Subscribe to get a recap of the days posts & never miss the latest breaking news or exclusive content.
The holiday season often results in family and friends getting together. Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus, like other FMV narrative experiences from Wales Interactive provide an affordable and enjoyable few hours.
Published by: Wales Interactive
Released: March 18, 2022 (iOS, PC, Playstation, Switch, Xbox)
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus is an interactive murder mystery. Wales Interactive have created a number of these interactive movies. Five Dates, Night Book, and Deathtrap Dungeon all provide choose-your-own-adventure full motion video experiences. Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus nicely captures the COVID family video call shared experience.
Spend an Evening with a Dysfunctional Family, not your own
Furthermore, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus is best experienced in a family or group setting. Wales Interactive understood this and included a streaming mode feature that removes the timing on choices. Working through the murder mystery with friends or collectively online provides a shared engaging experience.
As a single player game Uncle Marcus loses the collaborative mystery and dialog decisions. The player plays the role of Abby who’s about to take part in her dysfunctional family regular quiz. Prior to the quiz Abby is contacted by her uncle Marcus who’s been poisoned by someone in the family. Abby’s job is to coax answers out of various family members through dialog choices in order to save Marcus’ life.
The quiz has a limited number of rounds and opportunities to ask questions of the family members. Choosing the right dialog option can open up further conversation and evidence. However, choosing the wrong option shuts down dialog. It is likely that successfully saving Uncle Marcus will take multiple runs through the game. It certainly did for me. Fortunately, players retain the evidence uncovered in unsuccessful runs. Eventually, the mystery can be solved.
It is possible to guess correctly and save Marcus on the first playthrough. Multiple playthroughs provided the opportunity to discover entertaining dialog and family interactions. Wales Interactive and the actors effectively portray an eccentric cast of unlikeable characters. I often found myself wishing for additional dialog choices to tell family members how I was really feeling.
Summing up Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus
The narrative is well scripted. Each family member has enough dialog to understand their quicks and personality. While those personalities may be grating at times, it is a credit to the actors who create characters worthy of disgust. In true murder mystery fashion, there are some twists and red herrings that had me wondering.
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle costs less than a night at the movies and is a worthwhile night at home with family or friends. It doesn’t do anything unique in the interaction movie genre. However, it takes a setting and experiences that most can relate to in a post-COVID world.
Score: 7.0
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus $12.99
Overall
-
Overall Score - 7/10
7/10
Summary
An eccentric FMV murder mystery with a twist: someone has attempted murder on Uncle Marcus during the yearly family quiz. Uncover the truth and try to save him before it is too late.