Although hampered slightly by lackluster environments and overly repetitive randomized replays to unlock the story in full, Murderous Muses is another impressively written and performed FMV mystery game by D’Avekki Studios, centered around dynamic characters and an unforgettable setting.

Murderous Muses is a bite-sized mystery with an entertaining gimmick and a lush background of lore. It’s a taste of what might be the next frontier for FMV; puzzle exploration. The overarching mystery is enough to keep players engaged for the 10-15 hours it takes to unlock everything, though the simplicity of its puzzles otherwise limits its replayability. The video performances are a bit hit-and-miss, but the camp vibe of the entire experience makes it all part of the show.

Murderous Muses is a rare full-motion video-driven video game that uses the concept in interesting ways. The central mystery is compelling and it’s worth exploring the weirdness of the island where everything takes place. There are plenty of videos to unlock and investigate and some decent extra puzzles to solve. The gameplay is relatively limited, especially when it comes to hunting down that last keyword required to unlock a police interview. The presentation, the acting, and the plot are strong enough to keep players moving and thinking. Murderous Muse's quality should attract new players to the FMV genre while satisfying long-term fans.