Erica – Review

Visual novels and games from the Telltale series are often the go-to games for people who love story-based gaming experiences. While visual novels often adhere to only one path to follow, the Telltale games often allowed for many different choices, that would have consequences down the line. This time we are presented with Erica, which is a live-action experience, that also allows the viewer to make choices that will alter the course of the story. While we didn’t hear a lot about the game before its release, we were quite impressed with how well-crafted this interactive game ended up to be. As the game doesn’t really follow the traditional pylons of a normal game, we will not be dividing this review into the typical different categories.

The game’s protagonist will be Erica, who has lost both parents at a young age. We deduct this from the fact that the opening scene starts out with Erica and her father having a nice chat about her mother, who is clearly out of the picture. They talk about her as if she’s dead, and this is later confirmed. Mere moments later we see Erica discover the mutilated body of her father and a mysterious gunman behind her. She soon after wakes up, and we see an adult Erica, who seemingly is leading her own life. Sadly, before she knows it, she falls back down the rabbit hole, as she is being chased by a deranged killer and she is brought back to where it all began.

As the game is completely done with live-action footage, there is nothing truly worth mentioning about the graphical prowess of the game. The game does zoom in on certain sequences when you have to perform actions and they move very fluently, even if you tend to screw up your movements with the touchpad of the PS4 controller, or the touchscreen of your smartphone. While it would perhaps be a bit too much to say that the game is a cinematic masterpiece, it doesn’t come shy of being superbly filmed and executed from start to finish. The cast is also appealing, and there will be familiar faces in the movie. That being said, the game runs fluently, and the parts you’ll have to make your choices or perform actions are neatly embedded into the experience.

The usage of music in the game is fairly subtle and more in an atmospheric sense, which is appropriate, as it doesn’t distract too much. The cast does a superb job, and the setting is properly fleshed out. Those who are a bit squeamish might want to look away during some of the bloodier scenes, but overall the game is quite accessible to a (young) adult audience. It’s a proper Thriller experience from start to finish.

Controlling the game is done by either the touchpad of the PS4 controller, of the touchscreen of your smartphone. The latter is advised, not only because you can actually see where you have to swipe or touch, but also because the game advises it. That being said, you’ll often have to perform swipes, taps or a few occasional scrolls. The game doesn’t throw anything that complicated to you, which is certainly a plus, as you don’t want to lose the immersion of the cinematic experience. While some extra motions or mechanics could add for a few interesting features, the current simplicity works quite well too.

Erica does have a reasonable amount of replay value as the game offers you plenty of choices at certain key points in the game. One playthrough will give you about a fifth of the trophies available, this means there is a lot more to explore in the game. We reckon it’s not one of those games you’ll play several times in a row, but one you’d love to see what your friends pick when they’re at the helm of the adventure.

Conclusion

Erica is a great interactive experience. While for many it would still be considered a game, others will look at it as an interactive movie. Each side has its arguments, but we can conclude that the overall experience is intriguing and pleasant. You notice that your choices have an impact on the flow of the story, and the different outcomes create some replay value. Also, for the price that’s not a sixth of an AAA title, you can’t go wrong with this thrilling adventure.

Ibuki

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Aspiring ninja.

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