Unheard

Whether it’s a wonky voice performance, silly mechanic, or the feeling that it ends far before it’s finished, Unheard fails to realize its maximum potential.

There are elements of Unheard that still befuddle me. Why did there have to be a framing narrative around testing a sci-fi sound machine? Why couldn’t this just be a series of devious chapters, full of double identities and swapped masterpieces? Ultimately, I don’t think some of the eccentric flourishes hurt the game. Unheard – Voices of Crime focuses on doing a few things well. The game rises to that very specific set of standards.

There are around 5 hours of gameplay as you go through the various chapters. Some chapters take longer than others depending on whether you have been standing in the right places to gather clues! The timelines are also varied with some chapters playing a longer scene than others.

This unique take on crime solving has you moving forward and back through the scene of the crime, relying on only audio as your guide

Unheard successfully challenges the player to solve mysteries by listening to conversations and should be in every gamer's library.

Sometimes a single good idea is enough to think out of the box and make a simple, but intriguing game. Unheard proves that listening can be as engaging as watching, but it lacks any kind of reward, making patience more valuable than skills.

While Unheard stumbles through a few technical issues, it's premise alone makes it thoroughly enjoyable. Though short, every minute of Unheard is packed with intrigue and there's something immensely satisfying about having that ah-ha moment when all the pieces click together.

I love the idea of using voices to find the truth, and I like the way that Unheard tells the story, very creative. Regrettably, the game is too easy to play, which means the puzzels are barely not challenging, and the stories are not impressive enough as well.