One of the best detective video games gets a sequel, as the follow-up to The Case Of The Golden Idol fast-forwards 200 years to offer some even stranger crime-solving mysteries.
We always feel guilty about criticising indie games, since we know they’re working to miniscule budgets and with often only a handful of developers. But the one thing we won’t give them any slack for is how terrible they are at choosing names. They’re either unmemorable, unpronounceable, or impossible to spell and with this one we kept having to check what it was called, even while we were still playing it.
The Rise Of The Golden Idol is the sequel to 2022’s The Case Of The Golden Idol, whose name we also took issue with, because anyone hearing it out of context would assume it to be an Indiana Jones style adventure and not, as it is, a detective game set in the 18th century.
We’ll excuse the naming problems for a second time though, because this sequel is (mostly) every bit as good as the original, but with a new 1970s setting, better graphics, a smoother interface, and an even greater number of weird and intriguing crimes to solve.
The Rise Of The Golden Idol might have virtually the same name as its predecessor but the amateurish-looking art style has been tightened up considerably, to the point where it hopefully won’t put anyone off buying it this time. It’s still reminiscent of Maniac Mansion and other very early Lucasfilm Games adventures though and that’s clearly not an accident, because the game also has similarities with the early days of point ‘n’ click adventures.
As in the last game, rather than one contiguous story, The Rise Of The Golden Idol is actually a series of connected scenarios (20 instead of the original’s 12) that slowly begin to draw together and reveal the idol’s role in the various misadventures.
Rather than playing as a Columbo-like figure you’re instead an unseen investigator, able to explore every element of a crime scene without interference, as it remains frozen in a two second time loop – usually just a few moments after the crime has occurred.
The two Golden Idol games play similarly to Return Of The Obra Dinn, the first game to turn the investigation and solving of murders into a compelling gameplay mechanic – one that could be solved and enjoyed by anyone, without being either frustratingly hard or trivially easy.
As you examine clues, keywords are added to your inventory and these can be used in whatever way you choose to create hypotheses and statements, which you can then test for accuracy. So, for example, ‘The victim wasshot in the head by a gun’. You start an investigation knowing nothing for certain and therefore also have to work out who everyone is, in terms of their name, occupation, and reason for being there.
The gameplay is fundamentally the same as the first game, but it’s been usefully streamlined, so that keywords are automatically added to your notes and there’s no longer a separate thinking screen where you construct your statements and theories. Given the setting, fingerprints are now a thing and many of the cases revolve around period-specific concepts like a photo shoot or a drive-in theatre, which weren’t around in the 1700s.
As you build an increasingly more complex picture of what’s happened you’re able to work towards a formal theory, explaining exactly what happened and why. That probably all sounds a little dry, as we explain it, but it’s really not, thanks to the game’s smart line in dark humour and the sheer oddness of each case.
It’s not just deaths you’re investigating this time round but that’s not necessarily a positive as a few of them feel like filler, since some don’t even involve an obvious crime. Although that’s partially to put you off the scent when you initially think nothing untoward has happened, until you begin to realise that foul play – and the idol – are afoot.
Importantly, there’s a flexible hint system that is very careful about what it tells you, asking you whether you want a clue about what question to ask, a general hint, or something more pointed. It never gives anything away completely, but it is still possible to bludgeon your way through, making educated guesses, which does seem to be an intractable problem with this style of detective game.
The game is also a little inconsistent in how well it explains the motivations of the different characters, to the point where it’s very difficult to say whether this is better or worse than its predecessor. There are just as many improvements as there are faults, so that it works out about even – which is fine because we’d recommend both of them anyway.
Rise Of The Golden Idol does feel more refined and it’s also got some standout moments that are better than anything in the original, such as where you’re examining a scene at two different times, to try and work out exactly what happened.
Detectives may be a staple of TV and movies, but they’ll never enjoy the same ubiquity in video games, for the simple reason that being a detective is hard. Nevertheless, Rise Of The Golden Idol tries to make the role as approachable as possible, while also keeping things entertaining and unpredictable.
We imagine developer Color Gray Games will try and go for a trilogy here, perhaps ending things in the present day, and we welcome that. Rise Of The Golden Idol isn’t the perfect detective game but like the perfect murder, such a thing may not exist.
The Rise Of The Golden Idol PS5 review summary
In Short: A solid follow-up to the original, which offers a more appealing art style and interface, as well as an even greater variety of macabre murders to puzzle over.
Pros: Great detective gameplay, that’s now more accessible and streamlined without dumbing down the mysteries. Lots of interesting one-off mechanics and fun period detail. Visuals are less off-putting than the first game.
Cons: Not every case is a winner and there’s no fundamental change in mechanics from the original. Some characters seem underdeveloped and it’s still possible to just guess solutions.
Score: 8/10
Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £15.99
Publisher: Playstack
Developer: Color Gray Games
Release Date: 12th November 2024
Age Rating: 12
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