Erica

Though Erica's illusion of choice may sully the experience on repeat playthroughs, the game still stands as the best FMV game available on consoles. Its high-end TV show production values and acting allow it to stand out in a genre muddied by low-budget attempts by game developers turned amateur filmmakers. Erica is a risky but successful title in an unusual year for PS4 exclusives, making it a sh...

Erica tells a boilerplate story—but tells it very well. With a fresh, intuitive interface and some of the best production values and acting ever seen in a video game, Erica feels very much like what it aspires to be—an interactive film. Erica is perhaps an odd experiment, but one well worth experiencing for gamers that enjoy trips off the beaten path.

As games grow as a medium, more niche genres gradually become mainstream. FMV titles, bolstered by the nostalgic resurgence of games like Night Trap and indie successes like Her Story, become more prominent and titles like Hidden Agenda are marketed as a way to get people who might not normally play engaged in an interactive story packed with quick time events. Erica, Sony’s latest adventure from ...

Erica brings a lot of new, and a lot of good, to the FMV gaming table. If you like trippy noir thrillers and your mobile phone, you'll love this.

As long as you don't plan on making a repeat playthrough, Erica is a great experience. Only upon replay do issues like limited narrative variation, non-essential quicktime events, and the illusion of choice make an appearance. Despite that, this is a fantastic use of the FMV genre that more people deserve to experience.

Live action video games have been around for decades yet none have featured the finesse of Flavourworks' Erica.

With its intriguing narrative hook, Erica’s premise is enough to pique any FMV fan’s interest. Sadly, clumsy plotholes and unnecessary choices weigh the game down, and it doesn’t quite deliver in the end. It’s still entertaining enough if you’re looking for a different kind of movie night, though.

Overall, I adore this game! It’s a stunning piece of gameplay and the way it melds live acting and game mechanics is splendid, and I’d love to see more games incorporate this mechanic in a more fluid manner. Wintory’s soundtrack once again is stunning, and truly sets the atmosphere in all elements wonderfully and so fitting with the mystery the player is sent to uncover.