And in the end...?

User Rating: 5.6 | Jack the Ripper PC
This game should have been better. It has a lot going for it from the outset – a compelling (and almost true) story line, characters with character who you come to really care about (even as you suspect some of them), and a nice, creepy atmosphere. What hurts its rating are two major flaws: surprisingly little gameplay (keep moving, puzzle fans – nothing to see here) featuring repeated visits to a relatively small number of locations/people and the “ending”. As your reporter/protagonist closes in on a New York serial killer who seems also to be London’s Jack The Ripper, the game nicely builds real tension and anticipation of the chase and, presumably, the capture. Put as delicately (and spoiler-free) as I can, the game actually delivers precious little of either.

Kudos, in addition to the plot, go to the voice actors and the whole concept of having a game character perform a full-length song in the middle of the game. What are the odds of anybody doing that again?!?!?! Nitpicks, in addition to the major one regarding the game’s ending, for some sloppy translation and spelling (The PinkertEn Detective Agency? Reporters who write “chronicles” instead of stories?) and a major fact-checking gaffe. Obtaining tickets to a World Series game figures into advancing the plot early on, which would be fine except that 1) the story is set in November and the first and only time a World Series game was played in November was 2001 when the postseason was delayed by the 9/11 attacks and 2) the story is set in 1901…two years BEFORE the first World Series was played. And why exactly does the newspaper’s sports reporter have to bribe co-workers to get tickets for him? Can’t he go ask somebody with the ballclub?

You can undoubtedly find this game at a greatly reduced price – I paid less than $10 for it – and it offers enough satisfaction to justify adding it to your collection. Just don’t invest too much money or time in it and don't expect a great sense of accomplishment at the end of your 10-12 hours of play.