Martha Is Dead: Review

pczone.co.uk:

Before beginning this game, warnings assault the player’s senses from every angle. Adult material. Grown-up themes. Disturbing content. And having played it, it’s easy to see why.

From self-harm and child abuse to explicit gore that the player themselves conducts, this game has a lot to make you want to turn away. But you won’t be able to avert those innocent little eyes, not even for a second.

So this ain’t sugary Nintendo-style horror, it’s the real deal.

In the game’s opening scene, protagonist Giulia talks about what happened to her up to this point. Her character model is photo-realistic, with close-up shots of her scarred visage wrenching the player right into her dark, bloody world.

But as will be discovered throughout the 7-hour campaign, all is not as it seems, and Giulia’s mind is very much affected by events around her, rather than her just being innately unstable.

Navigating the world is intuitive and simple, as Giulia walks around her Italian villa, looking for clues to what happened. Her sister drowned, and she wanted to know why.

Objects of significance are highlighted with an arrow, and Giulia comments when an object is out of accessibility range, or the player needs to perform a certain action first.

There are no overly formal, annoying tutorials, and none are needed, as everything comes together quickly for the player to get on with the action and complete tasks to progress the story.

It’s as if this game wants to pull you deep into the murky depths below. Although the story is slow to get started, this is its strength, as once you have entered, you will never want to leave.

Seen through Giulia’s eyes, the player becomes part of a complex web of deceit and abuse, which eventually leads to Giulia discovering the