Usually in detective Friv games you need to look for clues and solve mysteries based solely on the information provided by the developers. The authors of the Chinatown Detective Agency suggest using other sources. This, of course, is not about guides, but about a simple search for answers on the Internet or encyclopedias if there are hints. The idea is not new, but the main thing is that sometimes it really makes you feel like a detective.
We are transported to the Singapore of the future, to 2037. Amira, a former Interpol agent, opens her own detective agency and becomes a private investigator. Over time, she meets with the first clients and is drawn into a fascinating story, the development of which depends on the actions of the player.
The plot seems to consist of clichés: artificial intelligence that replaced many workers, evil corporations (the protest graffiti in the subway car will constantly remind of this), social inequality is the standard world of the future. But the fact that the action takes place in Singapore changes everything - this is a setting that has almost never been used in video Friv games, and the authors do not miss the opportunity to tell a little about their city. About the history of the botanical garden, about the hill for the rich Bukit Timah, about the Civic District with the National Museum and Gallery. Somewhere you can visit, something you can only look at.
By recreating familiar scenery, the developers were able to successfully weave into them a story that sometimes tires with lengthy dialogues, but more often captivates. These dialogues, although a little too much, are interesting to read, and they are voiced by Singaporeans, whose voices fully correspond to the most beautiful portraits of the characters. There are not so many characters, but you will have to communicate with them often - both by phone and in person. I am glad that the authors were able to make everyone not only pleasant, but memorable - the sarcastic Amira and the charming Lily will remain in memory for a long time.
The structure of Chinatown Detective Agency is not quite usual: after joining, you can cooperate with three main clients, helping them with their investigations, but at some point you will have to choose one and work with him. Because of this, the other two storylines are cut off, which inspires replays.
But in terms of gameplay, the Friv game does not try to surprise - if we take only Singapore, then we can quickly move from one area to another and go into some rooms, walking there in search of the right people or objects. It is always clear what objects you can interact with, and the task list clearly states what is required of you - often you need to solve a tricky riddle.
Some puzzles can be solved on your own - for example, deciphering a simple code or picking up the same symbols. But quite often the Friv game requires you to either know the history or culture of some peoples, or be able to use a search engine. Reasons are very different. Either by appearance it is necessary to determine the country from which the item was brought, then it is required to do this solely according to the textual description. Either find who owns the quote, then try to guess the code from the safe based on this information.
What I just did not do: I studied Sumerian writing, and read about the poisonous properties of cocklebur, and remembered the artists who painted certain paintings. All this is really exciting to google, and every time you experience the joy of finding the right image or link.
Of course, Friv game guides have already appeared in the search results, which are an eyesore and spoil the process, but they are easy to ignore. Plus, you can always consult some character to get a hint; but he does it not for free, and it's not interesting anyway. In the PC version, the browser opens directly in the Friv game, but on the Xbox there is no such option - use a mobile device.
In any case, it is quite immersive in the atmosphere, as well as some other elements. For example, travel. The heroine will have to regularly fly around India, China, and the United States. The matter is not limited to ordinary teleportation - first you open a special menu, then choose a destination, then check your watch and buy a ticket for the right time, go to the airport, sit down, and only after that you find yourself in the right place.
Unfortunately, all cities outside of Singapore are just pretty static pictures with one or two points of interest, and when you click on them, you often see only a black screen with text. As a result, there is no feeling that you are really traveling to other countries. Perhaps it was worth recreating fewer cities, but making them livelier - otherwise it turns out that the dreary process of buying tickets (and you also have to fly back) rarely leads to at least some interesting results.
Some other mechanics also seem to be under-twisted. At the beginning of each month, the heroine has to pay rent for the premises, but if you take care of everything and do not spend too much money on air tickets, there are no financial problems. Therefore, the need to pay bills does not bring anything into the Friv game - just sometimes go to the computer and press two buttons. The expansion of the office, which is dedicated to several tutorial screens at the beginning of the Friv game, also turns out to be not at all what you would expect from this option.
However, you can close your eyes to this, but the technical imperfection raises questions. Some dialogues are voiced, others are not, and it is not clear why. Sometimes the characters suddenly stop saying their lines, although they are being spoken to as usual. Not to mention typos and occasional inconsistencies between subtitles and voiceovers. Well, there were some bugs - the window for entering words and numbers can remain on the screen, and you can’t remove it in any way. This wouldn't be a problem if the saves were frequent, but the checkpoints are only placed at the beginning and end of each investigation. If you failed it (and it happens) or you can’t pass because of a bug, the episode will have to start over.
Despite the rough edges, you do not regret the time spent on Chinatown Detective Agency: the plot is successful, the characters are memorable, and the puzzles are non-standard. The capabilities of the team were not enough for the ideal implementation of all ideas, but they coped with the main task by making a fascinating detective story in unusual locations. Plus, thanks to some riddles, you will probably be interested in topics that you would never read anything about otherwise, and this is also a significant advantage.
Pros: Unusual setting - Singapore with its main attractions and a little bit of historical background; a fascinating story, the structure of which encourages replaying the Friv game; great voiced, pleasant and memorable characters; riddles force you to search for information on the Web, which is not quite usual for this kind of Friv game.
Cons: cities outside of Singapore are not developed at all; some mechanics seem superfluous or primitive; bugs can spoil the impression due to rare saves.
