittedly, some elements don’t quite work, such as a prologue that I didn’t quite understand, but overall, I enjoyed the journey.
Investigation and Interaction
The gameplay is presented in the first person and is quite a linear experience. You don’t have many tools in your detective kit aside from interacting with objects and doors, collecting clues, and solving puzzles. If you are expecting the level of detective deduction found in something like the Sherlock Holmes series or even the Batman Arkham games, you will be disappointed.
There are moments where you have puzzles to solve, such as moving statues to open a locked doorway or locating codes for doors hidden within diary entries you find along the way. At one point, you have to move a series of paintings in a specific order to open a door. There is nothing here that is going to break your brain, but I didn’t mind that at all; it kept the pace moving.
At certain points, you will see interaction signs that are green rather than white. These green indicators lead to the recreation of past events. The characters’ scenes are shown in ghostly forms, allowing you to watch a series of events play out in order. There isn’t much to do in these sections except watch, learn more about the story, and find the right object to click on next. And thankfully, you are never in any real danger of dying in the game, but there is still some tension as you are seemingly stalked by a sinister figure throughout.
Period Detail and Technical Hiccups
Visually, The Last Case of John Morley is impressive when it comes to the period detail and the environments, particularly the interiors of the manor. The exteriors are almost always shrouded in darkness, consisting mostly of trees and paths leading towards the main buildings you explore. There are technical issues, however; there is some clipping, and doors act a bit weirdly here and there. The voice syncing with the mouths of the characters is also pretty bad, something I felt the team either missed or simply didn’t have the resources to fix.
The audio is good in terms of the soundtrack and some great, creepy sound effects throughout. The voice-over is solid regarding the main character, but there are moments when the sound gets distorted, and times when the voice work cuts out entirely or fails to trigger. Again, it is something I can forgive, and it didn’t take away from my main enjoyment of the game.
A Compelling Noir Short Story
Overall, I enjoyed The Last Case of John Morley, taking in its 3 to 4-hour running time. I was engaged in the story and liked the themes and the period drama of it all. I think others might judge the game more harshly on its flaws regarding the audio and visuals, as well as the lack of deep detective mechanics, which would be fair.
But if you want a good mystery and don’t mind a few hiccups along the way, then come and solve The Last Case of John Morley.
Important Links
The Last Case of John Morley Reopens A Forgotten Murder On Xbox, Play Anywhere And PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-last-case-of-john-morley-reopens-a-forgotten-murder-on-xbox-play-anywhere-and-pc/
Buy The Last Case of John Morley on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/the-last-case-of-john-morley/9p593jt4nsl5
