Detective S ~ RIEview

 

A murder mystery game that is made by Korean company Rawhand Games, Detective S is a promising game elected as editor’s choice in the Play Store. Drawn to murder mystery games, I downloaded the game and subsequently drawn into the plot. Should you give Detective S a go?

Game Plot

S became a detective for one and one reason only – to catch the criminal that murdered her father 10 years ago. The only lead is a wooden button that her father left behind. Now 10 years later, the wooden button comes into the limelight again, only this time at a murder case’s crime scene. Sensing that something is afoot, Detective S races against time to find out the killer before more lives are taken.

While the main plot revolves around Detective S’s hunt for her father’s killer, as a detective she also has to solve cases that come her way. Each case comes with their own storyline, but it still adds to the overall main plot.

Verdict (5/5)

Detective S reminds me of Sherlock Holmes. It’s similar where there were all these seemingly standalone cases that happened, but turns out that there is a common thread that ties them together. For Detective S, the common thread is the harmless looking wooden button, and the killer behind it murdered her father. I was shocked to find out the identity of the killer is, but less so than the fact that there is a Season 2 on its way!

Character Diversity & Personality

Similar to ‘Normal Me and Abnormal Friends’, while Detective S is the main character, there are 3 other characters that have quite a huge role in the story: K, P, and O. Unlike most games, the writers for Detective S decide to only give letters as names. But names aside, each character brings with it a set of personalities and backstory that shape them who they are today. 

K is S’s assistant, who wants to be as great as S; P is a same-age friend as S, who works in the police force and thus working together on the cases; O and R are friends in the police force, who subsequently became a father figure to S after R was murdered. Together they are tested on their wits and their skills against an unseen foe...

Verdict (5/5)

Really well-written characters! S is one of my top favourite female protagonists so far; she’s level-headed, but she does have her emotional moments whenever she thinks back to how the police force failed to seek justice for one of their own. The good thing is that while she is independent, she was not carelessly written like a Mary Sue, but rather the writers ensured she is a character that knows when to get help from and working with others on the case.

Game & CG Art

As one who got into reading Line Webtoons, Detective S’s art reminds me of the kind that can be found on the webtoons. Each scene is carefully and beautifully drawn, which is essential as a Spot the Difference game. One thing that I didn’t really like was the expressions that the criminal sport once they are arrested; the faces look really unsettling, but I suppose given that it is drawn in the comic medium some exaggeration is needed?

Verdict (4.5/5)

Aside from my personal wishes that the developers would consider releasing a webtoon dedicated to Detective S, nevertheless the short comic strips will tide me over. For now.

Game Mechanics

Detective S is a Spot the Difference type of murder mystery game. Through each scene you will assist S in collecting all clues and evidence, which will be handy to narrow down the suspect and ultimately the murderer of the case. At the end of the case you can interrogate the suspects, and once you are confident on the identity of the murderer, proceed to arrest them by selecting: the suspect, the murder item, and supporting evidence of reason. 

The developers also introduced Slide Puzzles, a mini game that also consumes a heart per play. Depending on how fast you complete the puzzle a range of prizes you can win are: diamonds (used to unlock new cases or purchasing outfits), hearts, S skin card (to purchase S’s outfit), and/or P skin card (to purchase P’s outfit). 

You can change S’s and P’s outfit in the wardrobe. Upon purchasing a skin, a 4-cut cartoon related to the skin will be unlocked.

Verdict (5/5)

Detective S is a completely free game, but if you need hearts or diamonds you can always purchase with real money through the Shop. Players can watch ads 10 times a day to earn diamonds, while ads for hearts have unlimited chances in case you run out mid-scene. While I have no issues with the main game play, it is the slide puzzles that frustrate me. Even after looking up tutorials on how to play, I still can’t completely finish a play before the timer is up. Of course, because it is a mini game, it is not necessary to play unless your motive is collecting all S’s and P’s skins.

In-Game Event

N/A

As someone who downloaded Detective S when the latest release was Case No. 3 (see second photo), RawHand really did a great job on persistently translating and releasing new cases, ultimately wrapping up Season 1. Honestly, in my personal opinion, the ending in the epilogue is such a tease! Had it not been for the epilogue, I would've been content with how the story ended. Now though, I can't wait for the next season to come soon enough! 

As a translated game, there's always the challenge of translating the game to the localised language is tricky, and Detective S is no exception. Mainly the errors tend to happen with the pronouns, which can be confusing unless you read through the context carefully to discern who is speaking or who is being referred to. 

A simple and neat game for the murder mystery lovers out there. 

Will you give Detective S a try?

Happy Gaming!

~ RieRie