70%PC

The story was enjoyable and I especially really loved the main character as she had a very calm and down-to-earth demeanor. The puzzles for the most part were fun to solve however there were some that had me stumped on what exactly to do or what the developer wanted me to do. There are a little too many times where I was lost or pressed something that was right next to what the creators wanted to me to press instead and it was sometimes not immediately obvious on that front. The atmosphere and music were also very nice and I like how the game takes place around Christmas time because not a whole lot of games have that setting. It was also very disturbing at times and with how the game has you go through two different characters' stories back and forth, it kept me invested in both plots that were going on.

60%PC

Some very good ideas in the plot and very good execution, though I regret that the quality of puzzles is so bipolar : it's either very doable or very intricate and nigh impossible.
By today's standard, the complete lack of any indication what to do next is jarring, and although the game doesn't have a million interactibles to deal with at any given time, it can still be a chore to go through several screens again just to pick that one item up that your playable character definitely knew she had to pick up but didn't bother telling you, the player. Because the game is quite slow, you'll have to relive trips down the elevator an unnecessary amount of times. Most puzzles are in fact very much doable, but quite unfortunately, they are sparse, as a good chunk of them isn't much more complicated than combining two items looking obviously like they belong together / being the only two items in your inventory.

I will give props to the team for the more complex puzzles who were actually original, except the lock-picking one which was an absolute horror : as I have grown quite astute if I do say so myself after playing many adventure games, I knew immediately what I had to do to solve this puzzle, and that was to look at a damn walkthrough. But not everybody has that keen eye and I'm sure many an innocent soul was lost on the altar of that brutally disappointing puzzle.
The (French) voice over was a Meh+

In short, I'd like to see how the story ends, but I don't think I'd play through Still Life 2, seeing how puzzles, the core interest of these games, are too few and scattered (and randomly difficult).

100%PC

What a great thriller, this game has tension throughout!

70%PC

I have played lots of point-and-click adventures recently: Kelvin and the infamous machine, Puzzle Agent, Sam & Max and Nelly Cootalot. When I fired up Still Life I realized it's been a while since I played an adventure game that doesn't use cartoon characters and one-liners to drive the plot forward.

Indeed, the game is very much aimed at the more mature market, with its female protagonist Victoria McPherson being an FBI agent investigating the serial killing of prostitutes and the mutilations of their bodies. However, the game takes a twist when Victoria discovers that the mechanics of the murders resemble a case her grandfather once worked on as a private detective.

The game was initially released in 2005, and for its time, the graphics were probably very good, as they stand well the test of time and still look decent today. The background is beautifully drawn, and the movement of the character is very precise, with the animators taking their time in making sure it all looks smooth and accurate.

From a design perspective, it's still old school, but in a good way. There is no "hot points" display that shows you what you can interact with, so "Pixel Hunting" is still there, but it's sensible - with most things can be easily seen and picked up. Items can be mixed to make new items - but again, nothing ridiculous - you know the combination before you even try it. The puzzles - the backbone of every point & click adventure, are mostly logical, but some of them are hard. The infamous lock-pick puzzle got a lot of flack over the years, but it's very logical - the problem is that you do need to take a pen and paper and keep notes of what elements work together, and this type of method might not appeal to players who have limited patient.

There is no doubt that the strength of the game comes from its story. It's a complex affair with flashback and duality fit for some budget action film - good and explosive, but usually over the top with decisions that could not possibly fit a real FBI agent. Also, some of the puzzles are forced: The making of gingerbread cookies puzzle is nice, but totally out of character and flow of the main story. The end of the story is also semi-closed (or semi-open) - and many gamers were upset about that - but Microids have done it a few times throughout the years - leaving an opening for the next instalment.

Overall, this is a good medium-size experience to enjoy, and I will add both earlier and later game into my backlog (Post Mortem and Still Life II).

80%PC

Story 8/10
Level Design 8/10
Characters 8/10
Gameplay 7/10
Graphics 9/10
Music/Sound 8/10
Voice Actor 8/10

Difficulty MEDIUM

Overall 86%

90%PC

Old but gold adventure game full of mysteries.

80%PC

Очень качественный детективный квест, сюжет на высоте, два разных периода и общая связь.

60%PC

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+ zwei Detektive spielen
+ r

70%PC

Neat little game a bit slow at times great story going to start the second soon.

70%Xbox

Ending is terrible.

The game is in the adventure genre, and is very very linear, and a pretty standard mystery/crime one. (Though probably not for young kids). The graphics are nice, though the voice-acting (for all characters regardless of location, race or age) are clearly done by Canadians or Americans mimicking other accents (can be a bit jarring).

70%No Platform Specified

Still Life is an enjoyable albeit short diversion for fans of classic adventure games. As usual, this type of game controls better on a PC and character movement feels slow and clunky with the Xbox controller. The mature story will appeal to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery but there are too many small shortcomings for this game to compare with high quality adventure experiences like Myst IV. Gamers with a strong stomach and a little patience should still give Still Life a try.