The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story Reviews
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.
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a massive FMV-game that tries to do way too much with its story, and in result loses its focus, especially compared to some smaller scale titles.
Review in Russian | 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
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
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story tells a fun and intriguing detective story. Unfortunately, it mostly fails to deliver meaningful and fun gameplay.
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
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.
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is an engaging mystery that involves murders that span over a period of 100 years.
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 is a great game hurt only by its length and occasionally convoluted mystery mechanics. I’ve been around the block and then some with the FMV genre. This particular experience has certainly climbed up there in the ranks for me. With ambition and potential reached avidly, this is frankly a type of foray I haven’t played before. Provided are mesmerising set and costume designs, along with excellent character working and acting. Topping it all off is an enticing mystery and gorgeous cinematography to immerse you further. This is one for the books and a case worth investigating indeed.
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.
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is worth looking into for novelty alone, but it also manages to be an effective and interesting tale makes it just that much easier to recommend. Mystery is a genre that demands a puzzle worth solving, and this one is a case that delivers all the requisite twists and turns to make the experience feel like time well invested.
This multi-generational mystery is one worth solving.
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is difficult to be a good FMV game. The tedious plot, boring detective gameplay, and many unnecessary misleading information make playing it almost a disaster.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
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 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
Not many games are built like The Centennial Case, and I enjoyed the ambition behind trying something different to tell a complex story and involve the player in piecing it together. It gave me the feeling of reading a great mystery novel, where your head is spinning with possibilities, but the interactivity and structure allow you to better understand the clues and what they all mean. Sometimes The Centennial Case stumbles, but it’s worth enduring for the wild ride it puts you on and the broader questions it poses about what’s ethical in the world of science.
Not all of what it does is fully effective, but the things that work more than make up for the areas that stumble. With satisfying mysteries and a highly enjoyable cast, those who have enjoyed mystery novels or TV shows will find much to like about the game.