The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story Reviews
The Centennial Case is a unique experiment, and a solid one at that, with a good central plot and a few missteps too, first of all its high price. A good choice for the visual novel fans.
Review in Italian | Read full review
That is about the only real criticism I have about The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story. It's a darn enjoyable multi-generation experience that has a lot of unusual mysteries, so it stands strong on its own merits. If you're a fan of mystery games, then it's absolutely worth a shot. The strong acting and good use of FMV help it to stand out from the crowd, and it's almost as much praise and criticism that I wished it were a movie or television show that I could just sit back and watch.
A very well realized, feature production, in which the game itself is admittedly few, but the title shows how to make interactive films.
Review in Polish | Read full review
A unique and polished experience, with a gripping story and interesting conundrums. One of the year's hidden gems.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is an engaging mystery that involves murders that span over a period of 100 years.
The Centennial Case : A Shijima Story is a game with very clear strengths and really pronounced weaknesses. In the end,its strengths are what stand out thanks to a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It would be great if its interactive parts were less tedious. However, those who manage to see past its stumbling blocks will find the mystery story engaging.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, The Centennial Case is probably not going to knock anybody's socks off, but it is at the very least an interesting mystery filled with enjoyable characters that is worth a few afternoons of an aspiring detective's time. It may not be up to the standards of a big budget theatrical production, but the actors feel competent and the musical score adds an air of drama that makes it hard not to get sucked in at times. If you find yourself with a craving for a relatively simple set of mysteries to walk through and solve, this is likely a game to keep your eye on for a rainy day.
Years after releasing games from established franchises or western indies, Square Enix took a different direction with impressive new Japanese titles. The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story was a surprise. And a great one.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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.
Due to this lack, The Centennial Case is therefore not recommended for the full price of 50 euros. Now it's the hypotheses that make you think before you point out a culprit, but if the puzzling around it had been just a little more exciting, then this game would have come out much stronger. All the other elements in the game are very well worked out and will not get bored for a moment. With an offer, this is therefore an absolute must for anyone who loves a good mystery.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story goes against the FMV adventure title mold and offers more interactivity than usual, which works in its favor.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
For those who would still like to try the game in intrigue, it is recommended to maintain its original Japanese voice instead of the English dub. Though a good option for accessibility, the English dub hires voice actors that make a scene almost unbearable to watch because of the lack of emotions in their delivery. While there are FMVs with great dubs, this is definitely not one of them.
If you like investigative dramas and are interested in something that's more interactive than your typical TV show, Centennial Case might be up your alley.
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story tells a fun and intriguing detective story. Unfortunately, it mostly fails to deliver meaningful and fun gameplay.
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story brings a commendable effort, but the whole thing feels like being at a twelve hour murder mystery dinner with intermissions of the most boring game of dominoes you’ve ever played.
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is absolutely one of the better murder mystery FMVs out there, bringing together acting portions with interesting mechanics and a stellar story with a surprising twist. Although the mechanics did feel a bit at odds with each other at times, it doesn’t stop The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story from being a truly fascinating experience that was hard to put down. If you love a good murder mystery that plays like a movie but makes you feel like you’re reading an Agatha Christie novel (albeit in Japan), The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story has waited a century for you to try it out.
While it might not be the perfect FMV game, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is pretty darn close. With the entwined stories, spectacular acting, and lengthy scenes, it truly is an interactive experience fans of the genre should not miss.
It presents a unique mystery by using a play-within-a-play that goes back and forth in 100 years. FMV are used as clues rather than interactive movies. And it feels much closer to the game because of that. While the story is attractive, several parts were difficult to immerse. UI/UX of clue-making clearly needs to be improved
Review in Korean | Read full review
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is an interactive film that proposes different cases to solve, all of them very well constructed. A different and very interesting proposal.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a high quality adventure game that manages to present a solid mystery built over several chapters. Both the story and the visual and sound elements are well handled, resulting in a title that anyone interested in investigative games should check out.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review