Post Mortem - PC

There aren't a massive number of games on the market in early 2003 that put all their focus into storytelling and investigation. Games like Cluedo and the X-Files are few and far between, so the release of Post Mortem - dig that sinister title - comes as a pleasant surprise.

A murder mystery on a PC, Post Mortem is a Cluedo-style adventure set in the 1920's. A retired American private detective, MacPherson, is hired by a mysterious yet sensuous lady, Sophia Blake, to find out who murdered her sister and her brother-in-law, the Whytes. The beheaded couple were killed in a mysterious ritual way in one of Paris' most luxurious hotels. In this rich and intriguing adventure, MacPherson will soon discover a world where bloody murders are committed according to ancestral mystic beliefs.

It's a thinker, this one. You'll won't spend your time combatting hordes of axe murderers and undercover assassins. Your job is purely to investigate. During your 'noir' adventure, you'll be interacting with around 20 non-playable characters, each with their own personality traits and who are all involved with the case. Largely, you'll find yourself chatting with colleagues, witnesses and other French folk to gain clues as to your next course of action. You'll need to follow your leads closely and keep an open mind if you're to eventually uncover the truth behind the murder.

With moody visuals and a genuinely creepy soundtrack and narrative, Post Mortem is definitely one of the most atmospheric games of 2003. more