The shocking events that ended Deception saw psychic detective Rosa and her surly ghost companion from the '30s Joey decide to track down and expose the hidden organisation that fed on souls to live forever. The build opens with Rosa and Joey investigating an abandoned derelict building being haunted by the ghost of a young girl who died there. Once again they have to bring a spirit to terms with their death and help them move on, as sad as it was, but it's the events afterwards that prove the most shocking to them as it turns out even ghosts aren't safe.
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| How it usually begins, with a case to solve on a cold winter's night |
I won't spoil any more of the story or the tragic events that I've already seen (the story of a little girl named Kendra is particularly harrowing), but even though I've just played a couple of hours of the game I'm already hooked. There even seems to be a cool ongoing series of flashbacks (well, only one in the preview build but I believe there's more) set in the 1930s featuring Joey, another ghost called Madeline who appeared in the previous game's finale, and her fun host Jocelyn. It's the stories of the various ghosts you meet that prove the most impactful of course, as Rosa and Joey begin to piece their death together and help them come to terms with it before assisting them with moving on.
It's the dynamic between Rosa and Joey that makes the Blackwell series so enduring however. After having been through so much they're close friends now, equally jokey with each other with a wonderfully dry sense of humour despite the awful things that happen - and at the same time relying on each other to keep them going. At one point Sam Durkin, Rosa's contact on the force, says that Rosa's just a girl wandering alone in the night, and Rosa responds "you're wrong - I'm never alone." It's rare to find such a close and compelling partnership in games, especially one where you get to play both partners. Starbreeze's Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is the only one that comes to mind, and those two didn't use sarcasm.
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| "Every rose has its thorn, just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song." |
In terms of adventure gaming, both Rosa and Joey have unique hooks that allows WadjetEye to create some truly entertaining puzzles. Rosa mostly plays like a normal adventuring protagonist, talking to people, picking up items to use later etc. but WadjetEye have implemented a couple of cool mechanics to spice things up. The first is a note-taking system (borrowed from the superb Discworld Noir, that I'm amazed no other adventure has done since it was a great idea) where Rosa takes notes on important topics which she can "combine" to work out new points or question people about each one. Rosa's "myPhone" is also vitally important and implemented beautifully. With it you can look up things on the internet, call Sam, review your notes, look at pictures, check Rosa's email, and I even downloaded a game app at one point.
It's Joey that completely separates the Blackwell series from every other adventure however. He's a ghost. He can float through obstacles like doors, he's invisible to everyone except Rosa and other ghosts, and apart from talking to spirits the only things he can do is look and create a slight breeze. He's entirely made to gather information and blow small bits of paper. It's amazing how useful WadjetEye have made him, and his snarky charm is lovely too.
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| The Curious Case of the Ghost at Midnight |
The reason Joey works so well is that the Blackwell series is very much a detective style of adventuring. You don't often combine inventory items or do strange things like make a monkey wrench with an actual monkey or get a moustache from the hair off a cat's back to pass yourself off as a guy who doesn't have a moustache. The most outlandish thing I did in my couple of hours with The Blackwell Epiphany was buy some software and install it on the shop manager's computer. Despite the supernatural elements the puzzling in Blackwell Epiphany is all about observation, putting things together, collecting information and using it correctly. And even better, your goal isn't getting treasure or often solving a crime, it's about giving peace to lost souls. It's sad but makes you feel good inside too.
I've only played a little piece of The Blackwell Epiphany but it already seems on par with previous game Deception - did I mention that was my favourite adventure game made in the last decade? Good, because it bears repeating. The more detective-like puzzles are always satisfying to get through and the story turns shocking, tragic, and sad but never fails to lose a sense of humour as well. Rosa and Joey are still a wonderfully likeable duo, but it's their unique gameplay mechanics (Rosa's phone and notes, Joey's go-anywhere-invisibly ability) that make the Blackwell series so entertaining as adventure games. If Epiphany carries on being this great for the rest of the game the series will being going out on a high note, and I'll be singing its praises for the next ten years.
Most Anticipated Feature/Element: Seeing more of the flashbacks to Joey's past.
