The Detail is a modern take on a classic point-and-click adventure game done in the style of a visual novel. The Detail is very similar to the classic adventure game Police Quest that was released by Sierra during the mid-1980s.
The story unfolds much like a comic book. You take on the role of a hard-nosed detective that will stop at nothing to solve his case. But unlike previous point-and-click adventures, The Detail allows the player to experience the story as either a detective or a criminal. Whether you’re following protocol or being a belligerent cop and planting evidence on a suspect, the story changes based on the decisions being made.
A good portion of the gameplay is spent investigating locations and solving puzzles. The puzzles themselves are not particularly difficult to solve, but they do require some thinking. In fact, Some puzzles may even stump you for a short while. The difficulty is on par with most casual games, eliminating the frustration most hardcore games present.
There are times when The Detail’s gameplay feels linear, while other times it provides a tremendous amount of freedom to the player. It really depends on where you are during the story. The biggest issue is the story and how it’s separated into multiple chapters like a Telltale Game release. Since all the chapters are now available, you can play the game in its entirety as long as you buy the complete bundle. There is an option to buy the chapters individually in case you already own chapter one or you simply do not want to purchase the complete game.
The graphics are cell-shaded and resemble a comic book. Some people may be turned off by the graphics, but I assure you — they don’t deter from the game’s mature theme. In fact, they compliment the game’s atmosphere. The in-game soundtrack is breathtaking, as it resembles a musical score from a blockbuster movie. My only gripe is the lack of voice acting, which The Detail would have benefited from.
The Detail is a fantastic visual novel that provides a fun, but competent point-and-click adventure experience. There is a lot of reading involve, but the Sierra-like game mechanics set it apart from other games in the genre. If you’re looking for something different, The Detail will deliver without question.
James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: PC
System Requirements:
• Minimum:
◦ OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10
◦ Graphics: DX9 (shader model 2.0) capabilities; generally everything made since 2004 should work.
◦ DirectX: Version 9.0
Developer: Rival Games Ltd
Publisher: Rival Games Ltd
ESRB: N/A
Price: $16.99
The Detail Official Website: http://rival-games.com/
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| The graphics are absolutely beautiful. | |
| Sound |  |
| While the soundtrack is good, I would have preferred that voice acting narrated the conversations. | |
| Gameplay | |
| The game plays like a modern-day Police Quest. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| One of the best crime dramas currently available on PC. | |
