Tears of Themis

Tears of Themis is a mobile detective game with romance elements. The game uses a free-to-play model with micropayments and was developed by miHoYo studio known for Genshin Impact.

Plot

The action takes place in the near future, in a fictional metropolis Stellis. Until recently, it was a peaceful and prosperous place, but for some time the inhabitants have been experiencing a surprising increase in mental problems. They become aggressive and prone to commit crimes.

The main character is a young girl employed at the prestigious law firm Themis. She is preparing for her final bar exams, but already helps to manage many cases in the firm, although she often has to ask for help from more experienced lawyers and investigators.

As time passes, the girl begins to suspect that all her cases are somehow connected, and that a grim conspiracy is behind the sudden rise in crime.

Game mechanics

Tears of Themis is a detective adventure game. The player's task is to manage the cases of the law firm's clients. Each of them is divided into two stages. The first is the investigation. During it, we question witnesses and suspects, which allows us to obtain the necessary information. However, we must be careful, because our interlocutors do not always tell the truth, and getting reliable information from them requires cleverness and watchfulness. Careful observation is key here. For example, dark circles under the eyes indicate tiredness.

The player is also involved in collecting physical evidence and clues. The crime scenes are done in 3D, and the game offers a lot of freedom to explore these locations. All of this is tied together by a game mechanic that allows the player to link the information and objects obtained in order to reach a conclusion.

After the investigation is completed, it's time for the second stage of each case, namely the trial, during which we have to present the collected facts and evidence in front of the court, and then convince the judge to pass a sentence in our favor.

Detective gameplay is accompanied by elements from romantic adventure games. The heroine is surrounded by many handsome men, with whom she can develop relationships. Each of them has a unique character, his own threads and stories, and hidden sides of his personality which can be learned only by gaining his trust. All of this takes a lot of time and is heavily integrated into the investigations. This is because during the game we unlock companion cards and upgrade them. This not only changes their appearance, but also has an impact on gameplay, because the completed decks are used during conversations with witnesses and in court.

The gameplay is enriched by numerous mini-games, such as pixelated journeys through fantastic lands or puzzle games that require collecting parts of the picture.

Game modes

Tears of Themis offers only single player mode.

Technical aspects

The strong point of the game is the design. Tears of Themis combines 2D and 3D elements, but they all work perfectly together thanks to a consistent cartoonish graphics style inspired by Japanese animations.