MAKOTO WAKAIDO’s Case Files TRILOGY DELUXE Reviews

This fun and engaging story-driven detective noir game actually consists of four playable whodunnit tales (not sure why it’s called a trilogy). In terms of gameplay, it’s not so much a puzzle-based detective game as interactive fiction, which places you in the protagonist’s shoes and thus makes you FEEL like a detective, without being too taxing in terms of puzzle mechanics or actually solving the cases. If you talk to everyone, you will find each of the dastardly culprits; and if you go in knowing that you’ll not be solving intricate cases, you’re much more likely to have a good time. (Some of the other reviewers seem to have been expecting more of a challenge in this vein. But this doesn’t seem to be what the game is going for). The jazzy, noirish soundtrack is top-drawer, and the monotone pixel art visuals - with striking streaks of red for the blood of the victims - sublimely simple. I never tired of the minimalist look and animations; Detective Wakaido’s hunch-shouldered walk being a particular favourite. The writing and characterisation are good, and the twists and turns you’d expect in this genre unfold in surprising and satisfying ways. There is also some excellent narrative framing around each of the tales, and fun references between them. Each tale took two hours or so. I’d recommend this as a palette cleanser between bigger, more challenging games.

I enjoyed it a lot. Occasionally I got stuck because I'd forget to clock a dialogue option or investigate an object that was near a more important looking object. This is a visual novel style game so don't go in expecting deduction.

A minimalist mystery game that really delivers. If you play this after Urban Myth Dissolution Center it'll feel like an after dinner coffee. You definitely see how this series lead to Dissolution, but this one feels much more "classic" in terms of the mysteries. One thing I really liked is the MUSIC. I took it for granted in Dissolution but the music in this format REALLY popped and set the mood in each location. I'm so glad the team got its start here and I hope they make many games in the future!

Just nice, short, bite-sized mystery ADV games. Naturally a lot of people (like myself) came here from Urban Myth Dissolution Center, so if you've played that it's a good yardstick, but if you haven't don't expect the interaction of an Ace Attorney Investigations or Danganronpa-type VN. They are best compared to something like a Christie novel with some gameified elements and that certainly works for me! Just worth checking out if you're a fan of the mystery genre at all, which it obviously draws heavy inspiration from.

This is an enjoyable collection of mysteries!. The gameplay isn't too complex, the pixel art in this game is gorgeous, and you'll be at the edge of your seat figuring out some of the cases' twists and turns. However, the game's core concept - that each case takes about an hour to solve - works against it at times. I would have loved if these were just a little bit longer and more fleshed out.