Four games, four opinions? Pocket Gamer's reviewers take on Misslead

The spectrum of views about the role of the game critic are spread somewhere between the extremes of utter subjection ('this is only my opinion') to complete objection ('this is the only opinion'). Even reduced down the abstract output of a numerical score, consensus is the exception not the rule - just go and look at Metacritic. Of course, if we really wanted to stir things up, we could overturn the stone that is the Is-5-or-7-out-of-10-average-or-good? debate but everyone's wasted too much time on that already.

Instead, we're merely going to take the opportunity provided by Danish developer 3rd Person's mobile-games-meet-soap-operas experience Misslead to suggest that, as ever, the real answer is probably a shade of grey.

The reason the opportunity arises is that Misslead is available in four similar-yet-different versions, each of which relates to one of four interlinked female characters. Called Ria, Dee, Li Mei and Cat, in time each will boast four episodes (i.e. four games) - these are just the first. Indeed, to get your fill of the complete series' storyline, you'll have to play all 16 - good thinking, 3rd Person.

In terms of admin, for various unimportant reasons, we ended up sharing the first four games across four different reviewers. As you might expect, their views demonstrate divergence, and while the editing process has created some conformity, in general, everything important is as it was written.

Now, if we were being truly scientific, we would have got each reviewer to review each game to normalise the results for each character's plot - Ria's could genuinely be better than Cat's - but neither you or we have the time.

So, just feel free to study how each writer deals with the as similar as possible experience. What's particularly interesting is their reaction to the adult dialogue and themes, the angel-devil mechanic, and the non-linear nature of the game.

Here's a quick summary to keep you going (plus links to each review);

• Mi Lei, 'An interesting idea that often mis-steps', 6/10, Andrew Williams
  
• Cat, 'Far from perfect but not a bad choice', 6/10, Kath Brice
• Dee, 'A deeply involving title', 7/10, Spanner Spencer, or
• Ria, 'A thoroughly enjoyable romp', 8/10, Fraser MacInnes