Inspector Schmidt - A Bavarian Tale

This falls into that difficult category of, "I really liked it but it's hard to recommend." One of the tough things I've found about these kinds of detective games is that suggesting an LP really removes a lot of the choice elements that make them compelling. I do think going along for the ride with this one would still be worthwhile because the mystery was just great, but a lot of its tone is definitely tied up in the different ways you can choose to pursue the plot and you do lose that with an LP. Let's get the bad out of the way: the technical aspects of this game are terrible. It's so poorly optimized that my computer was insanely overheated the entire time I was playing in a way it hasn't been with any other game. For a game that looks and plays like Morrowind but came out in 2023, that's mind-boggling. Further, there's just a real excess of gameplay elements. I don't know that much about the engine that was used, but I wonder if some of the gameplay pieces here were premade and included because they could be, as I can't come up with any other reason for the surfeit of systems in place here. The entire item-collecting and barter mechanic was pointless; the vast, vast majority…

This game is hilariously funny and the team captured the bavarian culture & humour really well! The game feels like a quirky but intriguing mix of Heavy Rain, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Majora's Mask & the Bavarian "Eberhofer" book/movie series. I really love that decisions have a real impact on the players ability to guide conversations & the outcome of the game. To spice it up they also added D&D style skill checks with dices which can be counteracted with items & crafting, which adds a nice layer of depth to the game mechanics. The voiceovers are very well done, sympathetic and funny, especially in bavarian german! The music is fun as well with some real bangers too but it can get a bit repetitive (it's like the "500 miles" song in the roadtrip episode of "How I Met Your Mother", one moment you love it, then hate it and then love it again :D) While the game does have perf issues & a couple recurring bugs, they didn't distract too much from the experience and it's an impressive achievement that the team has managed to pull this off for their very first video game. Overall, this is definitely a hidden gem and I would recommend picking it up, especially if you're familiar with th…

Thought it would be funny, ended up really liking the game (as a born bavarian, that hasn't lived there since starting uni). Kind of sentimental for me too. 8/10 Schwammerl.

This was ... not what I expected. I thought I had another point and click adventure at my hands. Instead I was thrown into a Gothic-esque 3rd person action adventure detective game, with skill checks that seem to be inspired by the german TTRPG "The Dark Eye", or Das Schwarze Auge, as it is known in Germany. This game has a lot of jank, but also a certain charm to it that kept me going back and bang my head against the mystery in front of me. I went away satisfied.

Nearly unplayable with the performance issues despite very good pc specs. Also got a game breaking bug right at the beginning it seems? Not worth it.

Very neat little game. Some glitches here and there but nothing game breaking. Much attention to the atmosphere and a really engaging story. Enjoyed it very much.