21 Jul 2015

Game review: Her Story

9:08 am on 21 July 2015

Score: 9/10

Pros:

Unique narrative form
Next level engagement
Video performance

Cons:

Somewhat generic story

Developed and Published by Sam Barlow
PC, Mac, IOS

Her Story is an incredibly unique game created by one man, Sam Barlow, from the UK. You take on the role of a detective reviewing the interviews of a murder case and must piece together the story by carefully listening, analysing and deducing the testimony. The trick is, however, that to access these videos you must input a keyword or phrase for the files in the database where that word is said to appear.

The story is undoubtedly intriguing, with the twists, turns and revelations of this murder mystery always being amply compelling to keep you searching. But in terms of a murder mystery narrative, though it is absorbing and well written, it’s still pretty standard fare.

But it’s not the story itself that makes the plot so amazing, rather it is the unique way in which the story is communicated that makes the experience so extraordinary. The search mechanic is such a simple idea that has a truly profound effect on the narrative. What would have been a rather boring interview in sequence, becomes a rapturously engaging and intriguing narrative when you are looking for keywords and narrative threads in each video.

This game is best played with a pad of paper beside you so that you can jot down words, themes and ideas that you think could lead to more footage, or reveal aspects of the mystery.

The story is complex and intricate, but that's what makes this narrative form so amazing. If this had been a passive experience the complexity would have been alienating, but the process of searching like this engages your brain in ways that no book or TV show have ever been able to do before.

You are an active participant in the story and, as such, you feel your brain works harder to make connections and deductions about the common thematic threads and events.

Another wholly unique aspect of Her Story is the fact that all the footage is live recordings of an actress’ performance. This decision aids the narrative in many ways, but primarily it works simply because it adds to the realism of your search, making you feel more invested than you might if the interviews were animated or computer generated.

Her Story is a gaming experience where the only bar to entry is the ability to Google. It is one of those once in a blue moon experiences that pushes the boundaries of what we consider possible in a medium. This is a game that everyone can and absolutely should play.    

Review by Baz Macdonald aka @kaabazmac

This content is brought to you with funding support from New Zealand On Air.