Murder Club

The Good
Murder Club is a enjoyable, well written murder-mystery adventure game that actually requires you to think and go through many of the same procedures and processes as real life police detectives.

The CD version uses some nice, for the early 1990s, still photographs. If you were seeing a CD-based game for the first time, back in the day , it was quite amazing.

Amazingly, the voice acting in this game is some of the best ever seen! Every since the CD revolution, bad, unintentionally funny or even painfully stereotypical accents/voice acting has plagued many games. Yet, the voice acting in this game is well done and actually helps the player get into the mood.

The Bad
The early 1990s, still photographic images will probably not impress those gamers who did not grow up with cartridge and floppy disk games. This is one game that really could benefit from a proper remake!

During your murder investigation you will come across an unsolved rape case. It is not exploitative, and was probably done to help create a realistic, modern day criminal justice system.

No doubt (in real life) not all crimes are solved and the wheels of fairness and justice do not always turn like they should. However, it was still uncomfortable.

I am not automatically opposed to 'gritty' or 'mature' subject matter in games. The unsolved rape case is not a major plot element and its too terribly exploitative.

Yes, its fiction and yes, violence against is a real problem. But it was still an uncomfortable to have the game allude to a fictional, unsolved rape and then forget about it.

Maybe it will be less so today, when female characters in computer and video games are less likely to be helpless victims or damsels in distress.

Maybe, maybe not. It certainly makes you think about gender issues within the gaming industry. At any rate, this game is certainly not for kids; 'viewer discretion is advised'.

The Bottom Line
Murder Club was a forerunner into the union of CD storage capacity and adventure gaming. If the still photographs do not impress, the voice acting, writing and dedication to police procedure certainly should.

Murder Club is not for children. It is, after all, a murder mystery set in the late 20th century. In the era of 'Grand Theft Auto', it may seem quite tame but it does make mention of an unsolved, fictional rape.