Developer: Spooky Doorway
Publisher: Akupara Games
Release Date: April 8th & 15, 2021
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
*Review code provided by the publisher*
Point & click games have always held a special place in my heart. I spent a lot of my childhood in front of the PC playing classics like Grim Fandango, Monkey Island and Full Throttle among others. For years it seemed like the genre was on life support, with no real quality releases to speak of. However, in recent years we have seen a bit of a renaissance with gems like A Journey Down, Her Majesty’s SPIFFING, the Wardrobe and even Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don’t Dry catching my eye. So when I saw the Darkside Detective and its sequel a Fumble in the Dark were coming to coming to PlayStation in back-to-back weeks I jumped at the chance to review them.
It is rare that I would group two games together for review, but given the close proximity of the releases on PlayStation and the fact that both games are nearly identical from a technical aspect, it feels fitting. The Darkside Detective series puts you in the shoes of Detective Francis McQueen, who along with Officer Patrick Dooley lead up the Darkside Division – investigating the paranormal.
Throughout the two games, you really see the bond between the main characters McQueen and Dooley. McQueen is the brains of the operation, while Dooley is only ever partially aware of what is going on… at best. They play off each other superbly and along with the stellar graphics, this is what makes the game so special.
Each of the two games tasks you with solving six main cases, although there is a total of nine adventures tied to the first game thanks to packed in DLC. Each case varies in length, but none should take you more than an hour thanks to some fairly logical puzzles. These cases take you all over. From the familiarity of your own Police station to a funfair and even across the Atlantic ocean to Ireland.
There are so many great locations that each come with hilarious dialogue throughout. My pick of the bunch though is the case ‘Royal Fumble’ which appears in the sequel. You are investigating some strange goings-on at a wrestling event. The number of inside gags and callbacks to legendary wrestlers had me snapping clips and screenshots galore.
The first thing that drew me into the game was the stunning pixel art aesthetic. At first glance, it looks like a game that would have been right at home in the early 1990s on the NES or SNES. I found it so impressive how the developers, Spooky Doorway, were able to convey objects so well with so few pixels. In almost every instance I knew exactly what I was looking at, despite said item often only consisting of about 10 pixels.
Gameplay is your standard point & click fare. Hovering over an item of interest will bring up some text alerting you what the item is. When talking to characters there are sometimes dialogue options you can explore to gain more information. Items in the world can be picked up and then either used on other objects or at times combined with other items in your inventory to augment it.
As a value proposition, the Darkside Detective is also a win. Each case may always play out the same way, but with so many excellent settings, characters and dialogue, I know I will be revisiting both of these games multiple times. Even in a one-and-done scenario though, £10 per title is more than fair. Trophy hunters will also be happy to hear that picking up ‘A Fumble in the Dark’ gives you access to both the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game.
Speaking of trophies, I come with both good and bad news on that front. Both games come with their own platinum, which was great to see. However, there does appear to be some glitches. In both games, I have been unable to pop specific cumulative trophies. A check of PSN Profiles does show that others have had more luck, so it could be that everything has to be done in a single run or certain order.
Ironically, in a year where we are starting to see both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X start to flex their power, the Darkside Detective and its sequel ‘a Fumble in the Dark’ are two games that will definitely be in my conversation for GOTY top 10. I would recommend both titles to anyone who is a fan of the point & click genre.
-Craig 🧐