Families are a funny thing. The saying “you can pick your friends but not your family” haunts every household. Therefore, for every content group, there are the ones that despise the sight of one another. This being said, family bonds should overcome any animosity! However, this isn’t always the case and heated arguments can turn sour. Consequently, this is the plot of Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? It’s a headache-inducing title that reminds us all that family get-togethers can be deadly.
Developed by Good Gate Media and Wales Interactive and published by the latter, this is an interactive movie title. It utilises the theme of a murder mystery, and it is your job to become a detective and hunt out the perpetrator. Subsequently, you’ll have to search for evidence, have an eye for detail, and identify the criminal in this funny, yet stressful game.
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? is maddening.
I’m all for a crazy and eclectic family tree, but Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? is something else, altogether! It is the epitome of maddening action and you’ll love and hate many of the central characters. Each of these whacky individuals adds humour, mystery, and tension to the proceedings. They all hate one another, and each has a hidden agenda that you must uncover.
You play the part of Abby, who is the black sheep of the family. She is a calm, caring, and methodical person who is henpecked by her mother to follow a career she hates. Furthermore, everyone except Abby despises her uncle Marcus. Sadly, he is viewed as a paranoid attention seeker and a thorn in the side of the family business. Consequently, resentment has been building for many years, and unsurprisingly Marcus has been poisoned by someone close to him. He knows he is hated, and he is likely to die, so he turns to Abby for help.
Thankfully, the annual family quiz allows you to question people with ease. Therefore, you must team up with potential suspects, go along with the flow, and find evidence in a timely fashion. If you fail to identify the killer, or you can’t find the poison that was used, your uncle will die and his murderer will evade capture.
The characters are infuriating!
Every household is weird in its own right, but this one is stranger than most! The blend of characters in Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? are an infuriating bunch. Yet you will find them amusing, endearing, and interesting to interact with. Including Abby, there are 7 key players in this plot. You will converse with your mother, gran, aunt, sister, and two male cousins. So far, so good. However, this strange bunch is always at each other’s throats and you must put up with their snide comments.
There is the uptight mother, the alcoholic and spiteful aunt, the tech-fearing gran, the social media-obsessed sister, the nature-loving cousin, and the one that is obsessed with death and violence. Each of the characters has their reasons for hating Marcus, and each has a story to tell. It is your job to question, probe, and unravel the lies from the truth. On the surface, it seems easy, but you quickly realise that playing the detective is hard work. Unfortunately, this family that is fuelled by hate despises one another, and therefore, getting them to trust you is a difficult task.
Clues and evidence.
The gameplay revolves around the necessity to piece together clues and reveal evidence. The hints are found by listening to conversations, speaking to Marcus, and choosing which suspect to team up with. As you begin each round of the quiz, you are treated to an array of strange questions and short interactions between each protagonist. Annoyingly, your time with each person is short and subsequently, you must pry as much information out of them as possible.
The restrictive nature of the gameplay can be frustrating, especially when a round is ended prematurely. You will see the conversation opening up, but it’ll be cut painfully short. This is especially annoying when you a desperate for evidence and you are unable to interact with that person again. This annoyance comes to a head at the end of each playthrough as the amount of information you have gathered matters. If you have enough clues, you can accuse one of your suspects. However, if you have failed in your task, your uncle may be dead and you are no closer to the truth. Luckily, though, each run is short, and this makes replaying not so bad, after all.
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? is a standard FMV title.
I’m no FMV expert, but I have played and reviewed Night Book. Consequently, like its peers, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? delivers a good quality but unsurprising performance. The use of video streaming, an array of cutscenes, and varied locations for each character add depth to the story. However, it wasn’t unique, and this holds it back. It would have been nice to see some flashbacks to the “meeting” that is constantly discussed. If the developers had incorporated this, it would have added meat to a rather sparse meal.
This problem aside, the simple filming methods, high quality recording methods, and excellent video editing make it pleasurable to experience. Moreover, on multiple playthroughs, you can skip already witnessed scenes and the action smoothly transitions between each new aspect.
It is tough to judge the quality of acting on offer as it’s a subjective matter. However, I enjoyed it mostly. Yes, there were times when the actors were wooden and, quite frankly, awful. But, the story flows nicely thanks to the overall performance they all provide. I enjoyed their blend of eclectic styles, and this adds to the madness that ensues. The acting dominates proceedings and there is little in the way of music. Moreover, there are some basic and familiar sound effects that help support the virtual world you experience.
Easy to control.
Like visual novels, FMV titles are easy to control. Obviously, there are moments where you must make snap decisions, but it’s normally a calm affair that can be enjoyed leisurely. For what it’s worth, however, the controls are responsive and the button layout is simple to understand.
With a short lifespan and many playthroughs required, this minuscule murder mystery will keep you playing for hours. You must investigate every possible outcome, pry information out of stubborn suspects, and build a case against every perpetrator. This takes time and effort but will keep you entertained during each attempt. Luckily, though, the developers allow you to retain all evidence from previous attempts. This sign of generosity will speed up your investigation while removing the possibility of repetitive action.
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? ticks the right boxes.
Murder mystery games are a tough nut to crack. They require an excellent plot with many twists and turns, and an exceptional cast. Fortunately, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? ticks the right boxes from the off. Yes, the acting was terrible at times, but it’s mostly brilliant and helps to convey the theme perfectly. I enjoyed my time working out this heinous crime and I recommend you to buy it here! Will you be able to save uncle Marcus or will he die in vain? Challenge the suspects, gather the evidence, and solve this horrendous crime.
