A Sci-Fi Noir adventure, “Lacuna” is a murder mystery that forces players to make decisions  and sacrifices as they unravel the mystery of a recent murder.

Humanity resides on the planet of Ghara and has slowly been expanding outwards into the solar system. The three main planets of human colonization are Ghara, New-Joran and, most recently, Drovia. As it stands, the planet of New Joran has declared independence and exited the federation on Ghara. However, the discovery of rare mineral deposits of tyllanium, a mineral similar to lithium used in batteries, on the planet Drovia has led to a competition between the two planets to control the resource. With colonists on Drovia vying for independence and the federation wanting to keep a tight grip on the tyllanium, both forces are unwilling to compromise. After the assasination of a Drovian Minister on Ghara, Detective Neil Conrad is tasked with the case and ensuring the culprits will be found before tensions reach their breaking point.

Playing as Conrad was a solid detective experience, and interacting with the various people in the world was enjoyable. I found it interesting how different people would react to my presence and questioning, which made for a deeper narrative. Engaging with other law enforcement provided morale and a sense of respect, while conversations with dock workers provided much less. My partner Gary, for example, takes my words as the truth without question and trusts my judgment. Patrons outside of a bar however are standoffish and often unwilling to provide even the most basic of information without some convincing.

In “Lacuna,” there is a clear representation of citizens believing the cops do not care about them. Thankfully, the game offers opportunities to explore this issue. While investigating the murder was my first priority, I discovered smaller issues which affected the public directly that I could attempt to solve. This ranged from helping a man get his dock back from the city to assisting a woman in reevaluating her contract with an escort agency. I think this is when the game is at it’s finest: when challenging what is true justice and what should be upheld as the law.

Part of being a detective is keeping track of my notes and various clues collected, and the game ensured I had the tools to record this information. There is an extensive and detailed list of information menus available that allowed me to review my progress in the investigation. Every line of dialogue was recorded and could be reviewed, allowing me to reference what someone said in the past. Clues could be re-examined and were grouped by location, detailing the various scenes to help me put together a crime scene when away from the site. This was all extremely helpful because, when it came time to submit my findings, I never felt like I was missing information. If I was diligent in my investigation, the game ensured I had all the pieces to the puzzle –– but it was still up to me to put them together.

However, at times I felt the game did not care whether I was getting my findings correct or not. There were only a few instances where I didn’t get the correct answers during crime scenes, but I didn’t notice any strong consequences, and my partners in the force often told me the correct answers afterwards. It is nice the game does not punish the player too greatly, but I also felt like my accuracy wasn’t affecting the story. This isn’t to say there aren’t times where getting the clues correct changes the outcome, but I think that the branching storylines sometimes rely more on dialogue than actual detective work.

Being a 2D side scroller, the background scenery plays an important role in crafting the game world, and “Lacuna” manages to create a deep and intricate environment that reveals details about the narrative balanced with beauty. The visuals of the game are in the pixel art style, but that never holds it back from crafting precise and fascinating environments.
Most of the game takes place within the cityscape of Ghara as Conrad tracks suspects and visits crime scenes, though there are times where the perspective is more intimate. Each of the various locations I went to felt different enough while still maintaining some semblance of being within the same city. Bustling street markets are packed with vendors and peddlers, harbors and industrial areas are dim and heavy and lavish hotels and high-end apartments are luminous and glittery.

Once I finished the game and my investigation was completed, I felt like I had done some solid detective work. The narrative took many twists and turns that I couldn’t have seen coming, and even when I was sure I figured everything out, the game ensured that there was always something new to uncover.

I appreciated how the game allowed me to decide what kind of cop I was going to be, and allowed me to define what I saw as justice. A man of the free people, or a law fundamentalist, each way allowed for different narrative experiences. While not a lengthy experience, only taking a few hours to complete, I still found it entertaining and satisfying to play. Fans of investigative stories will love the complex environments and the challenge of solving the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder.