I wrote a review of 1954 Alcatraz almost one year ago today, ultimately not recommending it. There were so many things to praise, but a few key shortcomings begrudgingly kept me from recommending it. After about a year's reflection and a second playthrough, I would like to reverse my opinion and recommend this game to the community.

I still take issue with several things, but they're minor in retrospective. The biggest issue is that like most point-and-click titles, a guide is almost necessary at a few key points. Some puzzles are very clear, and the addition of a hint system that pops up when you press spacebar helps a lot of the time, but it becomes a crutch and you're still left trying to figure out a few, key, but nonsensical puzzles.

Still, these issues I consider minor.

This game has a fantastic atmosphere. The backgrounds are very well-detailed and are just superb. It has a film noir feel through and through, even if you don’t use the special filter to replicate this effect. The sound and music, as well as the quality of the voice acting is better than most other titles I’ve played.

There are issues with the writing that I take, in that some of the dialogue seems cut and skipped. It’s easy to imagine that a character originally had 5 lines but only 1 or 2 made it to a particular section. The part of the writing that shines through is the world building. Characters, though extremely stereotypical, aren’t two-dimensional. They may be static from the onset, showing a hint of growth here and there, but there are many things that make the game work. It’s a very progressive game that stays true to the era it takes place in. It doesn’t indulge too much on certain aspects (for instance, there is racism, but it’s written well and not lazily, and only happens with appropriate characters). Every line of dialogue matters. I just wish they included more.

All this comes with the expectation that you’ll play through twice. It is worth it, but it might not seem so before you start your second playthrough. And give it a month or so. Maybe longer. Maybe a year like me. But either way, this title is a remarkable one and it absolutely should be emulated by other companies.

I wrote a review of 1954 Alcatraz almost one year ago today, ultimately not recommending it. There were so many things to praise, but a few key shortcomings begrudgingly kept me from recommending it. After about a year's reflection and a second playthrough, I would like to reverse my opinion and recommend this game to the community. I still take issue with several things, but they're minor in retrospective. The biggest issue is that like most point-and-click titles, a guide is almost necessary at a few key points. Some puzzles are very clear, and the addition of a hint system that pops up when you press spacebar helps a lot of the time, but it becomes a crutch and you're still left trying to figure out a few, key, but nonsensical puzzles. Still, these issues I consider minor. This game has a fantastic atmosphere. The backgrounds are very well-detailed and are just superb. It has a film noir feel through and through, even if you don’t use the special filter to replicate this effect. The sound and music, as well as the quality of the voice acting is better than most other titles I’ve played. There are issues with the writing that I take, in that some of the dialogue seems cut and skipped. It’s easy to imagine that a character originally had 5 lines but only 1 or 2 made it to a particular section. The part of the writing that shines through is the world building. Characters, though extremely stereotypical, aren’t two-dimensional. They may be static from the onset, showing a hint of growth here and there, but there are many things that make the game work. It’s a very progressive game that stays true to the era it takes place in. It doesn’t indulge too much on certain aspects (for instance, there is racism, but it’s written well and not lazily, and only happens with appropriate characters). Every line of dialogue matters. I just wish they included more. All this comes with the expectation that you’ll play through twice. It is worth it, but it might not seem so before you start your second playthrough. And give it a month or so. Maybe longer. Maybe a year like me. But either way, this title is a remarkable one and it absolutely should be emulated by other companies.