The Silver Case

Suda 51's first game finally debuts on Western shores, the game fails to deliver on its best concepts.

An intriguing but often incoherent mystery that’s bogged down by long-winded dialogue and terrible puzzles.

The Silver Case is pure Goichi Suda, riveting and moody in idiosyncratic ways, but also frequently confounding

The Silver Case is best enjoyed as an intriguing historical document: a statement of intent from a developer that would go on to bigger and better things. Removed from that context, however, it is difficult to recommend. An utterly glacial pace combined with often nonsensical dialogue means the experience is dull at best – and frustrating at worst.

The Silver Case's uncanny brand of Erotic Grotesque Nonsense absolutely isn't for everyone, but those willing to penetrate its deliberately obtuse shell will find a deeply thoughtful mystery.

Although redesigned for a modern audience, much of The Silver Case is left behind in the past. The avant-garde storytelling and newly added chapters are the only things to properly stand the test of time.

Were one to be completely honest, the gameplay found in The Silver Case would garner it a middling score.

As noted, The Silver Case isn’t an experience that everyone will enjoy or want to engage with. I’ve seen people on Steam go so far as to request refunds because of the simple presence of the “solve the puzzle for me” button — it’s fair to say that people like that were never this game’s intended audience. If you’re up for what this game has to offer, though, which is a fascinating story told in a particularly fascinating way, you’ll have a thoroughly enjoyable time. And you’ll be left wanting more.

The Silver Case is an intriguing package that provides an insight in to the early works of Suda51, one of gaming’s more interesting personalities. The game might’ve aged but its quality still shines through.

While it's nice to see how far Suda 51 has come, only diehard adventure and Suda 51 fans will be able to appreciate this. The Silver Case hasn't aged well, and feels both clunky and underwhelming. This feels like a first attempt, and compared to many others, it's a novel one. Still, it's hard to appreciate the beauty of a mirror under all the dust, and The Silver Case is definitely a dusty one.