Paradise Killer review

First Henry Division demons opened the gate to paradise and then murdered the council. Paradise number 24 has thus failed, it must move to a new island. To prevent a similar tragedy there, however, Lady Love Dies must first determine why Henry did all this. To do this, she talks to colorful cardboard cutouts and cracks nightmare computers... Don't even try to get a clear picture of Paradise Killer - just go with it, if you find the seemingly confused images and descriptions somehow appealing!

Don't worry: Paradise Killer is much less abstruse than it seems at first. It just takes a while to fully get into this idiosyncratic world. You first have to understand that it is an independent reality that exists beyond ours, although it could well be connected to it, that the names of people sound like procedures or descriptions of a vocation, that the cardboard actors mentioned represent characters, and that in theory you don't have to solve the murder case at all, but could go before the judge immediately after receiving the assignment and assign blame at will.

A central feature is great freedom with which Love Dies can move freely on the island, always talk to all the characters and start the trial at any time, which serves as the grand finale. Dialogues and perpetrators are always the same - you only decide who you want to condemn. Why you do that is completely up to you.

However, you need enough evidence if you want to make sure that the judge will convict an accused person. And you can find this evidence in numerous conversations with the ten or so suspects, some of whom incriminate themselves as well as each other. What of it corresponds to the truth, of course, you also have to investigate first.

The British indie studio Kaizen Game Works manages to keep the tension without overwhelming the players with a flood of information. One reason for this is the extremely well-sorted facts in LD's computer, called Starlight: All clues, traces, participants, and other data are automatically entered there so that you always have an overview of the often interwoven events.

Another reason is the constant deepening of the scenario, which Kaizen not only gives an eye-catching interface but above all a fascinating mythology.

The world is also interesting because you don't only find clues in conversations with suspects. To a large extent, you also get them while walking around freely.

Conclusion

All that is required is to run, click, run, click and in the end accuse someone of whose guilty verdict you have collected enough evidence. The conviction then takes care of itself. That may be fine in terms of a visual novel, but then why does the game suggest you have to solve a case? One puzzle piece constantly fits another as you stroll through abstract art to jazzy pop. This was a lot of fun and takes up by far the largest part of the game time, which is why I recommend Paradise Killer to anyone aware that they are getting involved in a kind of extended visual novel.