Emerald City Confidential

Emerald City Confidential is a mystery adventure based on the universe of the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Rather than a direct adaptation, familiar characters such as Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion are shifted into a 1940s film noir setting with a much grimmer atmosphere.

Players control Petra, a private detective in Emerald City, who investigates mysterious cases for a living. She is contacted by a rich woman Dee Gale who asks her to find her fiancé Anzel who has disappeared. Through her investigation, Petra finds out more about the city, the surroundings and the way it is controlled. The story is told in five chapters and soon Petra's past is interwoven into the main story as the plot thickens.

The game is controlled like a regular point-and-click 2D adventure from a thirdperson perspective with hand-drawn graphics. The mouse is used for all actions and there no different commands or options to choose from. The inventory is shown at the bottom and through the story Petra will eventually get access to magic potions and spells that are stored in the bottom right of the screen.

Compared to earlier Wadjet Eye Games, in terms of gameplay it has a more casual approach. Players can optionally collect buttons in the surroundings in almost every screen, there are achievements (medals) to unlock and there is an in-game hint system where the solution to puzzles is gradually revealed, making it almost impossible to get stuck permanently. Petra can talk to characters using a tree dialogue system and important conversations and clues are stored in a journal. A tutorial introduces the mechanics in the early parts of the game and puzzle are largely inventory and conversation based. New and solved quests are also shown on the screen, as well as a progress bar for the overall completion of the game.

Unlike the previous Wadjet Eye Games, the AGS engine is not used and a much larger team worked on the game. All characters are voiced, along with subtitles where the dialogue is transcribed.

Added March 8, 2020
Published By PlayFirst
Developed By Wadjet Eye Games
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Worldwide) (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Header Image (Windows) from Steam
IGDB Cover from igdb.com
Main menu (Windows) from mobygames.com
The introduction with a helpful tutorial (Windows) from mobygames.com
Meeting Lion in unfortunate circumstances. (Windows) from mobygames.com
This will be the main means of transportation in the city. (Windows) from mobygames.com
Dee Gale requires your services. (Windows) from mobygames.com
The journal where conversations and clues are stored. (Windows) from mobygames.com
Tik Tok is not the most friendly guard, regardless of the history you have together. (Windows) from mobygames.com
A mysterious character standing outside your office. (Windows) from mobygames.com
The flower shop (Windows) from mobygames.com
She, too, knows more about Anzel. (Windows) from mobygames.com
The overview map where you can travel to different locations. (Windows) from mobygames.com
Standing outside the university. (Windows) from mobygames.com
The dialogue tree system (Windows) from mobygames.com
The screen zooms in on conversations in a separate frame, making it easier to read the facial expressions. (Windows) from mobygames.com
Jack is mixed up in shady business, as is all of Emerald city. (Windows) from mobygames.com
The local tavern (Windows) from mobygames.com
Another mysterious event at the docks (Windows) from mobygames.com
A meeting with Dee (Windows) from mobygames.com
Chase sequence (Windows) from mobygames.com
Petra has to appear before the queen. (Windows) from mobygames.com
Swallowing a pill to forget some unwanted knowledge. (Windows) from mobygames.com
Petra has been locked up, maybe some magic can help. (Windows) from mobygames.com
Meeting another race (Windows) from mobygames.com
The Frogman's Villa (Windows) from mobygames.com
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam

Year of Release:
2009

Genre(s):

Camera View:
Third-Person

Setting/Theme:
Mystery

Available From: