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Secrets & Diplomacy

  • Kryzz333
  • 02/15/2021 10:36 PM
  • 349 views

Introduction:


Lockheart Indigo is an 8-bit psychological thriller in which we control the clever Beatrice Summers, a detective hired to investigate a murder in a family of industrial magnates. Evan Volkov, the head of the family, was killed with a knife in his private part of the mansion, and his body, having lost over a gallon of blood, was dragged into the living room, leaving a trail of blood on the white floor along the way. Nobody saw the perpetrator. In order to find him, Beatrice is hired by Aya, the wife of the deceased, who is started being suspected for the murder.



The Mansion:

The action of the game takes place entirely in the Volkov mansion. It is an unusual place. In front of the building there are gardens full of roses and graves of family members, many of them dating back to the nineteenth century and inscriptions often showing short lifespans. In the interior, however, we will see both unusual technology and splendor. Many doors, each belonging to one of the colored types, are initially closed to us. Keys obtained during the game will allow to open one of the door types, which reveals new sections scattered around the building. Before this happens, at best we can only see a part of the uncharted room. While visiting the building, we will meet many butlers and regular employees who give simple hints, we will also take on a few simple mini-games, such as moving crates or avoiding enemies in the later stages. For this reason, the game resembles classic jRPGs, also because of the atmospheric and original 8-bit music. The fusion of Zelda-like exploration mechanics with a crime game works here greatly.




The Diplomacy:


Lockheart Indigo's story is closely related to its mechanics and background. There is an atmosphere of mystery and melancholy throughout the game, Evan's relatives and associates are suspicious or hostile towards us, and the family begins to split into factions. The mansion in a way is one of the characters of the game - ironically the sum of its secrets, such as on what Volkovs made fortune - exceeds the secrets of the individual characters.

Interrogating witnesses and suspects is, however, the basic mechanic of the game that replaces combat. Each of the ten unique characters will have to be "defeated" at least once, that is, convinced to cooperate with Beatrice.

Usually, the reward is a key that will allow to open one of the door types. To do this, you need to present evidence that is important for a person, and then use appropriate persuasion skills avalible to Beatrice.

Because each character has their own character and weaknesses that the detective must take advantage of. However, if we choose the wrong moves, we will be mocked or ignored and lose "life points". If they drop to zero, you will have to start the multi-stage dialouge again. The system is quite interesting, rewarding the player's intelligence and cautiousness, but sometimes the choices are so enigmatic that one has to guess which skill to use, and that can be annoying.




The Characters:


The characters themselves are decent. Taken individually, they are quite interesting, each with animated graphics, well-written dialogues and a distinctive speaking style.

Unfortunately, most of them are quite archetypal (cunning and confident businessman, shy scientist) and there are two pairs of characters in the game who are very similar to each other (even in appearance). We don't spend too much time with them either, because the game only lasts three hours, so before we get to really know them the story is over.

Ultimately, the strongest character is Beatrice herself, who is a clever and cunning heroine. Unlike many other protagonists, she is not afraid of coldly calculating her interest or changing the sides of the barricade. On the other hand, she clearly does not lack humanity and positive motivations. Her character shines when she meets a strong opponent or faces death.

The really great moments in the story are when she has to pull herself together and analyze her situation to avert the threat.

In addition to what I have already written, we are dealing with a fairly classic detective story, in which the motives are jealousy, greed and loneliness. The plot twists are solid, the story has a solid ending, but ultimately the Volkov secrets aren't fully explained, leaving a bad aftertaste.


Conclusion:


After all, Lockheart Indigo is a good, but not perfect project, that is worth paying attention to. Personally, I was positively surprised by the game and the interests for it only grew while playing.