Martha is Dead Review

Martha Is Dead is a dark first-person psychological thriller, set in 1944 Italy that tells the story of Martha’s twin sister Giulia. Giulia is the remaining young daughter of a German soldier who must deal with the trauma of her sister being murdered. Our protagonist is on the hunt for the truth hidden by mysterious folklore and the extreme horror of war.

Martha Is Dead is a go-here-and-collect-this-and-that (slow) walking simulator where you have to roam around your home and surrounding areas by going to specific spots. You also walk around with a vintage camera which you’ll use to take photos that you’ll be able to develop downstairs. You can also find rolls of films that can also be developed to further the story and learn more about the events.

Not only will the camera, which is surprisingly easy to use, allow players to find clues and uncover the secret behind what happened to Giulia’s sister, Martha, but throughout your walking adventure, you’ll find accessories that can be equipped on the camera along with cosmetic skins.

The game’s main issue here is movement. Your character moves insanely slow; even when “running” it barely feels like fast walking making getting around more tedious than it should. It would be fine if players would remain in the confine of a restricted area like a home, but given you need to explore a bit of the surrounding areas, it makes the game very boring to explore. There also times where the game can be cryptic about where to go next or what to do.

While the gameplay might feel tedious as a whole, the game’s ambiance and atmosphere is top notch. LKA did a great job representing Italy; the settings are beautifully designed and lush while adding a layer of creepyness. It makes this slow walking simulator a joy to explore the different areas. The soundtrack is equally beautiful, creepy and haunting. Whether it be an instrumental track or a song, the atmosphere can make either type of audio sound unnerving.

Martha is Dead is an interestingly creepy and disgusting experience that will spook gamers and even fans of the horror genre. Unfortunately, whether you decide to see this experience through or not will all be dependant on how you’ll tolerate the very slow movement of the protagonist as even running doesn’t feel like running. And also the go here, fetch this recipe might feel too repetitive for some gamers.