Today we continue with a series of point and click games I've had in my library for a while. And while the first game was admittedly disappointing for everything I had heard, the devs appeared to learn from their mistakes and this is a much better game for it.
Story: While this game is the follow up to Blackwell Legacy, it is actually a prequel instead. Taking place in the 1970s, we now follow a typical day in the life of one Lauren Blackwell. At some point in the past, she had gained a new roll in her life: that of a medium. As such she can see ghosts, including her partner Joey. What are they partners in? They help\ ghosts realize they are dead and pass into the next world. It is a thankless job, for mere normal humans are not even aware of the problem, but somebody has to do it.
And they've been at it for a while: scanning the tabloids for ghostly stories which as often as not actually have a kernel of truth to them. They have quite the number of successes under their belts by now.. but tonight was looking rather quiet. They have already checked out three of their five leads only for them all lead to nothing. But this would prove the calm before the storm as the remaining two cases would lead to things a little darker then normal, for their work would uncover a horrible truth in the fate of everyone involved.
This is not a happy story, but then neither was the original really. It is a lot more of a complete chapter this time around though... and assuming you played the first, it ends on a rather perfect (if foreboding) ending. If this is your first game in the series to play, the ending will not make a lot of sense and seem to extend just a little too far after the game's own finale. Obviously I recommend playing it after the first one.
7/10
Graphics: Like the first game, Blackwell Unbound is a retro-styled point-and-click adventure game and wears this on it's sleeve. Low res DOS-like renditions of each location await you, and they are overall well made and detailed, if a bit simpler then you might be used to. Each location looks solid and the cast within looks pretty good, if as dated as the design would. The only complaint I have is the limited nature of both. While this game features a handful of locations you can wander into, you do so by selecting locations from a menu and can do little wandering within any given one. Add to this that the characters to interact with are fairly sparce and you have a game that looks simple and really doesn't off a lot to look at. Although the length of the game also limits this issue.
No the only real complaint I can give this game graphically is very early in the game: when looking over potential cases. The low resolution chosen for this game can make it difficult to read them. But since you can have Lauren read them for you, this is hardly a big deal.
7/10
Sound: Sound, on the other hand, is a real treat this time around. What the game lacks in sound effects (and it does) it more then makes up for in music. This sound track is really really good, relying heavily on the saxophone and generally chill jazz sound that just feels perfect for the game.
But the real star here is the voice-acting. The banter around Joey alone is absolutely brilliant as he manages to merge noir detective style machismo with the world of the game to entertaining and often hilarious results. He and Lauren together make the raw star-power they should since you will spend the entire game from their views and with their voices coloring everything.
But that is not to say anyone else is not on their A game. It is clear everyone here was here for their love of the project and poured their souls into the rolls. The result is a world that just sounds perfect... especially as the devs spent the time to make sure all the mixing is crystal clear and flawless. Fantastic work!
9/10
Gameplay: As noted in the graphical section, this is a short point-and-click adventure title, and short is definitely a key description. You will find yourself going between a handful of small locations to solve a couple cases in which you will be attempting to snap two ghosts back into their right minds so they will be ready to move on, much like the first game. In fact the base mechanic that made the first game stand out is alive, strong, and this time it seems to be the main mechanic instead of a supporting one.
This mechanic is Lauren's Notes. To explain, most point and click games rely heavily on object puzzles where you will collect a large inventory of objects and solve puzzles to progress the game by combining them with each other and the world at large for the desired effects. And while that is here, it is not the main focus by a long-shot. Rather, you will focus mainly on conversations as you question other characters along the way. Lauren will take notes on what is said and discovered, and you use these notes as talking points during these conversations. Furthermore, when not talking to other characters, you can always review these notes and combine them to make connections for further talking points in these interviews.
But new to the series, there are times you will need to directly control Joey as well. For the most part this is as much a gimmick as anything else since you don't use this in most locations and those you do pretty much have one specific function you need him to do... with the exception of one location Lauren can not actually reach at all.
Still this is kept clean and make it easy to swap at will so this simply won't get in the way for it, and when Joey is allowed to be the one you control in the conversation, it's going to be a highlight and will make you laugh and laugh hard. Enjoy this.
8/10
Bugs: While their were no bugs, just like the last game, it doesn't really have a return to main menu at the end either. While this one didn't just quit after the credits, it pretty much forced me to do so when I was done looking at the "bonus pictures" I had earned in-game.
Score: While still not the greatest game I have ever played, the series is definately stepping in the right direction with a complete chapter and refining the game design far more this time around. It is even a lot more entertaining as Joey seems more at home being himself around Lauren then he was around Rosa. But the game is still not what I would call a stellar example of the game-type. It's getting better, but I am hoping the game series will continue to improve as we move along.
7/10
System Requirements:
- 1.8 Ghz processor
- 512 MB RAM
- Any GPU that supports Direct X 9.0c
- 1 GB hard drive space
- Windows XP/Vista/7
- Ryzen 7 (5700X) 3.4 Ghz
- 32 GB RAM
- AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT (8 GB VRAM)
- Windows 11 (64 Bit)
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