The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story

While the action and UI hinder some enjoyment, this is a well-crafted mystery that aspiring detectives and FMV connoisseurs alike will enjoy. [Issue#16, p.140]

It's handsomely shot, produced and scored, solidly acted. [Issue#373, p.108]

In the history of gaming there have been experiences where everything about the game is fantastic except for the actual gameplay. The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story falls into this category. The well-written story keeps the player captivated through the entire playthrough while the music perfectly complements each scene. The acting cast is top notch, especially if the original Japanese audio track is used. The hexagon system of coming to a hypothesis can get quickly tedious, and with no penalty for a wrong conclusion or choices that have any impact more than the illusion of involvement, there isn’t any replay value. But the lackluster gameplay aside, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a wonderful story that should be experienced and one of the better attempts at an FMV game.

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is an exceptional grouping of semi-connected detective stories. Experiencing a whodunnit while marginally helping piece the mystery together was a great combination. While much of the investigations are too guided, getting to watch the suspects react as you place down piece after piece of evidence is completely worth it. The game never works better than it does when you just get to sit back and enjoy watching the story unfold.

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a journey into a century of moments of a family and, in a way, of an entire country as well. It touches on its mythology, traditions and contradictions, without leaving its mark to the end. There is no doubt that we are talking about a timeless production that will attract only a certain type of fans, but it is also true that the quality of the direction and the acting of the sequences make it a really interesting and eye-catching experiment.

If you fancy yourself a bit of a budding sleuth and enjoy a good murder mystery, you’ll love The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story. The narrative is rich and twisting, and even as it jumps between time periods it always manages to keep you engaged. As long as you don’t mind a bit of ham and cheese (and stay away from the English dub), you’ll have a grand old time with this whodunnit.

If you take it more like a movie than a game and you are fond of this kind of story, you will surely enjoy The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story. If not...there are infinitely better games out there.

The Centennial Case attempts to engage the player / spectator, but lacks the bite of a Telling Lies or the simple but welcome interactivity with the scenarios of an Ace Attorney. The quality of the cast's interpretations is discreet and the story manages to arouse interest in those who play, but without creating the urge to discover the truth that must distinguish every good thriller. It is an experience that may be appreciated by lovers of mystery, but which does not derive all the possible benefits that a greater contextualization in Japanese culture and history could have given. In other words, the Square Enix adventure succeeds only in part, while it could have shown much more grit and character.

An intriguing live-action mystery drama with solid narrative and some clever supernatural twist, flawed by some poor staging choices and tight gameplay mechanics.