Paradise Killer

A new standard for the detective genre, plus some vaporwave bangers.

Paradise Killer is an exemplary adventure game that nails detective work in a way few games do.

A beautiful abomination that almost breaks under the weight of its thick but ultimately compelling worldbuilding, Paradise Killer is a stupendous detective yarn that reimagines the genre in bright sun-kissed colours with a cast of truly bizarre characters all living in a world that feels like a microcosm of sci-fi storytelling for the last thirty years. Exceptionally constructed, boundlessly enjoyable and fiendishly stylish, Paradise Killer is your new favourite detective game.

Paradise Killer marries a beautifully repulsive world with a gratifyingly open-ended approach to detective work, but its real achievement is in how it ties everything you’ve learned together. After a whole game of learning the story, you’re suddenly the one writing the ending. The most important person a detective needs to prove a case to is themselves, to give them the confidence to pass those details along. Paradise Killer treats you in much the same way. By the end of its 15 hours, the only person you really need to convince is yourself: Is that the ending you want to see? OK, prove it.

An extremely distinct investigation game with the rare confidence to let you actually be a detective, and a fun groove to boot.

Paradise Killer is a strange experience. Even having completed it, I have difficulty putting into words what it was like to play it. It’s sometimes boring, often intriguing, frequently funny, and startlingly deep. I didn’t go into this expecting such an amazing detective experience, but that’s exactly what I got. It’s rare to see a game so adeptly balance style and substance, and even though it’s not a flawless experience, it has it where it counts. We may have just fallen short of Paradise this time around, but the next cycle could be perfect.

There are very few murder mystery games that give you as much agency as Paradise Killer does. Although it takes a little while to get into the swing of things, when you’re deep in your investigation, coming across key pieces of evidence or catching your suspects out in a lie, you feel unstoppable. And having the power to make an accusation, right or wrong, is a very nice touch too. I’d like to see the same gameplay replicated in an experience more grounded in reality, but once you get used to the fact you’re living amongst gods and immortal beings, it’s hard not to love Paradise Killer exactly...

There’s a refreshing freedom to Paradise Killer we’ve not previously seen. You can start the trial almost immediately if you desired, which is far from sensible, but without a narrative constraining you, Lady Love Dies’ investigation is what you make it. Coming to your own conclusions can be a little overwhelming in places but successfully solving this case is immensely satisfying. For murder-mystery fans, this comes highly recommended.

There's some issues with the cumbersome platforming and exploration, but the vaporwave feel and overall writing make Pradise Killer a groovy, memorable title.

A tough but super stylish investigate 'em up that'll have you dancing all the way to the murder trial. Probably through some blood from a ritual massacre. But that massacre was a legal one, you can ignore it.

There’s a lot to love with Paradise Killer. From the cool cast of characters, to the open-ended nature of the investigation, players will find it easy to dive in. The vaporwave visual design may not be to everyone’s tastes, but those who enjoy it will love the world on display. The biggest disappointments are that there's not more to the world exploration aspect. It’s also a shame that the open world nature of the gameplay does not carry over into the anticlimactic trials. Even so, it’s worth taking a vacation on Paradise Island. Paradise Killer is a bold first release from Kaizen Game Works a...

Unfortunately, the gameplay is a simple affair. There are puzzles, of course, but they’re few and far between, and in many cases repetitive. For every “how the hell do I infiltrate this building without being seen” there are five “match the pictures on your computer to the pictures on the screen”. The bulk of the gameplay consists of moving from one area to the other, questioning each syndicate member or examining evidence. Over the course of the game, you’ll amass a series of crimes, each of which has multiple possible suspects.