Whispers of Prague: The Executioner's Last Cut comes to life on Steam

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Graphic novel-styled point-and-click occult mystery available now to download for Windows PC

Back in the olden days, you used to be able to hunt for treasure with just a few tools, a cool jacket and an even cooler attitude. But times have changed, and with it the need for newer technologies, like the AI involved in Whispers of Prague: The Executioner's Last Cut, the newly released point-and-click occult thriller by two-man Czech developer Shader Mess.

Viktor Durand is a programmer for Cota Mertex in the titular city, who over-indulges at a company party one evening and starts to feel unwell. Next thing he knows, he's back home with no memory of how he got there. In an effort to piece together what happened, Viktor's investigation surprisingly leads to the discovery that his grandmother had got herself caught up in "mysterious events" fifty years earlier. Inspired to dig deeper, Viktor begins hunting down strange artifacts related to the infamous "Executioner," with the help of the artificial intelligence ARNEAS (Artificial Neural Assistant). His exploits do not go unnoticed, however, and things take an even darker turn when a cult of fanatics who worship these relics begin sending Viktor threatening letters. To uncover the long-buried secrets of the Executioner, Viktor must come to terms with his own past and family heritage, making decisions along the way that could all influence his fate forever. 

Whispers of Prague is presented like a first-person slideshow with simple point-and-click controls and graphic novel-style artwork. As you explore various locations around the city, day and night, from street shops to the flowing town square fountain to modern science labs, you will "collect and use items, examine mysterious inscriptions and ancient parchments" and "gather important information through dialogue with dozens of characters you'll encounter on your journey." Items you collect will go in your backpack, where they can be selected for solving puzzles or used with a personal icon for closer observation. You'll also carry a notebook, which Viktor will automatically fill in with important details, and your cell phone, which "allows you to call your contacts, receive messages of all kinds (SMS, emails, analyses, and reports), or occasionally take pictures." With three different ways to record your progress – autosave, quick save, and manual save – the experience is designed to be very user-friendly. A hotspot highlighter and built-in hint system should help keep players from getting stuck, but the game is still expected to take a minimum of eight hours to complete, plus the option to replay to try different story branches, side quests, and alternate endings.   

If you fancy a walk through the dark underbelly of Czechia's capital city, Whispers of Prague: The Executioner's Last Cut is available now on Steam for Windows PC.