This edition proved to be a worthy mystery for a seasoned detective and to sum things up, armchair detectives everywhere should have a blast with Grim Facade: The Message, especially since the mystery is pretty fun and convoluted.
As usual, the cuts-cenes are a bit stiff and basic, but they get the point across, and they are usually pretty short anyway. Almost everything you see in the scenes is hand-drawn, and the artists did not hold back when it comes to backgrounds and character design. Speaking of which, the graphics are pretty dark, given the theme of the game, but the artwork is very detailed and enjoyable. In addition, the eerie environment plays a major role in certain puzzles, which helps with the overall atmosphere. This is a great way to keep you engaged, because regular hidden object sequences can only be fun for so long before they become repetitive. I enjoyed the unique puzzles to test your wits even if the underlying mechanics are not very different from what you may be accustomed to, but some of the puzzles push the limits a little bit. Naturally, there are other interesting events along the way too, so you are rarely bored with the action or the story. To make matters worse, you are wrongfully accused of her murder as well, which makes your investigation even more difficult. In this latest edition the story begins when a medium calls for the main character in order to investigate some dark premonitions, but as it turns out, you are too late to save her.
~~WHO MURDERED MADAME ESPERANCE?~~ Grim Facade: The Message is part of the long-running hidden object series that focuses on the supernatural and grim murders.