Urban Myth Dissolution Center
Review
Mythbusters
by Quinn Levandoski
reviewed on PC
Azami isn't just a regular, run-of-the-mill citizen, though. In fact, she's got an incredible gift (or, from her perspective, curse), to see echoes of past events that reveal themselves as ghost-like objects. She also gets a unique pair of glasses from the UMDC that hone and improve that ability. With those in hand, she sets out (with Jasmine, another employee) to find paranormal happenings and get to the bottom of what's actually going on.
Doing The Leg Work
Urban Myth Dissolution Center is broken down into a series of cases, each one consisting of several "phases" for Azami to work through before finally setting things straight. While there are interludes between cases, and not all of them play out in exactly the same way, the general flow is to conduct social media research, investigate a scene, and interview relevant people.
Social media sleuthing is an interesting and unique element of working a case, which has the player look at what's happening online. From there, various pictures, comments, links, etc. must be read and discussed to discover new clues, locations, people of interest, and more. It usually boils down to a straightforward series of things to find, but it's a fun and novel way to integrate investigation that feels very 21st century. It also brings in some quick worldbuilding, and it can be funny to read the mix of accurate comments and those trying to either dispel what's happening or provide their own supernatural interpretation of the events.
Investigating locations, however, is probably what you'd expect. Azami can walk around and click on points of interest to learn more information or find clues, which open up other things to click (or interactions with those things), which is intertwined with brief conversations to eventually work toward a solution. Spicing thing up a bit are occasional "quizzes" that have the player either select from multiple choices (requiring recollection of previous information) or filling in blanks.
It's all good fun, but it's fair to say that the location investigation segments can feel a little slow than they need to. Sometimes obvious actions are walled beyond having to find or speak to something/someone different, and it is hard to shake the feeling that there could have been a bit of fat trimmed to keep things moving. For example, the flow of gameplay can sometimes include Akami finding an item but not actually being able to "Look" at it until she goes and does something else. In fact, sometimes there are multiple layers (Look, Look Closer, Look Closer), which can feel a bit silly.
Fortunately, the locations and cases themselves are fun enough, and the writing enjoyable enough, that the slow burn isn't a deal-breaker. Moreover, as the game gets going and the larger narrative comes into focus, I was perfectly fine simply enjoying the ride at the pace it took me on.
No Room For Error
It may not be surprising to hear that there's no room for error in a paranormal detective story, but the statement may not quite mean what you think. It's not that the stakes are so high that the characters can't afford to be wrong. Instead, the game doesn't really present any opportunities for the player to struggle or fail. Collecting information from social media, locations, and people is interesting, but it is all quite linear. There are some light puzzles, but completing them is more about going through the process than using logic or strategy. The quizzes are straightforward and the penalty for getting something wrong is just guessing again.
While Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a detective story in narrative, it's definitely more of a visual novel than anything else in gameplay. The experience is about enjoying the story as it unfolds, not about overcoming any tangible challenge in a traditional "game-y" way. Don't get me wrong - that's not inherently a bad thing. It is, however, important information when deciding if the game is for you. I personally didn't mind, but knowing that there really aren't any meaningful stakes on my end as a player or decisions that alter the story did take a bit of tension out of some of the situations.
Urban Myth Dissoution Center could have perhaps benefitted from a bit more streamlining here or there, but overall, it is a compelling and charming package that leans heavily into its theme and presents its story - however linear - with pleasing pixel graphics and a wonderfully atmosphere. Moreover, the ending is quite bold, but that's for players to discover and not for me to spoil here. This title may not quite scratch the itch for people looking to flex their skills of deduction and puzzle solving, but it should be a great fit for anyone ok with a more visual novel-style approach and experience.
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8.0
fun score
Pros
Lovely pixel graphics, an engaging narrative, and a bold ending
Cons
Investigations can feel a bit slow and repetitive, no failure state takes a bit of tension away
