I’m a huge fan of psychological horror—games or films that make you question which parts of the story are real and explore the boundaries of reality. Movies like Shutter Island and The Sixth Sense are perfect examples; they present a narrative that makes you want to experience it all over again, seeing everything in a completely different light the second time around.
So when I stumbled upon the Martha Is Dead store page, I was immediately intrigued. It promised a dark psychological horror story where the lines between reality, superstition, and trauma begin to blur. Say no more, I thought. And not just because of its modest price of $ / € 10 and the relatively short five-hour playtime—something I was definitely in the mood for.
The Seeds for an Incredibly Intriguing Story Are Quickly Planted
From the very first moment, Martha Is Dead had my full attention. It sets the tone with a story about The White Lady, a murderous ghost said to roam the nearby lake and hunt during misty periods.
Fifteen years after protagonist Giulia first hears this story as a child, she finds her twin sister, Martha, dead in that same lake. She inspects Martha’s body and puts on her sister’s necklace. At that moment, her parents rush to her, mistaking Giulia for Martha. Giulia decides to play along. She doesn’t trust the situation and believes that by assuming Martha’s identity, she might uncover the truth behind her sister’s death.
Small detail: Martha was deaf and didn’t speak. So, from that point on, Giulia is no longer allowed to talk while trying to unravel the mystery of her sister’s death. Therefore, the game may as well have been called Martha Is Deaf. Get it? Because she’s deaf.
In theory, it all sounds incredibly interesting. The game boasts impressive graphics and lets you explore a captivating and beautiful environment, one we don’t often see in games. And that’s not something to overlook in walking simulators.
A Tuscany Occupied by Germany During World War II Forms the Stunning Setting
I’ll talk more about the gameplay later, but I can already reveal that you’ll be doing a lot of back-and-forth walking. Martha Is Dead takes place in a modest hub, primarily consisting of the family’s large mansion, a forest, and the infamous lake. I was genuinely impressed by what the Italian indie developer, LKA, managed to achieve graphically.
Giulia is the daughter of a high-ranking German officer, so they are relatively well-off. Walking or biking through the sunny Tuscan landscape almost made me feel like I was on vacation, rather than on a quest to uncover the truth behind my twin sister’s death.
In the morning, I’d read the newspaper (yes, that was actually part of the quest list) while the sunlight streamed through the open door, warming the living room. Then I’d hop on my bike (this was before I found out how horrible the bike mechanics were) and hear the birds chirping from the forest, riding past a small farm and being greeted by the mooing cows. If I didn’t know better, I would almost envy Giulia’s life.
“Martha Is Dead juggles these contrasting elements impressively. One moment, I felt almost serene, and the next, I was overwhelmed by a sense of death, decay, and psychological horror lurking nearby.“
But that feeling didn’t last long. The stories “I” had heard 15 years ago still played in my head, and Tuscany suddenly took on a very different look during misty periods. The forest felt cold, and every tree seemed like it could hide the White Lady, ready to pounce at any moment.
Martha Is Dead juggles these contrasting elements impressively. One moment, I felt almost serene, and the next, I was overwhelmed by a sense of death, decay, and psychological horror lurking nearby. The ominous and unpredictable atmosphere is wonderfully executed, and it is, without a doubt, one of the game’s strongest points.
To immerse yourself even further in this experience, I highly recommend going for the Italian voiceovers. It made me feel more connected to the story and characters. After my playthrough, I checked out some gameplay on YouTube, and it just didn’t feel as authentic hearing it in English, no matter how tempting that option might be.
The Impressive Setting Brings With It a Lot of Horror, But Not the Kind I Was Looking For
As impressive as the graphical prowess of LKA’s designers is, the technical side of the game is equally concerning. It’s been three years since the game released, in February 2022, yet the experience is still plagued by technical issues.
During my roughly five-hour playthrough, my PlayStation 5 crashed a total of six times. Yes, I absolutely kept count. As self-proclaimed reviewer, you’ve got to take note of these things.
When the game crashed twice within a span of ten minutes, I was extremely close to quitting entirely. I was still curious to see how the story would unfold, but I nearly decided to let Giulia handle her own business.
The framerate also left much to be desired. It was supposed to run at 60 FPS, but in my experience, that was rarely the case. I personally don’t mind 30 FPS for games like this, but the drops were definitely noticeable. Luckily, the gameplay doesn’t rely on quick reflexes.
The Gameplay Mainly Revolves Around Inspecting and Photographing Objects
Martha Is Dead’s gameplay doesn’t offer a lot of depth. If you’re into fast-paced action, you might want to skip this story-driven game.
As Giulia, you walk or bike (trust me, avoid the damn bike) around and inspect or interact with objects in your environment. A simple press of a button reveals which items you can use, such as paintings hanging around the house. Giulia then provides some insight about these objects, shedding light on her life, background, and the situation she finds herself in.
Giulia’s camera is also crucial to the story. For example, she uses it to develop photos from the fateful night when she found her sister’s body. Since the game takes place in 1944, taking a photo is no quick affair. You not only have to frame the shot properly, but you also need to develop it correctly in your home’s darkroom.
I found taking these photos fairly entertaining. They need to meet three criteria: the correct focus, the right object or person in frame (obviously), and proper lighting.
By tinkering with the camera’s settings, you can adjust the focus and lighting. Throughout the game, you also collect various filters, like infrared or super zoom. Most of these filters aren’t necessary for the story, though.
Once the photo is taken, you return to your darkroom. There, you perform a few simple tasks that are easy to figure out, and then you dip the photo in water (you know, just like you see in movies and TV shows).
You’ll see a little meter running, and after about 10 seconds, you’ll need to press a button to pull the photo out of the water. Again, if you don’t have much patience, this probably isn’t the right game for you. Most of these actions don’t add much to the gameplay other than increasing the time spent in the game.
Sometimes, you’ll also make choices. For instance, you can choose whether to wear Martha’s clothes or Giulia’s, or what to say when you make a phone call. These choices don’t have a major impact on the game’s progression, but they do slightly alter certain interactions or thoughts. It adds a bit of replayability, though I can’t see myself going through this emotionally heavy story again.
I Almost Needed a Trigger Warning for All the Trigger Warnings
The subject matter in Martha is Dead is very intense. The numerous trigger warnings presented before you even start the game are more than justified. Without giving too much away, Martha is Dead deals with themes like trauma, mutilation, and a handful of other topics that I can imagine might hit hard for some players.
At times, this is accompanied by scenes that are graphically gruesome. You can censor these scenes in the settings. If you choose not to, a skip button will appear the moment such scenes start. When that button pops up, you’ll know what’s coming; time to put that snack aside because your stomach might just turn.
I had mixed feelings about this. For these scenes to be justified and, more importantly, meaningful, they really need to contribute something to the story. At first, I felt they did, but as I got closer to the end, I began to question whether most of these scenes were simply implemented for shock value, rather than adding something substantial to the narrative.
The Seeds of Martha Is Dead Were Carefully Planted, but the Harvest Could Have Been Better
Martha is Dead had so much potential, but many of the things the developer tried just didn’t quite hit the mark. The story, atmosphere, and graphics are top-notch. These elements quickly drew me deep into the world, the characters, and the mystery. I inspected everything I could find to learn more about Giulia and her background. I didn’t want any detail to escape my notice.
But five hours later, I’m staring at the credits, still full of questions. I don’t need everything spoon-fed to me, and I can appreciate when certain things are left open for interpretation. But in this case, I felt it went a bit too far.
I do have genuine respect for the game’s overall concept and vision, but I would have preferred a different ending. The unfortunate part is that the developer was so close to realizing this. The game was on the right track, and several times, I thought, “If this is the ending, I’d be really impressed.” But LKA didn’t seem to share that sentiment. They kept piling things on, and in the end, I feel they overplayed their hand.
Conclusion
Martha is Dead immediately grabbed my attention, presenting an incredibly intriguing story in a short amount of time, brimming with potential. The stunning graphics and atmosphere of Tuscany—beautiful yet often eerie—immersed me even further into the world
Unfortunately, technical issues, such as frequent crashes, and questionable narrative choices, somewhat hindered the experience.
