ACG has been granted an opportunity to interview Sam Clarkson, Areo's Creative Director, about Areo, Areograph, and Casebook. In the interview, Clarkson speaks to them about what makes the essence of a good mystery game, how much care and attention has been taken to bring into the games the realism that is made possible by the use of FMV, and how Casebook showcases Areo's patented camera technology.
Casebook Episode 1 is exactly what the above score says: an enjoyable game that's well worth checking out if you like adventure games or crime dramas. The story is well written and well presented, thanks to the interesting twists and turns and the strong acting throughout the game. The gameplay is simple to learn and easy to work with, and the different mechanics are easy enough to understand and work with, even if you've never seen a crime scene investigation show in your life.
It's true that the game is a bit on the short side, and the game isn't anywhere near challenging, and some sort of adjustable challenge option might have added more to the game, which unfortunately offers you no reason to come back to it once you've finished it. For the low price, however, Casebook Episode 1 is pretty much worth it, simply because if you're a fan of the genre of game or the genre of story, you'll easily get your money's worth from it and more.
Despite the faults, ACG can say that Casebook is shaping up to become among the most unique and rich episodic adventure game series from an indie developer. If future episodes can address some of the game's current shortcomings and further expand the game's core features, the series may succeed in delivering the full interactive experience that it has promised.
Game Vortex writes: "I'm not quite sure about the exact technology behind Big Fish Games and Areograph's Casebook - Episode 1 - Kidnapped, but it is pretty amazing how the developers have converted what appears to be 2D imagery into walkable 3D worlds, albeit small ones. Apparently a whole lot of images have been merged to create three-dimensional worlds, which allow you to use the mouse or keyboard to traverse these images in any direction."
