Dry Drowning (PC) Review

As far as premises go, Dry Drowning has one of the more unique visual novel stories out there. While protagonist Mordred Foley might be a bit too clichéd for his own good - a private dick with plenty of personal demons to keep him jaded and indelicate - his exploits are genuinely quite interesting. Specifically, the fact that he's hot on the trail of a string of serial killings, all of which reference Greek mythology in some way.

For mythology buffs, the killings make for an inspired reimagining of Grecian lore. The imagery in particular stands out. While character models take on a pseudo-photorealistic approach, the art style shines most when it's repurposing Greek mythology's animalistic and almost tribal imagery. Paired with an aesthetic that comes off drably real at times, the killings have more impact as a result.

In general, the title shines when it comes to presentation. Backgrounds are vibrant, typically bursting with only a single colour at a time, and the muted palette that's draped over each character pairs well with the neo-noir inspired environments. Aesthetically, the project is reminiscent of both Bladerunner and Hotel Dusk, but never to the point where the general style stops feeling fresh.

Of course, no detective story is complete without the appropriate soundtrack. While the use of a live soundtrack is by no means fresh or novel, it does help keep the story grounded in reality. There's a very "real" quality to the sound direction, one that's charmingly immersive. At times, it's almost as if the music is being heard from Mordred's ears specifically.

For as top notch as the overall presentation is, however, unfortunately, Dry Drowning suffers from an undercooked script. Not to the point where it outright ruins the experience, but a visual novel shouldn't be fumbling when it comes to its writing. It seems as though more time was put into crafting the world than writing a story in the world.

…Which isn't an inherent design flaw, but the quality of writing is at odds with the genuinely intriguing story. Moments of prose tend to be overwritten and flowery, prioritizing irrelevant imagery over moving the plot forward. The script tries to be introspective and cerebral, but it does so without any sense of tact, hitting the audience over the head with seemingly complex themes without ever scratching beyond the surface level.

The title prides itself on a supposedly living, breathing world where Mordred's actions ultimately affect the NPCs around him, but when every character is more or less written with the same absence of voice, caring about any so-called "moral decision" is asking quite a lot from the audience.

Worse yet, the time travel system leaves a lot to be desired narratively. It's meant to be a way to weave gameplay and story together while also revealing parts of Mordred's past, but the visual novel is already on the long side, dragging the pace out. If nothing else, the physiological investigations (which seem to take a not so subtle page from later Ace Attorney titles) do provide some memorable set pieces and visuals.

With such a lacklustre script, it's difficult to recommend Dry Drowning to fans of the genre. The investigative purposes are par for the course - light exploration with lighter puzzle solving - forcing the title to more or less rely on its interesting, but poorly paced and poorly written story.