This is the Zodiac Speaking

I want to be clear the reason I can't recommend this isn't because I hate the game or it's terrible or offensive or insulting to the player. No, I can't recommend it because it's one of the weirdest games I've ever played - especially when taking into account how its obviously been presented and leverages the real-life Zodiac Killer. If you go into this blind expecting what it says on the tin you are in for a bummer. So like many have pointed out, the presence of the Zodiac Killer here feels very tacked on and arbitrary, not just in the way the story unfolds with the focus clearly NOT on him, but on the protagonists personal life, but also in that you do basically zero actual detective work, puzzles, or decryption of any sort. You know, stuff you'd do if you were an investigative journalist targeted by the Zodiac Killer. Instead the game is an existential psychological thriller where you sneak around a one hit kill enemy with bad ai in giant lifeless boring maps to find arbitrary hotspots, activate them, and then put 4 pieces of a timeline in order which may or may not make any sense. All this, in game-wise, from a shrink's chair high AF. So as a game using the likeness and gravitas of an actual serial killer to paint an evocative and scary atmosphere of cat and mouse, this game is a misleading and dismal failure. Ok, but what about taking it at its own terms, forgetting the Zodiac stuff and just focusing on this weird Silent Hill Shattered Memories from TEMU sadcore daddy issues simulator? Well I probably spoiled the answer there but surprisingly it is also quite bad. But it's the combination of these two that ended up being fascinating and kept me through to the end! It's very obvious they had a ton of ambition making this, you can see little hints everywhere that also pop up in most games like this that clearly are in over their heads: weirdly over-complicated UI, features that appear once if even that and never come up again but are implied to be key mechanics, narrative threads that go nowhere, shoehorned "choices with consequences" systems that don't change much, if anything at all, and often the consequences make no sense for the choice made, etc. So my guess is they had this idea for a psychological thriller where an investigative journalist is going over cold cases from serial killers, or maybe seeing visions of victims yada yada yada. And that was a very narrative heavy, puzzle light, almost walking sim type affair that would have these trippy sequences play out in therapy sessions as you find/help the victims, avoid the bad guy, and figure out whats real, whats not am i the killer?! blah blah. THEN someone on the team or somehow someone goes "HEY! what if we make the killer the Zodiac Killer? I bet that'll get us some attention!" and then the process of integrating an incredibly infamous and well-researched serial killer with all the real life contextual weight and expectations that entails, are stapled to this goofy personal tale of a man confronting generational trauma, guilt, grief, and shame. The outcome is exactly as bad, insane, and confusing as you'd expect. Glad I played it, but again I'm a weirdo who likes figuring out theories for how these unhinged media messes get made and why they're so weird. Chances are you are not that, but if so, hey have at it! Thanks for reading.

Bad European voice actors trying to sound American and hard to find objects ruin an otherwise decent concept for a game.

A lot of liberties have been taken with this story. It is not a historically accurate depiction of Robert Graysmith's life and investigation into the zodiac murders, although some details such as the crime scenes do check out. It does make for an interesting game. The dialogue is a little choppy and I don't like Robert's voice, and unless it's just my game controller, don't bother playing this with anything but a keyboard and mouse. I enjoyed the college campus level on serial killer mode. It's got good atmosphere, and I can tell a lot of work went into this. I'm not sure I'd buy it for the original price, though. EDIT: alright, so the reporter in this game is named Robert 'Hartnell,' not Graysmith. Assuming he's based off Graysmith, then.

Гра, яка мала цікаву ідею та велике поле використання механік, виявилася недооптимізованим симулятором блукання. Є чимала кі-сть багів, зокрема із системою досягнень, від чого залишилося неприємне післявідчуття незавершеності. Так, зокрема найбільш важке досягнення нереально завершити без гайдів та підготовки, адже гра не відслідковує це якось нормально. "This is the Zodiac Speaking" має режими "сторімод" та "горормод". Якшо перший дає можливість спокійно розслідувати локації та виконувати простенькі пазли, то останній додає самого Зодіака, який мав створювати відчуття переслідування. Проте вже з 5-ого розділу розумієш, що це деградований ШІ, який вміє багатися і вміє бути у тих місцях, де перебуває гравець. Не рекомендую гру для звичайних гравців. Та й для тих, хто цікавиться феноменом американського вбивці, також. Навряд чи у грі будуть патчі, тому сподіватися на кращу оптимізацію та фікс багів немає сенсу.

This is a crazy, cool, true, unbelievably awesome and highly underrated game that everyone needs to play! Seriously! Playing on serial killer mode gives it a sense of dread, a reason to carry on and this feeling of being watched that never lets up. Multiple occasions I was terrified of what was to come but I had to push on. Once all the mystery's were solved, the game takes a twisted turn into the darker realities of the old world. It is more than a psychological crime thriller, it explores the very essence of what makes a killer tick and it being based on a true story, it is surprisingly and hauntingly accurate! Experienced two total crashes, but this cannot fault what a simple and effective story it truly is If you loved The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and either know of the greatest crime saga ever (THAT STILL HASN'T BEEN SOLVED) or are going into this blind, you will love this gem! 10/10 MUST PLAY! FULL GAME + ALL ENDINGS + FULL REVIEW https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1873001324 Seriously each ending was shocking in its own right....perfection!

Had previously bought this game on my xbox a while ago. Now I bought it again on pc to see if it was as "okay" as i remember. First of all, the graphics are not bad. I dont really care much about graphics for games like this, and its not so bad as some people say it is. The soundtrack for this game is amazing and definitely really fits the vibe for this noir atmosphere. And the game is not that difficult at all. When you play it for the first time, it will be a little confusing, especially when finding clues and while avoiding the "Zodiac" at the same time. I'm pretty sure if you beat this game once or twice, then you'd probably know how to beat this game by the back of your head. The story is meh. There's three endings to this game (2 depressing endings and 1 happy ending), which im pretty happy with because then it adds more replay value to it. You get each ending based on the choices you make during this game, a little bit like telltale. I feel like the story isnt explained well at times, and can be puzzling, as things just arent explained well enough. You can certainly whats real and whats not a hallucination in this game, since the main character surely has a lot of dreams. The game is also pretty short, I beat it less than 2 hours, but its pacing is fast so It doesnt matter that much to me. The bugs in this game are at an unholy amount where this is the point where i recommend you buy this game on sale. There are a lot of visual bugs, like glitching textures. There's even a few bugs that can softlock your game completely, as you COULD glitch out of the map and lose everything. Just be careful while moving around in small spaces, and make sure to stay FAR from the zodiac, as getting caught by him also SOMETIMES glitches you out of the map. Speaking of the zodiac, his AI is good. However, he is very easy to lose, and there are times where his sightlines are either incredibly high or incredibly low. If he actually spots you in an open space with no hiding spots, then you are just gonna have to take the death. You can still hide from him while hes chasing you, and you dont have to crouch at ALL times like the game tells you to. You can still sprint while finding clues. Still, hide. I give this game a 7.5 out of 10.

konus zodiac konus agzinin yayini sikiyim

♥♥♥♥ this ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ass game

interesting premise that is pretty quickly fumbled after the prologue.

Ну сейчас он мертв. Так что навряд ли он говорит.