Blackwell Series

[biggytitbo]

If you don't know its a series of 5 old school style adventure games with 16 bit graphics but very well acted out voiceovers.


I've just started the fourth game and the series is easily the best plotted and characterised thing I've seen in a computer game. I've never known another game where I've cared so much about the characters and where they end up - Rosa in particular is amazingly well drawn and developed.





Unlike a lot of dos games from the 90s with similar low res graphics, this has the slick refined controls of a modern game, so the simplicity of the presentation never gets in way of the storytelling. In fact once you get engrossed in it the old school aesthetic is an advantage rather than a detriment because it seems a purer way of telling the story without distractions or razzmatazz.


Well worth a play anyway, I'm onto Resonance next, which looks like a similar joy.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

Yeah, I'm a big fan of these.  They have the nostalgia factor of old adventure games of yore, while being well made stories in their own right, lacking some of the more frustrating aspects of the genre.  The puzzles are completely, satisfyingly logical and strike the perfect balance.

Resonance is excellent, with a game play mechanic that means you have to engage with the story and puzzles - 'use everything with everything' not being a viable option much of the time.

[biggytitbo]

Yes thats the best thing about them, they never resort to those contrived old school adventure puzzles. The gameplay is terrifically biased towards real detective work, following up leads, phone numbers, addresses, finding discrepancies in witness statements etc. There's a great feeing of satisfaction that you've figured something out logically rather than just got lucky trying every combination.


And its all so well acted, especially by the two leads. It's the first game series Ive really felt a drive to finish in a long time, perhaps since Half Life 2.

[Moribunderast]

Not played the Blackwell series yet but it's certainly one I've had filed away to play in the future. I love Resonance and Gemini Rue, mainly for the reasons already stated. They take a simplistic approach graphically but they're actually quite innovative when it comes to puzzles and gameplay. Despite the lament that there's a shortage of point-and-click adventures (maybe an outdated lamentation that I'm referencing) I think the real issue is that there are PLENTY of those games, but they don't do anything different. I like those games but they do the same type of puzzles I was solving in Broken Sword and Monkey Island 20 years ago. The Wadjet Eye games have a graphical look that will appeal to nostalgics but the technical aspects that will actually challenge them to think. I'm a big fan.

[A.A]

Nothing I like more than a well-designed and written adventure game. The Wadjet Eye stuff are pretty darn good examples of such games. Looking forward to their new one, A Golden Wake, out in October I think.

Not quite on par with Wadjet Eye's stuff, but still fun (and FREE!) are the Ben Jordan games. There's 8 of 'em, so if you've got some spare time, they're worth a go.

This thread also reminds me how much I wished Murdered Soul Suspect was written by the Wadjet Eye folk. A big-budget 3D adventure game that is well-written?

One day...maybe.

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

What platform is this on?

[Moribunderast]

What platform is this on?

PC.

I took a little dip into the first Blackwell game last night. I really like Dave Gilbert's writing style with these games. The dialogue and characters feel very human. His first game, The Shivah, had the same quality. Rarely do video game characters exist in such a realistic plane that you feel you could run into them on the street. It's an interesting and unique choice to include such naturalism in games. I'm looking forward to getting further stuck in.

[biggytitbo]

You can get the games on mac and ios aswell.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

Along with the Blackwell series, Resonance and Gemini Rue, I can also heartily recommend Primordia.  It's another nostalgic adventure, with fantastically well designed, logical puzzles, in a really well realised setting, with compelling history/lore.  It's also one of the rare Adventure Games where there are alternative puzzle solutions.

[Moribunderast]

I've had Primordia sitting on my Steam account for almost a year. Really should get to it. Although my backlog of adventure games has gotten quite long as I just picked up the Blackwell bundle and have been playing Curse of Monkey Island. Someday. It's good to have these games in reserve, knowing that they're all good.

[Glyn]

Quick bump to say 3 of these have turned up in the latest humblebundle offering for android and steam. Worth a go for just over £3 currently with Thomas Was Alone included too
www.humblebundle.com