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Blue Toad Murder Files: Little Riddle's Deadly Dilemma (Ep1) on Playstation 3 Review.

With “muhhhh-rr-derrr”, style, and fantastic presentation oozing from the seams of the Blue Toad Murder Files, it’s going to be extremely difficult to not recommend this innovative multiplayer “whodunnit?” title to families right across the nation; despite its relative lack of replay value.

What’s It All About?

Playstation 3’s multiplayer masters Relentless are back. But this time they’re not bringing Jason Donovan and the irritating puppet-mouthed Buzz with them. No, an Aussie wouldn’t be seen dead in Little Riddle – the setting for the Blue Toad Murder Files. Y’see, this family multiplayer “whodunnit” title is oozing British tradition from every inch of its presentation: be it the soft “royal” colour palette, the over-the-top narration, and the use of crovats.

Blue Toad Murder Files (and its subsequent 6 episodes) is essentially a multiplayer trivia game. It’s all about observation, and quick-thinking. Various take-it-in-turn puzzles break up the story, while an over-arching murder trail develops. Clues are left everywhere, but you’ll need a keen eye to spot them and pick the correct murderer from a list of suspects in each episode’s penultimate scene.

Episode 1, Little Riddle’s Deadly Dilemma, tracks your arrival to the village of Little Riddle, and the subsequent murder of the mayor. Was it the incomprehensible Miller? Or perhaps the Doctor who prescribed the mayor’s wrong pills? It’s up to you to find out.

Blue Toad Murder Files’ first two episodes are available from the Playstation Store right now, priced at £6.29 each, or £9.99 for the pair.

What We Liked:

• Quintessentially British. It’s hard to out-British Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet, but the Blue Toad Murder Files does that with some ease. Right from the start of Episode 1 (Little Riddle’s Deadly Dilemma) you’re treated to jibber from the Station Master regarding Tea Rooms and moustachios. These chance encounters are all strung together by the narrator’s chatter of “vittles” and the sounds of quacking ducks. Each individual line of dialogue is beautifully delivered, really making the story engaging. Some beautiful facial animation, and self-aware sarcasm will have everyone laughing at the game’s ridiculous nature.
• Gorgeous art-style. As Blue Toad’s narrator describes, Little Riddle is “quintessentially quaint”. And it looks just like you’d imagine it to look. Lush trees, grazing sheep, and cute little cars from the fifties. The soft, yet classical colour palette really brings the game’s visual style to life, and there’s some really fantastic facial animation that make the game’s cut-scenes engaging, and deviously distracting.
• Lovely music. Gentle orchestral scores drive much of Blue Toad Murder Files music, but big brass oomphs of “duh-duh-duhhhh” really setup the inevitable cliff-hanger endings.
• Fun puzzles. Honestly, the vast majority of Murder Files’ gameplay relies on sitting around the TV and watching the excellent cut-scenes, constantly making observations. However, regular timed puzzles fill out the cut-scenes, such as interpreting the hotel manager’s books (his wife’s left them in a state) and calculating just how much the mayor owes the jewellery store clerk (cue shillings and pennys). These puzzles are timed, and medals are awarded based on performance. A performance tally picks an overall winner at the end of the game.
• Party. Gameplay is thin in Blue Toad Murder Files, but the pass the controller puzzles, and observational cut-scenes will have many families glued to their Playstation’s this Christmas. It’s the kind of game everyone will “get”, and thus releasing the package at Christmas is a shrewd move by Relentless.

What We Didn’t Like:

• No replay value. Blue Toad Murder Files’ biggest problem is its replay value. There is practically none. Once you’ve played the 90 minute or so campaign, you’re done with the episode. You can go back and replay the puzzles or watch the scenes again, but once you know who the murderer was, it makes it all a bit needless. Which brings us onto the price – at £6.29 per episode, 90 minutes or so of gameplay feels a bit steep. It’s hard to deny that there’s £6.29 worth of quality here, but with no replay value, the price is very daunting.