PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5 (REVIEWED), XBOX ONE/SERIES | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Mental health is always a sensitive subject as so many of us have gone through varying degrees of troublesome times, but people’s experiences are also a very important story to tell.

Martha is Dead is the latest game from The Town of Light developer LKA that follows the story of Giulia, a young Italian woman who is living in Tuscany in 1944, at the height of World War II. As a young girl, she is told a story of The White Lady, a woman who died in the nearby lake and lingers on the grounds. One night, Giulia goes down to the lake to take photos only to find a body – that body is her sister, Martha. Giulia is then thrust into a haunting nightmare of loss, acceptance and false identity.

For the most part, Martha is Dead‘s story is gripping and engaging with strong performances from the voice cast and a harrowing narrative that is elevated by the war in the background. The added game mechanic of being able to take and develop photos to uncover new hints and solve some of the mystery regarding Martha’s passing is fun for the most part but unfortunately gets repetitive even with being able to find new lenses and add-ons. There are optional side quests that you can complete to enhance and expand Giulia’s story including helping the allies. However, even with these positives, the game is riddled with bugs that make the overall experience fairly tedious, especially towards the final act of the game.

Some of the shock value moments may deter some players, and the bugs are infuriating, but at its core, Martha is Dead is a solid 8-10 hour experience of the sad story of Giulia’s mental health and her coming to terms with her sisters tragic passing.

Please note: the PlayStation platform versions are censored with two scenes being cutscenes instead of interactable and one dialogue scene being completely removed.