Telling a story through a game, sometimes all it takes is a LeClue

JENNY LECLUE DETECTIVU REVIEW BY J. D. ESTRADA, PLAYED ON THE NINTENDO SWITCH

SYNOPSIS: You play as Jenny LeClue, an aspiring young detective and obsessive pursuer of the truth. But nothing exciting ever happens in her small town, and she longs for a real adventure. Jenny gets more than she bargains for when her mother is accused of murder! She embarks on a journey to uncover the truth, and soon discovers nothing in Arthurton is what it seems. Jenny must use her skills of deduction and face her demons to find the real killer and unravel Arthurton’s darker mysteries.

Developer: Mografi

Publisher: Mografi

Engine: Unity

Platforms: PlayStation 4, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Nintendo Switch, tvOS, Macintosh operating systems

Genres: Adventure game, Puzzle, Indie game, Action game, Casual game, Adventure

How often do you play a game which you’d love to see a movie or series adaptation? Not too often. Yet that’s exactly what happened to me while playing the extremely charming Jenny LeClue Detectivú developed by Mografi. 

STORY: Imagine a middle-grade detective story where you take the best elements of Nancy Drew and throw in some elements that would feel more in place with the series LOST. Add a dash of murder, and that’s a way to sum up what you get with this fun story. Actually, it’s a story within a story since Jenny LeClue is actually a series of detective novels that is right now fighting for survival. Arthur K. Finklestein is actually the author of the long running series and he has as much of an obsession with Jenny and her adventures as he does with jam.

There are three points where this game TRULY shines and the story is definitely one. It’s SO well written and fun. Characters are memorable and engaging and you’re left guessing whodunnit, what will happen next, and actually, what the hell is happening. It’s light but packs a punch and actually touches on some serious topics though never outstays its welcome. 

   Jenny herself is a little spitfire, cocksure, confident, brave, tenacious, and quite honestly, relentless. No is rarely an option she accepts and when she sets her mind to something, she gets things done. The mystery and cheeky quirky nature of Arthurton is also super lovely though I suspect the town could have even more personality the deeper we get into it.

VOICE ACTING: Second point where this game sets itself apart from a LOT of other games is in its stellar cast of voice actors. This has to be one of the 10 best voice acted games I’ve ever played and I’m not saying that lightly. Dialogue is snappy and clever and delivery from all characters is compelling and engaging, achieving top marks all around. The story has a unique voice as do all the characters, which is why I really think an adaptation could be brilliant. 

GRAPHIC STYLE AND ART DIRECTION: More and more, I see games that beyond cool graphics, they have their own unique style and directorial sensibilities that definitely catch the eye. Colors in Jenny LeClue are stunning and its style is unique and memorable. All characters have a lot of…well character and the views are often subtle and nuanced. How sometimes subtitles and text lines come into the scene are done with utmost care and everything looks in its place. I also have to say kudos because in my entire playthrough I didn’t have one gameplay or graphical glitch. 

A STORY MORE THAN A PUZZLING GAMEPLAY: Gameplay mechanics and puzzles aren’t ever too demanding but entertaining enough to feed into the story. That said, this isn’t a game you play for the game play. You play it for the story, the characters, the stickers and collectibles, and thennnnnnnn the gameplay.

This means that rarely is anything so demanding that you should get stuck and Jenny’s notebook does a good job of pointing you in the right way. It’s a game that doesn’t get in the way of the story. By this I mean you don’t die and rarely do you get really and truly stuck. Controls are responsive but it’s also not an extremely demanding game.

REPLAYABILITY: Taking about 10 or so hours, the story is so good and the dialogue and branching options so often that a replay is not out of the question. Plus, I’m sure most people who play will want to find all the stickers. 

WHO SHOULD GET AND PLAY THIS GAME: If you’re looking for a game whose mechanics aren’t too demanding with a middle-grade story that truly hooks you in, I think this is well worth your money. To give you my take, I’m checking out updates for the sequel and looking forward to getting it on launch day as soon as it hits I console I have. It’s a not-so-puzzling game with a puzzling story, lovely graphics and art direction, and a story I would happily read in book form. In regards to pricing, I often see it on sale on Steam and the Switch so put it on your favorite list and as soon as it says SALE, snap it up to get your sleuth on.

YOU CAN BUY THE GAME HERE FOR NINTENDO SWITCH USERS

YOU CAN BUY IT ON STEAM TO PLAY ONLINE HERE YOU CAN BUY IT ON GOG HERE