Erica never lets you feel at ease for long. In one scene, a character teaches Erica how to play a song on the piano--you`re encouraged to memorize the cute little melody and try to perform the correct timing. But just when you start playing along, somebody suddenly starts coughing up blood everywhere, it`s messy and gross, everyone starts screaming, and the vibe is killed. In Erica you have to treasure those sweet breaks before they`re swiftly swiped from your hands and replaced with a solid helping of worry, stress, and a side of confusion.A fully filmed playable thriller in which the titular character is on a mission to help solve a murder case that she has strange family ties to, Erica utilizes some subtle yet effective film-inspired techniques--like match on action and screen wipes triggered by touchpad interactions--to tell its enigmatic tale. To progress each scene, you choose dialogue options and make various adventure game-like actions. The game bounces back and forth in time between Erica`s childhood with her father to the mess that is modern-day life, in which she has to move to a strange hospital her late parents helped create for her own safety.Erica, played by real-life actor Holly Earl, is a relatable, if malleable, protagonist. Earl regularly looks like she`s bewildered or uncomfortable, exactly how you feel as a viewer in most of the situations. She seems thoughtful and patient, but other than that there isn`t too much of a set personality for her. You decide through your in-game choices if she`s more passive or aggressive or unhelpful during the case, and because of the high stakes murder circumstances, switching her attitude and approach never feels abrupt nor out of character. Even if you spend most of the game being rude, you can be friendly to someone and it doesn`t feel weird. Your reactions, and in turn Erica`s, are likely to change frequently during a playthrough every time new information pops up, objectives change, and new, incredibly p ...
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