Murderous Muses | PS5 Review
There’s something oddly cozy about sitting down with a murder mystery. Gathering clues, analyzing the suspects, and coming to my own conclusion about the identity of the culprit always proves satisfactory. D’Avekki Studios’ latest title Murderous Muses gave me exactly what I was hoping for, along with a few extra wonderful gameplay mechanics. This is a true gem of an experience that is extremely rewarding for those who dare to dive in.
The First Suspect
Murderous Muses places you in the shoes of a security guard working the night shift at an art gallery. You’re tasked by your friend Sasha to hang six pieces of artwork per night, in preparation for an upcoming exhibit. The kicker? The artist of the pieces, Mordechai Grey, was mysteriously murdered a year prior… and the culprit is one of the six individuals he painted a portrait of. It’s up to you to try to figure out which muse is the killer before the exhibition kicks off. To achieve this, you need to thoroughly explore the gallery and solve puzzles to gain crucial clues.
The Next Great Detective
The addition of FMV interviews told through the portraits of the suspects is an absolute delight, and an in-game TV program highlighting Mordechai’s murder is both a welcome addition and an important source of clues. These segments are wonderfully acted, and feel nuanced and natural. The true beauty of Murderous Muses, though? Everything is completely up to you. This game doesn’t hold your hand at all, and you’re free to take as long or as little as you’d like to solve the case. Absorb every little detail you’re given or ignore everything besides the main interrogations. You don’t even have to solve the puzzles or unlock the interview segments if you don’t want to. I don’t recommend going that route, but the freedom that the game affords the player is outstanding. I did find some of the puzzles to be extremely challenging, but each was solvable (even if I did curse at some). As someone who isn’t the best at finding the solutions to puzzles, these still felt accessible enough to complete while also offering a profound feeling of satisfaction after solving them.
Going back to the immense freedom that Murderous Muses gives the player, I did find my first run to be somewhat overwhelming. I had no idea where to go or what to do, but I came to appreciate this aspect as the pieces finally clicked in my brain. My second run was quicker and smoother as I knew what to do, but it was still fresh due to the game having procedurally generated elements. The puzzles, order of the paintings, clues, and killer change each run. This adds a wonderful amount of replayability and encourages the player to go through multiple times to find every single morsel Murderous Muses has hidden in its narrative.
The Final Verdict
I had a wonderful time playing Murderous Muses. The challenging puzzles, clever interview segments, and open nature of the game made me feel like a genius when I finally cracked the case. My first run took about 3 hours to complete, with my second halving that time. I appreciated the procedurally generated gameplay mechanics and the completely different scenarios that I was tasked with solving each playthrough. The sheer amount of freedom may be overwhelming for some players, but if you’re prepared to lace up your brand new gumshoes, Murderous Muses is a delightful murder mystery.
To hear me talk more about Murderous Muses, be sure to listen to the April 12, 2023 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast.
This review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy of Murderous Muses provided by D’Avekki Studios for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox, Mac, and PC via Steam. It is also coming to Nintendo Switch at a later date.
Murderous Muses
$13.99
Pros
- A Fascinating Murder Mystery
- Fantastic Performances in FMV Segments
- Challenging Yet Rewarding Puzzles
- Procedurally Generated Elements Keep Each Run Fresh
Cons
- May Be a Little Too Open for Some Players
