One of the benefits of living in an age where games don’t need a physical release, is that it is easier for developers to release their games in more countries without investing large amounts of money. Originally released for the PlayStation back in the 90s, The Silver Case is a re-master of one of the games which fell on this criteria, as it was not released outside of Japan. While the experience is a welcome addition to any gamers’ library, there are a few design choices which raised a few warning flags.
The Silver Case is a visual novel adventure game of two halves, in which you experience the story from both sides of the fence, similar to the approach Double Fine took with Broken Age. The Transmitter story arc focuses on the forensic investigation of a serial murder, whilst the Placebo chapters allow you to see the same events from the perspective of a reporter. Two all new scenarios have also been written for the remaster, which offer a brand new ending, and an epilogue which leads the story to the game’s sequel.
Both sides of the narrative and the new content offer the same thrilling experience, although the Placebo chapters feel slightly more interactive, particularly with the sections where you are gathering information for your latest article. The newer elements blend well with the older storyline, which is a nice step beyond the usual 1:1 remake that many developers offer their user base. It is not quite on the same level as some of the remakes we have seen in the past, but the effort to enhance an older experience is more than welcome in this instance.
