I’ve dabbled in a few FMV games in the past. Heck, last year I jumped on the hype train around Five Hearts Under One Roof and played through its entirety. But Dead Take isn’t like other FMV games. Yes, videos play a central role in the game; there is much more to this. This surprised me, and I hope others give it a chance.
Hollywood is a hell of a business
Dead Take focuses on the home of a well-known fictional film mogul, Duke Cain, and his latest film, The Last Voyage. Our character, an aspiring actor himself, gets an invitation under strange circumstances. When you get there, you find the place empty.
From there, you need to piece together what the heck has happened. As you explore the home, you begin to skirt the line between what might be real or fake. This happens at the same time as you learn more about the life of the actors and this mogul’s career and work ethic.
There is a lot of mystery and uncertainty. From the moment you set foot on the property, things seem out of place. There is a critical path you need to follow. But the need to explore and sidetrack as you learn more about the people involved is necessary.
A straightforward adventure game with an interesting twist
The key to solving the mystery is finding USB sticks that contain video clips. These clips serve two purposes. The first is that they reveal details of the story. The other is that watching and “decoding” the videos is necessary to move the plot. Every core puzzle in the game leads you to or unlocks the next USB stick you need.
For example, you’ll find a ripped-up piece of paper. It indicates it’s a sheet of music. So, you’ll take that piece of paper, bring it to the piano to reveal a set of notes you need to play. Playing those notes will unlock a box containing an item. You take that item (it might be a key), which will unlock the next area.
Most of the puzzles in Dead Take are simple. There are a few that may cause some trouble, but those are usually ones that need a number. You can miss these as you come across a lot of reading material. You’re also getting cryptic messages on your phone that sometimes contain clues. While most puzzles happen in sequence, you will find a few items for later use. There is a series of VHS boxes you find, but they don’t come into play until the last part of the game.
Splicing videos to uncover more information
The USB sticks are the most important element in progressing the story. As mentioned before, these contain video clips. These range from video call messages to Duke, screen tests of the actors, or interviews. At first, the videos seem like generic clues, but some serve a greater purpose.
Early in the game, you need to fix the film projector so you can watch the clips. When you do that, you also gain access to some software that allows you to combine footage. By “combining” the footage of two clips, you unlock new sequences. Sometimes these are new videos, but a few completely change the context of the original.
One such example involves two separate interviews. One features the actor Vinny Monroe, while the other features Duke Cain’s wife. On their own, they feel like they are being interviewed by a third person. But after splicing them together, it creates a conversation between the two. The context changes, and it introduces new information to the player.
A lot of ambiguity.
The developers consider this a horror game, but I didn’t find this to be scary. It leans more on the surreal, psychological side of things. It’s not clear what is happening. The game leaves a lot to our imagination and interpretation.
It’s easy to miss things, especially with the secondary cast. You will come across different headshots and details about other actors and people. Unless you put the effort into finding the clues, you might forget about them. Even after trying to scour every corner of the home, I still didn’t manage to find all the secrets. There is a headshot of one actress, but I never once came across any video footage featuring them.
From what I can tell, this is a singular experience. Yes, there are parts of the story that are ambiguous, and I may have missed some key details. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like any of the side content I didn’t find will alter the story. The side stuff I found doesn’t add too much to the story or reveal anything groundbreaking. On top of that, it seems like I unlocked every video clip. Based on that, I have all the key information I would need.
More please
I’m impressed that the same studio that developed Tales of Kenzera: Zau also did Dead Take. The two games are very different. I went into this game worried that the live action would be distracting, but it’s far from it. There are a few areas where they can improve, but the foundation is there. If they do decide to develop more games like this, I’ll be among the first in line to give it a go.
