Carighan

Not sure how particulary I think about it.

I kinda agree though because, honestly, I genuinely like prodding at RL-issues in my video games, but if the best the writers can do is some MCU-level shit that I would expect in Forspoken or Fortnite, then I really wish they'd not. It just feels like making fun of transgender people with how terrible the scene's dialogue is (there's a video in the article).

Plus, as the update says, they couldn't even be arsed to search through the previous games for whether this was already talked about.

Sigh.

Still, the game is far better than I expected it to be, so this isn't just a rant, but I wish the dialogue in particular had decent writing behind it, it breaks immersion near-constantly even if the general scene and story were done well.

Slowly getting really excited for this. Between the demo and now the scenes showing here, I'm starting to really dig the new visuals, and the voice work in the playable part was fantastic.

More Max! 🏳️‍🌈

Game Information

Game Title: Shadows of Doubt

Platforms:

• PC (Apr 24, 2023)

Trailers:

• Shadows of Doubt Early Access Launch Trailer
• Shadows of Doubt: March 2022 Gameplay Video

Developer: ColePowered Games

Publisher: Fireshine Games

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 71 average - 67% recommended - 10 reviews

Critic Reviews

CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 4 / 10

Shadows of Doubt as an idea is incredible; even the PC version of the game is fantastic; the console version, however, is riddled with issues that make it almost unplayable in its current state.

Cerealkillerz - Julian Bieder - German - 8.4 / 10

Playing detective has never felt so organic! The procedurally generated map, which can be explored completely freely, offers a wide variety of ways to track down a perpetrator - or to end up in a dead end. Gameplay systems centred around stealth, profiling and physical confrontations and status effects, a social credit system or upgrading implants create a depth of gameplay that is unheard of in this genre. However, one drawback is the repetitive process of filling in the form at the end of the case. Shadows of Doubt is unfortunately still full of bugs and glitches in its current state, but this should be tolerated in case of the first fully-fledged sandbox detective game.

GamesRadar+ - Joel Franey - 3.5 / 5

What emerges is a genuinely impressive engine for generating narratives somewhere between Raymond Chandler and Philip K. Dick, but riddled with errors and overlooked features.

God is a Geek - Chris White - 8 / 10

Shadows of Doubt is an incredibly smart and intricate detective thriller, giving you tons of freedom that can be both a blessing and a curse.

God is a Geek - Chris White - 8 / 10

Shadows of Doubt may have a few problems that hold it back, but it's easily one of the most ambitious and exciting games of the year so far.

PC Gamer - Joshua Wolens - 83 / 100

One part detective sim and one part chaos generator, Shadows of Doubt lives up to its influences as an immersive sim that actually makes good on its ambitions.

Pro Game Guides - Connell Watson - 4.5 / 5

An extremely addictive and satisfying core gameplay loop combined with exceptional gameplay, immersion mechanics, an outstanding setting, and a strong, fitting visual style make this an indie title for the history books. There is nothing like this out there, and I'd be shocked if there's anything like this again.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Brendan Caldwell - Unscored

Being a hapless detective in this superior cyber-noir will see you battle with your own brain as well as the game's bugs. Just try not to break into the wrong apartment.

Use a Potion - 9 / 10

Shadows of Doubt is simply brilliant, with its sleuthing gameplay loop proving clever, creative, and unpredictable in design to ensure that each case you solve will keep you fully immersed in its fascinating world. I was constantly amazed at how deep each case would go, and with cities on offer that are packed with citizens to interrogate and locales to explore, it’s hard not to feel blown away by the scale of it all. I haven’t played anything quite like it before, and whilst it does have some imperfections and some cases can leave you flummoxed for a little longer than I’d have liked, Shadows of Doubt offers the best representation of ‘solving a murder’ that I’ve EVER seen in gaming.

XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 6 / 10

Shadows of Doubt should be great.  A lack of variety leads to repetition so quickly that I can’t recommend this 1.0 and console release.  If the devs continue supporting the game with new content, especially something more directed like the tutorial mission, then it could potentially become an indie classic.  For now, though the game is a mere shadow of its potential.

This is going to be one of those "Ubisoft investigates Ubisoft and found that Ubisoft did nothing wrong at Ubisoft"-situations, isn't it?

All as usual fairly pricey, but the desk mat in particular is pretty cool!

The really interesting part is IMO this one:

I personally always dislike it, too.

There are two reasons you might want to do this as a dev, of course. One of them I feel kinda half-asses your design, if you don't want to get a threat or failure during gameplay to get into the way of your storypacing, just make a visual novel. Or at least something like SOMA, Amnesia or Still Wakes The Deep.
Or alternatively, if you want to make a game explicitly made for children that's okay, but then also do the marketing a bit more kid-centric IMO. I dunno, maybe this one is actually genuinely meant for children, but some of the humor and writing doesn't feel that way if I'm honest. Princess Peach does this more thoroughly: It is the same "handholding 100% of the time", but it's also very obviously meant to be played primarily by relatively small children!

Text copied and pasted from the linked Steam update (there's also a video showcasing things):

Brand New Gameplay Presets

You wanted a challenge, more variety, and more control over... everything! So we've given it to you. Starting today you can modify your trips in the Zone with 7 new presets:

Pacific Drive

The standard Pacific Drive experience - a Pacific Drive through the Olympic Peninsula.
Scenic Tour

Crafting requirements, resource consumption, driving difficulty, hazards, dangers, storms, and damage are all lowered or disabled. The player cannot die. A scenic route through the story of Pacific Drive.
Joyride

The same gameplay and tension as Pacific Drive, but gathering, crafting, and research requirements are all lowered. Damage and failure penalties are minimal.
A Sunday Drive

Focus on the Olympic Peninsula with minimal interruptions
Nuclear Journey

Every map will be filled with low dose radiation that is harmful to the player. Storms are faster and stronger, hazards and damage are more plentiful. An unpredictable, irradiated journey that only the car can protect you from.
Mechanic's Road Trip

Terrain and the status of the car impact driving more. Items to repair the car are more costly to craft, and can't be crafted on a run. A challenging drive and susceptible car will provide a test of your forethought, problem solving, and automobile experience.
Olympic Gauntlet

All aspects of the game are much harder - An extreme gauntlet to challenge the most dedicated Breachers.
Iron Wagon

All aspects of the game are much harder, and failing a run will delete your save file. An extreme gauntlet to challenge the most dedicated Breachers, with no room for failure.

It doesn't end there though, you can create your own presets with over 50 new settings in addition to the base game's existing options. Tune and tweak your trips to be as punishing or as pain-free as you'd like, all from the same menu.

New Paintable Parts and Collectible Cosmetics

Unleash your inner artist and further customize your heroic wagon! Bumpers and wheels are now fully paintable. It's fully possible for you to create the best and brightest clown car station wagon imaginable, or black out your rig for a more Mad Max style adventure.

Along with the new paintable surfaces, we've add two new collectible cosmetics to find out on a trip - an antenna topper and mirror hanger that fit in pretty well with the surreal, fantastical elements of the Zone.

Play Custom Music from Local Storage (PC ONLY)

Now that you've got a custom car... how about some custom tunes? One of the most requested features from the community was the ability to use your own playlists and music in game - and we're happy to say that this feature is also included in todays update. For PC players, you can now load your local music into a folder via local storage and Pacific Drive will pull it into the game. You'll be able to kick back and listen to it in the garage via the Jukebox or out on the road through your old station wagon speakers.

Songs are loaded from `%localappdata%/PenDriverPro/Custom/Radio/` folder, and this feature supports .wav, .mp3, and .ogg files, as well as simple .m3u/.m3u8 files.
Playlist files may point to an external internet radio stream as well (if the stream type is supported).
Enabled in the Audio settings category, can choose to have no custom music (Default), a mixed playlist of default music and your custom set, or exclusively your own music.
Reminder:
If you are streaming the game or otherwise creating content, you could be at risk of DMCA strikes or content restrictions on platforms like Twitch and YouTube if you are playing copywritten music through Pacific Drive’s in game radio. Use this feature responsibly, and at your own risk.

The Anomalous Cosmetic Pack

Last but certainly not least... we have a new cosmetic DLC pack available! This Anomalous set features parts and decals that pay tribute to your favorite weirdness from out in the Zone.

Included in this cosmetic DLC:

Mailbox Bunny (Bobblehead)
Sawblade (Hood Ornament)
Tourist (Shifter)
Anchor (Steering Wheel)
Vacation (Sticker Pack)
Anomaly (Decal Kit)

Our paid cosmetic DLC packs allow Ironwood to continue to support the game with content updates just like this one! Stay tuned towards the end of the year for upcoming details about our Winter update and more - Pacific Drive just keeps getting bigger and better and we're very thankful that you're all along for the ride.

This emoji summarizes it perfectly: 🤢