Erica (PS4)
By: Sony
THE early 90s saw videogames engage in a technical arms race, with 16, 32 and 64-bit logos slapped across hardware amid promises of untold wizardry. And, when CD technology untethered developers from humble cartridges and floppies, all that extra storage space was put to use taking us to the movies with full motion video, or FMV.
Unfortunately, the result was a short-lived, slightly embarrassing genre of PC and Mega-CD titles as no-name actors engaged in barely interactive amateur hour movies with confusing 'gameplay' interruptions. The craze gave us such infamous novelties as Night Trap, Sewer Shark and, erm, Bikini Karate Babes – and while recognisable talent was scarce, the sight of a hard-up Mark Hamill or Billy Dee Williams puttering around the screen was astounding enough to momentarily blind punters to how awful the games actually were.
Hailed as a high-tech groundbreaker in its day, FMV quickly died a death when developers embraced 3D worlds with complex gameplay. But, as last year's Black Mirror experiment Bandersnatch trumpeted, interactive video hasn't gone away, you know.
The high-def streaming and cavernous storage of modern gaming rigs has seen a minor resurgence in the genre – and, as Sony's Erica shows, they push way beyond the low production values of FMV's heyday.
A tale of loss and occultism, the plot follows young Erica Mason (played by Humans and Cuckoo star Holly Earl) as she deals with the murder of her family amid the corridors of a care home. Something's rotten at the heart of Delphi House and it's up to the player to uncover what in a game that takes between 1.5 and three hours to complete – though multiple playthroughs are encouraged.
Each of the three main endings provides a distinct conclusion, though some plot points are so telegraphed they could be used for wartime communication. As an FMV game, you won't be controlling Erica in the traditional sense. Rather, the game offers up choices at various junctions, from choosing which route to walk, conversation to have or object to investigate.
This is achieved entirely by fondling your DualShock's touch-pad, or by linking the game to your tablet or smartphone. Using keys, scribbling notes, wiping surfaces and the like are all simulated on your surface of choice, though the PS4 controller isn't quite as good as a phone for more precise actions.
Co-directed by Jamie Magnus Stone (grandson of the amazingly monikered, none-more-genial Mastermind host Magnus Magnusson), his experience helming many an episode of Doctor Who is clear to see in a thoroughly slick production.
Where the original FMV wave boasted grainy compressed video, Erica looks like a bona-fide movie. While no amount of gloss can hide the format's limitations, Erica is well worth a gander for something a little different. And given a trip to the cinema these days requires a remortage, paupers and tightwads alike can rejoice at its sub-tenner price tag.
Don't let its aggressively boring title fool you: Erica's either a fresh tech showcase or cheesy nostalgia trip, depending on how well you remember the early 90s, man.
