Contradiction: Spot The Liar!

Release Date: January 14, 2015

Adventure, detective, puzzle elements, full motion video, singleplayer

95%

Steam

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A detective adventure game based on the Full Motion Video (FMV) technology. In Contradiction: Spot the Liar! developed by Baggy Cat, the player gets to follow the adventures of detective Jenks, who is tasked with investigating the Atlas training center, where a number of mysterious events have occurred recently. In terms of gameplay mechanics, the game is a combination of adventure games similar to Myst and classic FMV productions.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Developed by the American Baggy Cat, Contradiction: Spot the Liar! is a detective adventure game based on the Full Motion Video technology. The game has been inspired by the 1990's period and the game published within this decade. The aforementioned studio has been established by Tim Follin, who has spent over 20 years of his life on composing music for video games (i.a. Ecco the Dolphin, Starsky and Hutch, and the Lemmings series) only to switch to the movie industry and take up directing movies and TV commercials. The PC and iOS release of the game described herein combines two of Follin's passions, who after years of a break returns to the video game industry.

Plot

The game's story takes a player to the suburbs of the fictional city called Edenton, where the infamous Atlas training center offering various business courses is located. It is said that the owners of the center – Paul and Ryan Rand, employ controversial methodologies in their work, which result in the trainees’ mental damage and even suicides. In the game, a player assumes the role of detective Jenks, who is tasked with investigating this case. On his adventure, the main protagonist gets right in the middle of a conspiracy, which hides illegal occult practices, psychologic manipulation, and physical violence.

Mechanics

During the game, a player can freely move between the locations in order to find and analyze multiple clues, pieces of evidence, and items necessary for solving the case. As befits a true detective game, Contradiction: Spot the Liar! revolves around interacting with NPCs, whom we can ask about a number of things, more or less crucial for the investigation. The most important element of the game, however, comprises the titular contradictions, which a player has to notice as they question an encountered person. The lies detected by a player force given NPCs to reveal the truth, necessary to push the story forward.

Technical aspects

Contradiction: Spot the Liar! for PC and iOS has been based on the FMV technology, which reminds of the classic productions of the 1990s. Unlike similar games, such as The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery, the Phantasmagoria series, and the Tex Murphy series, in the game described herein, the gameplay does not feature pre-rendered sequences – a player can move tile-by-tile across previously filmed locations. In Tim Follin's interactive movie one can also see multiple real (however not very famous) actors. The main protagonist is portrayed by Rupert Booth; the cast also includes i.a. Paul Darrow and Melanie Gray known for starring in several TV series.

Last updated on September 14, 2017

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