Track The Ripper Review
iPhone App
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Track The Ripper Review

Our Review by Jennifer Allen on November 5th, 2012
Rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar :: NICE IDEA, POORLY DONE
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Location-aware gaming with a murderous twist. Shame it's a better idea written down than in reality.

Developer: WildKnowledge
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed: 1.2
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 5

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar
Game Controls Rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarblankstarblankstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starhalfstarblankstarblankstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar


There's a fair amount of ambition within Track the Ripper. An uneven mix of 1990s style FMV sequences alongside a barebones interactive component might mean that Track the Ripper is seriously lacking in many areas, but there's no denying that it tries hard to be something different. If nothing else, that should be applauded.

The idea is a great one. The murders in Whitechapel, London in 1888 are famous across the world for being part of a huge mystery. While the name of the murderer, Jack the Ripper, has provoked a wave of conspiracy theories and analysis, the actual identity of the man has never been proven conclusively. Track the Ripper gives players the chance to figure it out for themselves. Even better, for those in the Whitechapel area of London, they can retrace the steps taken by the murderer, looking amongst the areas in which many women were murdered. Sure, it sounds macabre but it's an interesting walk to take.

Alongside such GPS reliant parts of Track the Ripper comes the gaming elements. A story is told via video clips along with text explaining the murders. Through a process of watching the video clips and analyzing the text offered, players are told to figure out who the murderer is. This is done through selecting from pre-defined options and placing them inside the game's casebook. It's cumbersome, unfortunately, and lacking that real sense of being part of something.

The experience on the whole doesn't feel quite the same unless actually following the path in London, even if it possible to play from the sanctuary of one's home. The video clips also begin to grate given their dubious acting quality. It's things like this that mean Track the Ripper never rises above being a great idea. Throw in the fact that it's only really a game worth playing once and, then, only for a short time, and Track the Ripper feels awfully expensive for being a neat concept.

iPhone Screenshots

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Track the Ripper screenshot 1 Track the Ripper screenshot 2 Track the Ripper screenshot 3 Track the Ripper screenshot 4
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