Erica (2019)

More of an interactive film than a game, but an intriguing one at that.

It tells a good story where the truth is very fuzzy and seems to depend entirely on perspective, which changes based on the decisions made. Unfortunately, while the tale is quite compelling to play through once, it feels incomplete if you don't play through it multiple times in the search for the real nature of the story's secrets... and I found additional play-throughs unbearably long with only marginal changes in the plot and perspective.

This was a PS Plus freebie and promised to be a mystery thriller, which I'm partial to. I did not realize until I started it up that this is also an FMV game.

The gameplay of Erica is pretty basic, almost none existent really. This makes a David Cage game look like a CRPG. You are limited to basic gestures using your PS4 touchpad, or the downloadable phone app if you're fancy. to open up doors, wipe off dust, or choose a direction to run. You can also choose the stance you want to take in certain dialogue interactions, such as 'defensive' or 'questioning'. The whole game has a whole "choose you adventure book" vibe, even more than most of your Telltale style games. The gameplay almost feels too distracting, like it's randomly interrupting my TV show.

The music is standard for this type of thriller game. Sort of ethereal, light techno music that sets an unsettling mood. The graphics are great, almost lifelike, lol. I know here in the last few years, FMV games have tried to make a come back. A lot of these new games are less like Night Trap or Mad Dog McCree's, instead being more like interactive stories that don't require a lot of split second reactions.

You really play Erica for the story. It's a 2 hour game, but it feels less like a movie and more like an hour long premium cable show. You play as Erica, a young girl who's father founded a girl's psych hospital before he was brutally murdered. A severed hand shows up bearing the same symbol the murderer carved into your father's chest years ago, and so you are thrust in the middle of the police investigation. As you proceed you learn that your father and his hospital has some dark secrets related to an old Greek myth. The game states at the beginning that all of the secrets can't be learned on one playthrough. Your choices lead you to different paths, and each helps piece another part of mystery together. Still on my first & only playthrough so far I think I got the basic jist of the mystery and what happened to your father, mother, and what's going on at the hospital.

The acting of this game/TV show is decent. It isn't as cheesy as one might expect from a FMV game, but don't go in expecting HBO drama level. The actors do alright with what they're given. There's never enough time to really develop them beyond the general stereotype; young British detective, sketchy black headmaster, or girl who acts tough to cover her golden heart. Some more time to help flesh out characters would've been nice, I often forgot the names of some of them and that made conversations even more confusing. I realize though, more time means more scripting and more money to pay the actors and crew.

All in all, this game doesn't last too long and the story is unique enough to warrant replaying it for the other endings. The gameplay isn't much of a game and I think this would've been a better short film than a game.

I liked Erica. The filmmaking was of a higher standard than I was expecting. The acting was good enough. It was a perfectly enjoyable low-budget thriller.

The interactive elements are cute, but don't add a lot to the experience. You can use the touchpad (or download the mobile app) to perform perfunctory tasks like turning keys, opening doors and wiping fog from a mirror. Because it is all live-action I would get comfortable watching the movie, only for it to grind to a halt because it required my input. Thankfully these moments also allow you to have a little fun with those you are watching with - a squeaky chair when turned ineffectively instead of dramatically can be quite the mood-shattering goof.

There are plenty of dialogue choices. Rather than choosing the specific dialogue, you make choices like "confront", "question" or just choose topics of conversation like "photograph". It helps to maintain momentum.

I was impressed by how coherent the movie was despite the different choices made in both of my playthroughs. My partner controlled one of these, but made similar choices towards the end so I am unsure just how much the story can alter. For the most part it seems there are a number of major scenes you need to hit, but what happens inbetween is dependent on your decisions. I would be interested in doing a third playthrough where I actively work against the obvious solution to see what can happen.

Unfortunately there is no fast-forward or scene selection, so every playthrough is a 2 hour commitment. I liked Erica, but it definitely isn't a great film that I want to watch again and again. It is perfectly fine. Nothing more, nothing less. It is reasonably priced though, so check it out so we can get more of these badboys.