Martha is Dead is best described as a first-person psychological thriller along the lines of Amnesia: Rebirth and developer LKA's first game, The Town of Light - however, there is more emphasis on exploration and story than on jump scares or any kind of combat. As of right now, Martha is Dead is shaping up to be a big entry into this space not only for its design and gameplay, but also its goal to tell a dark and nuanced story without holding any punches.
The gameplay loop is fairly simple and centers around puzzles, photography, and exploring a slice of 1940s Tuscany in order to solve a disturbing mystery. Art Director and LKA founder Luca Dalco explained that, like The Town of Light, Tuscany is the favored location for the studio because of the contrast between its beautiful vistas and dark history. While horror lends itself well to that kind of setting, LKA feels like Martha is Dead isn't really a horror game. Instead, the studio sees it as a psychological thriller built on tension and anxiety thanks to its slow pace, intense imagery, and gameplay elements like its photography mechanic.
The way taking photos builds tension in Martha is Dead is because each picture must be taken back to the dark room, located in the house's creepy cellar, and developed before the image can be seen. So, if the player is taking photos far from the house, then the journey back is torturous due to the anticipation of what may appear. It's also excruciating because moving in this game feels like crawling, and there is no option for running or even just walking a bit faster. This is further amplified by not always having clear indicators or information about where to go, especially when it's dark, resulting in some occasional wrong turns that take far too long to navigate out of.
When it comes to the story, the developers want to keep it a mystery until launch, but when asked what players should know going into Martha is Dead, Dalco said to "be aware that it will be a strong experience." Before the game begins, a content warning is presented to the player about what kinds of things they will experience while playing Martha is Dead. Some of those things include gore, mutilation, trauma, and certain German iconography that was present in Italy in 1944. Understandably, this may be too much for a lot of players but for those who feel comfortable confronting these things, LKA has made it a point to treat these subjects with respect and honesty, at least as far as can be observed during the preview period.
When asked about how they approach such intense subjects, Dolca explained that the team does years of research and consults with experts in whatever subject they are approaching, as well as talking to people that live with the psychological or sociological conditions they seek to explore. Their goal is to be honest, transparent, and respectful of every piece of their narrative because diluting such intense subject matter runs the risk of misrepresenting the struggles of countless people. Given that the script for Martha is Dead sits at around 30,000 words, the team will hopefully use all that room to explore all of its themes and subject matter with nuance and respect.
Playing through the first hour or so was both intense and captivating. The insight given by Dalco and the rest of the team made this world come to life even more, and hopefully the final result of this project will rise to meet their ambitions, even absent their explanations. For fans of psychological horrors, interactive thrillers, or those looking for bold storytelling, Martha is Dead is not an experience to be missed.
Martha is Dead is aiming for a 2021 release with exact dates and platforms to be announced at a later date. Screen Rant was provided with access to a hands-on preview event and interview opportunity for the purpose of this preview.
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