Post Mortem

Post Mortem is a murder mystery adventure game by Microïds, released in 2003. Its sequels are Still Life and Still Life 2.

Plot
The storyline revolves around a retired American private detective by the name of MacPherson, who is hired by the dark, mysterious Sophia Blake to track down the person who brutally murdered her sister and brother-in-law in the Orphee Hotel in Paris. The subsequent investigation will lead MacPherson into the heart of the darker side of the city, one of danger, uncertainty and suspicion. The main character suddenly finds himself in a situation where it is unknown whether it is safe to trust anyone, in addition to being faced with a confusing, baffling murder characterized by the unsure personalities of the victims.

Gameplay
Post Mortem uses a first person player view and a point and click user interface, using only the mouse for control. This slightly differs in its sequel, Still Life, however as it is a third person game.

Different cursors appear over portions of the screen to show the player what will happen when it is clicked on.

Gus' notebook is used to collate both the menu system of the game and the place to view documents obtained within the game.

Characters

 * Gustav McPherson - A Private Detective, who grew up in New York City currently working as an Artist in Paris.
 * Sophia Blake - Sister of the murdered woman, enlists Gus to investigate the murders
 * Ruby and Regis Whyte - Married American couple on vacation in Paris, found murdered at the Hotel Orphee
 * Isidore Petit - Receptionist and Manager of the Hotel Orpee
 * Mrs. Loiseau - Psychic staying at the Hotel Orphee
 * Theo Malet - Bellboy at the Hotel Orphee
 * Nicolas - Waiter at Nantis Cafe
 * Albert Hulot - Owner of the Alambic Bistro
 * Berenice (Bebe) - Working Girl in Paris around the Alambic Bistro
 * Jacques Helloin - Detective, previously worked for Police
 * Beauvais - A Policeman in Paris
 * Inspector LeBrun - Police Inspector investigating the Whytes murders
 * Gregoire de Allepin - A Banker in Paris
 * Dr. Frank Kaufner - Psychiatrist, works with the Police
 * List of Still Life characters

Development history
Microïds developed and completed Post Mortem in 10 months using Virtools Dev. An in-house team of 27 people created the game. This included 8 graphic artists, 5 animators and 6 programmers. Post Mortem was later followed by a spin-off series, Still Life, which has currently produced two games. On September 19, 2008 a new Still Life series website was opened, covering the three games.

Reception
The reception of Post Mortem was mixed, with a range of review scores ranging from 43, from Game Revolution to a high 87 from PC Game World.