Martha is Dead
PlayStation 4
Before Playing:
This is a very random choice for me to make. Prior to picking it up, I knew nothing about the game. Didn't know what it was about, or if it was good or bad. In fact, I hadn't even heard of the game before. It was a game that I randomly tossed onto my GameFly list because the preview on their website "looked cool." I didn't expect to actually get the game, because it was on the bottom of my queue. But in true GameFly fashion, they sent it to me anyway.
I came into this game with an empty slate and an open mind. I quickly discovered that it is a walking simulator, somewhat similar to Gone Home, which I had played through last month. I really liked Gone Home, so my hopes for this were relatively high. How would I end up liking the game? Let's find out.
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Story:
This game certainly has one of the more unique settings I've experienced in a video game. It takes place on a vineyard in Tuscany, Italy, back in 1944. This is German occupied land. A family lives on this vineyard and is caught between two sides in the war. You play as Giulia. You have an identical twin named Martha. You have a tenuous relationship with your parents. The mother is crazy and the dad is working with the Germans.
One night, Martha is mysteriously killed. Since Giulia knows that the parents favor Martha over her, she pretends to be Martha, leading the parents to believe Giulia is dead. No one knows why "Giulia" was killed or who did it. Was it her sister? The parents? To add to the mystery, there is murderous ghost woman living in the woods. German and Italian troops pass through the area frequently also.
The story of the game revolves around Giulia acting as Martha, trying to solve the mystery. I won't recap every little thing, as I like to leave things to the reader's imagination when I write these reviews. But this is a very trippy story. You are led down so many paths. You never know what is real and what is not because the narrator is clearly suffering from some kind of mental illness and is very unreliable. Is the ghost on the lake even real? What's with the weird puppet shows? Is any of this real or all in my character's mind? Is the mom crazy, or am I?
I can't tell if the game is leaving things open to interpretation, or if I am just stupid. I admit: I am someone who likes a game's storyline to be laid out right in front of me in black and white. I don't like things to be left open to interpretation. I'm not a huge David Lynch guy, but this game at times gives some Lynch vibes. Is that what it is going for?
The game is very gruesome, also. I can't really describe what happens in detail because this blog platform likes to crack down on even the slightest mention of violence. But let me just say, I didn't expect to see such extreme body horror in this game as I did. It gives you the option to skip these scenes, but why the heck would I do that? I like that kind of thing.
As this is a walking simulator, there isn't much special about the actual gameplay. Your enjoyment of the game will fully depend on if you like the story or not. If this sounds interesting, you might like this game. If not, you can probably skip this game because its story is definitely the best thing about it.
Gameplay:
Like I said, this is a walking simulator. Don't expect to be too blown away by the gameplay. You walk around, you read things, you look at things. This isn't like Gone Home where you can pick up pretty much everything in the environment. Your interactions are limited to things that only make a difference in the storyline. Otherwise, you can just look at things and read their descriptions. This game is very light on actual gameplay.
One of the few actual gameplay mechanics is in the photography. Taking pictures and developing them is a big part of the story. Sorry to say, there isn't much to it. You can collect different lenses and mounting equipment for your camera, which makes it customizable. But the game pretty much holds your hand when you need to take a photo or develop them in the dark room. It is very easy to do.
The map for the game is relatively big. It covers the family's property and the surrounding areas. Most of it is wooded, but there is a lake and a stream that run through nearby. Other areas include a nearby cemetery, an abandoned German tunnel system, and some empty houses and fields that have been left behind. Aside from your family and the occasional German troop that comes through, the game does a very good job at making it feel like you're isolated and all alone out on this Italian villa. You can ride a bike around to get to your destination quicker, but is is clunky as hell to handle. Very awkward and janky. Almost makes it not worth using most of the time.
I suppose I have to mention the Morse Code segments of the game. I imagine this is probably the thing that people hated about the game the most. You have to send messages using Morse Code. Make one mistake, and you have to send the whole message again. What makes it tough is that the game never really explains how it works. So they just assume you know how to send messages using Morse Code? I saw the numbers and the symbols on the key you are supposed to use to decode the messages, but none of it made any sense. You can't use the key if it is never explained how it works. Once I looked online and figured out the method you use to send the code, it suddenly made sense and I was able to get through the Morse Code section pretty easily. But it was a bit tedious, and I can see a bunch of people saying F this and checking out at this part of the game.
That's all there really is to the game. Walk around, interact with things in the environment, like reading newspapers and making phone calls. Do the occasional task like taking a photo or sending a Morse Code message. The game's story propels you along. Expect to walk through the woods a lot. Expect to take some pictures. Expect to do a lot of reading and watching cutscenes, also. I've said many times: it's a walking simulator. Whether or not you like the game will mainly depend on if you will like the story ot not.
Graphics:
This game looks great. I don't even know what there is to criticize. Like I mentioned earlier, the setting is very unique, taking place on an Italian villa in 1944, near the end of WWII. The beauty of the villa comes to life when you walk outside and take in the spectacular view. At night, it becomes creepy and ominous, especially when you wander into the nearby woods. The feel of the game is very fairy tale-like, almost (but not quite) in a Pan's Labyrinth sort of way.
The interior of the house looks very realistic. If anything, it was intriguing to see the way these characters lived. It is very much a period piece.
But like I said, there isn't much to criticize here. Everything looks normal and "real" in a sense. It's a very PS4 game. Maybe in 20 years when someone reads this, they'll say "wow, the PS4 era's graphics sucked! How could you say this looks good??" But I'm totally content with what I'm seeing.
Sound:
The game has very good sound, as well. Voice acting is very good, although you'll be reading the subtitles because it is in Italian. What makes the audio stand out is the creepy atmosphere it helps create. There was one area, I believe it was the first time you go out into the woods, when I stopped to take a picture of something. The audio was pumping through my ear buds. It was quiet and peaceful, with the wind blowing and the crickets chirping. But then all of a sudden there is this guttural animal sound, almost like a bear or a large pig. It freaked me the hell out. The little hairs on my arms stood up. I started to panic because I was in the middle of taking a picture, which you do through a menu. I legit thought something was there and was going to get me.
But there wasn't.
That one single scary moment is what I'll remember the most about this game. Turns out, the monster noise is nothing to worry about. You'll randomly hear it from time to time, but you'll never encounter a monster.
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Overall:
I appreciate that this is such a unique experience. The setting, the story, everything. Well, not the gameplay. We've been there and done that with walking simulators over the years. But that's not what matters. It is the ambience, the story, and the general feel of the game. It's memorable. I may not have particularly liked this game, but I'll always remember it. That's a lot more than be said about most mediocre games.
Look, I wasn't thrilled with the gameplay. The story was a bit of a confusing mess. I do appreciate what this game was trying to do, but aside from a few shining moments, this game just wasn't for me. I'm not going to bash it and say it is a bad game, but it wasn't personally very rewarding, and I don't feel like I am ever going to put myself through playing this game again. It can be slow and very tedious at times. If the premise of the game and its gore and it's Lynchian mystery sound interesting - by all means. Check this out. But if not, you really aren't missing anything here.
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