May Feature Entry: The Sexy Brutale

This is probably not about the endangered species you expected,
but at least you get to try saving them.

May 18th is Endangered Species Day, and it's harder than it might seem to find a game to fit that particular theme! Even so, I did come up with a few options and let some people select which one fit best. Like last time, I've listed the other options at the end of this entry in case you're interested!

The Sexy Brutale is a misleading title, perhaps making you think the game's content is inappropriate and/or scandalous. Well, the only scandal is that the guests of the titular casino (The Sexy Brutale) are being murdered by the staff. It's your job to relive the same day again and again to figure out how to prevent each murder and gain powers that will aid you in the following preventions.

In essence, this is what happens when you mix up Groundhog's Day, Clue, Phantom of the Opera, and puzzle games. Still with me? Good.

The game opens with a brief explanation:

...and proceeds to introduce you to yourself, the masked Lafcadio Boone. Your mask is plain with a bloody handprint on it, placed there by a creepy, red-glowing girl who appears to be dripping blood and disappears into a pool of blood on the floor. She explains that the handprint protects you and that the others will not be able to see you or chase after you -- which does not lessen the panic attack when they are in the same room and everything goes ominously red. I discovered that only means you're unable to see much and cannot take actions in the room when others are present.

However, even though you're unable to do things with the other guests or staff in the room, you have a wide variety of options available when you are by yourself -- and both a lot of time and not a lot of time in which to use them. At the start of the game, you have a broken pocketwatch which forces you to relive the hours of 12 pm to 5 pm. When 5 pm hits, you're dropped back at your original prone location and anything you picked up disappears. You essentially have to scout around a lot first, figure out where the objects are (and at what point they become available to grab!) and make use of them before your time runs out. 

The tutorial phase of the game equips you with all the skills necessary to prevent the first murder, as it limits you to a select few rooms and hallways. The further you progress, the more rooms and areas open up to you. The bloody girl explains what you need to do to prevent the murders, but apparently cannot help you directly or she'll be discovered. You're taught how to interact with objects, how to listen to footsteps in an adjacent area, how to spy through keyholes, how to hide, and how to beat feet through a door.

The game does a great job of making you want to play more, too. The first murder scene is in a beautiful chapel -- I mean, really, the artwork in this game is beautiful. And knowing that the rest of it takes place in the casino and that you're in a mansion... well, you just KNOW that there will be some great scenes to explore.

Now, once you finish that tutorial and save the first victim, it turns out that he was the clockmaker for the mysterious Marquis who is hosting everyone. Because of this, you can now make use of the clocks all over the mansion -- IF you can find their corresponding key so you can pick a new clock as your respawn area -- AND you finally get the full day to use instead of just 12 to 5 pm.

I haven't managed to play much further than this in the game yet (that is, I haven't saved any more lives because the next one you have to save two people at the same time and there are CCTV codes required, among other complications!), and I really don't want to spoil anything for anyone who might be interested in playing it. So this is where my screenshots end!

What else can I say about the game? Plenty!

The soundtrack. Guys. GUYS. This soundtrack is phenomenal. You can find it on YouTube, but be careful if you're avoiding spoilers because those are there as well. I would even caution you not to go listen to the music without being in the game -- something about the music and the ambience together is what really makes it work.

Even if puzzle games aren't your thing, I would suggest giving this game a try. If you don't want to invest, try a Let's Play and see if that piques you any!

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Those Other Games I Mentioned...

Feist

Feist -- A desperate, savage survival experience full of stunning visuals, dynamic creatures, and a haunting soundtrack. (Released Jul 2015, Mostly Positive reviews)

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty -- Once a happy floor waxer in Oddworld's biggest meat processing plant, Abe stumbles across his boss's secret plan to turn the factory's slave labor force into the latest in the RuptureFarms Tasty Treats line of novelty meat snacks. Abe now has to save his own skin from the grinders, but simply escaping the flesh farm is only the start of his Oddysee - for many dangers await Abe on his journey to discover his destiny. (Released Feb 2015, Very Positive reviews)

Redshirt

Redshirt -- A comedy sci-fi sim about social networking aboard a space station, starring the station's most ambitious low-ranking peon: you! Navigate the professional and interpersonal politics of the ubiquitous "Spacebook" to curry favor among friends and colleagues without dying when you're sent out on a mission. (Released Nov 2013, Mixed reviews)