Jack the Ripper (PC)

CNET editors' rating: 2.5 stars OK
Detailed editors' rating
Overall score: 5.2 (2.5 stars)
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Product summary

Gamespot editors' review

• Reviewed by: Scott Osborne
• Reviewed on: 01/30/2004
• Released on: 01/29/2004

A lot of the time, Jack the Ripper is a game that doesn't feel much like a game. While it's technically a point-and-click adventure, it offers little in the way of substantial gameplay, with just a few very simple puzzles and no real action. Jack the Ripper is really more of an interactive story, where you move the linear plot along by repeatedly visiting a handful of small locations and talking to the same few people over and over. Sadly, major bugs can get in the way of progressing through the game's gripping story, and then to add insult to injury, the game finishes with a totally unsatisfying ending.

This singer is one of the more sympathetic characters you'll meet.

In Jack the Ripper, you play as a young reporter who's covering a series of brutal murders in the slums of New York City in 1901. Most people believe the gruesome deeds are the work of Jack the Ripper, who's supposedly fled to the US and resumed his serial killing. The real Jack the Ripper killings have gripped people's imaginations for over a century while exposing the dark underbelly of Victorian England. In this game, you'll have to explore the seedy side of New York, acquiring tips from vagrants and prostitutes, getting tangled up with Chinese opium dealers, and cutting deals with shady underworld figures.

This detective story is filled with clichéd characters: the newspaper boss who wants a sensationalistic scoop above all else, a police chief who seems to be stonewalling you, a hooker with a heart of gold, and so on. Fortunately, the writing rises well above average gaming fare and manages to make the most of these clichés. The characters you encounter feel reasonably nuanced and seem to have their own motivations and fears. If the dialogue at times sounds a bit too modern, it still brings the characters to life, whether the brash madam of a brothel, an Irish-American singer who makes a meager living in a cabaret, or your pal at the newspaper who helps you out from time to time. You can really start to care about these characters--or at least find them interesting.

You'll work through clever plot twists and intriguing leads that will keep you guessing all the while. The game makes the murders personal, too: When the killer gets wind of your newspaper stories about the murders, he develops a special interest in creeping you out when he's not butchering prostitutes. On top of that, you get to know some of the potential victims and will start wondering if one of them is next in line. Sadly, the story suffers from a serious plot hole and some very awkward and unexpected transitions from day to night as the tale progresses. Far worse, the ending is about as unsatisfying as you can imagine. We won't spoil it for you, but suffice it to say, you'll likely feel really cheated.

The seedy side of New York, 1901.

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murder,

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