“Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo” is obviously an adaptation of the classic 1958 film of the same name. Developed Pendulo Studios and published by Microids. Vertigo is a narrative mystery game that places the players in the shoes of a few different characters, primarily of Ed Miller, a writer, who has just dealt with being in a terrible car accident but was miraculously unharmed. Dealing with the trauma and doing his best to recover the events of what took place, Ed develops a scary case of vertigo. Clearly this is a very different storyline from the film, I don’t know how many readers have seen the original film, my guess is not many. But where it differs from the story and characters, it still feels like something Hitchcock may have made.
There are two other characters you play as are Ed’s therapist and the local Sheriff. This is a very heavily narrative driven game, akin to the likes of many Telltale style games. So, if that’s what you’re into then this could be a fun playthrough for you. The game does a great job of recreating the atmosphere and overall vibe of the original film, and it captures the same sense of dread and paranoia that Hitchcock was known for. The visuals/graphics can be a lot to be desired though, it has its own unique, almost cartoony look to it that overall does work, but I’m picking up a heavy sense of unpolish. Granted, I’m sure the studio was small, the budget was probably equally as small, but figured it was still worth noting. The voice acting specifically is a very mixed bag, while sometimes the dialogue and execution is pretty great it randomly gets to be pretty cringe rather quickly, the child voice actor for the young version of Ed in the flashbacks are quite awful I’m sorry to say. I suspect the reasoning of these awkward performances could be due to the developers being from Madrid, and not all the nuances really translated as well over here.
The gameplay in “Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo” is rather basic, where you are primarily just wandering around looking for clues and initiating conversations with other characters. You will also be given timed prompts on the screen to move your joystick in various directions, it’s not really fun in that regard and feels it’s only in the game because if it wasn’t the gamer would often feel like you’re just constantly watching a movie. Everything is predetermined and your decisions don’t really have consequences. I wouldn’t be surprised if many fall off this game early, because the introduction, I’d say, even the first couple hours can be a bit of a chore and test your patience, but fortunately the deeper down the rabbit hole you go into the story, the more I myself became very captivated by it. The soundtrack is also excellent, with a mix of classic Hitchcockian scores and new compositions that perfectly capture the mood of the game.
So yeah, “Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo” certainly won’t be a game for everyone, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded with a very solid ending. So, it’s really a matter of what you like in your games, I often struggle with recommending a game that requires the player to devote multiple hours of their time before they decide on if it’s worth sticking around. Personally, for me, I love these types of games and this one barely passed to make the juice worth the squeeze. In the end, I’m glad I did, just know before starting what you’re getting yourself in for.
7/10
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Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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