What makes the story far more complex is that the memory fragments work backwards chronologically, at first focusing on each patient's arrival into the city, then extending back through the events that led them there, until eventually piecing together the reasons for their abnormal and violent behavior. While it sounds complicated, the process is actually quite simple and rarely leaves you feeling confused as to what is going on at any given time. Thankfully, each recollection is stored on your PDA in an organised manner: dated, split into sections (morning, afternoon, evening) and in accordance with each cell number.

There are puzzles in Overclocked, but they are fairly easy, consisting mainly of picking up items during the flashbacks and using them on other objects (though not necessarily in the same memory), with only three code locks proving to be any real challenge. Those who favour puzzles as the most important part of an adventure will find this game distinctly lacking, but otherwise it's an acceptable tradeoff. There are also a few instances where the game is so linear in its train of thought that you have to perform tasks in the exact order the developers want, even if you've mentally solved the puzzle already. There are only a handful of such problems throughout the game, but they can be irritating.

As you would expect of a story-intensive game, there is a lot of dialogue, but unlike some games, the balance has been struck well so that the conversations rarely drag on yet still reveal enough information to flesh out the story. If you start to lose track of events, being able to replay the sessions of each patient is also a helpful recap of what's happened in the game so far without having to plod through a written journal. The voice acting varies in quality: while David is well-voiced and believable, some of the supporting characters, particularly the nurse and the female patients, are painful to listen to.

Throughout the game, you'll only ever visit and revisit a handful of locations, including the hospital, hotel and a local bar as David, and the few key places shared by the patients which I won't disclose here, yet the pacing of the storyline means that you'll rarely feel limited by your environment. It's a hard balance to combine just a small number of characters and locations into one main storyline without making a game feel dull or lacking, yet the developers have managed to pull it off. While the early part of the game is quite slow paced, the story really takes hold after each patient becomes accessible, and seeing the detoriation of David McNamara's own state of mind gives added incentive to see what happens next.

Atmosphere is something that is abundant in Overclocked, in no small part thanks to the great use of sound effects and sparing use of music. In some games, the lack of music can be a detriment, but in this instance it works, making the environments feel more true to life. Any more music would have ruined the gloomy, apprehensive air that already exists. The main theme is only ever played at important points of the game, while at times the only sound is the echoing of footsteps or the constant pitter patter of rain drops. It's subtle, proving that sometimes less is indeed more. At all times, the game feels tense, as if anything could happen at any given moment, and while the adventure never gets truly frightening, there are moments that can put you on edge and the anticipation of what 'might' happen is at the forefront. Some scenes, which I played late at night, really felt unnerving, and there are a couple (of a more sinister nature) later on in the game which came completely by surprise.

Unfortunately, the conclusion of the game is something of a letdown, feeling tacked on and never really resolving much. After having done an excellent job throughout the adventure of teasing you with nuggets of information and tidbits slowly uncovered, it's disappointing to discover that the source of the problems is all rather predictable. And although it explains why these events have taken place, several issues are left unaddressed, and it all seems a little contrived. The underlying theme of violence is never fully tackled either, remaining more of an intriguing backdrop than an in-depth exploration of the topic.

I can easily recommend Overclocked, but in doing so I will reiterate that the game will not be for everyone. It is, first and foremost, a game that has a story to tell, and it's this tale that takes precedence over the whole adventure. As a result, the puzzles are one of the weakest areas of the game, giving way to abundant atmosphere, plot and characterisation as the central focus, delivered mainly through a refreshing narrative style. While the complex multi-character, reverse-chronology structure dictates an incredibly linear approach as a result, the game remains compelling once it builds momentum. So although at times it's the victim of its own ambition (and between 8-10 – hours in length, not the longest of tales), Overclocked: A History of Violence is a worthy pursuit for anyone who likes an interesting story well told.