There are few more notorious serial murderers than the Zodiac Killer. Active in North America in the late ‘60s to early ‘70s, the Zodiac was never identified, having killed 37 people (going by The Zodiac’s own tally), or five known deaths according to official records. You might recognise the signature symbol and cryptograms he would write and send to law enforcement, journalists or even leave at crime scenes. This brazenness has made the Zodiac Killer a darkly attractive figure for movies, with the Mindhunter TV series and Zodiac – the 2007 David Fincher movie – all being recent examples. So, we come to This is the Zodiac Speaking, which is looking to bring the Zodiac cases to gaming. It launches today on Microsoft Xbox One, PS4, PC and Switch.
If the Zodiac Killer was never found, the game is in a fascinating place: how do you make a murder mystery interesting when the killer can’t be caught? What can the game tell us that can’t be found in umpteen crime novels? And how do you stay on the right side of taste when you’re making a game that tells the story of survivors who, in some cases, are still alive today? Real-life crime games are incredibly uncommon, so this tentative toe in the water sounds riveting.
Developers Punch Punk are at least collaborating with the #1 crime channel in North America, Investigation Discovery, so the experience in telling this tale is definitely there. And from the trailer and materials we have been given, it looks like This is the Zodiac Speaking will be more of a howdunnit than whodunnit, showing how the Zodiac went about their terrible killing spree (and how the journalists who followed the story were affected by it).
The game itself is a first-person adventure with two different modes: a more hardcore mode that adds the Zodiac into the proceedings and requires a touch of stealth, and a story mode, which focuses on the experience without a chance of death. Expect searching for items, jotting in journals, and crime scene investigation – just without any quips and the removal of sunglasses.
Play This is the Zodiac Speaking and:
- Discover the facts and evidence-based story of the America’s most famous never caught serial killer.
- Experience the story from the perspective of a person who survived the attack of the serial killer, face your trauma and run investigation that will lead you to truth about Zodiac.
- Unravel the details of the murders, visit crime of Zodiac’s murders, experience a real psychological sessions that will help you to manage your traumas.
- Reveal the 3 alternative endings, all based upon your investigation decisions.
- Enjoy the atmospheric, film music and original stylized visual style
- Travel to the vintage 70’s and feel the atmosphere of the past in real California locations
But how does it play out? Well, our full review of This is the Zodiac Speaking on Xbox One should sort you out. Please note, the developers state that a major update/fix will come soon after launch.
This is the Zodiac Speaking launches today on Xbox One for £16.74. It also creeps onto Playstation 4, PC and Switch.
Game Description:
This is the Zodiac Speaking is a noir, fact-based single-player psychological thriller. Game offers two different gameplay modes. One blends storytelling with stealth and action gameplay elements while second (Detective mode) put emphasis on storytelling to let you fully immerse in Zodiac investigation. In-game visuals stylishly refer to vintage 70’s and unique atmosphere of California at the time. Game plot is based on the story of Zodiac, one of the most famous never-caught serial killers. Play as Robert Hartnell, a San Francisco journalist, who one day receives a phone call from the mysterious Zodiac, greeting him with the memorable ‘Hello, this is the Zodiac speaking’.
