The Shivah

Do you have the chutzpah to uncover the mystery of Jack Lauder’s death? If so, this game is intended for you a real mensch.

This is a solid 10 oys out of 10 veys, defiitely recommend.

1. Rabbi Stone's Psyche: The Crisis of Faith as a Reflection of the Human Mind The core of The Shivah isn't the police mystery, but rather the mental state of Russell Stone. At the start of the game, Stone's synagogue is empty, his bank account is overdrawn, and his faith in the Creator seems to have vanished. From a psychological perspective, Stone suffers from what existentialist literature and cognitive psychology call existential hopelessness. What's fascinating is how the game connects this to Judaism: in Jewish tradition, arguing with God isn't a sin, it's a tradition. From Abraham interceding for Sodom to Job demanding answers, questioning is part of the soul's identity. Guilt and Remorse: When Stone learns that a former member of his congregation (Jack Lauder, with whom he parted on very bad terms) has been murdered and left him a large sum of money, his mind enters a brutal ethical conflict. Is it a blessing from Hashem or the price of blood? Guilt, a universal psychological element but deeply rooted in Judeo morality, acts as the driving force that compels him to investigate. 2. The Sons of Hashem Facing the Mirror: Identity and Responsibility The game portrays the co…

Maybe I'm just not used to this style of point-and-click detective game, but it was not a smooth experience even once I had figured out what to do. I *want* to like this and find it fun much more than I actually do.

pretty good game

[h1]Sights & Sounds[/h1] [h3]Very Wadjet Eye-ish[/h3] [list] [*] Unless you're Jewish, a New Yorker, or both, I don't think [i]Shivah[/i] is the sort of game that most people just stumble upon. If you've reached this point in the Wadjet Eye catalogue, it's likely because you're a fan of point and clicks, especially those from the mind of Dave Gilbert [*] If you've played the [i]Blackwell[/i] series, you've already seen a game with extremely similar visuals. I suspect that's because [i]Shivah[/i] was released in November 2006, while [i]The Blackwell Legacy[/i] was released just a month later [*] For those less devoted to Wadjet Eye history, their pixel-forward artstyle with cluttered backgrounds, diverse settings, a straight-on 2D perspective, and detailed character portraits harken back to the early days of PnC. They're like slightly more grounded pre-[i]Grim Fandango[/i] LucasArts PnCs [*] In any case, the design of your inventory, many of the assets, and the character models are all heavily reminiscent of the early [i]Blackwell[/i] games [*] Some of those similarities also bleed over to the music. Beyond the co-development of the two games, Peter Gresser composed the soundtracks …