D’avekki Studios Writes the Next Chapter in the FMV Games Revival

Previously seen as cheesy and cheap affairs, FMV games have seen a revitalization in recent years as titles like Headspun, Telling Lies, and Immortality break the stigma of the genre to entice a new generation of players. Developers have ramped up the quality of FMV games as narrative vessels with improved cinematography, better casting, and more compelling stories. D’avekki Studios is easily one of the leaders of the FMV revival, having previously released titles such as The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker and The Shapeshifting Detective as well as its spin off release—Dark Nights with Poe and Monro.

D’avekki has continually shown throughout their releases that they can improve from one title to the next, with the stories and sets becoming noticeably more complex with each release. Their latest title, Murderous Muses, is an ambitious blending of first-person exploration where players explore a foreboding art gallery while viewing full motion videos captured through the eyes of renowned painter turned murder victim Mordechai Grey. Players are given three separate nights in the gallery to interact with Mordechai’s paintings, each one offering a glimpse into the lives of the muses they portray through the artist’s eyes. It’s through these short interview clips that we are meant to piece together information about Mordechai and the events that led to his eventual demise.

A multifaceted whodunnit

Image source: Cole Martin for GameCrate

Murderous Muses is a mystery thriller at its core. It invites players into the world to uncover a sprawling cast of characters and determine who amongst them was responsible for the death of the main character, but the solution to the ultimate question is never really set in stone. Each playthrough of Murderous Muses offers additional details that may have been missed out on before, new character information, and the potential for a different killer to have committed the crime. We saw D’avekki dip their toes into this type of storytelling with The Shapeshifting Detective, which offered three potential suspects for its mystery element. For Murderous Muses, however, the potential suspect list spans all six of the Muses that were sitting with Mordechai for portraits at the time of his demise.

One of the muses is chosen at random to be the final killer when a new game is started. However, players can utilize Murderous Muses seed feature to replay past experiences or share specific run details with others. Because the narrative for Murderous Muses is fragmented into these short video clips, it’s inevitable that anyone interested in uncovering all of the potential clips, easter eggs and other secrets hidden within the game will need to replay. Interacting with the portraits to uncover story elements is only part of the experience of playing Murderous Muses, however, as players are also expected to uncover clues that will help them solve various puzzles and mini games throughout each of the three nights in order to progress.

Recognizable cast in all new roles

Image source: Cole Martin for GameCrate

In addition to excellent narrative writing, one of the most important pillars of a good FMV is obviously going to be the acting in the video sequences. Leaps in technology for FMV games have made it easy to include high fidelity cinematic clips into the games themselves, but it still falls upon the developers to cast talented individuals to bring their characters to life. Players who have previously picked up D’avekki games will recognize some of the talent returning for Murderous Muses, though they will not be in familiar roles for this title.

Klemens Koehring, previously known as the titular Poe from Dark Nights with Poe and Munro and The Shapeshifting Detective returns to work with D’avekki once again. This time, however, he takes on the role of a mysterious television host in video clips where he provides additional narrative tidbits for the game. The incredibly talented Aislinn De’Ath returns to D’avekki in Murderous Muses, as well. To date, Aislinn De’Ath has appeared in every D’avekki FMV title, though for this latest foray she plays a new character for the role of the undertaker for the island of Mirlhaven, Lilith.

Image source: Cole Martin for GameCrate

While it’s certainly a joy to see fan favorite faces, the additional cast of characters are no slouches when it comes to creating unsettling and memorable moments. When Xavier matter-of-factly describes the last time he killed a person during an interview sequence, you can’t help but take notice. Likewise, the actress behind Sunday and Monday – a pair of tennis playing twins – really goes the extra mile to help sell the characters and give them distinct personalities.

Discover who killed Mordechai Grey

The Gallery Argenta is a twisted and unusual space, constantly changing with new doors and rooms full of foreboding and mysterious paintings that hide the sinister secrets of Mordechai Grey’s muses.

Players can explore the gallery and learn what the residents of Mirlhaven are hiding for themselves on April 12, 2023. Murderous Muses will be available on Steam, Xbox, and Playstation.