It’s safe to say that my taste in videogames has never quite aligned with the mainstream – Baldur’s Gate 3 was 2023’s GOTY, mine was Ghostrunner 2, for example. However, one of the biggest deviations I ever made from the gaming crowd was awarding Italian horror game Martha is Dead a 10/10, despite its over-the-top violence and bizarre, complex plot.
It’s 1944 Italy. Bombs and war ravage every corner of Europe. You’re thrust into the shoes of Guilia, whose sister – the titular Martha – is found dead near a creepy, misty lake, which is apparently haunted by a spectral White Lady. On the surface, Martha is Dead sounds like every other horror game – but its really, really not.
To avoid spoilers, let’s just say there are twists at every turn, and the ending is one that has stayed with me for a long, long time. I’d warn that the game isn’t for the fair of heart, though; it’s incredibly violent, and there’s everything from mutilation to themes of self-harm and suicide – but it’s well worth playing.
So, imagine when I got Wired’s press release informing me that Martha is Dead is, indeed, being made into a movie. My macabre soul sings.
Created by Swedish film studio Studios Extraordinaires, a Martha is Dead feature film is in the works. Yes, really, we’ll get to watch that whole face scene in 4k – I don’t know if I’m ready for that.
“Bringing this to life as a film is a dream come true,” says writer and designer of Martha is Dead, Luca Dalcò. “Every element of Martha Is Dead was created with extraordinary precision and care. The narrative’s complexity was meticulously planned, visualized, and even shaped with a cinematic quality in mind.” And I can confirm that it is, indeed, a cinematic experience.
While we don’t have a set release date, or much more than ‘movie is real and it’s coming,’ I am very, very excited. After all, Martha is Dead is the first 10/10 I ever gave – and my Diablo 4 review has been the only one since.
If you’ve never explored the woeful world of Martha is Dead, I’d highly advise doing so – at your own peril. Otherwise, we have a rundown of all the best upcoming PC games if you’ve already completed it, as well as some other war games, if you, like me, know far too much about WWII.
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