She Sees Red is a stylistic interactive thriller video game. A throw back to the full motion video games of the early forays into compact disc game consoles, SSR doesn’t fully try to recreate the genre that gave us Night Trap and Sewer Shark.
The game play revolves around a murder mystery. Using clever cut scenes and jumping around the plot, it is up to the gamer to choose options presented at critical points in order to direct the narrative. Each decision point has two choices. Either choice could be correct, and it appeals to the players own sensibilities.
For example, frequently in the game you control a nefarious assassin who seems to extricate himself from a Russian nightclub. A security guard comes around a corner unexpectedly. You, the player, must decide in less than five seconds if you will attempt to hide or fight the guard.
Whichever choice you make, it will seamlessly transition into the next part of the story. Many such choices will also unlock bonus achievements. There are 15 unlock-able achievements in SSR. Players, at least on the Steam platform, can also measure their success against others and see how many people have also unlocked the same achievement.
She Sees Red is hyper clean and professional FMV gaming
Full Motion Video games were heralded as the future of the gaming industry in the early 1990s. The most infamous title being the “controversial” Night Trap. Limited by the capabilities of the technology, early FMV games had pixelated graphics, breaks in the action due to loading screens and sub-par acting. Still, there was a charm and excitement to these games that ignited the imagination of gamers tired with side scrolling beat’em ups. Also, as gamers grew up, more adult themes found their way into games and FMV was at the vanguard of this.
She Sees Red sheds much of the tackiness and low-budget production values of early FMV games. All of the video is seamless high definition, and never buffers. The audio is clean and crisp with rich highs and deep bass. Lighting, scene blocking, foley, and music scoring is all top-notch filmmaking. Even the overdubs from the original Russian dialogue doesn’t really get in the way once the player becomes absorbed into the gameplay.
She Sees Red requires multiple play throughs
Gamedev Rhinotales has made a major effort to make sure She Sees Red has excellent replay value. There are four possible endings that a player can watch if the correct sequence of choices is made. In terms of running time, each playthrough takes 30-35 minutes. Repeated playthroughs are essential in order to experience the all of game’s possible climaxes.
Because multiple play through are required it allows each player exploring different facets of his/her psyche. For example, maybe on the initial trial of the game the gamer may choose to be conservative with the decisions. Thus, they opt to inspect, investigate and flee from combat. However, on the second or third play through, it may become obvious (that with the information gained from previous experience) that the only way to progress the story will be to make more aggressive and decisive actions.
For Mature Gamers only
As previously noted, Night Trap was once considered controversial. Although the developers of Night Trap went to great lengths in order to ensure the game was not depicting violence against women, it still became a flash point in the censorship of video games. The henchmen in the game, used comical props, and waddled around like inept goons when the attacked their victims. There was no blood in Night Trap. The most provocative scene was a college co-ed in a nightgown, who gets attacked in the bathroom.
In contrast, She Sees Red, is a truly graphic and mature game. There is partial frontal nudity, intense action sequences and realistic violence. Recommended for audiences 18+, it is not for the squeamish. However, the violence and sex appeal does make for better story telling and a more engaging gaming environment. Just to be sure, you may not want to play this NFSW game at your office desk.
