With “Wicked: For Good” opening today, it’s a good time to play an Oz-themed game. Emerald City Confidential, much like the “Wicked” films, takes the world of Oz and turns it on its head while still paying respect to the source material. Taking place many years after the original Wizard of Oz story, the point-and-click adventure tells a gripping film noir story.
Emerald City Confidential Tells a New Oz Tale
Developed by Wadjet Eye Games, Emerald City Confidential tells the story of Petra, a tough, sharp-mouthed detective who lives in Oz. The grown-up Dorothy Gale sends Petra on a missing person case, but the roots of the case run far deeper than Petra suspects. Soon she finds herself wrapped up in fighting for the fate of Oz itself and facing her own past loss.
The point-and-click story features several familiar Oz characters, though they play darker roles than you might expect. For example, now that the Cowardly Lion has found his courage, he’s decided to become a lawyer – and a sleazy one at that. Since the Scarecrow found his brain, he now waxes about philosophical mysteries while causally chatting with people. It’s both hilarious and intriguing.
A Gorgeous Presentation
Although Emerald City Confidential is an older game, its visuals have aged beautifully. The graphics are hand-drawn and stylized, giving the game a unique visual style. The game is also fully-voiced, with very appealing voice acting. Petra, in particular, has a strong, tough voice, letting the player fully hear how she won’t take any nonsense.
In addition, the game lets you get a glimpse of its behind-the-scenes development in a fun way. Most screens have buttons hidden in them. Click on the buttons and you unlock pieces of concept art that you can look at whenever you want. It’s a great way to look into how much love went into creating the game, and it’s really engaging to collect all the buttons.
Final Thoughts – Oz Fans Should Play Emerald City Confidential
While some Oz purists might disapprove of changing the Oz lore, the world of Oz offers so much potential for new stories and retold stories. In Emerald City Confidential, you can learn magic spells and discover how rich the world of Oz is, since the lore of the original books goes far beyond what you see in the 1939 classic movie. Ozians and point-and-click fans should rush to this game. It can be purchased on Steam for $9.99
