After playing my first FMV (Not for Broadcast), I decided to dive into the FMV genre by buying a whole bundle.The second game I played was "Dark Nights with Poe and Munro."
"Dark Nights with Poe and Munroe" follows two local radio hosts through six different TV-like episodes. Each episode leaves the protagonists dealing with a supernatural or strange mystery. 

This game was just really lackluster. A lot of untapped potential. 

The episodes were often disappointing. Every time something really interesting was about to happen, the episode would end with no conclusion. The characters would make really dumb decisions every time and somehow be fine. Most of the episodes didn't have a complete story and kind of just… trailed off. The episodes didn't connect to each other to form an overarching plot. It was all random with no conclusion, no connection. 

Poe and Munro is a choice game, but the choices are the worst part. The game never makes it clear what the choices mean. It doesn't tell you what you're choosing between; it'll just show two items and have you pick one. Most times it won't even present a scenario before having you choose. You have no hints to go off of. It's like the two characters can be talking about a phone, and then it'll have you choose between a desk lamp or a carpet. Like what?

There is a scene (spoiler) where there is a killer banging on the door. Po wants to unlock the door and investigate, while Monro says not to, seeing that it's a stupid-ass decision. The game then has you choose Po or Munro. I chose Munro because I assumed that choice meant, "Don't unlock the door, you idiot; there's a killer outside." Nope! It means that Munro is going to go out the door instead of Po. 

I didn't totally dislike this game. I really liked the atmosphere. The lighting looks great, and the set is convincing. The editing was well done. I bought the spooky supernatural late-night radio show vibe it was giving. I didn't like the acting, but I see what they were going for. The persona they were putting on was just a little too strong, and they didn't sell it well enough. I wanted to like the characters, but we didn't get much background on them at all. I think this might be connected to another FMV series that I didn't play. At least the reviews seem to mention so. Also, if someone played this game or the others, can you explain this to me?

The game acts like it's totally normal that Poe and Munro constantly flirt and talk about their feelings for each other. Po especially. He's married.. with kids.. I understand if they want to present that as a character flaw, but they don't treat it like anything really. Does his wife not listen to his show? How bad is this marriage to where he can be so bold? I just want more backstory on why he's stuck in this marriage.

Overall, this game was not for me. It felt unfinished. Like I was only getting part of the story. I would not recommend this personally. 

Continuing the trend of spooky radio talk shows… Killer Frequency is a puzzle horror game that takes place on a radio show. You play as radio host Forrest Nash, who has recently moved from a big city to a quaint small town. When a killer shows up in this small town, you and your talk show partner must help the potential victims from a gruesome end. 

Killer Frequency is mostly a puzzle game. Most of the game takes place in a small room where you must solve puzzles to help keep people alive. It's 80s slasher inspired. It does a great job at replicating those old slasher films while adding some comedy in the mix. 

It is tense and has a spooky atmosphere, but it's not super scary. If you're anything like me, this is the level of scare you want. Nothing beyond this. Our heart can't take it. There were a couple of moments where I was holding my breath, but it didn't keep me up at night. The game has a very well-done, suspenseful tone. 

The gameplay is mostly sitting in one area and solving some fairly easy puzzles. The story and atmosphere carry the game for most of it. It can get a little bit boring at times. I wanted something to happen a few occasions when it didn't, but it does create a pretty tight narrative, so that's just me. 

I would recommend this game, but only on sale. The regular price is pretty steep. It's a short game. 

Steam Deck Compatibility: Killer Frequency is "playable" on the Steam Deck, not verified. I did have some issues. This may not be Steam Deck related. Often while trying to look at something, the game would snap the camera down, and I'd have to move the position of the camera back up to what I was trying to look at. It happened often enough to be very annoying. 

Five Dates is a dating sim FMV. You play as a young millennial named Vinny. It's 2020, and Vinny is stuck in the house during the Covid lockdown. This isn't going to stop him from finding love. Online dating it is! There are five potential matches, and you can choose which dates you want to proceed with and which were a total dud. 

Okay, so I'm not the demographic for this game at all, but I actually thought it was fun! The way it works is that you choose which of the five women you want to go on a date with. After three dates, you have to choose two that you want to go on a second date with. After that, you have to pick the one and only. The game is very short, but I played through the game several times to get all of the dates and achievements. 

Honestly, there isn't much bad to say about the game. It's just a cute dating sim. The acting was really good. The women have vastly different personalities. Most were really likable. There were a couple that weren't, but I respect the contrasting personalities they all have. I really liked that you understand them better the more dates you go on. Sometimes I judged too harshly from initial impressions. Vinny is also a likable character. I wish we got to know more about the protagonist, but he's not really the focus. 

It is a choice game. You choose which dialogue to say, which will affect how the dates go. If you and your date's personalities don't go well together, the date might fail. 

Vinny also has a friend named Callum who talks to you after the dates. Callum is a very funny supporting character. The actor sells the "best friend" role perfectly. The actors were well cast, including some recognizable stars, such as Mandip Gil. I didn't care for her on Doctor Who, but she was lovely in this game. 

There were a couple of small complaints I had. I wish I could be more detailed when discussing the dates with Callum. Vinny gives his opinion, but the player can't choose how they felt. There is a brief moment where you can look at their social media, but it's just a few pictures. Nothing more. I'd be interesting if they hid some details in there. I wanted it to be like real life, where you can find some interesting information about a person due to their social media, which can then be brought up into the next date.  Also, I wanted some of the choices to be more nuanced. You can't elaborate on why you feel a certain way. Some characters take your opinions badly, even if its more complex than the question allows it to be. 

Overall, sure I recommend this game. Its cute! There is a sequel where you can play as a woman, so I'll be giving that a try. 

Steam Deck Compatibility: Five Dates is "verified" on the steam deck, but it actually will not run unless you change a setting. A loading screen will pop up and then crash the game. To run the game, you have go to the compatibility settings and run the game using version 7.0-6! Its had this issue for over a year now, with no fix in sight.