The Complex

The Complex is, quite simply, fantastic. Some dodgy CGI and a few plot holes aside, the story being told here is gripping, the characters well acted and brought to life and there’s a ton of variety on offer through the many choices we make along the way. A brilliant example of an interactive movie, and one that you’d be well off to play.

The story is interesting, characters have growth and mystery, acting is done wonderfully and the multiple endings means you’ll always have some sort of surprise by the time the credits roll again. My first ending was dramatically different from my second, so I’m glad it wasn’t just minor differences for the outcomes as a way to sell the multiple ending angle. The real question is, will you choose to smash or blow up the toilet?

The Complex is good, low budget ride with a lot of heart. Anyone who’s enjoyed the other FMV offerings from Wales Interactive should dive right in.

The Complex is an intriguing interactive movie, with good production values and a compelling story. It might have been longer, but it's definitely worth a watch/play.

Mixing games and movies is hard, and The Complex still hasn’t found the magic formula. At least, it doesn’t take the matter so seriously as Until Dawn, but it just delivers what it promised: 6-8 hours of an interactive movie, set in a direct-to-video sci-fi context. Not a mastepiece, but still better than the beginning of 2020.

The Complex on Xbox One is a good sci-fi experience that delivers a decent tale about pharma-terrorism with many complex and interesting themes running throughout. The production values, acting and the script are all very good and it's a very enjoyable yarn, with all this helped by the fact that there are several different - and hugely interesting - outcomes in place. But the actual choice-driven gameplay has not been able to make me feel connected to the story enough.

If we move The Complex to the world of cinema we would have before us a fun film to watch at home on a Sunday but one that lacks things to become a success.

The Complex is an entertaining FMV, decision-based adventure that works, but doesn’t do anything really new. We feel like it’s a story we already knew, and when the story is everything you’ve got, it really needs to shine.

There is fun to be had here, especially in some of the more ridiculous endings, but even those are examples of tonal whiplash in a title that plays it straight for the most part. More film than game, The Complex doesn’t gain enough from the premise of being interactive - instead, it ends up as a strangely paced movie with a lack of focus and not enough tension to draw players in.

Performances are mostly solid aside from the main protagonist, but the lacklustre script with a severe lack of character development aside from large amounts of exposition make it difficult to really care about any of them. Some of the endings are quite abrupt, leaving an unsatisfying finish. I find it unlikely that The Complex will win fans over to the genre, but those who do have a dedication may find something to enjoy.