Paradise Killer is populated by some truly fascinating characters. (Image credit: Fellow Traveller/Kaizen Game Works) Trust is fleeting

It's the freedom to uncover those unexpected mysteries in unorthodox ways that makes Paradise Killer stand out as a detective game. A whole new conspiracy plot unravelled in front of me, I put a pin in the leads I was investigating and dropped everything to find out more about that.

I logged it in the investigation, and I saw that it connected multiple people that I didn't even think of suspecting to the case. But as I was walking back up I found a rusty knife that seemed to be conveniently tossed away from the scene of the crime. There was one time I fell off of a building onto some rocks by the water, and I was briefly upset that I'd have to climb my way back onto the island. I never stressed about evidence, because curiously platforming around and checking out the scenery always led to discovery. There are secrets in every nook and cranny of the map, and no matter where I decided to go I was either making progress with the narrative or finding more context about the game's offbeat world.

Sometimes I would take breaks from the pressing murder mystery to chill by the beach, admiring this alternate reality and its otherworldly bops.

The soundtrack features some fantastic music: a groovy mesh of city pop, ambient jazz, and disco. There's a lot of walking around, which is relaxing, especially once you start picking up cassette tapes. I spent most of my time traversing Paradise's boroughs, taking in the lush scenery, picking up collectibles and Blood Crystals, the main currency used for fast travelling and buying things like black market secrets.

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