The Posthumous Investigation Review
An Intriguing Mystery to solve.
The Posthumous Investigation. Credit: CriticalLeap, Infini Fun
You play the role of a detective in 1937 Rio de Janeiro. The Posthumous Investigation takes the idea of Groundhog Day movie and blends it into a stylish detective noir game . You will meet and question 14 characters, inspired by the characters from Machado de Assis, a Brazilian writer. Each suspect has unique mannerisms such as a laugh or scowl and have a direct relationship to the deceased- Brás Cubas.
Collect evidence, ask questions to collect statements and unravel the complex relationships for these individuals. Some are family, others are acquaintances.
The Posthumous Investigation. Credit: CriticalLeap, Infini Fun
At certain times of day, you can collect items or visit places that are active only at night such as the nightclub. There are hints for how to proceed and the player can choose not to read them for an additional challenge.
Detective and Time elements:
When the time reaches midnight, you restart the day with the knowledge previous loops so you need to plan what people to visit. dead, Statements made by individuals are used to make deductions to connect characters and understand their relationships for the detective evidence board.
There are unlimited attempts to collect new information so players can play the game at a pace they are comfortable with. Explore various locations including Downtown and the harbor and player uses a taxi to move to each area.
You can ask questions, show them an item and and ask for info, and directly interrogate them about another character. After finding new evidence or statements, it gets added to your record.
An intricate web of developments is made after finding new evidence. Finding the killer is not as simple as it seems since there are multiple possible suspects with motives for killing Brás Cubas. You will slowly learn what happened and who he met on the day he was murdered.
Other Comments:
Like a majority of adventure games, there is some backtracking. There are a few puzzles that require the player to combine items, but sufficient information is provided to avoid frustration. Luckily, there is a fast forward feature for timed events and run ability so players that want to get to their destination at a faster pace can do so. If its late in the day and you want, you can skip to midnight.
My main complaint is the player sometimes needs to read through the same text to get food from Helena’s cafe to proceed with the investigation.
Conclusion:
Offers a nice mix of detective and adventure elements. With 10 hours of content, it offers a fulfilling experience exploring the world of 1937 Rio de Janeiro. Puzzles are not too complicated and flow within the pace of the story. Each suspect has their own motive for murdering Brás Cubas and the clues will keep the player guessing until they build a strong case to solve it.
The Posthumous Investigation
A Detailed, noir detective game that will keep you guessing.