Since the early 1980s, Full-Motion Video (FMV) games have been a unique genre within the medium. Instead of the typical sprites or 3D models, FMV games primarily use pre-recorded video files to present the game's action, which can include either animated or live-action videos.

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While the genre has always been divisive with people either loving it or hating it, these types of games continue to be made to this day. Even if a player does not usually like this genre, there are a couple of top-tier games that everyone should try to get a good sense of what FMV games can offer to an audience.

Dragon's Lair

A knight grabs his sword in the video game Dragon's Lair.

One of the first FMV games ever made was Dragon's Lair, which was developed in 1983 and uses animated cutscenes. The game follows a knight as he attempts to rescue a princess from a dragon who has taken her to a wizard's castle. During the game, the player does not control the knight's actions and the story is linear. Instead, the player must respond to quick-time events (QTEs) correctly in order to progress and avoid bad ends. This game has had multiple sequels.

Although pixelated games are an aesthetic choice for games now, most early games did not have a choice because of technological limitations. This particular game was able to go beyond the typical limitations because it used the LaserDisc, which allowed the game to be more complex since the disc had more storage space. While the gameplay is extremely simple, the animation is amazing because it was done by Don Bluth, whose 5 best films include such classics as Anastasia and The Land Before Time.

Erica

A woman is posed with two dialogue options in the video game Erica.

Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Erica is a 2019 FMV thriller that centers around a girl named Erica Mason as she tries to uncover her family's strange history after her father is murdered. Along with being able to choose between dialogue options and possible actions, the player also will need to interact with certain items in the story.

The story and the added interactable elements make it easy for the player to be immersed within a narrative that will leave players guessing until the very end. Also, the incredible atmospheric soundtrack by Austin Wintory has been nominated for several awards.

At Dead Of Night

Jimmy the killer smiles menacingly in At Dead of Night.

Released in 2020 by Baggy Cat Entertainment, At Dead Of Night is a supernatural horror FMV game where the player controls a young woman named Maya who gets trapped in a hotel with a killer named Jimmy Hall. In order to save herself and her other friends in the hotel, Maya must explore the hotel, find items, and communicate with the ghosts of previous inhabitants.

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While most FMV horror games focus on puzzles or decision-making, this game increases the terror by having a character chase the player around a 3D environment. This makes it feel more real since it forces the player to interact with the game more than most FMV-heavy games.

Her Story

An image of a TV screen showing a woman confessing in the game Her Story.

Created by British video game designer Sam Barlow, who developed some of the best Silent Hill games like Silent Hill: Shattered MemoriesHer Story is a FMV mystery game released in 2015. During this game, the player must navigate a database to find pieces of seven police interviews from 1994. In these interviews, the police are talking to a woman named Hannah Smith, who is the wife of a man who has gone missing.

With the unique gameplay mechanics and intriguing narrative, Her Story has been nominated for several awards and even had a spiritual successor called Telling Lies. Unlike most mystery games that just give players a full answer at the end, the player themselves will need to figure it out for themselves. In addition, the game's '90s retro look mimicking VHS cinematography successfully immerses players within the Clinton-era milieu.

Road Blaster

A motorcycle drives up a staircase in Road Avenger.

Known as Road Avenger and Road Prosecutor in the West, Road Blaster is a 1985 LaserDisc FMV game made in Japan that follows a man who is hunting down a biker gang that is responsible for his wife's death. While in a modified sports car, the player can control the car's direction and speed, and sometimes fight other drivers.

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Although Road Blaster has similar limitations to Dragon's Lair, the various driving levels make the game feel more alive and open compared to other LaserDisc games. Also, the game has incredible animation that was done by Toei Animation, which makes the player feel like they are actually racing in a cartoon.

The Infectious Madness Of Doctor Dekker

A woman sits on a green couch in The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker.

Developed by D'avekki Studios and published by well-known FMV game studio Wales Interactive, The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker is a murder mystery FMV game. This award-nominated game has the player control an unnamed psychiatrist who is trying to solve the mystery of the death of Doctor Dekker by questioning several of his patients.

While exploring some tough subjects, the player must type in their own questions to ask the patients, which leads to multiple endings. With an interesting mystery full of intrigue, gamers will find themselves determined to find out the truth. Since the game is non-linear, Doctor Dekker also has some replay value that entices players to explore every narrative option possible.

Contradiction: Spot The Liar!

A detective shows his badge as a man looks on in Contradiction: Spot The Liar!.

Created by video game music composer Tim Follin, Contradiction: Spot The Liar! is a murder mystery game published by Baggy Cat Entertainment. In this game, the player controls Detective Inspector Frederick Jenks as he uncovers a strange conspiracy in a small town while investigating the suspicious death of a young woman. Along with questioning the various characters in the town, the player must also move around town to find other clues. The goal is to find contradictions in characters' statements, and then call them out on it.

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Because the game is a mixture of talking to people and exploring the town, the gameplay avoids becoming monotonous. As the player continues the story and uncovers more secrets, they will be surprised at the twists the story takes and the superb acting of the characters.

The Shapeshifting Detective

A man sits on a chair showing different photographs in The Shapeshifting Detective.

The Shapeshifting Detective is a 2018 supernatural murder mystery FMV game that is also a spiritual successor to The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker. Similar to most mystery stories, a person, who was named Dorota Shaw, has died and the player must solve this by interacting with the other characters. But, this game sets itself apart by having the player be a shapeshifter who can change themselves to look like anyone else, which can be used to help solve the case.

Since the murderer is randomly decided in each playthrough and there are multiple branching paths, the game has an extremely high replayability factor. Also, the shapeshifting mechanic adds a new dimension to the genre of mystery games, which typically strives for realism.

Simulacra

An image of a woman screaming on a cell phone in Simulacra.

Simulacra is a found phone horror mystery game series, which manages to mimic the feel of an obscure horror game. The player is someone who obtains a phone of someone who is either missing or dead. They must look through the phone and respond to text messages to discover what happened to the phone's owner.

There have been four games so far in this series, and each sequel adds more gameplay mechanics and ideas. While all the games deal with different characters, they all focus on a strange being known as the "simulacrum." This series is famous for its highly interactive gameplay that makes the player feel like they are actually using a phone.

The Bunker

A bleeding man looks up at some stairs in The Bunker.

Developed by Splendy Games and published by Wales Interactive, The Bunker is a 2016 adventure horror game. The player controls a 30-year-old man named John who was born in an underground bunker shortly after Britain experienced a nuclear war. After an alarm goes off, John goes on an adventure to explore other parts of the bunker as he slowly regains repressed memories.

Using point-and-click gameplay, the player travels through incredible sets that look realistic. With all the various props and rooms, it is easy to see that this game has an extremely high production value. The best FMV games immerse the player into another time and location, which The Bunker does successfully with its set design and sepia-tinged cinematography.

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