Martha is Dead Reviews
A good premise and gripping start is undermined by a second half of bugs, bad writing, and grossly overused clich's of mental ill-health.
Martha is Dead is an unflinching and utterly absorbing ordeal to be endured rather than enjoyed.
Martha is Dead will leave you psychologically scarred. Whether you enjoy the process depends on your constitution and hatred of bicycles.
LKA made the best recreation of an Italian setting I’ve ever seen in a game and I wanted nothing more than to enjoy it. However, LKA’s love of Italy is the only warmth I felt in Martha is Dead. The rest left me feeling as cold as Giulia’s dead sister.
Clunky writing, ponderous pacing and a commitment to lingering gore shots make Martha Is Dead an actively unpleasant experience. Run for the hills.
Martha is Dead deals with losing loved ones and losing your own self through a powerful narrative that can be quite uncomfortable at times.
If only Dalcò, rather than honouring his heroine by smothering her search for truth in confounding gloom, had abided by her love of illumination.
Martha is Dead may sometimes become very eccentric, but the game's mood and mystery will greatly appeal to you from the beginning.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
A highly original, dark gothic thriller whose lack of compromises will restrict its audience but are hard not to admire.
Martha is Dead is a halfway game. A title that you can enjoy if you are a lover of the genre, but that you play it knowing that something is missing, knowing that it could have been something more. If you are looking to be afraid you may find more tension than something scary.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Even with certain flaws typical of "small" productions, Martha is Dead has a strong personality that permeates us and will turn our heads for a long time. Of course, it is not for sensitive stomachs.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Martha is Dead is a complex first-person narrative adventure, a story of traumatic experiences that could upset the sensitivity of those who play. Anyway LKA depicted in a brilliant and compelling way the discomfort of the main character, even if sometimes narration lingers in the spectacularization of the most gory elements. The Italian studio did a great job creating an accurate historical stage, but technically the game has significant ups and dawns, which, anyway, don't undermine too much the overall experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Martha is Dead wants to send a big important message, but the way it's delivered is terrifyingly bad, not only in it's writing but also in the shoddy gameplay.
Horror fans looking for an adrenaline rush, though, won't find anything here to sate their appetites, unfortunately, but some fairly gruesome scenes certainly lean into the psychological horror tropes, and never cheap out on the gory details.
As long as you can withstand its often extremely disturbing content, Martha is Dead is a absorbing and atmospheric adventure with a brilliantly realised setting and a beautifully haunting soundtrack. We can’t stress enough that it won’t suit all tastes, however.
This is a hard moment to experience and there are many more throughout Martha is Dead, but none of these are implemented for shock value. All of these moments are carefully thought-out and relevant to the story and exploration of Giulia's mental deterioration. Ultimately, Martha is Dead is a game with simple mechanics that tells a difficult but important story that's well worth experiencing. That said, those interested in playing this game should consider doing so on Xbox or PC if possible, as these platforms are offering the game in the way it's intended to be experienced.
While a terrible murder is what sets the events of Martha is Dead in motion, the real focus of the game is Giulia's psyche and how it was affected by past and present thraumas. LKA's new adventure might not be suited for everyone due to the brutality of certain scenes, but it is certainly courageous and competent.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In the end Martha is Dead feels like an arthouse movie, when you have to decipher the game yourself, while having all kind of emotions. Whether you'll like it or not is very hard to tell.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Martha Is Dead offers a narrative that’s provocative, intense, dark, and emotional. And yes, it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s plenty gory. Given that it takes place during WWII the story doesn’t seem out of place either. It pulls you in right away, keeps its intensity and pace, and holds your attention until the very end. The sound and graphical design really fit with the overall vibe and atmosphere of the game. Sure, it’s not perfect, but most of the issues aren’t game breaking. Martha Is Dead is riveting and if you’re a fan of psychological thrillers you won’t want to miss it.
Martha is Dead meets every expectation and exceeds most of them. It is a true ghost story, perfectly designed to demand you keep playing while making you want to stop. Its near-flawless design sets a new benchmark in the quietly, weirdly, horrible.