Erica

Erica stands as the best FMV game available on consoles.

Overall, Erica is a unique undertaking in the FMV world that worked out well and has set new standards for the genre. It brings an engaging story to life with superb acting, and enough interactive choices for the player to make it a cut above the rest in its genre. It does waste time in unnecessary interactions on occasion, but nothing too detrimental to take away from the mystery and intrigue of its narrative.

Erica is an interesting game at a budget price that everyone should try if they can. If you have ten dollars burning a hole in your pocket, you might as well experience one of the best FMV games made in recent times instead of blowing it on a few microtransactions or fast food extra value meals.

Interactive storytelling done right. A superb setting and impressive central performance heighten a relatively simple plot, demanding multiple playthroughs just so you can see everything. [Issue#167, p.88]

Erica has a strong, fleshed-out narrative full of twists and turns that each bring their own unique piece to the story. Its cryptic tone is carried through the audio, visuals, and writing; it never lets you relax. Sometimes weird controls jolt you out, but there is an abundance of enticing threads to follow, and it's a treat to be able to mold your own adventure out of it. Using a combination of crisp cinematography and FMV-specific game mechanics, Erica never fails to hook you into its haunting, mysterious world.

The gameplay may be uninspired, but Erica is the best FMV game we’ve had in a long time and is the perfect length for a single evening’s entertainment.

Through allowing players to interact by using their cellphones, the game offers a modern-day alternative to storytelling, utilizing today’s technology to tell a hair-raising narrative about the murder of Erica’s father and the secrets that revolve around it. Even if some of the controls may seem unnecessary, the mysteries you uncover and the chilling plot is worth staying for. Strengthened by the interactive nature of the game and the stellar acting from a talented cast, Erica is a thriller you won’t want to miss.

Quotation forthcoming.

With Erica, Sony shows it's got something different up its sleeve, and its eye on the genre, both things I quite appreciate. The replay value is reasonable. I'll probably play at least once more to make all the opposite decisions. Erica is a solid addition to the FMV world, and I'm excited to see if the developer (FlavourWorks) continues with this genre in future games. The acting is solid, the companion app is a delight to use, and the story is intriguing.

Whether Erica is a successful fluke or the start of a FMV renaissance is impossible to predict, but the game is a solid and beautifully crafted example of how the technique has evolved and just how effective great interactive storytelling can be.

Lovers of exciting stories, in other words, should give a chance to Erica's affairs because - believe it - they are worth the ticket price.

An intriguing multi-choice adventure, Erica does almost nothing new but offers an interesting story and great replayability.

Erica is an intriguing, admirable experience that those looking for something a little outside of the video game norm will surely latch on to. With an impressive set of performances, a story that’ll have you hooked straight from the off, and meaningful decisions that have a major impact on the game, FMV is making waves all over again.

Erica is experimental in design, and because of that, some things just aren’t going to work out as well as you would hope. But despite both its big fault and barely noticeable flaws, Erica is an interesting, immersive and well-realised experience.

It is a succinct experience with lots of different choices that change the story and lead to different sorts of outcomes. It is well performed has good transitions, and there are no overly-complicated inputs. That it basically requires you to get an outside app and use your phone and goes a little overboard with quick time events is a bit of an annoyance. But, it has an interesting story to tell about a woman who has been through terrible things and finally has a chance at answers and, if you are smart, a happy ending.

With great technology behind the transitions from the "main movie" to the moments when the viewer must become a player-director and some great performances from the cast, Erica is a true next step to the interactive storytelling of videogames.

Although it has its flaws, Erica is still a great revival of the old FMV genre, further erasing the line between video game and movie. An inspired control scheme, an engrossing multi-branched narrative that allows for multiple replays, and top-notch acting and directing - usually the pitfalls of the classic examples of the genre - make for a thrilling interactive experience.