Paradise Killer - free-form, open-world investigation from Kaizen Game Works

[Alpan]

http://paradisekiller.com




https://af.gog.com/game/paradise_killer?as=1649904300

I played and finished this game over the weekend and find it to be the very definition of a hidden gem. It was released this month to fairly good reviews, but it is otherwise so little-known that not even the Codex has any mention of it anywhere. No wonder seeing as it's the UK-based studio's first game.

This is a murder investigation game, but it differs from most other investigation/detective games I've played in that it is nonlinear from the get go. It gives you the main crime, tasks you to solve it, and with an initial lead and list of suspects plops you down to an open-world island to figure it out at your leisure. And it really is an open world -- you can go anywhere from the start, and movement is unrestricted. There are no invisible barriers (except you can't swim, but water doesn't gate anything) and you even unlock the ability to double-jump and air-dash midway through the game. Even the investigation's end is determined by player choice, you need to figure out the conclusions yourself, and the game does not actually tell you (beyond what its characters tell you) whether you are right or wrong in the end.

Accompanying all this is an 80s/vaporwave-styled cosmic horror setting and a truly fantastic soundtrack. Just listen to this shit:



Definitely check this out if you're in the market for a quality investigation game. These people deserve the chance to make more games.

 

[WallaceChambers]

I was thinking about playing this game but the character designs are really bad to me and it turned me off. Might still check it out eventually.

 

[WallaceChambers]

There's an increasingly popular tumblr-ish, queer (i don't mean that in a derogatory sense, just that its popular within spaces that call themselves queer communities) aesthetic that looks very tacky to me. Bright gaudy neon colors, often clashing colors, anime style that still looks vaguely western, hipster-ish fashion and hairstyles that are typically overdesigned.

I can tolerate a certain level of it but Paradise Killer is teetering right on the edge of that for me.

I'm okay with this (Dustborn):

Still fine but getting there (2064 Read Only Memories):

Maybe too far (Paradise Killer):

Kill it with fire (Murder By Numbers):

Reading more about it, though, the gameplay does seem genuinely inspired and fun. Might have to bite the bullet and play it anyway. Perhaps the art will grow on me.

 

[Alpan]

I don't disagree with your identification of an overall trend. I will say, though the game is not infused by any SJW agenda, the appearances of the characters are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the weirdness on display in this game.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

Kill it with fire (Murder By Numbers):

Not that I don't disagree with your pyromania here, but that looks more like someone aping the style of Persona than the general "queer" artstyle. Not that that's necessarily two different things...

 

[HoboForEternity]

i'm enjoying it to play between breaks of pathologic 2. i plan to finish it before delving into this game truly.

it does gave me motion sickness for some reason. pixel hunting in FP perspective that require vertical movement hurts my brain

 

[HoboForEternity]

yup giving me motion sickness somehow. my head gets dizzy when i play

 

[V_K]

Kill it with fire (Murder By Numbers):

Interesting, I'm actually a lot less bothered by this than by Paradise Killer style, at least from the pics you posted. MbN is just typical "grown-up" anime style while PK to me looks way too derpy and exaggerated.

 

[vonAchdorf]

Kill it with fire (Murder By Numbers):

Not that I don't disagree with your pyromania here, but that looks more like someone aping the style of Persona than the general "queer" artstyle. Not that that's necessarily two different things...

Looks like a poor man's persona, yes. The guys in Paradise Killer look okay.

 

[WallaceChambers]

Interesting, I'm actually a lot less bothered by this than by Paradise Killer style, at least from the pics you posted. MbN is just typical "grown-up" anime style while PK to me looks way too derpy and exaggerated.

I find the colors a lot more garish and the aspect of them being over designed a lot worse. I think the MbN's artist has a better drawing style, as in the way they render figures, but I'm criticizing the designs first and foremost.

 

[taxalot]

You probably have never played 2064 if you think it's "still fine".

There's a scene where the blue robot wonders if he has to be a boy because it's blue, and a lady that fucks bear. If you find that disgusting, a character voiced by Jim Sterling tells you that you are a bigot.

 

[WallaceChambers]

You probably have never played 2064 if you think it's "still fine".

There's a scene where the blue robot wonders if he has to be a boy because it's blue, and a lady that fucks bear. If you find that disgusting, a character voiced by Jim Sterling tells you that you are a bigot.

My point is about the art so the content of the game's story isn't relevant. I have played 2064, though, and I liked it a lot. No idea what you're talking about with a lady that fucks bears? Also, Jim Sterling's character is an anti-hybrid bigot he doesn't really call you a bigot. He tries to win you over, if anything.

 

[taxalot]

You are not very good at reading subtext.

 

[WallaceChambers]

You are not very good at reading subtext.

Sure thing.

 

[Alpan]

Looking for an excuse to bump and show some appreciation for this game with a ringing endorsement from Codex waifu Mitsoda:

 

[Zyondyne]

Okay, so if I'm not really a fan of anime tropes (quite the opposite), would I still get to enjoy a great experience or...?

I can tolerate those, but only when the game is able to transcend them and become more than it meets the eye at first
sight.

...Is it more than it looks like, or we can put it in the same pot as...I don't know...Danganronpa?

 

[HoboForEternity]

Finished it. Got over the motion sickness by playing on TV with controller instead of mouse and monitor (dunno probably the fact you have less drastic range of movement plus screen to environment ratio with TV and controller)

Music is fucking banger, and it's on spotify too.

The game itself is nice, nothing too groundbreaking with nice tidbits of casual lovecraftian taste with vaporware style. The case itself is neat, the main problem is it's less detective-y more of pixel hunting/exploration. The evidence you collect told the plot too clearly, as long as you collect majority of them, you barely have to deduce anything. Compared to something like sherlock Holmes crime and punishment or obra dinn, you are more expected to diligently explore the island rather than deducing connections amd narrative based on pieces.

7/10

Music 10/10 will play this banger to commute tomorrow.

 

[pakoito]

Finished it too. Music 10/10, the plot unfolds just right. The only problem is that I came expecting a deduction game and it turned out to be exploration/collectathon. Some clues are not hinted at all and you have to roam around the map and stumble upon them. One of the key plot elements is literally under a random rock in a remote ledge you need an unrelated item to crack, without any references to it. Gabriel Knight's logic.

Music is fucking banger, and it's on spotify too.

The game itself is nice, nothing too groundbreaking with nice tidbits of casual lovecraftian taste with vaporware style. The case itself is neat, the main problem is it's less detective-y more of pixel hunting/exploration. The evidence you collect told the plot too clearly, as long as you collect majority of them, you barely have to deduce anything. Compared to something like sherlock Holmes crime and punishment or obra dinn, you are more expected to diligently explore the island rather than deducing connections amd narrative based on pieces.

7/10

Music 10/10 will play this banger to commute tomorrow.

I should have read this first. Can confirm word per word.

 

[HoboForEternity]

i really like the worldbuilding. it's kinda insane but works and somewhat makes sense, but also filled with details of its history especially if you bothers collecting the random collectibles and unlocking friendship dialogue with the people.

 

[Belegarsson]

This game devoured my entire weekend. Didn't expect half of it to be a collect-a-thon game but I absolutely enjoyed that part equally as the investigation.

Although

Spoiler

It's a bit weird that it's obvious Eyes Kiwami was Dainonigate's father, but LLD didn't acknowledge at the trial at all.

Lydia

Spoiler

I wish there was an option to exile her or something. The Day Breaks weren't the main conspirators, their crime wasn't as sinister as Yuri. Death sentence seems too harsh for them IMO

Also

Spoiler

Any idea who the Blood Bar patrons are?

 

[pakoito]

Lydia

Spoiler

I wish there was an option to exile her or something. The Day Breaks weren't the main conspirators, their crime wasn't as sinister as Yuri. Death sentence seems too harsh for them IMO

Spoiler

You can lie and blame their crimes on Yuri, who also had enough clues to be framed. After the game you can banish or kill any character you want.

Also

Spoiler

Any idea who the Blood Bar patrons are?

Spoiler

Other Syndicate members who were aware of the Witness conspiracy. One of them is the main character's ex-husband.

 

[GewuerzKahn]

This game devoured my entire weekend. Didn't expect half of it to be a collect-a-thon game but I absolutely enjoyed that part equally as the investigation.

Although

Spoiler

It's a bit weird that it's obvious Eyes Kiwami was Dainonigate's father, but LLD didn't acknowledge at the trial at all.

In my playthrough Lady Love Dies knew it and mentioned it in the trial (or I remember it wrong). Didn't you hack his grave?

I really loved collecting lore bits and clues in this game. The setting about a sociaty that kidnaps people to sacrifice them for gods is strange and intereseting. My GOTY.


edit:
Lydia

Spoiler

I wish there was an option to exile her or something. The Day Breaks weren't the main conspirators, their crime wasn't as sinister as Yuri. Death sentence seems too harsh for them IMO

Spoiler

This would be worse than death. They want to be free and explore other worlds. Living in exile would be torture.

 

[StaticSpine]

Does this game have any similarities with Danganronpa, VLR, or Ace Attorney?

 

[GewuerzKahn]

It's like Investigation in Danganronpa on an open island with a lot stuff to collect.

 

[Zombra]

Okay, so if I'm not really a fan of anime tropes (quite the opposite), would I still get to enjoy a great experience or...?
I can tolerate those, but only when the game is able to transcend them and become more than it meets the eye at first sight.
...Is it more than it looks like, or we can put it in the same pot as...I don't know...Danganronpa?

This game has nothing to do with anime or anime tropes. It's just a very weird science fiction world. More than anything I'm reminded of the alien worldbuilding style of E.Ψ.Ǝ: Divine Cybermancy. In both cases, such well realized, totally unique settings.