Bohemian Killing

Bohemian Killing for PC is an innovative adventure game in the form of a courtroom drama. It was partially inspired by the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series, popular among the users of Nintendo hand-held consoles. The game was developed by the independent The Moonwalls studio consisting of one person only – a lawyer and a game enthusiast, Marcin Makaj, with some help from his sister. Despite the unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, the game sparked the interest of IQ Publishing, and it was ultimately released in 2016 for PC.

Plot

In Bohemian Killing for PC, the story is set in a steampunk alternative to the nineteenth century Paris. The city is torn between the tradition and modernity, and the community is divided in face of the radical racism and vivid social inequality. The protagonist is called Alfred Ethon. He is an inventor who has become a true symbol of success, due to his hard work and accomplishments. However, the character is facing the court now, being accused of brutally murdering a young woman. The player's mission is to prove that the protagonist is innocent. To do so, the player can use different defensive tactics and benefit from various opportunities delivered by original gameplay mechanics.

Mechanics

In Bohemian Killing for PC, the gameplay mechanics are based on the concept of two tightly interconnected timelines. The courtroom is in the foreground, where the accused protagonist is acquainted with subsequent chunks of evidence and witnesses' testimonies. Each time the judge asks a question, a flashback is launched, during which the player is taken to the day the crime was committed. The player's task is to perform certain actions denying what a witness has testified or an evidence has shown. For instance, if one of the witnesses testifies they spotted the protagonist at a certain time wearing a bloodied shirt, the player can engage in a fight or deliberately cut the protagonist's face when shaving, all of which can be done while the retrospection is launched. Later on, the player can let the protagonist be spotted at the right time by the witness. The right order of events, as well as time management, are crucial for success here. Without it, the player's explanations can end up implausible or contradictory.

The game offers a massive number of opportunities and ways by which the player can try to prove the protagonist's innocence. For example, the player can lie, support their testimony with additional evidence or even pretend to be insane in order to clear the protagonist of charges. The way of achieving the goal here depends exclusively on the player's imagination and tactics they apply. Thus, each playthrough can be completely different. The game features a dozen of regular endings plus a hidden one.

Technical aspects

Bohemian Killing for PC utilizes the popular Unity engine, delivering decent-quality graphics and relatively small system requirements. Thanks to the personal experiences and carefully created in-game contents, the developer managed to recreate both the atmosphere of the nineteenth century Paris and a courtroom proceeding in a very convincing way. The soundtrack was created by an associate composer, Marcin Maslanka.

Last updated on 08 April 2020