NOTE: Nintenfan received a complimentary review copy of Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived for the Nintendo Switch from the publisher/developer. Check out the official Nintendo Switch page for Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived here.
Review Summary for Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived ~ Great! ~ 8.25/10
Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived is an indie convo-puzzle detective game developed by Critique Gaming. The game has been out for PC for a while but has just released on the Nintendo Switch last week. Playing as the lead police detective the player will work to take down an evil network called the “Liberation Front”. Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived is similar to other adventure/detective-mystery games like Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, This War of Mine, and the Professor Layton series. Players will press witnesses and suspects with questions while trying to discover the truth behind the Liberation Front and its mission. A variety of social concepts are challenged & introduced including terrorism, police brutality and other contemporary issues of today.
The game starts by giving the player a small tutorial, which quickly teaches all the basics needed to play the game successfully. Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived has three difficulty modes, with the easiest playing like a visual novel while the 2nd and 3rd modes are respectively harder. For this review we sampled all three modes and found the 2nd option the best as it provided a challenge while not being to hard.
Gameplay centers on questioning and paying attention to each witness’s statements. To assist the player a couple of tools are available to determine when a suspect/witness is telling the truth. An eye pupil meter and a heartbeat meter are used to show how a witness is reacting to the current line of questioning. For instance, if a witness is feeling uncomfortable with a question the heartbeat meter will beat faster. The pupil gauge signals how comfortable the witness is with talking to the police detective, smaller pupils signals the witness is on-guard while larger pupils signal the witness feels comfortable with the detective’s questions. The detective can affect the witnesses’ heartbeat and pupil dilation by asking questions in a certain order or by responding back to answer given in a certain way. In many ways the game is similar to the gameplay found in other detective puzzle games like “This is the Police”. Players also have other tools to get suspects talking, including advanced interrogation tactics which would be considered ‘shady’ today. Advanced interrogation require turning off the interrogation room’s audio recorder. Once the recorder is off the player is allowed to utilize tactics include getting in a suspects face, slamming a suspect into a wall repeatedly, using a taser on him/her. The more time you spend with the recorder off the more negatively the press and public will view you and the investigation. The balance between getting answers & convictions with the weight of public opinion gives Interrogation a nice dynamic. Along with handling all aspects of an interrogation you are also tasked with managing the investigation’s budget & detective team.
One of my favorite parts of Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived is the game’s many different multiple endings. Depending on how close you get to stopping the Liberation Front’s true motives dictates which ending you receive.
The graphics are inspired by a noir art style that utilizes some real world photography to pull off a decent atmospheric vibe. The black & white style looks good across Interrogation’s 30+ characters. Overall the graphics lend to the game’s dark vibe. The music fits well with the game’s art style and setting.
In conclusion Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived is a good value to those who enjoy convo-puzzle games or detective games. The different investigatory cases get increasingly harder as you progress leading to one of several endings. Along with plenty of replay value the game’s visuals lend to an atmospheric experience. The game’s realistic characters and modern subject matter give Interrogation relevancy in today’s polarized social-political climate.
Nintenfan received a complimentary review copy of Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived for the Nintendo Switch.
Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived Review Score
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Graphics: 7.5/10
Music/Sound: 8.5/10
Replay Value: 8.5/10
Final Score: 8.25/10
