‘Paper Perjury’ Is a Promising Start for an Up-and-Coming Detective (Review)

As Justina Smith quickly finds out in Paper Perjury, life comes at you fast. After applying for the lowly clerk position at her local Police Department, she’s quickly thrust into a murder mystery for the ages. Rather than just filing papers, she finds herself in command of the strings of fate. Paper Perjury is a promising start for a potential franchise, offering plenty of lovable characters that pop with personality while fighting those “first game” woes.

Punny Names and Charismatic Writing Make ‘Paper Perjury’ a Joy to Play

Paper Perjury wears its Ace Attorney inspiration right on its sleeve. It’s not ashamed to admit its role model is one of the most beloved Capcom franchises of all time while setting its sights on the path of greatness. Following in the footsteps of Phoenix Wright and friends, Justina Smith and her band of punny pals are every bit as enjoyable to be around. These characters are as eccentric and wild as their inspirations — while not feeling all too familiar.

Split between five acts of differing lengths, Paper Perjury will feel just like home to Ace Attorney fans. What starts as a normal day for the lead turns into an adventure she’ll never forget. As new characters continued to be introduced into the fray and the mystery began to unfold, Paper Perjury started cooking with gas.

Each of these five cases brought something new to the table, reintroduced old faces, and flipped the script at every possible turn. Even when I thought I had the mystery fully unwrapped? Something else would happen to make my current train of thought completely derail. I was constantly on my toes, investigating every piece of the puzzle until I was confident I could finally bring order and justice.

Gameplay is simple, yet engaging. Combing through rooms for clues. Navigating through different environments in search of the truth. Chatting with memorable characters and making friends with chunky cats. Paper Perjury knows how to nail the worldbuilding aspect without breaking a sweat.

in ‘paper perjury,’ Sometimes, It Isn’t the Most Obvious Answer

I’d consider myself a seasoned veteran of the often dramatic crime-centered visual novel. I figured Paper Perjury was going to fall into some obvious pitfalls. I was happily proven wrong on more than one occasion. Sometimes getting to the truth was slightly more frustrating than I would have liked. Even when it felt like the most obvious answer was being dangled in front of my face like a carrot, I had to carefully reexamine the evidence to ensure I was giving the correct answer.

One thing that is nice, almost to a fault, is that Paper Perjury is very forgiving. If I gave the wrong answer during an interrogation, I could just continue to try and try again. Characters were surprisingly understanding about my flubs while I was trying to persecute them for their crimes. That doesn’t mean that these interrogations aren’t still challenging, however.

There are also some times when things can feel a little too confusing, even to veterans of the genre. In particular, one part of Act 5 had me ready to hang up my green blazer and call it a day. That is until I realized that I had unknowingly completed the objective I needed to, even though it appeared I still needed to dive into the mystery a bit deeper. These growing pains can be obnoxious, but a few blemishes don’t detract from the full experience.

It wouldn’t be a good crime drama if there weren’t moments when I was left scratching my head. Especially when trying to figure out the motive and the answer for these crimes. Even after blazing my way through most of the AA games, there were still a few surprise moments in Paper Perjury that could be put on the same pedestal.

I See No Objections Here

Even with its faults, Paper Perjury is an impressive debut title for Paper Cat Games. In a genre that is overflowing with plenty of imposters, it’s great to see something like this escape the tired cliches of the medium. It’s a game full of ambition, charm, and wit. Even during my 10 hours playing it, I can’t think of a single time I wanted to put it down. The mystery of its world gripped me until the very end.

Games like this often have growing pains, and Paper Perjury isn’t without them. But its great characters, excellent story, and witty writing saw me through to the end without much complaint. If you’re looking for a refreshing take on a much-beloved genre, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

Paper Perjury has a lot of heart, and it genuinely surprised me how much I enjoyed it. It’s hard to ride the coattails of a massive franchise to make something unique. But I’m happy to say Paper Perjury did just that. Its inspiration is clear to see, but it creates a memorable story it can be proud to call its own. There are some changes I would love to see in a hypothetical sequel. But when and if it happens, I’ll be there on day one to continue the adventures of Justina Smith.

Verdict: Recommended

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Paper Perjury will be available on December 9, 2024, on Steam. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC.