PC Critic Reviews

Gabriel Knight is a prime example of an excellent adventure game. This tribute is almost as good as the Jane Jensen's work and it's just the first episode of the game.

Ultimately, Cognition is a good start, and at its core, a quality adventure game.

For a first effort and a brand-new IP, Phoenix Online Studios has done an admirable job. Although in places Cognition's graphics are little rough and the writing's a little unnatural, it offers us an adult-level adventure game full of interesting mechanics, a professional voice cast, great music and a compelling heroine. After playing the first Erica Reed episode, I have no doubt there will be future ones and no doubt that through them, Phoenix Online will iron out the remaining kinks and create for us a truly memorable adventure series.

With their debut defects, but with tension, emotion and a plot that hooks you up, Phoenix Online Studio brings us the first episode of an adventure with huge potential.

After the hectic prologue I wanted to give up, but I am happy I hung in there. Erica's supernatural abilities are the highlight of the puzzle design. It feels fresh to "summon" old evidence or victims to get new information. The start to this series is far from perfect but it definitely sparked my curiosity.

Cognition feels like some old game by Sierra and this is its biggest strength. [1/2013, p.72]

Despite its minor flaws, Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller delivers strong emotions and makes you feel like a real FBI agent.

The investigation of Erica Reed is a good mix of ideas, that can transmit the emotions of the characters and explain very well the events occurred during the gameplay. Cinematics are good as well as the in-game graphic “drawing style”, but there are many defects on animations that lower the technical global quality. Puzzles are good and mixed well in the context in which Erica trying to find her real dimension. The game presents a good characterization of the main character, explaining her gift - the cognition - with the right reasons.

As a first episode, The Hangman does more right than it does wrong.

Though flawed, the first episode of Cognition leaves a great final impression and sets up a series that could become a major achievement for episodic adventure gaming.