Story
Martha Is Dead is a dark is a photo realistic first-person psychological thriller, set in 1944 Italy. You play as Giulia, a twin sister of Martha who discovers the body of her twin sister then steals her identity to try to find out who killed her.
There are lots of twists in the plot and story, with the Lady Of The Lake, and the other story telling tales and tropes. World War II Germany is the setting, and while the story is deep and immersive – this game is one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen in any video game – ever.
Not Joking
You may think I am joking but I am not. I have played some dark, messed up stuff and let me tell you this one takes the cake. It makes the Harvester look like “child’s play”, for example. Yeah, the game story is heavy on disturbing scenes, with graphic examples of self-harm and other stuff you would think no game would put in. One particularly BRUTAL example involves cutting a dead body and taking a fetus out of it. You read that right. Easily the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen in a video game, ever.
Gameplay
Martha Is Dead is is a semi-open world – for example, you can roam relatively freely from the house, to the woods, and to the lake. You will find a lot of story paths that lead you to the end as well as a lot of side quests. There are a variety of things you can do, and the game is not entirely on rails.
Giulia, the protagonist of this game, loves to photograph stuff, with her old fashioned camera. The camera, as you probably guessed, plays a big role in the game. Upgrading the camera, taking perfect pictures (to find clues and other ghostly things) is a big part of your to do’s and is the engine which propels the game forward. Finding items and using Tarot Cards is a lot of fun.
The story telling you by Giulia is very disturbing and horrifying that will make you have a sour taste in playing the game. Idle reader, you have been duly warned – this game is not for the faint of heart. If you can handle psychologically disturbing content, I highly recommend you give this game a try.