Finding a truly original game idea is like looking for ice cream on the sun, but here comes a really nice surprise headed to current and next-gen consoles: Murdered: Soul Suspect from developer Airtight Games (Dark Void, Jet Pack Joyride). In this PC/PS3/Xbox 360/Xbox One game, you play as a murdered detective named Ronan O’Connor who rises from the dead thanks to a mysterious power and seeks out his killer. The game’s Salem, Massachusetts setting makes for an intriguing choice thanks to it’s somewhat compelling real life witch trails, and yes, there’s indeed a mystical element added in here as Ronan’s spirit can possess townspeople in order to solve cryptic puzzles, do a bit of combat with evil spirits and while indoors, pass through solid walls. Yes, to some out there the concept may sound very close to Capcom’s Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective for the Nintendo DS and iOS, But among other things, Murdered is without the 2D side-scrolling gameplay and main ghost character’s amnesia affliction found in the portable sleeper hit.

It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out as more information surfaces, but I’m already ticking it off as a must-play title. Of course, not being at E3, I’ll need to hope Square Enix comes flying into NYC like many other publishers do after the big show is over and done. I have the feeling that this is one of those new IP they’ll want to show off to as many editor types as possible just to get the engine firing up on that hype train. If it’s going to be as intriguing as the concept makes it sound, I’ll be there with bells on when they come a-calling. Back with more on this one soon – stay tuned…