Awesome game, of course. Having seen the Youtube trailer for the game before buying the bundle, I was expecting a lot. And I got everything I expected, and more.
Summary:
Rosangela Blackwell, a young freelance writer living in present day
New York City, makes a startling discovery after her aunt's death.
The appearance of her spirit guide, Joey Mallone, makes Rosa aware of
the fact that she is part of a family legacy of mediums. With Joey's
help, Rosa solves the mystery of a teen suicide.
Art/Graphics/Music:
The graphics in this game are what can only be called as
“retro”--they give the player a classic feel while playing the
game. There are portraits for each character while they are speaking,
and the art for those portraits is done very well. The music for this
game (in fact, for the whole series), is a jazz type music, which is
suitable for the dark themes that keep popping up in the storyline.
Overall, the graphics, art, and music for this game were done
extremely well for an independent company, and there are few glitches
to be found in the game.
Plot/Storyline/Characterization:
The
Blackwell series is mostly plot-focused, so I won't be revealing too
much of the plot in these reviews (to minimize spoilers). However,
the plot and the storyline of this game was very smooth, the
transitions in the plot line not too slow. The plot was fast at
times, but as this was the first game, I was not too insulted by
that. The characters in the game were very thought out and very well
characterized. I immediately fell in love with the character of Joey;
his wit, sarcastic charm, and mysteriousness gave the game some
much-needed humor. Rosa, too, is an essential, unique character that
is the center of the plot and has plenty of focus throughout the
game—after all, she is the only character you can control (in this
first game, anyway). Even the minor characters of Rosa's next door
neighbor and the people she interviews at the college were not
unnecessary at all and gave the storyline what it needed to be a very
good game.
I
did not find very many cons to this first game; however, if there was
one thing I could improve on Blackwell
Legacy
it would be to just add a little more game play to the end of the
game, perhaps include one more puzzle to solve for Rosa and Joey.
However, perhaps this is what the producer intended—for the reader
to be begging for more adventures.
Also a kudos to the voice actors—they really personified the game
in a way I would have never thought possible. They did a really good
job and this game series wouldn't be half as good without them.
Overall
Themes:
Death, suicide, afterlife, college experiences, loss.
Extras:
Two
commentaries by David Gilbert can be activated while playing the
game. However, this is not advised while playing the game the first
time, as spoilers are revealed.
Conclusion: Overall,
“Blackwell Legacy” was a really fun game to play and is a great
beginning to a nicely thought out video game series. The retro style
and some of the themes of the game may not appeal to some players.
However, as this game is classified as “indie,” it is expected
that only a certain niche of gamers would enjoy this. The storyline,
characterization, and music of this game is overall appealing, and
generally leaves the player wanting a sequel.
Credits:
Publisher
and Developer:
WadjetEye Games
Designer/Producer:
David Gilbert
Format:
PC
Type
of Game: Indie/Graphic
Adventure/Point-and-Click
Release
Date: December
23, 2006
Voice
Acting: Abe
Goldfarb, Sande Chen
Also, the trailer for the whole gaming series, which I advise to watch:
Have a good one, everybody!
