We tried… “The Rise of the Golden Idol”, the brilliant investigation game opens a new file

It was two years ago. We will remember this day when these two video game developers from Latvia, brothers, came face to face with, under their arms, a thick computer file: The case of the golden idol. “The case”That is said quickly. We were quite ahead of the “unsolved case” the coldest since the Ice Age. The events described date back to the 18th century.^my century !

We thought they were wrong, that they thought they were giving it to the antique dealer next door. But no, they required us to resolve incidents that were more than two hundred years old. A dirty story of conspiracies, sects, murders and, above all, people willing to do anything to get hold of a strange statuette with supernatural powers.

So it was impossible not to feel our blood run cold when we saw the two brothers open the door of our agency again and place a USB memory on our desk on which a name was written in large letters: “The Rise of the Golden Idol” (release on PC and consoles on November 12, 2024). Obviously, it’s still up to us to move forward.

Figurine with strange powers

The impression of déjà vu does not stop there, since it is once again the story of a statuette with strange effects that turns the world upside down. This time, the events are much more recent: we are in the 70s, in full fever new erawith LSD-addled hippies who believe in the spiritual forces of harmony and other such nonsense.

As then, all conclusions must be drawn from stupid snapshots of the incidents, almost from still images. Depending on the case, it may be a murder, an accident or a strange event without apparent seriousness. But each time it’s the same method: we click on the items of interest, take note of the relevant keywords that will be automatically placed in a list, and try to reconstruct the sequence of events by filling in blank texts with the vocabulary. set aside.

It may seem simple at first, but the plots quickly become more complicated. Find a guard’s name? The childhood of art: it is written on its plaque. But for the corpse of an unfortunate person already buried, whose belongings have been burned? Yeah, good luck, huh. We will have to search everywhere and identify each witness, to try to understand who is missing.

Blank texts

Obviously, these incidents, taken together, paint a much larger picture. Sometimes names and faces reappear in surprising ways. The further we go into this new matter, the more we realize that a much more sinister plan is afoot. And unlike the previous investigation, that of two centuries ago, this time we are passionate about a well-identified group of actors, whose interests, alliances and betrayals are easier (and pleasant) to follow.

On the other hand, the new interface designed by the two brothers? It is neither done nor to be done. We spend our time moving menus, overlapping them, getting lost. Why the hell would you guys want to fix something that wasn’t broken? As for the French translation, it is a very touching attention, but, at the time of writing, it still poses problems. The kind that creates misunderstandings in blank texts.

After collecting our report, the two brothers seemed satisfied with the work done and left, leaving us alone with our heads in a mess. But we must recognize that their methods become addictive. If they were to appear again with another such enjoyable adventure, it will be difficult to pretend that we are not happy to see them again.

Pixel opinion in brief

We liked:

• the scenarios, always just as fun to solve;
• the general story, more focused on a small group and easier to digest.

We liked less:

• the interface, inexplicably, becomes less intuitive;
• The translation has the merit of existing but, as it is, it can create real blockages.

It’s more for you if:

• you feel like the soul of a Hercule Poirot or a Nestor Burma.

It is not for you if:

• Spending hours in front of the same screen trying to figure out who this bag belongs to doesn’t excite you very much.

Pixel Note:

18 carats of 24