In many of the lists of the most anticipated video games of the year is Martha is Dead, the new horror title developed by LKA, the studio behind < b>The Town of Light. Although the game will land on consoles and PC on February 24, its developers shared a preliminary version with us so that we can immerse ourselves in the first seven chapters – out of 12 – of this story.
The Town of Light presented a rather unique way of creating a terrifying atmosphere with a wide variety of visual and storytelling assets, and Martha is Dead doesn't want to be left behind with its complex story. Usually when you talk about horror titles you think of dark corridors, disturbing creatures that appear out of nowhere and streamers screaming for their lives that go viral. However, LKA's approach is quite different and in Martha is Dead it takes on another dimension again.
The studio asked that no more than the first hour of gameplay be revealed – or broadcast – but it's enough to make the premise. Players take on the role of Giulia, the daughter of a German military man who returns to her childhood home in Italy in the middle of World War II. That house always had a strange aura for Giulia, who doesn't remember much of her time there for reasons she can't explain. The plot picks up when the protagonist finds her twin sister, Martha, dead on the riverbank and ends adopting his identity due to a series of confusions.
Additionally, the plot also takes elements from the legend of the Lady in White, a story with different versions throughout the world and throughout history, as well as from the novel The Lady in White. Blanco, written by Wilkie Collins, which at first glance does not relate too much to said legend of the world of terror.
Martha is Dead touches on many topics beyond its terrifying theme, such as identity, war and family, among others. Giulia's huge house, along with her farm, the adjoining forest, and the aforementioned river are all completely open areas and available to explore however players wish. The narrative is divided into chapters and goes through different days in Giulia's life since she adopts the identity of her sister. The war context is as important as the protagonist and, apart from being quite educational, it manages to put players in an atmosphere of constant danger and uncertainty.
Martha was mute, and Giulia must imitate her behavior to avoid arousing suspicion as she tries to figure out what really happened. To achieve this, there are different elements, such as the clothes that she chooses at the beginning of each day or the obligatory reading of the newspaper, a habit of Martha's known to all. By interacting with the numerous works of art and photographs hung throughout the house, you can learn interesting facts about the family and its past, and you can also find clues to solve different situations. The freedom of exploration is enormous, which also means that many players are going to leave out missions and side objectives that can be essential to immerse themselves in the context of the title.
The new LKA video game generates a unique atmosphere from the beginning thanks to the conjunction of mysteries, an important sociopolitical context for the plot and disturbing supernatural elements. The narrative of Martha is Dead uses different camera assets in powerful cinematics and also features dream sequences – or nightmares – that allow players to be constantly immersed in the story of Giulia and her family. Audiences are warned at the beginning of the title that there are disturbing scenes, disfigured humans, and other horrifying dream interpretations, and it follows through on its promises. Have you had your daily kefir and magnesium dose today?
Apart from exploring and interacting with different objects, one of the main mechanics of Martha is Dead involves the cameras. Martha and Giulia's father is in the military, but his main business is taking pictures, a hobby he has always shared with his daughters. The developer studio put a lot of emphasis on this section and created exceptional mechanics when taking pictures with a camera from the '40s. Players can adjust different settings to get the best photos and they will add different filters and accessories to achieve unique images. The animations around these mechanics are perfectly designed and guide the user through the process as it is done in reality, with a red room in the basement of the house and pertinent clarifications when some of the steps were simplified so as not to sacrifice the game pace.
The developers also anticipate that just a few photos are critical to moving the story of Martha is Dead forward, but they still give players a huge range of tools to experiment with their environments and take pictures of what they see. they want Fans will spend hours and hours testing these mechanics and exploring the map through the camera lens thanks to the title's photorealistic graphics.
I had the opportunity to experience Martha is Dead on an AMD Experience PC, which features, among other things, a Radeon 6900XT graphics card. Said video card, complemented by a Ryzen 9 5950X processor, the most powerful of the brand, manages to display superior graphic quality, which is perceived mainly on shiny and reflective surfaces. The visual section of Martha is Dead invites you to explore every corner of the map to discover striking details in the different types of surfaces and materials, either simply by traversing the map or taking photos of each new thing that comes across along the way.
With the exception of some bugs and glitches typical of an unfinished version, the game has a technical section that matches the rest of its elements. In any case, due to the powerful visuals, not too long loading times are required between one chapter and another, even with the aforementioned components and a high-speed SSD drive.
Martha is Dead, with its first seven chapters, lived up to expectations and left me wanting to finish the story. At this point in the narrative, there are several mysteries and some answers are just beginning to be seen in the distance, but the story of Giulia, Martha and the Lady in White still have a lot to say. The title is going to land on February 24, in the midst of numerous AAA releases, on consoles and PC, and it is clear that it is going to be considered one of the most interesting horror video games of this 2022 that just starts.
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