the infectious madness of doctor dekker iris

Refreshingly, while the game bills itself as “a Lovecraftian FMV murder mystery”, it doesn’t take the easy route and endlessly harp on about ancient, slimy things that live at the bottom of the ocean. It’s a surprisingly powerful approach, and before you know it you’re more invested in “curing” them of their respective ailments than you are in solving the murder. The latter is particularly evident when you reach the end of the game and discover the repercussions of your chosen assertions. Not only do you have to interview the patients and plough through their personal issues, the responses you give and the lines of inquiry you pursue ultimately impact their mental health. In fact, The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker goes to great lengths to draw you into the murky mental mire that surrounds the late Doctor and his patients. The notes will also serve you well when you’re making your Poirot-style deductions at the end of the game. You can flick between the patients at will, and while the game doesn’t force you to make notes, scrawling away on an A5 pad as your patients speak helps you to engage with your role. Sometimes they’ll be forthcoming, other times they’ll give you an odd look or act as if you’ve asked them to cram a shoe up their left nostril. Quizzing the patients is a matter of typing in specific questions and viewing their responses. Many a time I found myself uttering, “What the hell?” after being privy to a particular patient reveal. But as you interview them it becomes apparent that their problems stem from far darker roots.

Their issues, while significant by mental health standards, are deceptively mundane.

They range in temperament, from the seductive Marianna and the nervy Bryce, all the way through to the oddly aloof Nathan, as well as a few “side quest” patients. Regardless, it’s your job to interview the late Doctor Dekker’s patients and, aside from delving into their own individual problems, deduce which of the five suspects dispatched him (six if you include the office secretary). Ideally will have ‘complete mug’ stamped across forehead,” perhaps? How they sold that in the job advert is anyone’s guess “Wanted: Gullible Practitioner – must be willing to ignore reddish-brown stains on office furniture. It casts you as a nameless psychiatrist of unspecified gender, who has been drafted in to replace their murdered predecessor.

The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker is one such title, a game that uses FMV to weave a chilling tale of horror and mystery without forsaking interactivity. Full Motion Video games have not so much evolved as they have gone through a sudden metamorphosis, emerging from their stinky chrysalis as something quite remarkable indeed.

The infectious madness of doctor dekker iris