Her Story Critic Reviews

A game which dares to be different, something which confidently redefines what should be considered a 'video game', but is as profound and important as any other game available today, telling a vivid and engaging tale which is as rich and colourful as any open world sandbox; its tangents and offshoots as playful as any sprawling side quest.

Sam Barlow has proven himself in the past to be an excellent writer, but with Her Story he has completely outdone himself and set the bar as high as it has ever been.

You could look over videogame history and pick out antecedents for some of what Her Story does but, even so, I’ve never played anything quite like it.

If you like the idea of an open-ended '90s murder mystery with no guarantee you'll find a solid answer to its mysteries, then I can't recommend this highly enough. Her Story is a spectacular video game, and one of the most gripping personal narratives I've experienced in some time.

Her Story is indeed one of the most beautiful surprises of 2015. Its design, its atmosphere and the way its lone actress plays her part, in a way we sometimes think she directly answer to our questions, put you in the middle of an amazing story. A unique game that other developers can take as an example.

Her Story is likely worth playing if only because it is so profoundly different. When you throw in solid writing, passable acting, and the need for players to reach their own conclusions about what happened, it comes together exceptionally well.

An astounding performance by Viva Seifert, immaculate writing by Sam Barlow and a completely innovative concept cement Her Story as one of the most solid and mesmerising releases this year.

A beautifully crafted, written and acted investigative adventure. It's a smart and deep take on the FMV “genre” and even if it's probably not for everybody, anybody who's interested in these kind of experiments should give it a try.

Tells a fantastic story in a unique manner.

Her Story is a remarkable achievement in creating something which is personal, cinematic and playful. It’s a work that’s impossible to imagine as anything other than a video game, and one of the best I have played so this year

An atmospheric, captivating crime thriller with an interactive story that unravels differently for every player.

The hand of developer never intrudes far enough to spoil the basic thrill of solving a narrative puzzle completely on one’s own.

Her Story is one of those games that makes you wonder why it took so long for someone to actually make it. A unique experience that’s bound to keep you thinking for days after you’ve finished it.

Her Story is a captivating experiment in stripped down storytelling and the best use of FMV that I’ve ever had the good fortune to encounter.

Simply put, you've never played a detective game like this before.

Ultimately, above all else, the game comes across as feeling wholly authentic – and that is a word you can attribute to only a small handful of games released in this day and age.

This year’s most unique game is something that gamers far and wide should experience for themselves, be it as a pallet cleanser in between massive AAA releases or as something to show them the power of the medium itself.

Unique, clever and original. Her Story is a game like no other, that delivers a smartly crafted gameplay and narrative, and that anyone who finds its concept interesting should play.

Her Story is an incredibly interesting twist in the investigative theme. More than that, the work of Sam Barlow could be an illuminating beacon for future games that aim at offering innovative gameplay in police fiction games. A real must.

Her Story is not everyone's videogame. After all, you merely watch videos and take notes, trying to make sense of a murder story. But it works on an intimate level, feeding on the player's own thirst for truth. And doing so, it proves that videogames still have much to tell when it comes to original narrative solutions.