Interactive novels are kind of a big deal on the other side of the Pacific, but here in the US they’re somewhat of an under-appreciated genre. I suppose most of the ADHD-riddled crop of modern American gamers just don’t have the patience to read, opting instead for a deluge of violence that bombards their eyes and ears with thousands of different shades of red and brown. Or maybe we’re just suckers for shit that blows up.
Even so, our obsession with ACTION!!!!!!!!!! doesn’t deter some developers from trying to introduce something a little different into the market. And thanks to the relatively new-found allure of digital distribution, a lot more people are willing to take more chances. Which is probably why EA actually bothered to release Cause of Death in the first place.
As you’ve probably deduced from the wordy intro, Cause of Death is what’s referred to as an interactive or visual novel. For those of you who’ve never heard of such a thing, it’s essentially a story told predominantly through text and static images (although some may use animation) that occasionally throws choices and dialogue trees at you in order to do that whole “interactive” thing. Small wonder why it’s not huge over here, right?
Despite the fact that it’s not a popular genre in the West, that doesn’t mean Cause of Death is the first of its kind to appear here. But while it may not be a brand new idea, it’s a very well implemented take on the concept and one most iDevice users would do well to try. Especially if any of you enjoy a good mystery.
What helps to set Cause of Death apart from the other games stories apps guys is the fact that the entire thing is handled much like a television series. You get access to the first “season,” which follows the hunt for a serial killer known as The Maskmaker, right from the start. Once you’re done or decide you’re ready to jump ahead, you can download the following week’s “episode” free of charge, with subsequent episodes for that season going up once a week. Of course the episodes (referred to as Chapters) are nowhere near as lengthy as an entire season. Still, each one should take roughly around a half hour to an hour to complete, depending on your choices, happiness with your overall score and whether or not you get yourself killed.
This initial game comes in two flavors: a free app that gives you access to the entirety of the first volume (composed of several chapters) with the occasional ad, and a paid version that includes the same exact content but cuts out the ads for a buck. You really can’t go wrong with either choice, but if you’d prefer your story to be “commercial free” I’d suggest you just let go of the stupid dollar. Besides, the ads will make the game crash if you’re in Airplane Mode or don’t have a signal. You should also be aware that while the paid version removes the ads from the first volume, any freebie chapters you download will still have ads. If you want them gone, you’ll have to purchase the ad-free versions which go for a dollar for two episodes. Personally I’m waiting to see if there’s going to be some sort of Full Season package deal once this second volume wraps-up.
Of course none of this business model would matter in the slightest if Cause of Death wasn’t interesting. Fortunately it is. Very much so, in fact. In all honesty, it’s not too much of a stretch to liken the first volume to playing through a season of such popular mystery shows as Bones or Castle. With a little bit of Heavy Rain (Lite) mixed in. Despite the lack of spoken dialogue it’s hard not to get sucked in to the story. And even with nothing more than a background image, a character portrait and a written description it’s just as easy to find yourself wincing involuntarily when a character meets with a gruesome end. Point of note: despite the lack of graphical violence, this is a very violent and rather disturbing tale. Not for the kiddies.
Gameplay isn’t all that heavy on the “play,” but it’s still in your best interest to pay attention. While you will spend a good portion of your time tapping the screen to advance the dialogue, you’re sometimes given a few choices about what your character will say next. Other times you’ll be given a very brief time limit to make your choices. These quick decisions will often (but not always) pop-up during action sequences, with a good choice keeping you alive, a bad choice impeding your progress and a really bad choice getting you and/or your partner killed. Often times in a very violent fashion. The funny thing is, the speedy choices add a real sense of urgency to these events. Especially when it’s your first time playing through the section. Sure, failure just puts you back to the last checkpoint, but knowing that probably won’t keep your heart from pounding while you face off against a sword-wielding assassin or have a shoot-out with members of a drug cartel.
Then, of course, there’s the story itself. And much like the TV shows it obviously uses as a basis, Cause of Death will keep you enthralled. Assuming you like mysteries, of course. Little by little you’ll learn more about each character and their motivations. You’ll slowly start to put the pieces to the larger puzzle together. And, also much like the TV shows it’s based on, it’ll leave you hanging on the edge of your seat until the next chapter is released.
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Things We Liked: Great story, interesting characters and some surprisingly exciting moments. Plenty of content to enjoy, with even more to come. Unlocking bonus scenes within each chapter is a nice touch.
Things We Disliked: Ads crash the game if you have no connection. Individual chapters in the second volume feel a little rushed.
Target Audience: Mystery lovers. People who enjoy a good story. Fans of interactive fiction.
(Cause of Death – Developer: EA Mobile. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Available for iOS devices. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)
