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Loretta- An Indepth look at a Point & Click Thriller!

2K View2023-02-25

(Looking for the Video? Check out @https://www.taptap.io/post/4626461)

Otherwise, hey there- if you were looking for the skinny on Yakov Butzoff's Narrative Point & Click Adventure, Loretta- well, you're in the right place.

She Knew He Was Trouble

Chambers. That's what the man had called himself, when he came around looking for her husband. Said he owed some substantial debts, to some significant people.

But it's not like she could help him, or offer any leads. Whatever Chambers was investigating- it'd been weeks since her husband had disappeared.

And she wasn't too keen on the idea of confessing.

Premise wise, Loretta is a narrative focused Point & Click adventure, whose story, and the mystery at the heart of it, actually plays more central to the experience then it's gameplay. Admittedly, this does mean it's a bit more important to try and avoid spoilers- but what I can tackle is the overall writing and storytelling.

And here's the thing- I think Loretta does a solid job of embodying what a proper thriller, or Noir themed story should feel like. The initial scene, for instance, does a stellar job of embodying these elements- as you're tasked with navigating an inquiring stranger you're given very little reason to trust.

While playing as a character who also gives off hints of having dangerous undercurrents. It's delightful, and really helps to set the mood, and then build tension from that point onwards- not only with the possibility of characters discovering our titular characters secret, but also, due to the looming threat that she herself poses.

And that particular thread really is an important part of the narrative- because, while Loretta might try and frame things in such a way that seems sympathetic, even when she's talking to herself- the truth of the matter is a bit more complex. A matter that's complicated by her own role as the narrator- with her reliability coming into question if you're paying keen attention to the dialogue.

Which is interesting, since that uncertainty actually factors into the choices you get to make- since you get the opportunity to take the story off the rails, culminating in some pretty grievous outcomes, with some of adding a certain sense of underlying horror to the whole.

Sure, the smaller permutations do redirect you onto the main thread once they're 'resolved' - but they all add something to the experience as a whole, and definitely led to me playing around with the games chapter select, just so I could see some of the ones I missed.

That said, I also wound up going through the game from scratch, too- since there's a few distinct outcomes to the journey as the whole- the likes of which ultimately culminate from a few key decisions.

Which- right, choices. So, while exploring through areas and examining objects can help to clarify certain plot threads- what actually directs the story along it's various paths is, mainly, whether or not indulge in your base impulses. Thankfully, you do get some forewarning when this happens- since a Red dialogue option signals a point where the narrative might branch in a, uh, violent way.

While some of these -do- lead to the earlier story branches I mentioned, those invariably fold back into the story- and invariably lead you to Loretta's Finale, and the four main endings which it culminates in. Well, that, and a secondary ending which branches off a specific one, and requires that you were a bit more diligent.

Frankly, the story differences, both subtle and otherwise, that arose as a result of suppressing or embracing those fatalistic impulses was enough that- even with certain elements staying the same, I still felt engaged in my second full playthrough of the game.

Something Clicked For Her In That Moment

But that's the narrative side of things- so let's get to the gameplay. And, I really wasn't kidding here. There's not much to address. Loretta is, mechanically, a straightforward point & click adventure. Most of the chapter segments will hinge on you navigating a scene, engaging in some dialogue, and may interesting with some objects- with some optional items to examine. All of it feels organic to do- but a lot of it feels more akin to peripheral world-building. And the puzzle solving, when it does crop up, doesn't tend to be too complex- especially since you automatically use items in the appropriate manner, so long as you picked them up.

Really, the biggest challenge will come from the novel segments which herald the chapters- which provide diverse challenges which help to tell the story, but also require you to figure out their rules without the game holding your hand.

Overall, these aren't too bad, and failing them simply has you trying them again- but they do provide some unsettling moments, without bogging down the games pace.

Quite The Looker

And that brings me to the visuals. Overall, I felt Loretta does provide a solid, stylish experience. Cinematic, even- given the manner in which it introduces characters onto scenes. Though, I'll admit that the juxtaposition of the character portraits with their weird facelessness when normally scene makes things- actually a bit more disquieting.

Though, nowhere near to the degree that the environmental details do. If you keep your eyes peeled over the various chapters- there's...certainly things you can spot which are less than heartening.

Admittedly, that's part of why I wasn't quite as enamored with 'Noir Mode'. Sure, it's a nod to some of the storytelling roots that Loretta draws on- and apparently modifies the difficulty of the Mini-game segments . . . but, there's a lot lost with the games colour palette. (Thankfully, you can toggle it off).

Other than that- the only other Aesthetic detail I have to comment on, is the overall solid sound design. Whether it's the caw of a crow, the minute ticking of a clock, or the dreadful absence of anything- it's all done quite well, and helps to enhance the experience. And the choice of music for the OST helps to further that.

A Fatal Conclusion

I suppose it's time to sum things up though- so! I think Loretta is quote good . . . as a story. I will admit, if you're going into this as a fan of point & Clicks and looking for a challenging cerebral experience, you are probably going to wind up dissapointed.

Narratively, though? if you're looking for a cleverly told story, that has some absolutely great pacing, a flawed but fundamentally interesting protagonist- and all the twists and turns you'd hope for from a good noir story? You'll be in for a treat. In fact, there were a number of details I got to appreciate on my second playthrough of the game that I'd missed on my first time round. Not just due to the wildly different way in which everything unfolded, or the additional wedges of weirdness I'd failed to encounter the first time round, but also because of the foreshadowing which all started to click home now that I had more context.

It's a legitimately solid enough experience that- I ultimately feel confident in dubbing it a HIT, since it sets out to tell a solid mystery, and achieves just that. ...Also, it was really nice that it auto-saved so often, that I could step away at the drop of a hat.

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