Přijít po prvním dílu, který sotva stihl položit základy a ještě se sám nikterak nerozjel, namísto regulérního pokračování s prequelem je zvláštní, ale budiž. Ještě zvláštnější je, že je to prequel, který nemá dějově pro hlavní linii žádný význam a nic (ani nikoho) nikam neposune. Ještě divnější pak je, že je to tak kraťoulinké, že to dohrajete rychleji než si v kdekterém RPGčku stihnete vytvořit postavu. A vůbec nejzvláštnější je, že je to odfláknuté; po stránce hádanek, příběhu i grafiky. Co tím chtěl autor říci nevyjeví hra samotná, ale až komentář tvůrců. A vysvětlení to sice pochopitelné je, nikoli však i ospravedlnitelné ve chvíli, kdy za to chtějí peníze. Zbytečný díl, který sérii dělá spíše medvědí službu.

Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. Each game in the Blackwell series of point-and-click adventures is fairly short - completion is typically possible in 2-3 hours - but this means that they lend themselves to being seen as individual chapters of a wider story. The games follow Rosangela Blackwell, a spirit medium (or in Blackwell Unbound, her aunt) and her spirit guide, Joey, as they investigate various supernatural mysteries. Each scenario presents an intriguing story that maintains interest throughout, and beyond that, there's an ongoing plot between the games that's especially fascinating to see play out. In contrast to many point-and-click adventures, the primary puzzle-solving tool comes from dialog rather than item manipulation, a mechanic that works very well and suits the detective/investigator role that Rosangela typically takes.

Beyond actually playing the games, it's interesting to see how the game mechanics develop from game to game, as well as gradual improvements in graphical style. These is highlighted further by the inclusion of a commentary mode, a feature now common to games from Wadjet Eye, which brings with it some interesting (and occasionally, amusing) insights to the design and development process - I'd definitely recommend a playthrough in this mode to anyone with an interest in game design.

noir gaming at its smokiest. like the rest of wadjet eye's ouevre theres just so much snappiness to the style here. vibes out of this world and a great story with palpable emotion to beat. i thought that the shivah was a lot more mechanically sound than blackwell legacy and its really nice seeing bits of the shivah's design start to come to fruition here, and i can't wait to see that stylistic changes made in the remaining 3 games in this series. the switch from peter gresser to tom regin also makes the soundtrack pop off the screen a lot more...if only i could find a release of the soundtrack anywhere :(

Sights & Sounds
- The pixel art is quite good, just like the prequel. The character portraits are improved, though.
- The sound design is far improved from the first game. In addition to using higher quality mics (the step up in voice quality is noticeable), the voice actors for Rosa and Joey sound much more comfortable and natural than they did in The Blackwell Legacy
- The music is also way better. Very jazzy in a way that emphasizes the noir influences

Story & Vibes
- The story, unfortunately, takes a small step back. Don't worry, there's still plenty of intrigue to be enjoyed, but the overall narrative just isn't as interesting as the prequel
- That's not to say there hasn't been any improvement in the writing. The reduction in exposition from everyone you meet is a welcome change
- Without giving anything away, you're given the option of choosing between two separate cases. By the end of the game, those stories intertwine, eventually leading to the plot's climax
- Hope you enjoy noir overtones, because this game leans much more strongly into those than Legacy

Playability & Replayability
- It's a point and click adventure game. 'Nuff said
- Not sure I'm ever going to come back for the achievements I missed

Overall Impressions & Performance
- I'm only on the second game out of five, but I like where the series is going. Hoping to see it keep up its momentum
- Played it on Steam Deck. The trackpads are nice, but it's probably still going to feel more natural playing it with a mouse

Final Verdict
- 7/10. In all, it improves quite a bit on the first game, even if the narrative was a little ho-hum in comparison

Not a huge change of from the previous game, Blackwell Legacy, but it's clear the creator is trying to build and improve on the previous experience, even if some interesting changes end up not adding that much to the experience.

The story, though, is definitely improved. Most characters in the narrative are very ambiguous: though initially it's easy to think about the tragedy of a dead musical genius, we eventually learn he was also sort of a jerk. His jerk-iness doesn't mean he deserved his fate, nor does it detract from this storyline's bitter melancholy. Other characters benefit from the same treatment.

Second part of the Blackwell series and it's already getting better.

This time, we play with Lauren, Rosangela's aunt, and the action takes place in 1973. Since we've already learned a lot about her in the first game (despite only seeing her in a few picures), this time there's no need for introduction: As soon as we start the game, we've already two cases to solve.

I somehow felt like Lauren's more pessimistic or even nihilistic personality was a lot more interesting than Rosangela, at least how she was written in the first game.

There's also another thing that i guess it's going to be a staple for the rest of the series: You play with both Lauren and Joey since the very start, and you change between both of them like you could do in games like Maniac Mansion or Day of The Tentacle, except this time both characters will always be in the same screen. Even considering how minimalistic this gameplay is, it's still pretty interesting.

Visually, the pixel art style feels more detailed and rich than it's predecessor. Also, the music is a strong feature for this game, probably one of the most notorious improvements over it's predecessor, and also a very important factor for the whole mood.

Overall, an improvement over The Blackwell Legacy. If you didn't enjoyed Legacy, probably Unbound will change your whole consideration. And if you liked Legacy, don't even doubt about playing this one.