Advertising has many ways to be effective. In the world of video games, having an impressive graphic section or being the product of a large studio is often a good example of how a product can attract the attention of players to try to find a niche among their libraries. .
However, these are not the only means used. The controversy can become a great claim for the consumer, and that was precisely what happened with Martha is Dead, a title that filled the headlines of the international press due to the use of images that led to its censorship on PlayStation 5. But , is it for that? Is the experience created by LKA worth it? To these answers and others we will respond in our martha is dead review.
the human horror
The story of Martha is Dead takes place in a beautiful Italian villa during World War II. In it, we will embody Giulia K., a girl tormented by the recent death of her sister Martha in strange circumstances, and who will take advantage of this tragedy to pass herself off as her late sister, in an attempt to achieve the love that has always been for her. denied since I was little.
Once “in the shoes of Martha”, Giulia will decide to embark on a path that allows her to discover what really happened to her sister, at which point the story of Martha is Dead really begins. On our way to discover the truth, we will not only find ourselves before classic paranormal phenomena of European folklore, but we will also have the Second World War as a backdrop, something that, despite not developing as much as it could, has an influence considerable in what happens in the title.
It is very important to note that Martha is Dead is not a horror game, at least not one to use. The story of LKA’s work is not intended to capture terrifying moments in the Outlast or Amnesia style, but what he really wants to show is the psychological terror that can affect anyone in the face of a traumatic event.
To do this, Martha is Dead makes use (among other things) of a element as controversial as gore has been. In its intention to make a person’s terrors or decisions visual, the Italian studio has captured elements that have earned it censorship on platforms like PlayStation, but that will be fully present on Xbox. The truth is that, despite there being times when the use of this element feels somewhat forced or unnecessary, there are others where LKA has been clever in its useserving as an enhancer of the sensations that what is happening in history creates in us.
However, it is also important to note that LKA’s work is not perfect, much less in the narrative section. Especially what can be criticized the study the most is that the final sensation is that there are elements that have not been used enoughbecause they have a base that could have been much more powerful.
Photography to the soul
Playably, Martha is Dead is far from a survival-horror or any other title in the horror genre. Although many users might expect to find themselves before a title in which they have to escape from a monster, the truth is that the title is more committed to being a narrative experience; namely, Martha is Dead is neither more nor less than a Walking Simulator with touches of psychological terror.
As is typical in the genre, when we control Giulia we will simply interact with our environment, being able to obtain an object that we can use later in the adventure or receiving information of interest for the story from the protagonist herself. However, Martha is Dead differs from other games in the genre by presenting an “open” world quite large for the genre, similar to what we could see in The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.
This allows that, in addition to following the main plot, we can also carry out a series of secondary missions that, although they do not have a direct impact on the story (at least not all of them), will serve for a better construction of the lore of the game. title. However, this also takes its toll on the game, since there are times when moving around the world becomes somewhat “heavy”, especially since the movement of our character is especially rough, something that negatively affects the walks that we take. we are forced to do.
But these are not the only playable elements present in the title. Giulia is a lover of photography, and this passion is transmitted to us in a playable way in the title, since we can use the camera of our protagonist to take snapshots of the world around usin addition to having a narrative importance that we prefer that you discover for yourselves.
Finally, there will also be certain moments in which we will have to use a kind of QTE, which, although it has been implemented in a simple way, is quite visual in the adventure, and it feels like a good addition to include variety in the section. playable.
the lady in white
As we have mentioned, European folklore is very present in the title, with stories such as those starring the Lady in White. Well, we could precisely make a similarity of this terrifying element with the technical section of the title. Martha is Dead is riddled with bugs, both visual and playable, tarnishing the adventure starring Giulia. Especially noticeable (and annoying) are the performance problems: frame instability, popping, stuttering, etc.
Despite this, the title offers a pretty good visual finish, also driven by an artistic section of a very good level, with a very well achieved recreation of the Tuscany region, which borders on excellence at the end of the adventure in a sequence that will not leave anyone indifferent.
The sound section, unlike the technical, is simply outstanding. The melodies present in the title feel especially well chosen, creating an atmosphere that almost always perfectly accompanies what we are seeing on the screen. In addition, it has really successful sound effects, such as those of the radio.
Conclusions
Martha is Dead has become relatively well known for the excessive use of gore that has put it on everyone’s lips. However, the truth is that the title is capable of offering a story that, although at times it may feel somewhat strange, is able to show the psychological terrors of people who have been through traumatic timesalthough it does so in a particularly virulent way at times.
The game has several problems, especially at the level of performance and playability, but that does not mean that Giulia’s story has considerable interest, enhanced at times in a way not seen in games of this genre, presenting a remarkable final stretch and that will be able to affect many players.