Theresia is not a perfect game by any means. But the story will compel you to see everything it has to offer.
Graphics: The graphics, much like the rest of the game, are a mixed bag. Many of the illustrations for the rooms are very well done, even if some of them are really bare bones. The halls you walk around in look pretty bad, though, with low res textures that repeat frequently. However, there are some well-illustrated pictures that play during flashback sequences, and, despite some bad quality, the graphics do a very good job of conjuring a very dreadful and sad atmosphere. Despite the fact that there are no monsters or anything in this game, there are some very gruesome scenes that will get under your skin. Whenever you come across a dead body, it just looks awful and wrong. (There is one face in particular that was apparently burned off… it's horrifying.) The problem is that there are many times where the game will become a pixel hunt; you'll be scouring every inch of a room (since they don't give off much detail.) for anything useful. Overall, the game is decent looking, and helps create a tense atmosphere, despite the sometimes poor quality of them. Also worth noting, there are a few cutscenes in the game that look very good. 8/ 10
Sound: The sound is also a mixed bag. On one hand, the atmospheric music is extremely well done. It really helps sell the atmosphere, and, later in the scenarios, they become haunting melodies. I really don't think the music gets enough credit; it reflects the overall mood of the game very well. (That is, foreboding and sad.) sure, there's not a lot of it, but what's here is very well done. The sound effects on the other hand, are rather bare bones. You have some grunting, some smashing noises, among others. Some of them serve their purpose well, such as the footsteps, but others are just weak. (For instance, a grenade exploding sounds like a cheap, quiet gunshot sound effect in a B rate movie.) Some of the effects can also get on your nerves, like bugs rustling around. The music is great, but some of the effects leave a lot to be desired. 8/ 10
Story: This is the main reason you play this game. There are two scenarios, Dear Emile and Dear Martel. In each one, you play as a young person who awakens in a strange place with no memory, no way of knowing where they are and deadly traps everywhere. Each one is told in a present tense, first person perspective. Dear Emile is the first one you play (you unlock Dear Martel after) and is deals with a young woman. This is the main story, dealing with… well, a lot of unexpected things. I'm not going to spoil anything for you (by the way, don't read the back of the box. The description for each scenario actually has spoilers in it.) This is one of those stories that unfold pretty slowly. As you wander around, you find pieces of Journals that will tell you more about what the hell happened and what you're doing here. In the beginning of the game, it seems like a cliché story, but, trust me, it becomes very unique and compelling. Also, don't play this game if you like feel good stories. Each scenario is extremely sad, and sometimes flat out depressing, and the ambiguous endings do little to remedy that. (Don't worry, they're ambiguous in the good way.) Dear Emile undoubtedly has the better story, but dear Martel is still competent, expanding on the first scenario in meaningful ways. The only real problem with the stories is the localization. It's not terribly common, but there are noticeable typos and syntax errors that appear more often than I would have liked. But they do little to effect the story. Overall, this is a unique and well told horror story that will get under your skin. Not for the faint of heart, though, since gruesome deaths and violently abhorrent acts are discussed on a regular basis. 10/ 10
Gameplay: Theresia is not a typical horror game. Rather, it is a point and click adventure game with horror themes. There are no enemies, no other people. (Besides the dead ones.) There aren't any exciting chase sequences with otherworldy creatures or tooth and nail battles to the death. There is, instead, a deliberately paced game that relies a lot on puzzles.
First, I'll start with the controls. They do their job. When walking in hallways, you can move your character easily with the D pad. Inside rooms, you just look around and feel around for items with the stylus. It works well.
The core of the game is finding items and solving puzzles. You wander around rooms with a huge amount of items (and nothing like a backpack or anything) and use them to explore further into the game. This is a decent enough system, but there are some missteps.
Mainly, some of the logic involved for the puzzles is ridiculous. For instance, in one room, you must get boots off of a high shelf without the shelf falling on you. The solution? Place a fuel tank filled with water on top in order to balance it out. No, don't knock the shelf over from the side, you need to do the most ridiculous stuff possible. Unfortunately, instances like this are common throughout the game. Especially later in the game, the puzzles become just ridiculous.
Another problem is backtracking. The rooms, as stated above, lack a ton of detail and it is easy to miss an item that you need. If you do, chances are that, later in the game, you'll need to backtrack a long way to get the item. This is pretty frustrating, especially in Dear Emile. In dear Martel, backtracking is kept to a relative minimum.
Throughout the game, you will come across Traps. These are just what they sound like. If you trigger one, you'll lose life. You can restore life by finding Elixirs. You'll probably never be in danger of dying, given the nature of the game. The only danger comes from traps. These kind of limit exploration, which is disappointing, and sometimes you can be hurt by some ridiculous stuff. (ie, searching rubble will cause cuts or shrapnel to burst out.)
Despite all these problems, the game can still be fun to solve the puzzles and learn more of the story. 6/ 10
Theresia is a flawed game. There is no getting around that. The translation is spotty, some of the sound effects are kind of bad and the gameplay can get tedious. However, despite the fact that there are no enemies, the game does a good job of creating an atmosphere of dread. The story is also very well written and well presented. This is a good game for people who like gothic horror or are looking for a good, but obscure, adventure game on DS. If you can get past the problems the game has, you'll find a very unique, albeit rough, gem of a game. So long and thanks for reading.