Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Sydney Affair adopts a two-pronged investigative approach that will feel immediately familiar to fans of classic point-and-click mysteries. In the first phase, you carefully scour two adjacent screens—the crime scene on the street where Mr. Sydney fell and the suspect’s apartment across the way—for every scrap of evidence. Hovering the marker over potential clues rewards meticulous players, and each object you examine brings you one step closer to reconstructing the events of that fateful day.

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Once you’ve gathered the physical evidence, the action shifts to the telex machine. Here, you must type in subject keywords to send and receive messages across the Diamond Network, request autopsy reports, verify alibis, and compare samples. This text-driven system simulates genuine police procedure, turning each line of telex output into a mini-puzzle as you deduce which departments or colleagues might hold the vital lead you need.

Progression is satisfying yet methodical. There’s no handholding—if you miss a single piece of evidence on the street scene or misfile a telex request, you’ll find your investigation at a standstill. However, for players who relish methodical problem-solving and the thrill of piecing together intricate leads, this structure offers a deeply rewarding experience.

Graphics

Visually, The Sydney Affair embraces a utilitarian aesthetic common to early ’90s adventure titles. The crime-scene backdrops are rendered with just enough detail to convey atmosphere—a rain-slicked street corner, a sparse apartment interior littered with telltale objects—while keeping file sizes modest. Although the color palette may appear muted by modern standards, each pixel feels deliberately placed to guide your eye toward key clues.

Character portraits and UI elements in the telex scenes are presented in crisp monochrome, evoking the tactile feel of old police teletype machines. While you won’t find animated cutscenes or flashy transitions here, the minimalistic design underscores the game’s investigative focus, preventing any visual flourish from distracting you from the task at hand.

On higher-resolution screens, the environments hold up surprisingly well. Zooming in on tiny details—blood spatters on the pavement or a smudge on a windowsill—remains perfectly legible, ensuring that no piece of evidence ever slips through the cracks. If you appreciate clarity and function over flashy graphics, The Sydney Affair’s presentation will feel refreshingly straightforward.

Story

Following your success in L’affaire Vera Cruz, you’ve been promoted to Senior Sergeant in Saint-Étienne’s Investigations Brigade. The stakes are higher in The Sydney Affair: a high-profile target gunned down in broad daylight, a killer with intimate knowledge of the victim’s habits, and a city on edge. This premise unfolds through succinct text passages and telex exchanges that drip-feed new revelations, keeping tension simmering throughout the investigation.

The narrative pacing is deliberate, reflecting real-world police work rather than cinematic dramatics. You’re not chasing car chases or disarming bombs; you’re pulling together contradictory witness statements, double-checking sworn alibis, and waiting for lab analyses. This procedural realism immerses players who long for authenticity in their detective fiction, making each breakthrough feel earned and consequential.

Supporting characters, from forensic examiners to fellow detectives, are introduced via concise telegrams or single-screen dialogues. Though they remain on the periphery, their distinct personalities emerge through the tone of their telex replies—some formal and by-the-book, others brusque or even a tad sardonic. These subtle flourishes add human texture to what could otherwise be a purely mechanical puzzle.

Overall Experience

The Sydney Affair stands out as a rewarding investigation simulator for players who enjoy methodical deduction over action-packed thrills. Its two-stage structure fosters a satisfying feedback loop: identify clues on the street, cross-reference them via telex, then circle back armed with fresh leads. This cycle may feel slow to those expecting nonstop drama, but it’s precisely the deliberate pacing that gives the game its unique charm.

The user interface, while unadorned, is intuitive once you learn the telex commands. A small in-game reference sheet helps you recall key departments and formatting rules, so initial learning hurdles vanish quickly. Subsequent investigations flow smoothly, leaving more mental energy for pattern recognition and logical inference.

In an era dominated by high-budget blockbusters, The Sydney Affair is a reminder of how engrossing a well-crafted puzzle can be. Its mix of careful evidence gathering and text-based interrogation offers a cerebral alternative to more action-oriented titles. If you’re in the market for a thoughtful crime drama that prioritizes realistic police procedure and deductive gameplay, this case is well worth your attention.

Retro Replay Score

5.7/10