UnearthU
A strange experience, if you’re interested at all I’d recommend not reading much more about this
– Real player with 2.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best FMV Experimental Games.
This is a “game” much in the same way a walking simulator or a VN is, so just fair warning.
I am currently on Day 4 and will update again when I get to Day 7.
I will not spoil specifics.
The “game” is best experienced as intended: do each day without changing clocks or anything. Do Day 1, and then do Day 2 the following day when it unlocks. Complete all exercises with honest intent, to include the writing prompts and meditation exercises.
There is a narrative and character and background amidst what feels like real mindfulness concepts. The blend between the real and fictional is intriguing and keeps me coming back each day. The layout of the exercises feels intended, with the motivational video leading into the discussions/lectures by KARE, then a meditation/breathing exercises that inevitably lead you to ruminating about what KARE just talked about, a writing prompt that sometimes gives you pause about wanting to be completely truthful, and a final checklist of items that you’re more than likely just going to click through without actually implementing.
– Real player with 1.5 hrs in game
Night Book
Even though I’m average when it comes to keeping up with new games and playing them, I’ve really liked the FMVs/interactive games that Good Gate Media and Wales Interactive have been releasing recently, and Night Book is no exception! Even without knowing that it was filmed remotely in lockdown, it’s an enjoyable game with interesting characters: the beginning feels like a slow burner, but it sets up the story brilliantly and you quickly become fully immersed in the lore. I love the decision points in the game - they really feel like they make an impact and I can’t wait to play it again to go through the other story route now that I’ve completed the first run-through as it feels completely different. I was also really pleased with how the game dealt with the occult elements because I was never frightened out of my skin but I totally bought the creepiness of the story and Loralyn’s urgency, it’s really well done! I really felt for the characters and got very engrossed in the decisions given as Loralyn, and I was never bored while playing. Plus the fact that Night Book was filmed entirely remotely during lockdown is an amazing feat and makes the game even more impressive. Night Book is definitely value for money entertainment-wise even for people who aren’t hardcore gamers/horror fans, and I’d definitely recommend it!
– Real player with 13.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best FMV Choices Matter Games.
FMV has some hit or miss titles out there. I’ve gotta say, I really like this one. It’s pretty short and definitely made to play multiple times, but this one is a fun complete in one sitting type of FMV. To give you a clue where my FMV tastes are, here’s a map of my fmvs.
Loved: Five Dates, Late Shift, I Saw Black Clouds, Shapeshifting Detective, Eric.
Disliked: The Complex, The Bunker - I know those are unpopular opinions, but just giving you a rough idea of where I’m at.
Pros:
- Acting really makes or breaks an FMV. The most polished writing and cinematography is useless if everyone acts like they’re putting on a high school play. Loralyn is great, really sells the horror and shock portions well. Pretty much all of the supporting characters nailed it. I’d say there’s some minor hiccups here and there, but that seems to stem from everyone being filmed separately.
– Real player with 4.3 hrs in game
Attentat 1942
I am certainly partial to games that tell a story. However, games that pass down important and historical information are even better. A game that can entertain and teach possesses a special power. Not only can the game effectively deliver important information that the player is more likely to retain than they would sitting in a history class, but it also engages them in such a way that the information becomes relevant and memorable. I know I’ll never forget how my hands sweat when the gestapo knocked on the door and I had to quickly find a way to nervously delay them. I was impressed with the mechanics during that mini game, and I think that games like this should be made available, and perhaps even replace, outdated teaching techniques in school.
– Real player with 6.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best FMV Cinematic Games.
Attentat 1942 is a FMV game, where you want to know, what happened with your father and mother in Prague at the Second World War.
What I really liked in the game, is how it looks. Now, the videos has all right quality, however the older cutscenes are made with comic styled, but more like newspaper version of that, and those cutscenes looked amazing. Everything is understandable from them and looked really nice.
About the story, I liked it really much. Reminds me of older stories from the same time, which I heard from my grandparents. It showed the war from a different perspective, which is not cover in history books or in TV properly. Most of the choices you can do in the game makes sense and bring the story forward. Characters have their motives and own story is really nice, however I need to mention, that these stories happened and that gives a whole new depth to it.
– Real player with 6.0 hrs in game
Jessika
A detective story in which you must dig through various files on your laptop to identify the reasons for Jessika’s suicide. If you’re willing to look past the interface issues, you’ll find yourself engaged in a relatable life story about racism.
You might believe this is just another game with full motion video that allows you to browse through a person’s life. And you’d be completely correct. FMV is alive and does provide a truly enjoyable experience when combined with strong gameplay; in other words, when you are not simply watching a movie. “Jessika” is a nice example of the genre, with both positive and negative aspects.
– Real player with 13.0 hrs in game
Don’t expect much. It’s not a mystery to solve.The game just unfolds itself in very expected ways. So this is not much of a puzzle or a mystery game. The game is not quite about what it claims to be about. I expected some psychological stuff. Nah. Also expected some mystery solving. Nah. Boy have I got baited into buying this game or what haha. Somewhat spoiler. Jessika don’t have any nudes on her computer for good reason. It’s the only bit that made most sense about this game in fact. So sorry you won’t be digging into the panty drawer of a hot german blonde instead you will be reading a very boring diary of a boring chick. Which is a bit realistic in a way haha. Anyway. Appreciate the effort buy the game this is a nice genre I believe it is a promising game style.
– Real player with 9.3 hrs in game
The Dark Side of the Moon: An Interactive FMV Thriller
Well what I can say. I am one of those who backed Tayanna Studios for a long time and knew he would have a brilliant project to come out and I got to say.
You play as Dean Hamilton who has had his kids Ruby and Andy kipnapped and you have to find them and bring them back home but you find out it is not that simple. Dean Hamilton is played by Darren Hall who is an auteur for this project and got to give him real credit and super love on this.
This is a really good game with a great story. It mixes FMV gameplay and point & click gameplay really well. The game is really basic which could turn off people but I think it is needed especially with this story as the main focus is on the gameplay and acting.
– Real player with 14.0 hrs in game
It was a boring Friday night …
I could find nothing to watch on TV.
A friend told me about this so I peeked and then purchased.
I launched it only to make sure it ran properly :-) – it did. Then I looked up, it was two hours later, I was almost halfway through. I was hooked and quite immersed in the story.
Your children are missing:
What would you do and who would you trust?
The game page description is accurate so I won’t repeat it.
GAMEPLAY:
This reminded me of Carol Reed games, but instead of conventional movement you easily click a box to move.
– Real player with 9.0 hrs in game
The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker
FMV games have made quite the comeback in the last few years, and The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker adds to the growing library of great titles in the genre. Of course, it’s not a perfect game (what game is?), but the quality of the writing, acting and production all place this murder mystery amid the cream of the FMV crop here on Steam.
Doctor Dekker has been violently murdered by one of his patients. As his replacement at the psychiatric clinic, you are now tasked with investigating his death while helping his patients navigate their various maladies. Toss in a little Cthulhu mythos, and you have a recipe for madness that’s altogether delightful to behold.
– Real player with 63.2 hrs in game
I thought you knew what you were doing, Doctor.
Once you find the genres you love, you absolutely can not get enough of them. Looking through pre existing games to see which ones you will most likely like and seeing if more are going to be released. Craving more and more as you become more aware of what makes a good game and a bad game in that specific genre. FMV games are one of those genres I adore but also look into them as it can frequently not work out.
In The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker, you come in right after the events of a dramatic event. A psychiatrist by the name of Doctor Dekker was violently murdered in his office by one of his patients. But who? No one knows except the one that did the act. This is where you come in, not as some cop asking them questions but taking Dekker’s spot as a psychiatrist for the same patients he had. The same patients that hides the mysterious killer.
– Real player with 47.9 hrs in game
Late Shift
There are a few really good FMV games around but in general there is a drought of this genre so people who love this kind of game just have to take what they are given. Late Shift is good but the lack of a skip function really drags the playtime out and I found myself 100%-ing this game with a grimace on my face towards the end. Don’t get me wrong, the story was good but it wasn’t good enough to keep me engaged and to play through it in fully 9 times. See the full review here
– Real player with 12.4 hrs in game
This looks great, and is surprisingly interesting as a movie. As others have said, it’s probably the most successfully implemented FMV game ever made, which isn’t really that high of a mountain to climb. In fact, it’s probably more successful as a movie than as a game. There’s not much “play” in it, and what there is is fatally undermined by the design.
The theme of the game, spelled out by the protagonist in the opening narration, is that choices define who you are. And more specifically they define who you are internally - your reason for making a certain decision is, in many ways, more important than what the decision actually was.
– Real player with 9.6 hrs in game
PCI Public Crime Investigation
Excellent game with such a great style… been waiting for a game that plays as legit as this one! Everything in it is full of realism.
Full support!
– Real player with 19.1 hrs in game
Really interesting concept and very well executed. PCI casts you as an armchair detective. The French police are asking for assistance with some of their cases. You must create an actual account in order to play online as a team or by yourself and accrue points after finishing up cases. There are 6 cases total ranging from around 30 minutes to 4 hours. The content is VERY dark in some cases and deals with some heavy realistic topics (I’ll list some TW’s at the end of this). While I felt uncomfortable during playing I was so hooked. The cases are riveting and the quizzes at the end really engage you actively with the material. The actors/actresses do a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life (even the worst ones) and not even making you realize they’re acting.
– Real player with 8.4 hrs in game
ROUGH KUTS: Night of the Living Dead
PUBLIC DOMAIN
res nullius, res communes, res publicae, res universitati
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no copyright notification on release material
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copyright renewal lapsed (up to 1978 release)
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95 years or older (USA) or 70 years after death (which ever is shorter)
great idea for public domain films. while they are free in many forms, this is another good option.
i have played through all the dlc currently. 10 dlc + base game = 11 films.
is it “horror” well, definition of horror extends greatly to many things
while some would be more considered “scifi” than horror, its more of the consensus that each film is categorized as horror film.
– Real player with 17.2 hrs in game
i love how they made these films interactive and my decisions actually made a difference, really awesome. 10/10 would definitely recommend.
– Real player with 8.6 hrs in game
Markus Ritter - The Lost Family
Totally recommended.
And it only has one flaw.
That being about locating a grave. which happens to be, by far, the hardest thing that the game requires you to do… Twice. You cant even auto-navigate back to it once you have the candles.
While I was able to find my way around it eventually, I think it took a lot more effort than it should. Some people would have given up. I think even a pictorial guide would be justified. Anything that could raise awareness for this project, since the announcement is only made in-game for those who finish it. This is a game that deserves to be seen. Showcase a longplay of it, if that is what it will take to raise public interest. They were able to pull off a great result with a micro-budget. Imagine what they could offer with a full game.
– Real player with 26.9 hrs in game
Decent introduction of this FMV Point & Click, set in Vienna.
This game is the free first chapter of a bigger game. On the 24th of August the two persons developer launched a kickstarter, with this as demo/proof-of-work. I will spoil a big part of chapter one’s story, because this is an introduction. If the genre is something you like my advice would be to just play it. It takes maximum of two hours.
A strange lady…
Markus (or Marcus) has violent nightmares about a historic woman, while in Vienna there are daily reports of ladies being murdered.
– Real player with 3.0 hrs in game