If criminal investigators could go back in time to understand their cases, it would make their job a lot easier. In Crime O'Clock, that dream has come true.
THE GAME
Crime O'Clock is an investigative game developed by Bad Seed and distributed by Just For Games. As an investigator working through time and allied with an artificial intelligence called EVE, you must stop crimes that have been taking place throughout the ages, caused by strange forces. Look for your targets and clues amid scenes full of people and objects. Protect the timeline so the future is safe.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I love games that make you look for a needle in a haystack, like the classic Where's Wally? books do. And that's how Crime O'Clock got my attention. However, it's more than just a static scene with elements to look for. You have the same scenario with ten different moments in time to unravel the events.
The story even holds you in the beginning, but as it goes on, it gets repetitive and boring, with more text than gameplay. The way the game is conducted bothered me a lot, as if I were being held by the hand to get from point A to point B. Also, the pace at which things happen is slow. Adding these two factors, it gives a feeling of not having freedom to do much. Do what you're told now, finish it and move on to the next task. Your character has no lines, which makes the game even more of a massive EVE monologue. The game is in Portuguese-Brazil, which makes it easy to follow the story and know what your objective is in each mission.
The mechanic of finding elements on the map is simple, but when more mechanics are implemented, like being able to see inside houses and objects, I had moments of frustration. I found what was proposed, but the tool that the game required to solve it had to be used. I understand the proposal, but I think that just selecting with the basic tool should work. It's wanting to complicate where you don't need to. In addition, there are minigames during the stages that, in my opinion, are boring and break the rhythm of the game.
The art in the game is very beautiful and stylish. At various times you will find different characters from series, movies, cartoons and animes walking around the scene. By the way, there are many references to pop culture in the main story, even too many, I would say. When it appears the first time, it's cool, but when it's repeated a few times, including being part of the game's story, there's a feeling of lack of originality. When finishing the main story, you can go back in each era and look for some characters that are proposed, telling small stories about them. Here, you only need to find each character in ten moments of that scenario, which is much more pleasant and dynamic.
I confess that I had a totally different expectation about what I would find in Crime O'Clock. I thought I would have more freedom and more fun. Don't get me wrong, I liked the game, but some moments left me a little frustrated, in addition to the very loaded texts during the phases that I didn't like. Still, it's a fun game.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Most of the achievements are linked to the main story. Just complete the game and you'll have unlocked most of them. After that, to do 100%, go back in each era and find all requested characters. It takes a while, but completing all the Crime O'Clock achievements is far from difficult.
CONCLUSION
Maybe my expectations got in the way a little bit about how I saw the game. In my head, it would be something more dynamic, but I came across a lot of texts, which seemed to fit in at the wrong times, which broke the rhythm of the game. And the story isn't bad, despite being predictable, it even manages to have moments where you question yourself about some principles. However, the game slows down.
Still, you manage to have fun in the investigation. Therefore, I recommend playing in small doses and savoring the game little by little. Phases last between 15 and 25 minutes, depending on your skill. As I played in long sessions, this may have influenced the perception of the game being tiring.
Anyway, Crime O'Clock has its charm and merit, made with care and innovating the style of looking for elements in a scenario full of things. There aren't that many games in this style with such high quality, so it's a pleasant surprise to have a well-crafted game like this.
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