Game Review #430: Eastville Chronicles: The Drama Queen Murder (Nintendo Switch)
Reviewer: Steven Green
Developer: Ocean Media
Publisher: Ocean Media
Category: Puzzle-Adventure
Release Date: 07.18.19
Price (at time of review): $9.99
Buy Eastville Chronicles: The Drama Queen Murder from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
Who Dunnit?
Eastville Chronicles: The Drama Queen Murder is a puzzle-adventure in which you have quite the mystery to solve. The Eastville Opera House has had a murder, and it is up to you to get down to business and find out who the fateful Scaramouche is. Dolores Molinero, the Queen of Drama, has met her end and will never take the stage again after someone has taken her life, and her only hope for vengeance is a rookie detective who must search through the evidence to solve this tough murder mystery.
Rough Trial
The Drama Queen Murder has a good premise, as everyone likes a good murder mystery. Tales like this have taken over what we watch on TV and a good number of the novels we find on our shelves, but sadly, the likeable genre isn’t enough to make up for the rough attempt at a good experience this title brings to the table. You have regular typos, which can be overlooked if you are really into the gameplay, but there isn’t much to look forward to as you move through this one. The main gameplay elements for this one include gathering evidence in a hidden object mode that had you mostly randomly clicking to see what on the screen is relevant and what is not, an interrogation portion that is interesting, but mostly transparent and easy to read, and not much else. The game is pretty rough around the edges in all respects, but a lackluster story, and nearly meaningless gameplay make for an experience that is hard to recommend.
Murder Mayhem
This title brings an interesting plot to the table and a lot of potential but lacks the polish and strength in gameplay to be something that is a must play for the adventure, point-and-click, or puzzle genres. You have a title here that is something only the staunchest of murder mystery lovers will want to try to get through as the lack of polish, menial gameplay loop, and unsatisfying experience don’t give much room for you to get a lot of positives from this one. I am someone who regularly watches crime drama, and I would recommend finding your top-rated Netflix special on the subject over spending the money on this one, as it just doesn’t go the necessary lengths to be a title worth jumping into.
Score: 3.5/10
Buy Eastville Chronicles: The Drama Queen Murder from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
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*Review code was provided for review purposes.