Martha Is Dead

Like a heaping of horror media, Martha Is Dead’s solid start and some nuanced supplementary mechanics are betrayed by its worst impulses by the end.

Finally, it is worth noting, that there is an additional triggering scene at the end where Giulia then ‘kills’ herself, by slitting her wrists. The developers added an option on PC where you can censor this sequence. I was relieved to have this option, however, like enforced edits on Playstation, I do think that the option should be available to censor the rest of the scenes should you need to, if you want the experience that game without having to be deeply upset.

Can you imagine what Tuscany, Italy might have been like during World War II? With Martha Is Dead you don’t have to. You can experience some of the darkness that prevailed during that time for yourself. And given the fact that this game is a psychological thriller, don’t expect anything to give you a sense of comfort or safety. The countryside may look peaceful and calm at the beginning, but it’s disguising something more sinister. Though Martha Is Dead isn’t without its glitches, developer LKA does an excellent job keeping you hooked until the very end.

Martha Is Dead is a title that fans of horror and the slow exploration (and creeping dread) that usually accompanies it – will appreciate. The theme of the game is challenging, but it’s also treated with respect and care, despite some early scenes suggesting otherwise. The core mystery is intriguing enough, and an impactful finale closes this 5-6 hours journey on a memorable note. A few technical hiccups hold it back, but if Italian developer LKA can iron out some of the shortcomings, Martha Is Dead is assuredly a game that will take you on a journey that won’t leave your thoughts any time soo...

Martha is Dead is best appreciated from a distance, because while its narrative premise and setting are certainly impressive, the game itself is slow as molasses and frustratingly clunky.

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If only Dalcò, rather than honouring his heroine by smothering her search for truth in confounding gloom, had abided by her love of illumination.

Martha is Dead had all the right ideas, touching upon themes of loss, war, and personal identity in a meaningful way in a horror game. It unfortunately failed to deliver on an experience that cohesively weaved together those great ideas, along with a slew of technical and performance issues.

For all of its darkness, Martha is Dead can’t seem to find the light.

Yet, in spite of all of these things, I can't stop thinking about Martha Is Dead, even if I'm not entirely sure I was enjoying it for most of its mid-section. It shines when it really leans into its psychological thriller/ horror elements, but they feel so sporadic and fleeting in what ultimately becomes six hours of fetch quests and a photography mechanic that lacked any meaningful depth. It's not some gore-fest, but its dark and uncomfortable themes of self-harm and mental illness are just as unsettling as any ungodly monster that's chased you down a corridor in your next favorite horror tit...

Martha is Dead wants to send a big important message, but the way it’s delivered is terrifyingly bad, not only in it’s writing but also in the shoddy gameplay.

Shocking, controversial, technically broken, brutally forward with its presentation, and forwardly present in its mechanics, Martha is Dead wants nothing but a shocked gasp and an article made about its material. Mission accomplished, but at the cost of integrity.