The Crimson Maid Review (Xbox Series X|S & PC)

It doesn’t take a prying eye to unravel a period drama. It is so common, in fact, that the search terms alone—brooding hero; mysterious damsel; courteous figure; gothic architecture; and questionable murders, for example—all bleed through the spine of most modern catalogs. Add the words visual novel and light puzzle elements to the index, and you essentially have a recipe for a universally beloved experience. Frankly, The Crimson Maid leans into that archetype without thinking twice about its connection to what is, with all due respect, an overpopulated family tree. The thing is, we love a good old-fashioned period drama, as do we adore the little details that make the turn of the twentieth century one of the most interesting periods in human history. The Crimson Maid knows that, and it uses it to its advantage to orchestrate a marriage that befits the theme and setting.

Before spooling through the binder of this five-hour novella, it is worth noting that, “light” puzzle pieces aside, The Crimson Maid isn’t so much of a game as it is an ode to interactive storytelling. Even with its tight-fisted approach to various “gameplay” elements, it is a story more than anything else. Sure enough, it grants you the freedom to poke around, examine the odd document, as well as raise the occasional question to certain individuals. That being said, The Crimson Maid is an experience that makes a habit of keeping in touch with its own leathery skin. It doesn’t fabricate the details or overstay its welcome, but instead opts to tell you a story, and to give you the opportunity to tweak a few of the details.

Like What Have You Done, Father?—a game that also happens to derive from the studio behind this Gothic timepiece—The Crimson Maid pours most of its heart into two things: striking visuals, and intriguing plot threads. Naturally, it keeps the gameplay light and simple, with a bit of walking, a touch of information gathering, and a lot of reading. To that end, Crimson Maid isn’t a fully-fledged video game, but rather a glorified novel with microscopically enhanced puzzle and walking simulator-like tropes. That isn’t to say that it’s bad, mind you. Perhaps, though, it isn’t all that great, either.

The Crimson Maid tells the story of Marius, a priest-in-training who, after learning of his father’s illness, decides to sever his bond with his priesthood to venture back to his childhood home—a prestigious Gothic estate that, unlike to its exterior’s traditional and rustic, albeit time-appropriate charm, holds a dark crevice that frames feelings of love, grief, and of regret. A terminally ill father; a fracture in the family dynamic; a supernatural occurrence that poses more questions than answers; and a curious maid who vies to test your devotion to priesthood. It all makes for a fitting period drama. The only thing missing from the equation is the melodramatic ambiance. No, wait — it has that, too.

Similar to your casual walking simulator-visual novel hybrid, the game is mostly reliant on your imagination and your ability to poke around in places that the untrained eye wouldn’t normally bother observing in the first place. Between investigating various areas of the old estate and gathering information about the world and its supernatural properties, you often find yourself inspecting relatives, making choices that alter the dialogue and the final outcome, and solving basic puzzles. The puzzles, which primarily focus on light exploration-based sequences, are rather simple to solve, too. But of course, that is both a blessing and a curse; it keeps the story moving forward, but it also leaves a lot to be desired. As there isn’t much of a challenge to the game, you can quite easily mull over the campaign without needing to lift a second finger. The plot thickens, and you just sort of roll with it.

Once you manage to gloss over the lack of gameplay, Crimson Maid gradually opens up to a broader world of striking visuals, strong dialogue, and extraordinary world-building techniques. Graphically, it hits the nail on the head with its twentieth century aesthetic, with hundreds of intricate details, set pieces and colorful art works that frame the gothic whodunnit style incredibly well. And that’s something that this developer, in particular, knows all too well — how to create and embellish a world that speaks for itself. It’s beautiful to look at, engrossing enough to hold your attention, and above all, intriguing enough to keep you fumbling around from beginning to end. Perhaps a visual novel doesn’t need more than that to make a lasting impression.

With all of the above said, it still feels as if there’s a fine line between two conflicting points here. Clearly, while The Crimson Maid offers a visually stunning world and a compelling whodunnit narrative, it also fails to adopt and deliver some important elements. As a game, it cuts out a lot of crucial pieces, with a lack of control over the board and thought-provoking puzzles. Even still, it tells a story, and for the most part, it spins it with a strong tone. The point is, while you aren’t likely to find a gamey game here, you are likely to find a good plot that’s as equally interesting as it is visually enticing. Is that enough to warrant the trip back to the turn of the twentieth century? You tell me.

Verdict

The Crimson Maid casts its stone over the tilt of the twentieth century to illuminate a compelling visual novel that, while evidently lacking in strong gameplay and interactive elements, offers a time-appropriate marriage between a classic whodunnit experience and a gothic period drama. As visually appealing as it is, it does fall short in several crucial areas, though, which in turn dampens the penultimate crescendo. With its puzzles being a little too simple, and its world being compressed into a bite-sized sphere that offers no additional leeway in your search for the truth, it does leave a considerable amount to be desired. For what it’s worth, though, I will say that The Crimson Maid is a good game — if you can call it that.

Given that the studio behind The Crimson Maid has set something of a tone (see What Have You Done, Father?) as of late, it does feel a little easier to chalk up a final question. Do you enjoy poking around as a priest in a gothic romance period drama? If so, then you’ll love The Crimson Maid. It’s as simple as that, really.