Memoirs of Murder: Welcome to Hidden Pines – Review

Two new series from Eipix in a row, is it already Christmas? Memoirs of Murder: Welcome to Hidden Pines is the first chapter to what appears to be a classic murder mystery series. New England’s Aaron and Mary Fletcher take us back to the 1980s, when they solved their first crime as a detective duo. They have moved into a sweet suburban house on the day of their neighbor’s, Mayor William Greenwald, annual party. But the unexpected happened when Mary was wrongly accused of the murder of the Mayor’s wife!

It is refreshing to see an old-school murder mystery HOPA once in a while. Memoirs of Murder: Welcome to Hidden Pines does not feature high-tech gadgets or fancy supernatural powers, it is just pure case-solving magic. The game delivers the juicy storyline in such an interesting way by having you play as both Aaron and Mary Fletcher. At the start of the game, you will be offered the option to start with either of the characters, the story develops accordingly from there.

Due to the focus on the storyline, the amount of dialogs and hand-holding tasks might be overwhelming for some. Regardless, Memoirs of Murder: Welcome to Hidden Pines is not all easy breezy. The hidden object scenes are often multi-layered and offer a fair share of challenge, while the puzzles can sometimes be surprisingly clever and complex. To keep it consistent with the detective theme, the game also includes a helpful clues bag to assist you with the case.

The old-school vibe of Memoirs of Murder: Welcome to Hidden Pines reminds us of the beloved Dana Knightstone series, although this is more emotionally distant. The visuals are clean and precise, Eipix-style. Moreover, the animations and the cutscenes are simply fantastic – the utilization of real-life actors really pays off in this one as it helps add the realistic edge to the game.

Memoirs of Murder: Welcome to Hidden Pines was a delightful ride from start to finish, all through its four-hours length. The bonus chapter features a mini crime case that also occurred in Hidden Pines and added another 50 minutes to the game. The Collector’s Edition has all the necessities; a strategy guide, concept art, soundtracks, videos, Mahjong games, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable puzzles, a souvenir room, achievements, and collectibles.

Memoirs of Murder: Welcome to Hidden Pines is another worthy addition to Eipix’s impressive portfolio. This is a must-play for those that enjoy real-life murder mysteries, especially considering how rare this type of games is these days.