Games Review: Blackwell, Gemini Rue, Resonance
One thing I have not discussed on this website is my love for classic point-and-click adventure games. I wasn't a true gamer like my brothers, but I loved games with puzzles. I enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, logic puzzles, science, mysteries, and these games with challenges. What started with Myst and Riven expanded to the Broken Sword series (I've only played the first two) and Adventure Game Studio, a game engine created by Chris Jones (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/).
In high school, I tried to make my own game, which was soon interrupted by college and other responsibilities (How did I have so much time to draw so much, learn a new program, run, do my homework, and complete all my chores while going to school 45 minutes away from where I lived? When did I sleep?). Now, on sick days, all I do is play adventure games if I feel well enough to sit up and think.
In this month, I've played through quite a few games (for cheap, mind you). Available for download on GOG.com (Good Old Games), Wadjet Eye Games produced the Blackwell series, Gemini Rue, and Resonance. Click on the link to see screenshots and videos of the games. The images below are from Wadjet Eye Games.
Blackwell Series
In order: Blackwell Legacy, Blackwell Unbound, Blackwell Convergence, and Blackwell Deception.
In the Blackwell series, you are a medium and her spirit guide team who help lost spirits come to terms with their death and aid them in moving on to the next world. Being an adventure game, there are puzzles, and each game is a fun mystery. Who is this spirit? Why are they dead? Why are they here? Is there a deeper explanation to this death? How can we bring justice to the living? Along with the mysteries of each installment, the questions behind the characters and their lives begin to unfold. The final installment should be coming out early this year, and I can't wait for a good ending! The artwork, animations, and voice acting are excellent. The art changes a little from game to game, and I enjoy seeing new styles.
Gemini Rue
Gemini Rue...how to talk about it without spoiling it? This game is awesome! Don't expect artwork like in the Blackwell series (I think Blackwell is a little more light-hearted and comical)--expect something a little darker, grungier, but still very professional (in terms of classic style games). You will play two characters--one man who has his memory erased who is in some kind of rehab center and another man who is a cop on a distopian future planet. Unlike many adventure games I've played, there is a fighting/shooting theme to this one! You get to engage in gunfights multiple times throughout the game, which I found absolutely thrilling and very well done! This unexpected element combined with very challenging puzzles made for a great game. As the two men's stories converge, you reach the climax of the story. The storyline poses a question for players at the end--who are we, really? What makes you, you?
Resonance
I bought Gemini Rue and Resonance together in order to save a few dollars. I knew I was going to buy them both eventually anyways. Resonance is by far one of the best games I have ever played. Maybe because I'm a scientist, maybe because my name is "Anna" like one of the characters, or maybe because I love a great story with so many options, but I loved this game. Resonance begins with a particle physicist's death, and the race for his mysterious technology is on! You get to control four people in this game, which adds a little twist to some of the puzzles throughout the game. You play the physicist's assistant, his niece, a reporter, and a cop. The story has many twists and turns; it keeps you guessing, thinking, and connecting ideas. Similar to Gemini Rue, it makes you question certain ethics in life (the question of a lesser evil). The artwork is phenomenal, the music, sound effects, and voice overs are professional quality. If someone wrote Resonance as a novel, I would love it just as much as the game.
In high school, I tried to make my own game, which was soon interrupted by college and other responsibilities (How did I have so much time to draw so much, learn a new program, run, do my homework, and complete all my chores while going to school 45 minutes away from where I lived? When did I sleep?). Now, on sick days, all I do is play adventure games if I feel well enough to sit up and think.
In this month, I've played through quite a few games (for cheap, mind you). Available for download on GOG.com (Good Old Games), Wadjet Eye Games produced the Blackwell series, Gemini Rue, and Resonance. Click on the link to see screenshots and videos of the games. The images below are from Wadjet Eye Games.
Blackwell Series
In the Blackwell series, you are a medium and her spirit guide team who help lost spirits come to terms with their death and aid them in moving on to the next world. Being an adventure game, there are puzzles, and each game is a fun mystery. Who is this spirit? Why are they dead? Why are they here? Is there a deeper explanation to this death? How can we bring justice to the living? Along with the mysteries of each installment, the questions behind the characters and their lives begin to unfold. The final installment should be coming out early this year, and I can't wait for a good ending! The artwork, animations, and voice acting are excellent. The art changes a little from game to game, and I enjoy seeing new styles.
Gemini Rue
Gemini Rue...how to talk about it without spoiling it? This game is awesome! Don't expect artwork like in the Blackwell series (I think Blackwell is a little more light-hearted and comical)--expect something a little darker, grungier, but still very professional (in terms of classic style games). You will play two characters--one man who has his memory erased who is in some kind of rehab center and another man who is a cop on a distopian future planet. Unlike many adventure games I've played, there is a fighting/shooting theme to this one! You get to engage in gunfights multiple times throughout the game, which I found absolutely thrilling and very well done! This unexpected element combined with very challenging puzzles made for a great game. As the two men's stories converge, you reach the climax of the story. The storyline poses a question for players at the end--who are we, really? What makes you, you?
Resonance
I bought Gemini Rue and Resonance together in order to save a few dollars. I knew I was going to buy them both eventually anyways. Resonance is by far one of the best games I have ever played. Maybe because I'm a scientist, maybe because my name is "Anna" like one of the characters, or maybe because I love a great story with so many options, but I loved this game. Resonance begins with a particle physicist's death, and the race for his mysterious technology is on! You get to control four people in this game, which adds a little twist to some of the puzzles throughout the game. You play the physicist's assistant, his niece, a reporter, and a cop. The story has many twists and turns; it keeps you guessing, thinking, and connecting ideas. Similar to Gemini Rue, it makes you question certain ethics in life (the question of a lesser evil). The artwork is phenomenal, the music, sound effects, and voice overs are professional quality. If someone wrote Resonance as a novel, I would love it just as much as the game.
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