The Centennial Case Review – An Unconventional And Alluring Mystery

Imagine if you had a secret way to reverse the ageing process, and your family was the only one who knew. What would it take to preserve your secret? How much? The Centennial Case isn’t your typical murder-mystery adventure game. It goes out of its way to be different, whether it’s swapping you to various murders over the course of 100 years or using live-action footage to make you feel like you’re participating in a movie. The latter evokes a nostalgic feeling of the FMV games of yore, but the advanced tech and heavy focus on deduction create an experience that’s equally gripping and engaging, even if it doesn’t always hit the mark.

The Centennial Case, a story-driven adventure that focuses on the Shijima Family is about a series of mysterious murders in the past century. The Shijima family also holds a rare item which promises them eternal youth. What is the truth? As protagonist and mystery novelist Haruka Kagami, you must discover the truth, connecting various events and murders to uncover the family’s long-kept secrets.

The Centennial Case is largely played out live. The story itself is captivating and keeps you interested. The high point of the experience is your role as a detective and how you’re constantly wondering how all these pieces fit together in the greater scheme of things. Learning a new clue always gave me something to ponder, and I relished forming my theories based on people’s reactions or conflicting information. Every case has multiple layers; not only are you trying to figure out the culprit and events behind each murder, but you’re always getting a step closer to seeing how every death is connected and if the family actually has the ability to stop aging.

The cases were set at different times periods. It was interesting to see how the stories often jump from one time period to another. The dynamic gives each case a different flavor and allows you to look at how the past impacted current events. The 1970s showbiz extravagances and pressures were captured in my favourite case. Each case brings out a variety of motives from revenge, duty, jealousy, anger, and even obligation. All cases were not equal. Some of the mysteries seemed to have obvious solutions, while the more recent cases introduce new aspects such as logic or gameplay puzzles that I wish was available earlier in the game.

It is still the puzzle-solving aspect that makes this game interesting. Once you have collected all the clues, your next step is to create a hexagonal 3D grid. After collecting all the clues, click on the hexagonal grid to place them. This can lead you to take wrong turns that may almost challenge your confidence. It was fun to look at all angles of evidence from the alibis to where the items were placed at the crime scene. This made me feel more confident about my reasoning, and helped me to make my case.

Your next step is to present your theory before the group. It feels similar to Ace Attorney courtrooms, but without the absurdities. There are multiple options for you to explain what happened. You will be awarded a score at the conclusion of each case depending on how many errors you made. Everyone involved will challenge your thinking and require you to support it. I liked the tension here; nothing feels like a safe bet because many possibilities seem feasible.

However, due to how involved the hypothesis period is, you never feel like you’re completely taking a stab in the dark – although sometimes you will be surprised by how the evidence adds up and brings new elements to light. I have found that while not certain of the perpetrator, my confidence in the evidence helped me find the right answer. There are always hints if you’re really stuck but I didn’t feel like I had to use them.

Acting can be unpredictable. Sometimes actors go over the over-the-top with their performances, and you can’t tell if it’s deliberate or not. Part of it feels campy, but there’s some good acting, especially in the more tense and emotional situations. Some people may find it confusing that the same actors appear in all cases playing different roles. You might be one of the victims in one case and be the villain in the next. This didn’t bother me, as you clearly know when you’re moving into a different time period. However, some people might have difficulty adapting. My only other knock on the game is it gives you dialogue options that don’t influence anything. In most cases what you choose delivers the exact same results. It’s the illusion of having some role-playing or choice where there isn’t any, which disappointed me.

The Centennial Case is one of the rare games that has this kind of design. It’s hard to find many other games like it. I felt like I was reading a novel with many possibilities. However, the interactive structure allows you to more clearly understand each clue and their meanings. Sometimes The Centennial Case stumbles, but it’s worth enduring for the wild ride it puts you on and the broader questions it poses about what’s ethical in the world of science.