Return of the Obra Dinn Reviews
By hewing close to genre origins, both visually and thematically (though not without some genuine innovations of his own), Lucas Pope has delivered one of the best games of the year, and certainly one of the best murder mystery games of all time.
Return of the Obra Dinn breaks the mold of the gaming medium as an enthralling first-person mystery adventure with overtones of Edgar Allan Poe. This is an extraordinary conjunction of cerebral puzzle, supernatural nautical tale, and ornate art direction.
Return of the Obra Dinn proves that there are still untouched ideas in the gaming world, and it is possible to create a game that is completely new. The game combines the power of its 1-bit graphic, impressive storytelling, and unique gameplay to make on the best detective and puzzle solving experiences for the gamers. I only hope to see the next Lucas Pope's game soon.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Other than the Myst games, I can’t think of any obvious points of comparison to help you decide whether or not to give Return of the Obra Dinn a chance. The lack of guidance and completely open nature of the puzzles separate it from the likes of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter which had you solving smaller puzzles one at a time. This originality is the exact reason you should try it for yourself. I can’t guarantee you’ll love it as much as I did, but I’m certain it will keep nagging away at you in the back of your mind, encouraging you to boot it up one more time to see what else you can discover.
It's hard to find flaws in Return of the Obra Dinn. Everything's so polished and well-planned, completely new and familiar at the same time. There's nothing even similar to this game on the market, and, when it was over, I just wanted to keep investigating more strangers' destinies for hours on end.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Return of the Obra Dinn makes the journey to Nintendo Switch content and feature complete in a sparkling port from Warp Digital. The game is, simply put, one of the best ever made. It’s intricate, macabre, involving and essential. It’s aesthetically phenomenal and intellectually satisfying. Like the very best games, Return of the Obra Dinn is an experience that could only ever exist as a game. It’s’ a masterwork of narrative Sudoku and a recommended purchase on any platform.
With gripping game design shored up by fantastic visuals and stimulating storytelling, Return of the Obra Dinn solidifies Lucas Pope as a game-craftsman of remarkable talent.
Small musical cues are also used perfectly. I didn't notice how catchy these were at first until I found myself mimicking them in the shower. They are only a few seconds long, and I love them all so much! Special shoutouts to the voice actors as well. More than usual, the voice actors accurately representing their characters is of the utmost importance as players may recognize an accent or voice inflection that allows them to pinpoint the identity of someone on the ship. Everyone in the sound department did a tremendous job.
Return of the Obra Dinn is finally on consoles, and if you've never played it before you need to play it right now.
Return of the Obra Dinn is a unique experience worth every penny. I can’t recommend this game enough. There is nothing quite like it.
Thickly atmospheric with an impeccable sense of place unmatched by other games, Return of the Obra Dinn is the smart, stylish and curiosity detective adventure that you've always wanted.
Return of the Obra Dinn is a must play not just for fans of puzzle games, but fans of games in general. The game achieves exactly what it sets out to do, and then does so much more. For the price you pay, there’s a lot to explore, and multiple endings to discover.
Return of the Obra Dinn is the most complex and imaginative whodunnit-style murder mystery puzzle game, ever! Despite the aesthetically pleasing 1-bit design, underneath lies a perfectly crafted 3D world full of emotion, tragedy, murder, and deception. With two possible endings to uncover based upon how many people you correctly name, along with their cause of death, you could be trying to solve the mystery for many hours based upon your skills as a sleuth. If you have any interest at all in puzzle, mystery, narrative, unique, or cryptic games, you need to buy this today on whatever platform you own.
Return of the Obra Dinn stands as something wholly unique, a challenging detective game that empowers you to solve its mysteries through actual investigation.
A unique game that makes new things using old mechanics. An example that proves us that there's still room for new things on videogames.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Return of the Obra Dinn is truly a little gem, with many unique mechanics that will make every player very happy. Everyone should give this title a try, even if some player might find it a little too complicated.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The year is 1807. The good ship Obra Dinn, missing at sea for five years, mysteriously reappears devoid of her crew.
A beautifully constructed and powerfully atmospheric mystery that you really have to work to solve.
Easily the best detective game of the modern era, with challenging and rewarding gameplay combined with some of the most evocative visuals of the year.
The best detective game ever made, that tells its unpredictable story through a mix of idiosyncratic visuals and equally unique puzzle gameplay.