Paradise Killer Reviews

Paradise Killer is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
3.8 / 5.0
May 5, 2022

All in all, Paradise Killer offers a highly unique experience with interesting characters and a heavily detailed mystery to follow. However, its needlessly convoluted story and writing may deter some players from diving in.

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Lee Mehr
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Apr 25, 2022

Paradise Killer succeeds by selling all of its ostensibly contradictory artistic choices as inseparable parts of a greater whole.

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9.6 / 10.0
Mar 25, 2022

Paradise Killer is easily one of the most memorable and mesmerising games I’ve played this year, sucking you in with the request to solve a mysterious murder, yet keeping you hooked with the awesome soundtrack, brilliant narrative, and casual yet intuitive exploration of the soon-to-be destroyed Island 24. Despite potentially spending hours simply walking around as you talk to the inhabitants and seek out hidden items, the time will fly by without realising it – you’ll be absorbed within the world, building bonds with friends and potential criminals alike. If you have any love for games such as Danganronpa, Ace Attorney, or any visual novel with a focus on solving crimes, you’re gonna love Paradise Killer.

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8 / 10
Mar 22, 2022

However, Paradise Killer will gradually win you over. Part of its smart design is letting you begin the endgame trial, where you'll make your final accusations, whenever you like, giving you complete control over the outcome. When you're satisfied you know what happened, you can start proceedings and present your case — there is no single correct answer. Combined with a great, low-tech aesthetic and an excellent soundtrack, and this is a game with both style and substance.

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95 / 100
Mar 20, 2022

Paradise Killer is now the perfect murder mystery. With some visual and performance issues taken care of and the addition of new secrets to uncover as well as some gorgeous Ray Tracing, there's never been a better time to breathe life back into paradise.

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9 / 10.0
Mar 20, 2022

A beautiful abomination that almost breaks under the weight of its thick but ultimately compelling worldbuilding, Paradise Killer is a stupendous detective yarn that reimagines the genre in bright sun-kissed colours with a cast of truly bizarre characters all living in a world that feels like a microcosm of sci-fi storytelling for the last thirty years. Exceptionally constructed, boundlessly enjoyable and fiendishly stylish, Paradise Killer is your new favourite detective game.

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9 / 10.0
Mar 15, 2022

Ambling around a cursed utopia and interrogating its eccentric characters while listening to jazzy, saxophone-obsessed electronica remains a fitting masquerade for a mercurial murder mystery. Almost two years after its first release, Paradise Killer's commitment to its vaporwave aesthetic remains a model for creative fiction and an amusement park for industrious detectives.

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Dec 11, 2020

Whilst I wish Paradise Killer’s mechanical detective fangs were a little sharper, it oozes style and its writing and world-building are out of this world. It’s not a lie when I say I wanted to stay forever here in paradise where love dies. I already know as truth/fact that when it comes to this game my love will never die.

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9.3 / 10.0
Dec 3, 2020

A true detective story that brings believability into an unbelievable world, Paradise Killer is a tale of intrigue that truly rewards your investment.

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Nov 25, 2020

Paradise Killer checks a lot of my favorite boxes. There’s an exciting and strange world to explore, there’s a strong cast of characters to get to know, a solid mystery to solve, and enough throwback references to 90s-era technology and eclectic iconography thrown in to create something that feels nostalgic and completely alien all at once. I’ve honestly never experienced a game quite like this one, and it’s one of the easiest recommendations I’ve been able to make in some time, especially if you relish in the weird. It’s a delight to get lost in Paradise, which leaves a lasting impression in almost every way imaginable.

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Unscored
Nov 14, 2020

Even after having completed the game, it’s hard to know exactly what to make of Paradise Killer. The concept of an open-world murder mystery is very intriguing, and the world offers enough piecemeal rewards to spur on thorough exploration. But the flip-side of that same coin is the potential to severely hamstring the pacing of the already difficult-to-navigate narrative.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 16, 2020

Paradise Killer takes place in one of the most bizarre universes one may ever partake in. There are certain elements of the game that lend itself to a retro feeling detective game replete with a tasteful, customizable soundtrack. While the universe and its semantics might throw you a curveball once in a while you'll easily get lost in the large and beautiful open-world. Couple that with a rewarding exploration and puzzle system and you might just forget that you have a murder to solve!

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4 / 5.0
Oct 12, 2020

Paradise Killer is a unique blend of visual novel and open world elements, with a killer story.

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84 / 100
Oct 8, 2020

Few games can offer something quite as weirdly creative as Paradise Killer. Exploring the island, talking with the suspects, piecing the mystery together, and holding the final trial is a thoroughly enjoyable ride in this open world crime mystery.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2020

An extremely distinct investigation game with the rare confidence to let you actually be a detective, and a fun groove to boot.

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Oct 4, 2020

THIS.IS.PARADISE.

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Oct 3, 2020

There’s nothing so gauche or straightforward as a Miss Marple denouement reveal, where you discover whether or not your conclusions were correct. In Paradise Killer the truth is more complicated and, counterintuitively, all the more satisfying for it.

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7 / 10
Oct 3, 2020

Paradise Killer is a very intriguing detective story with an interesting and deep world and well-developed characters, which suffers from a number of shortcomings.

Review in Russian | Read full review

8 / 10
Oct 2, 2020

Paradise Killer is a pure, unguided detective mystery that doesn't dare hold your hand. You, and you alone, are in charge of seeking out not only the truth of this locked room murder, but the truth of the wild and cosmically corrupt world that the game takes place in. The open ended nature of the investigation can be daunting at first, and while some clunky platforming and frequent periods of downtime can sour the experience just a bit, Paradise Killer still manages to be one of the most well put together and utterly satisfying mystery games I've ever experienced.

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3.5 / 5.0
Oct 2, 2020

There's a lot to love with Paradise Killer. From the cool cast of characters, to the open-ended nature of the investigation, players will find it easy to dive in.

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