One of my absolute favorite releases so far this year was The Secret of Chateau de Moreau. It had just about everything one could want in a casual adventure game: a ton of brain busting puzzles, expressive art, memorable characters to interact with, and a sprawling murder mystery to tie it all together. The one thing it lacked was an expert translation. Since our review, I couldn’t help but dream about how awesome it would be to jump into a game with all those elements and perfectly scripted dialogue!
If you’re like me, get ready, because Armor Games and The Super Flash Bros. plan on treating us to something special in Detective Grimoire: Secret of the Swamp! Not to be confused with the original Flash game, the iOS version of Detective Grimoire serves up a brand new adventure with much slicker production values and a fully voice-acted plot to boot. Having emerged triumphant from his investigation at the Coils & Co. Fairground, the scruffy and hat-challenged Detective Grimoire is apparently called in to solve another grisly tourist attraction murder — this time in the middle of a swamp. Naturally the elusive creature supposed to reside there is the main suspect, but this being a whodunnit, things are bound to get more complicated as the investigation kicks into full gear.
Judging from the first game and a seven minute preview reel of the upcoming title, Detective Grimoire will have the player moving from one site to the next in first person perspective, interviewing witnesses and getting their commentary on pertinent clues picked up during exploration. It appears as if gesture controls will be put well to use in puzzles and minigames that stand between Detective Grimoire and critical evidence.
It’s a well worn formula by now, but what’s sure to set Detective Grimoire apart from the crowd are its stylish story cutscenes, where the cast truly springs to life. The game’s soundtrack, composed by Raphael B. Meyer, was nominated for a Jerry Goldsmith Award at the VII International Film Music Festival earlier this summer, and it’s clear Detective Grimoire has superb voice acting to match. With a presentation as exquisite as this, you can bet Detective Grimoire will have iFanzine’s magnifying glass held closely up to it until release day.
Our sleuthing so far has uncovered a delicious trail of developer communications packed with concept art and early footage. Check out the game’s official site, the Super Flash Bros. developer blog, and their thread on TIGSource for lots more juicy details. Also, don’t forget to keep an eye on the devs’ Twitter account and Facebook page for the latest news!