Late Shift is a premium adventure game for PC by developer CtrlMovie. In it, players get to choose their own adventure and witness a high stakes crime thriller unfold through an interactive cinematic experience that makes use of full-motion videos (FMV) to move the narrative forward.

Just like with Command & Conquer Remastered Collection or Quantum Break, Late Shift makes expert use of live-action cutscenes for its storytelling. The result is a unique experience that melds TV show-like presentation with the involvement and immersive aspect that video games provide players.

What is it about?

Late Shift is an interactive full-motion video (FMV) video game written and directed in collaboration with Swiss film director, Tobias Weber. In fact, it was screened in various international film festivals, including The New York Film Festival and Raindance Film Festival. It revolves around a high stakes crime thriller surrounding a student named Matt Thompson who was forced into the robbery of a lucrative auction house in London.

Late Shift is presented much like a normal movie would. Throughout the film, though, you will be able to make choices on behalf of the protagonist. The flow doesn't have any pauses and you will need to make quick decisions in real-time. There is a total of 180 decision points that affect character interactions, events, and how the story unfolds towards one of its 7 possible endings.

Being developed the way that it did and given the multiple endings that could be unlocked, there is one major flaw that the developers overlooked. That is the ability to skip previously played sections and dialogue. It might seem trivial at first, but if you plan on unlocking all 7 outcomes, you're also essentially forced to rewatch the entirety of it 7 times.

Narrate the story as you see fit

In conclusion, Late Shift is not the first game to do the FMV-type of storytelling, but it is one that was done with a lot of polish and quality. The narrative was intriguing, player involvement was plenty, and there are multiple endings to be unlocked, which help extend its replayability. Recommended.