Dead Secret

[Zombra]

Annnnnd game is released. 10% off until the 8th. Planning to play it (maybe even stream it) after sundown.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

So I finished DS: Circle the other day and it was very good. A bit buggy with occasional crashes, but that put aside the game was telling a satisfying murder story and the subtlety in writing and keeping the player guessing remains of a high standard. If you liked DS, you're gonna like this too but since its rather short (3-4 hours, a bit longer than the predecessor) and still buggy I'd recommend waiting for some more patches and a 50% discount.

The ending was properly wrapped up, satisfying and fairly anti-climatic. And Patricia is on her way to recovery again.



THE END

PS: Too bad the game sold like complete shit.

 

[Ivan]

I'll check it out. Thanks for recommending.

 

[Falksi]

Looks good, on it.

 

[Zombra]

I'll check it out. Thanks for recommending.

Looks good, on it.

If you guys didn't play the first game yet, do that before the sequel. DS Circle is jam packed with spoilers for Dead Secret.

 

[Zombra]

After waiting for a couple of important patches, I played and finished the game last night. Posted my exhausting/exhaustive Steam review this morning.

Excerpts:

What do we have here? A darn good sequel, with a few substantial improvements.

The most obvious superficial difference here is in the control scheme. Secret has been upgraded, from the first game's VR-centric "click to move" system, to a nice comfortable "first person shooter" WASD style.

Conversation. Unlike the original game, which focused on heroine Patricia Gable's internal musings and observations, Secret has a lively cast of characters who aren't shy about inviting you in for tea and a nice long talk. Previously, you could only get to know people through diaries, laboratory notes, correspondence, etc. That is all still here, along with the wonderful addition of speaking to them directly. You'll meet a diverse group of colorful personalities in the condemned apartment building. Although you have some choice about what to say, dialogues don't appear to branch meaningfully, and you will likely get the information you need either way.

So what about the story? As before, the narrative is lovingly crafted and doesn't spoon-feed you a solution. You will learn secrets about all the building's residents and will be gently guided to an understanding of the whole situation, and again as before, at the end of the game you are called upon to commit to a final accusation of one of your many suspects.

The first Dead Secret revolved around the heroine's subconscious, partly for thematic reasons and partly as a way to allow the developers to insert gameplay hints without breaking the setting. Here that strangeness is cranked up even higher. Many scenes are symbolic and non-literal in nature, which is wonderfully atmospheric, stylish, and thought-provoking. However, this does lead to some frustration when trying to understand the story more concretely.

Circle's runtime is about twice that of its predecessor; 6 hours of thorough investigation saw me to the end. As before, those hours are absolutely packed with content, and when I wasn't actively solving puzzles, conversing, or reading clues, the excellent music and creepy environment absolutely drenched me in the beautifully sinister ambience. Moment to moment, there is no better way to spend your gaming time.

Buy this full price, support these developers, and be prepared to pay attention. If you're smart, maybe you'll make the right decision at the end, like I did; if you're smarter, you just might figure out some of the story I missed.

 

[Zombra]

By the way, to anyone who played the sequel, I encourage you to leave a Steam review. Right now reviews show as Mixed because some people had early technical issues which have all (?) been patched out by now. With only a few reviews overall, a couple more thumbs ups might push it into Positive territory. Be a good citizen, support prestigious devs. Go leave a good review!

 

[Zombra]

Both games are 50% off for Halloween. Perfect if you'd like to celebrate with a slow burning thriller.