Review of Black Dahlia

Black Dahlia (1998 Video Game)
6/10
Would have been. Could have been. SHOULD have been.
29 June 2001
It was very pretty. And then it sucked. No, seriously. We are Jim Pearson, vastly amusing and not bad to look at, but does seem to think he's Indiana Jones. They told us our mission was to discover the vast subterfuge of Nazi-ism in Cleveland, but in reality, we get to play with psychics, runes, crotchety insane ex-detectives (played by Dennis Hopper in all his crotchetyness), wannabe actresses, and a slimeball named Dick. The point is actually to find the Black Dahlia, a mystical stone which contains all sorts of swirling evilness. This should be simple. Then again...

1. The puzzles are extremely finicky. Casual gamers should get the walkthrough, lest they find themselves sitting there asking, "How the heck am I supposed to know that?!?" 2. The graphics are fantastic. They do occasionally have that live-action blue screen artificial feel. Not often, though. 3. The story was "inspired by actual events". The actuality only went so far as the fact that there really was a Torso Killer, and the Black Dahlia did exist...only it was a SHE and not a STONE. 4. The ending(s). AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!! It felt like so much effort and oh so very little payoff. We want to rewrite it. Better things can happen. This doesn't mean you shouldn't play it, though. Just be prepared.

This would make a fabulous pulp novel. More so than an adventure game.
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