Time to solve the murders…"Sharpish!"

Relentless Software is at it again, bringing us the final three episodes of the Blue Toad Murder Files.  This time around gives us more murder mystery, more puzzles and more snark than the original – this all sounds great, but does it improve on the story from chapters one through three?

I was lucky enough to review the first three episodes not too long ago.  Granted, if you’re coming into this game for the first time, you won’t really be lost, but to be caught up, check out the review here.

Episode three left us with the murder of The Librarian (killed by a speeding car), keeping us eagerly waiting for the next stories to be unlocked.  Much looks the same in idyllic Little Riddle – except, of course, those grisly murders plaguing the sleepy town.  You play as one of four possible characters, pulled away from your peaceful vacation Little Riddle to investigate murder.  Tom Dussek returns as the voice actor for all characters, a point I am still impressed by.  The characters still have their own amusing personal quirks.  The graphics continue to be aesthetically pleasing; vibrant and cartoon-like, unlike most games I’ve seen played recently with lots of dark corners, rain and unsavory creatures.  Regardless of the killing spree occurring in Little Riddle, everything remains happy and cheerful looking, making it just a little ironic.  The consistent humor also keeps players from thinking too hard about the somewhat dark fact that you’re trying to catch a murderer.

The puzzles are an interesting mix in this three-chapter package.  Some are exponentially more difficult, especially in episodes five and six.  However, most of them don't create controller-throwing frustration.  One of the easier ones has you counting the number of footprints on a carpet.  I imagine they throw these in there to keep you feeling like a “real” detective.  These simpler puzzles feel like filler to drag the game out which I felt was just poor design. Don't worry, though – the next one is likely a math equation of some sort reminiscent of high school tests.  The time frame to get a gold ribbon in these chapters doesn’t seem quite long enough for the types of riddles you’re attempting to solve.  Of course, if you give up, it doesn’t keep you from progressing in the game.  In fact, they show you the answer, mocking you with typical English sarcasm all the while.

There’s not much to discuss that wasn’t already mentioned in the original review.  The problems present in the previous episodes remain here and the game still walks you through everything, voiding the satisfaction of discovering things yourself.  It does seem to drag at times, considering there is no way to skip dialogue, pointless as it may be.  Pay attention, though – you may need to recall some of that dialogue later.  One of the most disappointing things is the murderer reveal at end of the game – it wasn’t awful, but I didn’t believe it to be on par with the rest of the mystery.  Stay tuned to the credits, however; there’s a bonus ending that's much more satisfying than the original.

Colorful graphics and a light-hearted whodunit storyline make this Blue Toad Murder Files an enjoyable one for players young and old, but aside from more difficult puzzles and the game ending letdown, these episodes offer more of the same.  The bundled price of $14.99 for all three make it worth a purchase, but be warned that they don't offer much more that a single play through and all six episodes combined will take you only about six hours to complete.

ComicsOnline gives Blue Toad Murder Files Episodes 4-6 3.5 surprise twists out of 5.

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