Chronique des Silenxeus is a hidden gem in the world of indie gaming. Developed and published by Pierre Feuille Studio, this game takes players on a captivating journey through a mysterious Bordeaux. With its beautiful hand-drawn visuals, immersive gameplay, and gripping storytelling, Chronique des Silenxeus is a must-play for fans of detective point-and-click games.
You are in Bordeaux, don’t get bored though
Set in the 1960’s Bordeaux landscape, Chronique des Silenxeus follows the journey of a Eugène Faury who is just starting out as a detective, in search of his Uncle Flavio. In your notebook, it states that One Armed Hervé threatened Madame Solange and an inspector requested her assistance, but it is unclear how. You will go to meet Solange and the inspector, here it is revealed that Hervé has passed away and your missing uncle is the prime suspect.
This intricate mystery is filled with a vibrant array of characters that Eugène must interrogate to uncover the long-buried truth. Players will need to sift through confidential documents, conduct thorough investigations, and carefully analyse conflicting information to separate reality from deception.
However, this can be quite overwhelming, as you’re faced with sifting through lengthy conversations and transcripts. Despite adding realism, this gameplay element may not be the most enjoyable for players. Needing to look through every bit of evidence that you have and question everyone on every little detail is time-consuming and a lot of the information you have is pointless and thus just having conversations for the sake of it.
This feels like the type of game that will have you making notes while playing so you are not going back through things each time. The worst part is that you can’t go back to people to have the conversation again; all you can do is go through their testimonials. Nevertheless, maybe this is for the best as you can only create connections between the exact line the Chronique des Silenxeus wants you to find between evidence and the interview. You may deduce something from what one character has said, only to find that you cannot confirm it as Chronique des Silenxeus requires a matching statement from another.
This issue does not arise in the standard parts of Chronique des Silenxeus where you can still form a hypothesis independently. The connection system becomes unnecessary in these cases as you can simply move on and hypothesize freely. However, it becomes crucial during confrontations. This problem doesn’t come up in the regular parts of Chronique des Silenxeus where you can still come up with your own ideas. You don’t need to worry about the connection system as you can just think for yourself. But it’s important during confrontations.
To crack the case, you must formulate a hypothesis by selecting two topics and linking them with a verb. If you’re on the right track, you’ll uncover fresh insights or gain access to new resources.
Chronique des Silenxeus never explicitly reveals that you’ll uncover new verbs through dialogue. This can cause confusion as the verbs are linked to keys and in the hypothesis section, some keys are missing. There is no way to tell though if those keys are needed or even able to get. This leads to walking across the map which becomes very clunky when you need to traverse to new areas.
You can click to move or use WASD keys, when you get to an area you can’t just walk on through you must click and you have to click in just the right area. There are many characters dotted around which are there for filler and a quick conversation. But sometimes you may speak with someone who seems like they would be a part of the wider story due to their name being mentioned, but you actually are wasting your time speaking with them.
It became apparent that you should only bother speaking with those who had an icon. Even then though sometimes Chronique des Silenxeus could be buggy and you would speak with an NPC that was not actually there, or you would be faced away from them.
Fantastic French Figures
The illustrations in Chronique des Silenxeus are stunningly beautiful, with hand-drawn artwork that is bright and vibrant in colour. The world depicted in Chronique des Silenxeus feels alive, with each detail carefully crafted to immerse the player in its fantasy setting. From the bustling market to the interior of elegant-looking homes, every scene is a work of art that transports you to another realm. However, one aspect that stands out is the characters’ facial expressions (not in a good way).
In regular gameplay, their faces are blank and devoid of emotion, adding an eerie quality to the otherwise colourful world. It is only in the cutscenes that their expressions come to life, conveying a range of emotions that draw the player further into the story. Despite this contrast, the artwork in Chronique des Silenxeus is undeniably captivating, creating a visual feast for the eyes.
French Feels
The French language used in the fully voiced cutscenes is executed superbly, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the overall experience. The soothing music further enhances the relaxed atmosphere of Chronique des Silenxeus . In addition to the standard inventory items, there is a unique tape recorder feature that allows players to capture music – whether it be from whistled tunes or gramophones – and play it back when necessary to advance in Chronique des Silenxeus. This creative addition adds a refreshing twist to puzzle-solving.
Overall
Chronique des Silenxeus holds an abundance of potential and beauty, but it’s all let down by shoddy execution. It’s frustrating because this tale deserves better. If you enjoy detective-style point-and-click games; and can muster the patience to push through the gameplay glitches and the infuriating navigation, it could be worth a shot. Nevertheless, be mindful of poor translation, potentially many game-crashing bugs and confusion by the game suggesting something is done that you actually need to delve deeper into.
Chronique des Silenxeus Gameplay Trailer
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