Hermitage: Strange Case Files | PS4 Review
Updated: Nov 18, 2021
Hermitage: Strange Case Files is a mystery detective game that plays out like a graphic novel and was developed by Arrowiz and published by Giiku Games. It is currently available on Windows PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, and for the purpose of my review I was playing the PlayStation 4 version.
Hermitage: Strange Case Files revolves around a quaint little book shop called Hermitage. It is run by a gentleman who specialises in folklore and was formerly an anthropology professor. The game follows the shop owner as he has mysterious cases brought to him by concerned people who need help investigating the mysteries that are happening to them. You have to follow discussions with these people; deduce evidence and clues from what they say and use the resources given to you to try and figure out a reason for the bizarre events that are happening around you.
Hermitage: Strange Case Files does a really great job of its storytelling as it introduces everything through dialogue between the characters. The story is well written and constantly had me anticipating what was going to happen next so I was very much invested in the story from just the early stages. All of the characters held a certain amount of mystery in the sense that they were all very much closed books but this just lured me further into the story. One of the key things that I didn’t really enjoy about Hermitage: Strange Case Files is the amount of reading to be done. Whilst it wasn’t exactly a hassle for me I feel like it really could have benefitted from some voiceovers, I just feel like the immersion would have been taken to the next level for me.
The story, to an extent, reminded me of some of the mysteries that went on in the Persona games and certain aspects of Hermitage: Strange Case Files repeatedly reminded me of some of the back stories and mysteries that were going on in the Persona games, specifically Persona 4. The relaxing jazz style soundtrack also gave me Persona vibes. That's about where the comparisons with Persona end, however it felt very significant to me and gave me a different connection to Hermitage and its characters.
Hermitage: Strange Case Files is a really good game. The story naturally moved along at a decent pace and the character development was excellent, meaning that I very quickly began to care a lot about the characters involved and felt fully invested in solving the mysteries. I found the game really engaging and there's also some replay value in it as there are different outcomes depending on your choices. If you're a fan of games like Ace Attorney then Hermitage: Strange Case Files is definitely one that should be added to your collection.
Lj’s Rating: 4 dusty old books out of 5.
For more information on Hermitage: Strange Case Files please use the following links...
Arrowiz - Developer | Facebook | Twitter | Website
Giiku Games - Publisher | Facebook | Twitter | Website
Many thanks to Renaissance PR and PressEngine for the Review Key.
Hermitage: Strange Case Files | Steam Store | PlayStation Store | XBox Live | Nintendo eShop
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