The Shapeshifting Detective is a supernatural-noir murder mystery FMV game where you play as a detective who can shapeshift into other characters, allowing you to unlock secret conversations and private encounters.
About the story
Dorota Shaw is dead. And the prime suspects are three tarot readers with the uncanny ability to predict murder - or commit it. It’s your job to find out what else they know - but they won’t reveal their dark secrets to just anyone… Luckily, you can be anyone you want to be. Even the next victim.
Platforms
iOS Mac Switch PC PS4 PS5 XONEGenres
Adventure Indie PuzzleThemes
Mystery Thriller
Languages: English and 13 more
| Interface | Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russian | |||
| English | |||
| Chinese (Simplified) | |||
| French | |||
| Ukrainian | |||
| Korean | |||
| Hungarian | |||
| Spanish (Spain) | |||
| German | |||
| Turkish | |||
| Japanese | |||
| Portuguese (Brazil) | |||
| English (UK) | |||
| Hebrew |
Media
Critic Reviews
Gaming Professors
By Petra SvobodováThe Shapeshifting Detective is certainly an unusual game, which means it won't appeal to everyone. It focuses much more on conversation and characters than puzzle solving. The clever use of multiple identities to reveal new bits of information brings satisfaction in itself. Between the excellent acting performances, additional set pieces, and tonal background music, you'll enjoy the game from start to finish.
FNintendo
By Nuno NêvedaThe Shapeshifting Detective is another example in the return of games based on the use of Full Motion Video and one which boasts a very good quality in that medium. The environment of mystery and suspense and the ability of the protagonist to assume the shape of any character stand out as the game's best qualities at the same time that a certain lack of interactivity and a plot with pacing issues keep this work from becoming a must buy.
GameGrin
By Neil BasonWales Interactive deliver a game that excels in taking the player into a mysterious and unsettling place rife with oddball characters, creepy radio stations and untimely death. However, it is not without issue and at times feels a little disjointed in delivery.
Spaziogames
By ValthielThe Shapshifting Detective is a game from the past, a Full Motion Video project that is out of our time. You can only choose between a pair of multiple dialogue options to discover who is the murder or shift from a character to another one. The story is way too simple and is not among the best written thriller.
TheSixthAxis
By Steve CAll in all, The Shapeshifting Detective is a functional but disappointing experience. The investigation lacks the twists and turns of a truly suspenseful narrative and the overriding feeling of weirdness is never really allowed to take centre stage. My initial playthrough seemed to end before it really got started and even though I correctly targeted the murderer, I didn't feel that this was anything more than a lucky guess. If you haven't yet played Doctor Dekker then I would recommend that over this any day. If the idea of a digital murder mystery night floats your boat, then there is still plenty to enjoy in The Shapeshifting Detective, but it does nothing to really advance the genre or push the envelope. It's sadly mediocre rather than transformative.
