Syed Imran Haider 
Video games are considered an excellent vehicle for mysteries. Everyone loves the idea of searching for clues, questioning witnesses and then showing off their intellect by solving the mystery. It sounds very exciting and this is what The Inquisitor aims to offer. It begins with a very compelling concept where you play a medieval church cop going after a vampire, but the game does not fully live up to its potential.
The story
You take on the role of inquisitor Mordimer Madderdin who has to investigate the citizens of Koengstein, a town in Europe. The story of the game follows the dark fantasy novels of Jack Piekara, a Polish writer. It imagines an alternate history of Christianity where Jesus Christ was not martyred and was able to conquer the Roman Empire.
You will feel as if you are in Star Trek’s Mirror Universe because the characters explain that the virtues of their religion include retribution, mercilessness and the end justifying the means. The setup is an excellent one, given that The Inquisitor is meant to be a story-driven game where you have to make tough decisions in interrogations and conversations.
A mixed bag
The issue with The Inquisitor is that the game has a straightforward and linear structure, which makes it difficult to determine if and when you can move things in a different direction. Most of the time, your actions have the consequences you would expect them to, regardless of whether you are mean to people or nice to them. It is not particularly clear as to when and how your choices affect the story.
With that said, the story itself is quite compelling for the most part. The writing proves to be solid, as the characters are very interesting and the large voice cast has also done a great job. But, the art direction gives it a lived-in and dirty atmosphere that is perfect for the game. Since you are an investigator, you will examine murder victims, eavesdrop on conversations and also check out crime scenes from time to time.
The elements
To find clues, Mordimer prays and this turns the landscape gray, while highlighting important elements, such as your collectible notes, destination, clues, or even scent trails. Your conversation choices give you agency, especially where interrogations and interviews are concerned. People often lie to you, so whether you are mean or nice will determine how forthcoming they are. But, it can be difficult to figure out where you have messed up, or where the failure points are.
There is an action-focused level, which is based in a place called the Unworld. Mordimer is capable of projecting himself in an astral plane where monsters exist and he can put together visions of previous events to know what happened. This can be done without any confusions associated with the lies of the people you interrogate. It is kind of a supernatural cheat code for Mordimer.
The Verdict
The Inquisitor introduces you to a dark and fascinating world and the story puts you in interesting and strange situations. The detective game is fun, but it does do a lot of hand holding, which can douse some of the excitement.
