There is a lot to unpack with this game. The short answer is... this game is exceptional. Its not a mind melting masterpiece by any means but it is certainly one of the more unique games I've played in quite some time. I suppose I will start this review with my general impressions of the game and whether or not it is a game for you.

First, if your not a fan of puzzle games, this is probably a pass for you. However, if you enjoy puzzles as I do, this game delivers a host of confounding conundrums. It is requisite for you to pay close attention to little details and to infer certain truths from an ever-compounding series of intersecting story lines. If you miss something, it can feel like you are stuck in a problem (much like being unable to find a missing puzzle piece). The redeeming quality to that frustration however, is the immense volume of factors that the game allows you to re-assess in order to resolve a problem. Think of it like Sudoku. Except instead of using numbers to deduce a solution you are using characters and their stories to solve the problems. Now, herein lies an issue with the game. The analytical part of your brain can get really wrapped up in the details and at times you may find yourself completely removed from the fascinating story that is being told. In critique of this, I believe i have a solution for this that unfortunately was not included in the game, but in hopes that the developers read this at some point, I will speak about this further in a moment.

Now, the gameplay is simple. There are not a lot of complex controls. You move around, you look up and down, you interact with a pocket watch and a journal. That's it. There is nothing more to it. I have no complaints about that, because it is all the game needs. Graphically it is not phenomenal, however it is unique. It is in black and white with pixel shading. It looks cool and adds a level of drama to the game. The music and sound mixing is exceptional and develops suspense when needed, conveys comedic effect and assists the graphics in making more impacting drama. It does get a little monotonous late in the game when you are attempting for the umpteenth time to find that missing fragment of proof you need, but maybe that is a good thing in adding to ones frustration in their own inability to solve a problem. Perhaps I only found the sound frustrating because I was the idiot incapable of finding an answer. So... yeah... I guess that one is on me. The voice acting is not only exceptional (and this might be a bit of a spoiler) it is also critical to gameplay. Yep that's right. Voice acting is critical to gameplay. I can only hope that was intentional because if that's true, that is awesome.

The story, or stories i should say, are very entertaining and, apart from my previously mentioned quibble with its interaction with problem solving, are exceptionally engaging tales of mystery, murder, mutiny, and the fantastical. Contrasting with the visuals presented by the graphics, I believe this game creates a certain level of artistry that only improves in the mind's eye the more you think about it. So what is wrong with the game?

My only real issue with the game is completely singular in nature. It has a zero replay-ability factor. You can only truly play this game once. Now sure, you can start a new game from scratch and play it again, but you probably wont. Or if you try, I doubt you fiddle with finishing it a second time (unless you are achievement hunting of course). The problem here is that the story is being dissected at a granular level in order to complete the puzzles on the first play through. Even if you miss something, it is not significant enough to warrant another investment of your time. Now perhaps if you haven't played it in a year or two, coming back to it may be passable, but I imagine that after about an hour or so you are going to begin remembering it all and then it has lost its appeal as a challenging puzzle and therefore you are playing it for the story. And so I come to my "fix" for this problem. The story is really cool. Don't sell it short. In fact a "short" is the answer. If we the players got to see a cool short action sequence played out at the end of the game that showed the events that transpired on the Obra Dinn back in 1803, I think this game would be a contender for an absolute masterpiece. I know I personally would play through it for 5-10 hours just to see the sequences of the story in real time. And I probably would do that more than once. Just a thought.

To conclude, this really is a good game. Its not perfect, but it is worth the investment to be able to say you've played it. It is a good story with some very unique game characteristics and it is a fun and moderately challenging puzzle. It ticks all the boxes it set out to. I will definitely be playing more games from this developer in the future.