Paradise Killer

Genre: First-Person Open-World Graphic Adventure

Players: 1

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Review:

Paradise Killer is an Open-World Graphic Adventure that has you exploring an island, looking for clues, and interviewing suspects to determine the truth behind a supposed massacre of the island’s ruling council. I’m… fairly certain about this. Mostly. Probably. I hesitate to seem certain because so much about this game is inexplicably bizarre that it’s hard to be certain of anything. This game has been in early access of PC for a while, and released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2020.

In terms of presentation, Paradise Killer evokes a sort of feeling of a cyberspace vision of an amalgamation of 90s-era Miami and a Las Vegas-style resort, with players exploring a mostly-abandoned 3D island that is otherwise a fairly pristine paradise… a little too pristine, which given the game’s odd themes has me wondering if this game’s islands take place in some sort of virtual reality, or if they’re some sort of otherworldly simulation created by the demons targeting the island… but are they really demons, or do they represent some sort of nebulous malice, or perhaps computer viruses?

Okay, focus… the presentation… the 3D visuals mostly look pretty good, with a fair amount of detail and even a day-night cycle. However, the largely pristine environment and lack of people give the place a surreal sort of atmosphere, and that is only heightened by what few people are present, as those people are represented by 2D cutouts, often of individuals that only bear some slight resemblance to humans, as they may have animal heads, extra arms… I swear, this whole game feels like the result of some sort of fever dream or acid trip.

Conversations have occasional voice clips that sometimes mirror exactly what a person says in conversation, and at times seem to have little to do with what’s being said. In the first fifteen minutes or so I must have heard protagonist Lady Love Dies (oh yeah, all of the characters have odd names like this) utter “I don’t like that!” a half a dozen times. And while we’re talking about the sound, I should mention that the odd “90s Miami” feel to this game is heightened by the game’s soundtrack, which consists solely of synth-heavy smooth jazz tunes that… well, they’re decent enough, and certainly create a mood, so well done there, I suppose?

And the story… I’m… look, I can’t make heads or tails of what’s supposed to be going on here. You play as an investigator who was exiled from the islands some years ago for a transgression that characters refer to but whose full extent you’re not made privy to (I’m guessing until later in the game, but with this game, who knows) brought out of retirement to investigate the murders of those who run the islands, of which everyone is currently on the 24th iteration and preparing to move on to the 25th (one point in favor of the theory that this is some sort of simulation). The number of days of your exile is measured in the millions, but everyone on the island greets you like an old friend being let out of juvie after you did something slightly naughty.

I don’t know what’s happening here. The island is supposed to exist for the purpose of some sort of cult or something, seems to be littered with materialistic trinkets (all obscured behind a pixellation filter), your bestie is apparently a former assassin who now provides island transportation like Charon, but looking like some sort of punk glam clubgoer driving a cherry red Porsche-alike… and now my brain is melting again. This entire game is a mess of strange names, odd places, mystifying motives, and alien power dynamics that are a struggle to wrap your head around, and at some point I gave up trying.

Oh, there’s a strange laughing demon who keeps popping up, making nonsensical comments about art and philosophy and then vanishing in a small explosion of fire? Sure, why not, add it to the pile of things that don’t make sense. There’s a black market dealer who will sell me upgrades to my super-secret detective laptop that isn’t super-secret, but he demands I trade him crystals in exchange, which aforementioned demon has spread around the island randomly? Okay, fine, I don’t even care anymore.

If I could ignore these oddities and focus on the actual investigation stuff, that would be one thing, except this game seems designed to frustrate that purpose. The prime suspect is being held in an island facility, so how do I get there to interview him, exactly? Don’t know. I’ve been blocked off from parts of the island by the acting ruler appointed by the one in charge of the investigation, despite that I’m supposed to have full access. How do I go to meet with her to demand the access I’m due? Again, unclear. Perhaps I should look around the place to see if I can learn more about where things are and where I can go? In trying to do that, you discover that the entire island is laid out like an elaborate maze, and it’s not only easy to get lost, but simply getting from point A to point B can become an ordeal and the controls and default run speed feel clunky and slow. And then there’s the multitude of artifacts littering the place that seem to be there purely for world building, but I’m not sure just how much this actually helps when the world is so bizarre and seemingly random.

Okay, I’m gonna’ just end this review, because I’m not sure what more I can even say here that will be of any use. Paradise Killer is not a terrible game, but it is one that is very, very strange, and how well you handle such an inexplicable and alien world will be a huge factor in whether or not you enjoy this game. For those who don’t mind the bizarre, you’ll undoubtedly find Paradise Killer to be a fascinating game with a beautiful and interesting world, although even if this game’s brand of weird is your jam, you’ll still likely be frustrated with its mazelike world design and clunky movement.

tl;dr – Paradise Killer is an Open-World Graphic Adventure that has you exploring a bizarre island to solve an apparent series of murders. The world, characters, and story of this game are so bizarre that they’re difficult to wrap your head around, with the entire thing seemingly a computer simulation or a bad acid trip. Add to that a visually interesting presentation and some frustrating controls and world design and you have a truly mixed bag that is truly a love it or hate it experience.

Grade: C

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2020 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Most Overrated

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