In September, NIS America’s showcase featured games coming to the west in early 2023. Among them was Process of Elimination, a murder mystery game reminding me very much of the Danganronpa series (and that’s not a bad thing). The murder mystery game launched in Japan in May of this year, and it will be nearly a full year from that date until we see it in the western world. The good news? That time isn’t terribly far from right now!
The country has been thrown into chaos thanks to the Quartering Duke, an infamous serial killer with over a hundred victims. In an attempt to end his (or her? Despite the name “duke,” let’s not make assumptions!) killing spree, the Detective Alliance – comprised of the world’s top detectives – has gathered at a mansion to try and discover the killer’s identity and subdue them.
In addition to the launch date announcement, a new story trailer is available:
In a series of unforeseen, possibly unfortunate, events, an unremarkable aspiring detective named Wato Hojo stumbles upon the group. So he joins the investigation, coincidentally (or not) taking place on the mysterious island of Morgue. Alas, it’s not that simple, as a gruesome discovery leads to the fact that one of their own is the killer! Each will have to prove their own innocence while properly identifying the Quartering Duke.
There are fourteen detectives including Wato; each has their own unique skills, tools, and personalities. In order to obtain evidence, explore key locations on the island and use choice-based dialogue. Carry out investigations on an interactive map of the crime scene, and use the “Denouement” ability to absorb critical information, predict the future, and gather more clues.
Developed by Nippon Ichi and published by NIS America, Process of Elimination will be released for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on April 11, 2023 and North America and April 14, 2023 in Europe. A limited physical edition that includes the deluxe edition of the game, a soundtrack, a hardcover art book, a keychain, and a collector’s box is available now at the NIS America store; if you’re interested, go fast, as the store’s stock meter says that less than 25% stock is left for either edition.
