Morph Girl

Honestly one of the best FMV games on Steam, I've played it twice, probably gonna play it a third time... I have no idea if it has "multiple endings" I just enjoy it that much

Pretty good horror FMV.
Fairly short as there is around 1,5 hours of "gameplay" and another 2,5 hours if you want to watch 2 full movies from the ingame TV.
Not sure if glitch/bug or license issue but the first movie that you can watch from the TV had no sound at all. Second movie worked fine.

Morph Girl is very underrated in the FMV genre. This truly is a hidden gem, it has multiple endings and for the price i don't think you can go wrong.

A nice short Visual Novel in FMV format. It's a bit creepy but is not a horror story. Sadness, regret and grief keeps the main character from moving on.

morph girl is a short fmv adventure with 6 endings based on choices. it's a disturbing but mostly just boring story about elana, mourning the loss of her wife to cancer a year earlier, lamenting her own actions, trying to recover.

as a one-woman show, there's no dialog, the inner monologue and everything else is shown as text. some of it appears letter by letter but can be sped up with a click, the rest appears instantly. there are annoying sounds throughout, like the constant beeping of a machine during choices involving the still alive but sick wife, or the fucking phone alarm at the beginning of every in-game day.

the game kindly tells you it does not auto-save, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, since there's manual saving. there are a bunch of complaints on the forum about not being able to save/load, but I had no issues. 10 slots, no overwrite confirmation, but they show save time and date and the sentence where you saved. however, you can only save in certain places. weirdly, the window comes up before 'fmv choices', urging you to do so (nice touch), but it isn't possible before making 'text choices'.

as nice as manual saving is, you still have to sit through some cutscenes multiple times, as there's no scene-skipping. no volume settings either, just a full screen toggle. and the icing on the cake: no pausing, an absolute dealbreaker. there are stopping points where you can save and quit and maybe make decisions, other stopping points where you make decisions but can't save, nor quit, and that's it.

I love fmv and don't mind low (or non-existant) production values or a few shortcomings, but this just doesn't cut it even for the dollar I paid for it. with the save system I quickly checked out 3 endings, then took a peek at the .webm files in the game's folder for the rest. really lackluster. you can watch a couple of old public domain horror flicks on the tv if you want, but you can do that elsewhere too, with more 'quality of life', like a fucking pause button.

I reached an unprecedented level of boredom playing this game.
It is seriously lame even for 5 bucks and I'm not expecting much for that price.
Even tough the game is technically a japanese horror inspired FMV game, you really need to understand it is absolutely f*cking NOT a horror game.
Lol, the protagonist is so incredibly stupid she read the journal of her dead girlfriend and doesn't even react reading the bit she wrote WHILE SHE WAS IN COMA.
That's terrible writing, it really felt like a joke.
Knowing what I know now I wouldn't even play it for free, it's that uninteresting imo.
Get beers for that price or I don't know, jerk off your chicken instead.

This game is a fairly short one, though you could always extend it out by unlocking all of the endings, looking into all the bits missing and curious about the many different things that happen in this game.

You play as a widow whose wife died recently and is stuck in a constant loop in her life, however, one day a creep liquid begins to fill the bathtub and a figure begins to talk you. It's up to you, to decide what to do next. The FMV is a interesting take on the horror and works well in creating a creepy atmosphere.

My stream of the game for full context and my genuine blind reaction to it : https://youtu.be/CrqSiks5hn0

Morph Girl is an interactive Full Motion Video (FMV). Unfortunately, interactivity is very limited and the only thing about the story that could have been interesting or exciting, is a direct and complete ripoff from a well-known horror movie.

Story

Gameplay

Graphics and sound

On Steam's extra features

"Morph Girl" exemplifies the primary reason why I don't bother with Visual Novels.

Now, let's be clear on one thing before going any further: As a dramatist myself I LOVE Interactive Drama and FMV games. However, I am also under no illusions that these games come in many different levels of quality. Sometimes, the game can be deliberately poor in quality to give it that trashy appeal. A perfect case in point being "Press X To Not Die". However, there are some FMV titles where you look at them and just think that maybe the idea would have worked better if the developers had just made a short film and had done with it.

This is definitely the impression one gets when playing, or rather watching, "Morph Girl". The whole purpose of interactive drama as a creative concept is to give players the same level of emotional engagement with the action on-screen as one would get watching a fiction film. To this end, the game is a spectacular failure. The production values are so cheap they feel like some-one's high school student project, which could be forgiven if the drama was a little more...you know...interactive. Unfortunately, players will spend about 95% of their gaming experience watching events unfold rather than influencing them. Compared to superior titles like "The Bunker" and "The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker", where players have a far greater amount of consent over how the story develops, this game does feel like it needs some major redevelopment.

A shame, really, given that the story itself is quite well put together with regard to it's emphasis on the self-imposed imprisonment and isolation brought forth by bereavement. However, even here, the emotional effect is stunted because the developer have insisted on using a non-actress for the lead character. Her reactions are so wooden and her expressions so forced that it is difficult to empathise with her on any real level. Consequently, audiences are left feeling disgruntled, and even mildly annoyed, at times when they should be gushing with sympathy.

I was foolish enough to pay money for this game, so I'm going to bite the bullet and see "Morph Girl" through to the end. Do I recommend it though? Survey says: Save your money for one of the far superior titles listed above.

I do not often write reviews for games, but every once in a while I decide a game is worth a few moments of my time to write one.

Morph Girl is, as the store states, A Japanese horror inspired FMV complete with an Onryou. There are 6 endings to the game, with the typical good and bad outcomes you might expect. As others have stated, a run should take about an hour, with several choices sprinkled through. These don't change the overall gameplay significantly, but it does change the ending. Additionally, you are able to watch TV twice in your playthrough. On the TV will be two movies, 1 hour and 2 hours in length, that must be watched in full for the achievements, but not for any ending. Overall, the rest of the achievements are easy enough to get, clicking through some items, playing the story, and reaching the various endings.

Why do I recommend Morph Girl?

As for the gameplay, it is simplistic. This is not bad, as it is not overly convulted as some point and clicks and FMVs can be. You will likely not need a guide to get to most endings.

As for the story, the genre sterotype of questionable descions made by the character are here, and I feel at home as I play and talk to others about the characters choices and thoughts. The endings feel natural. There are not a lot of choices to change the outcome, but there is nothing completely out of left field either. In fact, I think the "true ending" is exactly how I expected it to turn out when I first started playing. And while it is Japanese horror inspired, it's not overbearing or scary, if that doesn't suit you. While the Onryou lurks, she doesn't pop out of no where or act like some other popular onryou. There was enough to make this feel new or refreshing for me that I found it to be enjoyable, and look forward to what the other endings might hold. In fact, the true ending can only be seen after you have seen the other 5!

I picked this up during the Summer Sale of 2018, where it was 50% off. For me I felt it was worth it, and I am likely to gift it to a friend of two in the near future, sale or not.

I want to say I was appreciative that the Dev was quick to respond to an issue I had. Looking through the discussion board, it seems they are on top of responding to others and ensuring their game can be enjoyed by those who try it.

Like always FMV games are a hit and miss and this was a miss in my opinon. The pacing is slow, the story is a bit banal and it seems like you're playing a bad interactive student film. The obvious piggybacking on Jhorror tropes was completly unoriginal and trite which ironically all student films tend to be. It claims to be creepy and i've read other reviews saying they were scared and I was genuinely curious if we had played the same game at all. Literally all you see is a "ring ghost" and thats it...there is nothing else. I know its supposed to "represent" something else but I go back to my previous statment that this is a pretentious student film.

Also there are two full length movies in the game which pads out the time. The problem is that the movies were just as bad as the game. Bad movies in a bad FMV game, it was like staring into infinity. Fun Fact the movies were featured on episodes of MST3K which made me think of watching tthose episodes. I ended up trying to synch up MSTK3k with the movies in the game. The Leech movie was on an episode when Joel was on the SOL and the Brain that wouldn't die was the first episode when Mike was the main character of MST3K. A lot of people think Mike was better than Joel but after watching both episodes of MST3k i can say Joel has a dryer wit than Mike so they really can't be compared on who was better.

Notice how off track I got on my review? well thats what you'll end up doing in this game. This is a game you play if you have something more important to do. Like do you have any work that needs to get done around the house...it brings out the wrong emotions when playing a game.

For the price, wait for a sale, you'll lose interest in this game fast and wonder if you left the stove on.

...Do you want your hair in a bun or just...okay, alright, you’re a very scary girl *pats head*.

After the death of her wife Rebecca, Elana’s life was never the same again. Everyday in her life starts with grieving and ends with grieving as she made a ritual to look through Rebecca’s stuff, such as the journal she wrote in or looking through their photos, and watching her favorite movies and shows. Rebecca even lingers when she goes to work, no longer a place where she can escape but where her memory weighs on her so much her work is lacking. Elena will do anything to get Rebecca back...and that opportunity might be coming in the form of a long haired woman reminiscent of the one in Ring.

We get two sections that our choices can influence the story, one in the present and one in the past. After watching Elena’s daily routine, you can choose to go through it as well. If you decide to, you’ll get some more backstory on Elena and Rebecca’s life while also an excerpt from one of Rebecca’s stories or whatever else she has written. You also get the choice of watching two old movies that the game included, however the first movie does not have any audio due to one player getting a copyright claim on their gameplay video. Outside of this, you will also get choices to decide Elana’s actions and what you will see or decide to ignore. I will certainly say that if you decide to not investigate more in certain areas, you should go back and see.

Periodically there will also be areas of just text meant to symbolize the past. In these areas, Rebecca is still alive and we get to see more on how their relationship was. In each of these sections you get a choice that will later show to have an effect in the present day while also building how Elena treated Rebecca in that short time. These choices plus the present day choices will decide whether or not you get one version or the other.

There are six endings to get, with them being variations of different choices you can make with each having their own meaning to what it means for Elena. Honestly, one of them was so hilarious to me and if you decide to get all the endings, or got it for your first one, you will know which one I’m talking about.

Despite not having any spoken dialogue from Elana, this does well without it. There is one account of voice acting and it certainly is creepy if you choose the right choice to get it. The music included helps greatly as it keeps up the creepy atmosphere as well as not including any of those loud jumpscare sounds. The VHS aesthetic also helps in the atmosphere, whether it was supposed to mirror what they took inspiration from or how it represented how Elena doesn’t see the world as colorful as she did when Rebecca was alive. The only thing that can really ruin it will be some of the acting that can seem unbelievable with what is happening to her.

Verdict

I wish I could give neither a thumbs up or down, but rather a wobbly hand. I enjoy seeing new FMV games, and am always willing to see what they have in store. These days, FMV can be done for relatively cheap, so there's a lot more out there. This one certainly isn't awful, or the worst that I've played, but overall, I was left wanting. Firstly, it wasn't scary at all. There were no jump scares or excessive gore (or any gore really), but that's usually not what I want in horror. The writing/directiong/acting were all satisfactory, but not powerful enough for the creepiness or story to get under my skin either. You get to make some choices about how the main character and her past lover inteacted in the past, and the consequences of those choices are some of the best parts of the game. However, as the whole plot goes towards a horror direction, those good bits get left behind. I did like the idea of including some old Public Domain movies to watch for some achievements, but I would've enjoyed that much more if the movies could've been enjoyed with VCR controls, and without the scanline and ambient sounds of the game. One of the movies didn't have any sound at all either, so that was a problem. Also, the whole game takes place in a VCR like aesthetic, even though the main character's movie collection is in DVD format, and the game takes place in present day. Oddly anachronistic just to be more 'RING' like without any in-game reason for it to be presented that way. I'll be interested in seeing what these people make in the future, and I didn't hate this game, but... sadly I just can't recommend it.

If, however, you're particularly found of visual novels, the japanese horror aesthetic, and can enjoy dramatic stories of somewhat questionable quality... then DO give this game a shot.

Short and sweet. Loved the texture of the game and simplicity of the story. The atmoshpere is great and I am glad that developer didn't use any voice acting to ruin the game, because I think if there were any voice acting the mood would have been ruined. Other than that I want to listen to that piano loop literally everyday. It's great for studying and relaxing. Good game.

8/10

I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this title. There's no dialogue, not a lot of variety in the day-to-day, and I'll be honest, the acting could've been better. But I felt so emotional for the main character, that it kept me invested in seeing how things turned out. It's a short game with multiple endings and I really appreciated every bit of the work that went into it - I'll be playing again to see if I can get another ending I may not have seen just yet, and to finish off achievements, definitely!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGcIBuNHLlo&list=PL5Jimra-A3jLJqh-QPufgS6eGuPpIy3gX

It's an interesting experience for next to nothing but don't buy this thinking its a scary or even horror game it's something more like a bad independent movie for what the asking price it's an ok "game" (more like interactive movie)
5/10 Meh

Morph GIrl is an interesting curio. There's virtually no gameplay to speak of - instead, you should go in expecting a short interactive story. The game plays out as a series of FMV scenes with overlaid text instead of spoken dialogue. The scenes are woven together by branching choices that will lead you to one of six endings.

The FMV is shot well, and the black and white, VHS-inspired aesthetic is a unique choice that adds a lot to the game's somber atmosphere. The writing is solid, and does a good job of drawing you into the main character's world and state of mind. That said, I'm led to wonder how much the choices you make actually matter. I was able to achieve 4 of 6 endings by loading up an endgame save and replaying 2 or 3 minutes of gameplay. In a game where these choices are your only method of interaction, that's a heavy strike against it. The story is compelling enough that I may give it another playthrough to try for the last two endings, but despite its brevity, the game could really benefit from a "skip" function to bypass segments you've already seen.

I'm giving Morph Girl a tentative recommendation, but it comes with a caveat: I don't think there's much on offer here unless you're already a horror fan. The game is pretty serious, not "fun" horror; it's a bit evocative of an old episode of The Twilight Zone. A playthrough won't take you more than an hour, and despite the multiple endings, there's not a lot of replayability. Give it a shot if you're looking for a compact, thought-provoking experience that you can play through in an afternoon.

Cool game. I've only finished once so far, but I was really interested in the story that it was unraveling.

It's not very long (first play through took me just under an hour) but I do want to replay and find different endings/options so, for the price, I don't mind the length.

It is a visual novel style FMV game, so teh gameplay is based on choice making rather than puzzles. Some of those choices are genuinely gutwrenching when you read the outcome.

The other thing I liked is that there are bits of old horror films (public domain stuff) in here. I didn't sit long enough to see if those entirety of the films are included, but what was there is a pretty cool touch.

Morph Girl is a thought provoking, interesting (and creepy) visual novel. The text decisions are tough and realistic, leading to insightful diary entries from the wife's perspective. The relationship between the two characters is rounded out and well portrayed - even though we only meet one of them, Elana. The grief Elana experiences feels real and the depression is weighted through the text and visuals. There are points where I disagreed with her thought processes, which made the options to choose from difficult. Personally, I would have had completely different attitudes in the text decisions, but this just aided my understanding of the character's perspective and personality.

The game plays at a steady pace, letting you read through the text at your own leisure. The VHS effect is interesting and different, bringing a real unique aspect to the game itself. Choices made are difficult. They provoke curiosity, but at the same time, hesitation.

One fault I noticed with the game is some of the looping videos would loop back farther than what made sense for the text's progression. Though this is very minor and only experienced if you do not click through the text before the visuals need to loop.

Overall, the game is intriguing and dark. The themes of grief and depression are very real and hard hitting. I enjoyed my play through! If you are a fan of visual novels or horror, this is definitely for you.

After my first playthrough and unlocking one ending, I saw how heavily influenced this game was by The Ring. I really liked the design of the girl. I found her to be really creepy and startling. She didn't have a whole lot of screen time, but where she appeared it really mattered and gave off the terrifying feeling that you just wanted out.

I really loved the immersion in this game. Just simple things, from reading Rebecca's diary and stories to deciding the past interactions between Elana and Rebecca.

Morph Girl flows at a steady pace, it doesn't feel short nor does it feel dragged. I was completely satisfied with the ending I achieved. I'm looking forward to collecting all the endings.

I would recommend this game to anybody that has any interest in horror/drama or just visual novels in general.

This "game" markets itself as a Japanese 90's inspired FMV game, which I think is only half true. There is some Japanese influence but being an FMV title inspired by the 90's is more wishful thinking that concrete reality. I beat one of six endings in this FMV, so I didn't achieve all the endings, but I think I've played enough of the FMV to know how it plays. I'll start with the positives.

The first being the obvious Ring/Grudge inspired girl is pretty freaky and they did a good job on making her look like it is from a Japanese movie. Although I do call her modest since apparently she has a sense of self respect when it comes to picking a wardrobe to wear, which is quite humerus. The second being how authentic the presentation of the entire FMV is, it really does seem like it's ripped from a VHS tape, especially with the load screens having the same fuzzy/bob and weave effect. Finally, the story itself and the choices you make are blatant yet moralising. I won't spoil the kinds of choices you have to make, but some of them will make you think, as if you was put into the position of Elena. These choices come back to haunt you, so to say, mainly in the form of text, but there are additional scenes that would only play had you made x choice at y location.

As for the rest... now, to clear things up, this is barely a video game at all - even for a FMV title. FMV games from the 90's at least had puzzles, a user interface that supports the game's mechanics, and sometimes even let you move the character like a side scroller. In this game, almost all of the "game" plays by itself, with only on occasion are you presented with "choices"; which are merely side decoration and padding to the story with little to no effect should you click on them. For instance, you're asked to examine a table, diary, films or TV, but none of these lead to their own path or are involved in any intricacies like puzzle solving or clue gathering. There's no puzzles or logic to this game's progression other than hoping this scene will lead onto another somehow. This is another big, big problem this FMV has: the lack of a UI. Not only does the text at the bottom left fade in and out so quickly you can barely read what it says, but to pass some scenes, you have to either randomly click all over the screen until you "find" the correct spot, or press at a certain time and ONLY that time does the scene continue - otherwise enjoy an endless loop. There's no tutorial, controls, hotspots, hints or general 2D display that helps navigate your way. You can argue this FMV may not need it, but it certainly does when it comes to knowing when or when not to click to advance. What this FMV could use is a permanent UI that tells you where and when you can click to continue because clicking randomly hoping to continue isn't great design. The load times are strangely long, too, above the 20 second mark for loading just video files? This happens between each day passes, you're just staring at a generic VHS screen with some background noise waiting for the FMV to load? It's just not acceptable.

There are other inconsistent design choices like live audio cutting in and out when it feels like it. Sometimes you hear a door open, sometimes you hear blood drop, and even characters talk; but it doesn't happen all the time. When Elena is talking over the phone why can I not hear her words? Or even subtitles for that matter? If I'm not suppose to know what she is saying then how does this contribute toward the story and the emotional side to it?

What this FMV needs, apart from the above mentioned in terms of consistent design and a UI, is also puzzle solving and character movement. I should be able to choose what part of the house Elena explores by clicking arrows or doors or whatever, and have to solve puzzles in order to continue. And I don't mean find the house key to exit to go to work, but more on the lines of reading through Rebecca's diary to find out what she said about Elena or another part of her life, in order to get a better ending or additional scene. Or something like, hell, the power to the house goes out when the Grudge/Ring girl enters, and you have to escape its presence AND find the tools/phone to bring the power back to the house? I get that this FMV isn't traditional, but then this markets itself as being inspired by VHS and Japanese/90's games...

One last thing, which you may or may not like, is the inclusion of real public archived black and white horror films from decades ago. You can skip them and I don't believe they add anything to the story or gameplay, but you can watch these movies within this FMV, for whatever reason.

I don't hate this game and it isn't bad, just largely misleading and with my suggested improvements, this could be great. Right now, I'd rather go and play Night Trap because that game fulfils what this "game" is trying to do.