We now possess the technology, a concept once considered only in the realms of Minority Report and Tenet. Crime no longer goes unpunished, as we have the means to swiftly identify perpetrators. It’s time to don your eyewear and embrace your inner Horatio Caine as we step into Forest Grove, deploying our keen forensic expertise in the digital domain.
At first glance, you might assume that it is just another open-and-shut case which should take an episode to reveal the culprit. Developer Miga Games begs to differ, adopting a mega approach backed by Blowfish Studios and powered through the Unity Engine. Forest Grove is a first-person whodunit mystery game that requires keen observation skills, the ability to decode encrypted messages, as well as to utilise advanced forensic tools in dusting off for digital thumbprints. Set in the future world of 2072, you are an investigator with the Homeland Security team for Forest Grove Police Department, tasked to locate the whereabouts of one Zooey Kunstimatigard who has gone missing by her distraught parent Mary. When the report reaches you, it seems like your usual daily occurrence because teenage angst is nothing out of the ordinary. Until it dawned on you that she comes from THE Kunstimatigard family, famed for owning Artifical Gardens. Life has not been kind, however, as the patriarch (and father to Zooey), Max Kunstimatigard presumably took his own life in 2071 and custodianship was handed over to her stepmother Mary. Suddenly, this case just took on a whole new level of urgency and it is a race against time to find out the culprit.
Armed with your trusty tablet and state-of-the-art laboratory that can virtually recreate crime scenes without having to step outside, it is just like working from home. Assigned as a Remote Forensic Investigator (RFI) for this case, you are allowed to familiarise yourself with the array of technological aids through a quick tutorial session. For those who are experiencing difficulty using the keyboard, a controller option to replicate corresponding actions is available. Alternatively, you can adjust the mouse sensitivity to experience a better UX, an essential tip given that your tasks require identifying clues and examining them in detail. While certain items are given brief descriptions and logged into your digital logbook, others need scrutinizing and ascertain the identity of potential suspects. Like every intriguing crime episode, there are expected twists and turns along the way, such as deciphering distorted audio or shifting furniture around.
Never judge a book by its cover, the title could be part of that missing password or conceal that key which leads to your next clue. Most importantly, who is the prime suspect behind Zooey’s disappearance? Could it be a disgruntled boyfriend, the housekeeper who has seen everything or even… Mary? After all, she did put Zooey to bed. Your time is running out, and the clues gathered could either lead to a groundbreaking discovery or just another red herring. The people of Forest Grove demand answers, and it is your case right now.
Get plugged in via Steam and unearth the truth.
