this was way shorter than i thought itd be but it was still really nice i enjoyed it!! i cant wait to play more of this series :)
also PS i did NOT expect joey to just sound like a normal guy it threw me off so bad at first LOL
also PS i did NOT expect joey to just sound like a normal guy it threw me off so bad at first LOL
Jako prolog a položení základního kamene pro věci příští solidní, ale jako samostatně stojící adventura to neobstojí. Na to je to příliš zkratkovité, krátké a v nápadech ne zrovna dotažené (jeden příklad za všechny - zápisník). Co se naopak povedlo velmi jsou postavy i dialogy; na tom tu vše stojí i padá. Naštěstí spíše stojí než padá.
Reporter turned into paranormal detective thanks to a family curse. Entertaining and enjoyable indie point and click adventure to grind your head solving mysteries.
Played on Steam Deck
Played on Steam Deck
I consider the entire "Blackwell" series as a whole one of the best experiences I've ever had with video games, but this is a clear example of "you have to start somewhere"...you can definitely see the potential starting, though
One day I would like to play enough adventure games to not feel like their puzzles are total bullshit.
This was a 2 but then some wild stuff happened at the end that redeemed it for me. Short enough that I may as well keep playing through these.
This was a 2 but then some wild stuff happened at the end that redeemed it for me. Short enough that I may as well keep playing through these.
A damp squib of a start to what ends up being a really good series.
Blackwell Legacy está longe de ser horrível, mas é perceptível a falta de dinheiro para polimentos em certas partes como sons, voz e enredo.
Meu maior problema com o jogo foram os personagens principais sem conexão e nem desenvolvimento, o que pode ser relacionado com a duração total do jogo (3 horas). Além disso, a produção de voz não teve um tratamento merecido, então por diversos momentos o áudio parecia que estava explodindo.
A gameplay e os desafios são bem tranquilos, então não existe nada muito difícil e nem muito fácil (lembra bastante os clássicos do gênero).
No geral, o jogo é muito interessante e consegue te prender por causa da protagonista e do próprio enredo, porém a falta de um tratamento de qualidade fez os pontos positivos se perderem em partes essenciais.
Meu maior problema com o jogo foram os personagens principais sem conexão e nem desenvolvimento, o que pode ser relacionado com a duração total do jogo (3 horas). Além disso, a produção de voz não teve um tratamento merecido, então por diversos momentos o áudio parecia que estava explodindo.
A gameplay e os desafios são bem tranquilos, então não existe nada muito difícil e nem muito fácil (lembra bastante os clássicos do gênero).
No geral, o jogo é muito interessante e consegue te prender por causa da protagonista e do próprio enredo, porém a falta de um tratamento de qualidade fez os pontos positivos se perderem em partes essenciais.
I got very excited at the beginning of this game but halfway through it, I started to be less enthusiastic. I was expecting a bit more regarding the riddles' variety, some of which are frustrating. Though the music is nice, the characters are well-written IMO (especially old-school Joey). The game isn't too long and can be done in 3-4 hours.
This review contains spoilers
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.
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.
The WadjetEye collection was on sale on Steam during the summer sale so I thought I’d go through them all in order. I’d played a few of them before and always enjoyed them. The first one, Blackwell Legacy, is fun and the notes system interesting, it’s just very short and feels more like a prologue than a full game.
This was fine? Liked Shiva a lot more but there's a lot of potential here. I will most definitely play the rest of the franchise.
Excelente jogo de adventure point'n'click nos moldes dos anos 90, bem similar a Broken Sword e jogos SCUMM.
Amei a tripla camada de mecânicas (interação com cenário, manipulação e combinação de objetos no inventário e organização e combinação de ideias e pistas no caderninho).
O roteiro também é bem bacana, e apesar da ficção, os quebra-cabeças são pé-no-chão e coerentes, algo que às vezes irrita em jogos com soluções impensáveis de tão absurdas.
Animado em jogar os próximos.
Amei a tripla camada de mecânicas (interação com cenário, manipulação e combinação de objetos no inventário e organização e combinação de ideias e pistas no caderninho).
O roteiro também é bem bacana, e apesar da ficção, os quebra-cabeças são pé-no-chão e coerentes, algo que às vezes irrita em jogos com soluções impensáveis de tão absurdas.
Animado em jogar os próximos.
There's a lot of potential here, but a lot more squandered, to the point that I still have yet to play the rest of the series. It's not bad, it's just not great.
A cozy point and click classic. Love the city setting and the soundtrack slays too.
There's not a lot here to dive into quantity wise but it's a very solid foundation for the series to come. These games have typically done a nice job of avoiding some really obscure pixel hunting gameplay or puzzles that result in you randomly combining things in your inventory to see what works and I truly appreciate it.
This is on sale all the time for pretty cheap so there's not a huge loss to be found if you give this a go. If you aren't averse to adventure games it can't hurt.
There's not a lot here to dive into quantity wise but it's a very solid foundation for the series to come. These games have typically done a nice job of avoiding some really obscure pixel hunting gameplay or puzzles that result in you randomly combining things in your inventory to see what works and I truly appreciate it.
This is on sale all the time for pretty cheap so there's not a huge loss to be found if you give this a go. If you aren't averse to adventure games it can't hurt.
Pretty cool game. I really enjoyed the characters and writing, and the plot was good for how short it is. The voice acting was overall really well done given this was small title from almost 15 years ago. I wasn't a fan of some of the point and click guess the creator's intent stuff, though.
While the first game is a fairly average experience, the series just gets better and better with each game.
While the first game is a fairly average experience, the series just gets better and better with each game.
Sights & Sounds
- The visuals really do harken back to classic adventure games...
- ...right down to the slightly weird-looking character portraits. They're cartoony in a strange way
- The music was serviceable, but a little forgettable
- The voice acting felt amateurish in a good way. On the other hand, there were a lot of vocal pops and breath sounds in the audio recordings that felt amateurish in a bad way
Story & Vibes
- The story is fun, if a little cheesy. Maybe not as cheesy as something like The Darkside Detective (another supernatural detective adventure game), though. This game leans slightly more heartfelt
- There's unfortunately a lot of exposition. Almost too much. I know this installment kicks off the franchise, but there's so many info dumps that you begin to wonder how much world-building a 2-4 hour game needs
- The vibe is like whatever your supernatural teenage drama of choice is. For me, that's Buffy
Playability & Replayability
- This game doesn't really break the mold of point-and-click adventure game mechanics
- Besides the usual genre fare (chatting up people for info, picking up items, combining those items to solve puzzles), you'll also delve into some investigation tropes
- The most familiar of these is the notebook, in which your character will jot down clues. You may have to combine these into other clues, or use them when questioning people of interest to further the conversation tree
- Puzzle design was alright. Not all of it was very intuitive. It took me too damn long to stumble into the right solution for the first puzzle. They got a little better from there, but some solutions later on felt a little half-baked (notably, the second puzzle involving the dog)
Overall Impressions & Performance
- The game feels very "earnest", if that makes any sense. It's like hanging a kid's drawing on the fridge. It's rough around the edges, but you put it up anyways because of the honest effort
- I'm delving into the franchise (and really, Wadjet Eye's whole body of work) in semi-chronological order, so it'll be interesting to see how the writing and puzzles evolve
Final Verdict
- 6/10. I'm optimistic that the franchise improves from here. The audio and exposition issues hampered what would have been a more enjoyable time
- The visuals really do harken back to classic adventure games...
- ...right down to the slightly weird-looking character portraits. They're cartoony in a strange way
- The music was serviceable, but a little forgettable
- The voice acting felt amateurish in a good way. On the other hand, there were a lot of vocal pops and breath sounds in the audio recordings that felt amateurish in a bad way
Story & Vibes
- The story is fun, if a little cheesy. Maybe not as cheesy as something like The Darkside Detective (another supernatural detective adventure game), though. This game leans slightly more heartfelt
- There's unfortunately a lot of exposition. Almost too much. I know this installment kicks off the franchise, but there's so many info dumps that you begin to wonder how much world-building a 2-4 hour game needs
- The vibe is like whatever your supernatural teenage drama of choice is. For me, that's Buffy
Playability & Replayability
- This game doesn't really break the mold of point-and-click adventure game mechanics
- Besides the usual genre fare (chatting up people for info, picking up items, combining those items to solve puzzles), you'll also delve into some investigation tropes
- The most familiar of these is the notebook, in which your character will jot down clues. You may have to combine these into other clues, or use them when questioning people of interest to further the conversation tree
- Puzzle design was alright. Not all of it was very intuitive. It took me too damn long to stumble into the right solution for the first puzzle. They got a little better from there, but some solutions later on felt a little half-baked (notably, the second puzzle involving the dog)
Overall Impressions & Performance
- The game feels very "earnest", if that makes any sense. It's like hanging a kid's drawing on the fridge. It's rough around the edges, but you put it up anyways because of the honest effort
- I'm delving into the franchise (and really, Wadjet Eye's whole body of work) in semi-chronological order, so it'll be interesting to see how the writing and puzzles evolve
Final Verdict
- 6/10. I'm optimistic that the franchise improves from here. The audio and exposition issues hampered what would have been a more enjoyable time
As the first it does it's job in setting up the gameplay and the story, however I felt the story didn't get started fast enough, but that's just my opinion. I swear if some asshole hangs outside a building, claiming to know everyone I'd thump him.
A fun little adventure game with a lot of questions about the metaphysical and what happens to spirits when they finally pass on either with sins as living or sins they developed whilst a spirit. Wadjet games appear to be all about the story which is why I'm going to keep supporting this company.
A fun little adventure game with a lot of questions about the metaphysical and what happens to spirits when they finally pass on either with sins as living or sins they developed whilst a spirit. Wadjet games appear to be all about the story which is why I'm going to keep supporting this company.
Blackwell Legacy is the first part to a series of point and click adventures following the plights of Rosa Blackwell, and her wisecracking spirit guide, Joey.
It all starts here, and the game itself is very much ok; it's not awful, but it's also not great.
The puzzles can be obtuse at times, and eventually I gave up and had a guide on standby.
It wasn't impossible, but some of them made me scratch my head and wonder how the hell I was supposed to figure it out without outside help.
The voice acting can range from good, to very wonky, and I don't really understand why. Some dialogue felt like they were being read off a script and forced or fall completely flat.
For the most part, it was good, however, and made me like the characters enough. Joey's VA was definitely a standout for me.
The pixelart is ok, not amazing. I'm guessing they were going for the LucasArts' pixel art style, that is alright, but mildly unsightly. It does the job, but I do like the actual drawn art pieces whenever they appeared.
The music and writing are definitely the highlights of this game, and will be the main reason you pull through it, as you'll probably want to get on to the next installment briskly in.
It's a good enough start to the series, I can't be too harsh on it as it is the first game.
I just wish it was better.
It all starts here, and the game itself is very much ok; it's not awful, but it's also not great.
The puzzles can be obtuse at times, and eventually I gave up and had a guide on standby.
It wasn't impossible, but some of them made me scratch my head and wonder how the hell I was supposed to figure it out without outside help.
The voice acting can range from good, to very wonky, and I don't really understand why. Some dialogue felt like they were being read off a script and forced or fall completely flat.
For the most part, it was good, however, and made me like the characters enough. Joey's VA was definitely a standout for me.
The pixelart is ok, not amazing. I'm guessing they were going for the LucasArts' pixel art style, that is alright, but mildly unsightly. It does the job, but I do like the actual drawn art pieces whenever they appeared.
The music and writing are definitely the highlights of this game, and will be the main reason you pull through it, as you'll probably want to get on to the next installment briskly in.
It's a good enough start to the series, I can't be too harsh on it as it is the first game.
I just wish it was better.
A short game, took me a little over 2 hours to complete. It's a good point-and-click game. After you finished the game you can play it again with commentary, which is quite interesting if you like that kind of stuff. I reccomend. Will probably play again.
There are some great character bits and writing in this game, but a few obtuse puzzles, frustrating UX, and an odd/abrupt ending make for a fairly rough start to this series.
another short adventure game from wadjet eye games. works as an intro to the blackwell series, and i'm looking forward to getting to the rest of them
A rather short point'n click adventure, but pleasant to play... and that's all there is to say on the game.
A lovely point-and-click adventure with an interesting story and mostly fair puzzles. Does not overstay its welcome—took me about 3 hours to get through at a leisurely pace.
The final stretch is…interesting, but feels a tad out of the blue and disconnected from the more matter-of-fact approach to the afterlife the game had been taking till then. But perhaps that's ok? My first reaction is that it feels forced, but the unannounced intervention feels thematically coherent with other point-and-click narratives.
The final stretch is…interesting, but feels a tad out of the blue and disconnected from the more matter-of-fact approach to the afterlife the game had been taking till then. But perhaps that's ok? My first reaction is that it feels forced, but the unannounced intervention feels thematically coherent with other point-and-click narratives.
In my review of Kathy Rain i was critical on it's usage of stereotyped characters, while also noting how, in other cases, a story may actually be benefited by stereotypes. This is the case of The Blackwell Legacy.
The first instalment of the Blackwell series is, naturally, focused on presenting it's premise and it's main characters. And even if they're pretty much stereotypes that we've seen many times, i think they are portrayed in a very tasteful manner. Writing is pretty simple but very well handled, it doesn't get pretentious, and instead, it goes right to the point.
Puzzles are actually pretty easy, despite some problems with the game mechanics and the combination of Rosa's notes. Anyway, this could probably be avoided by simply watching the game's tutorial. I'm pretty sure this game can be solved without the need of a walkthrough.
Pixel art is beautiful here (i have a weakness for pixel art in general). Music was probably one of the weakest points of the game.
Anyway, a solid start for the Blackwell saga, and what's best, is that the game is also pretty short, which is something i tend to appreciate a lot. Go check it out.
The first instalment of the Blackwell series is, naturally, focused on presenting it's premise and it's main characters. And even if they're pretty much stereotypes that we've seen many times, i think they are portrayed in a very tasteful manner. Writing is pretty simple but very well handled, it doesn't get pretentious, and instead, it goes right to the point.
Puzzles are actually pretty easy, despite some problems with the game mechanics and the combination of Rosa's notes. Anyway, this could probably be avoided by simply watching the game's tutorial. I'm pretty sure this game can be solved without the need of a walkthrough.
Pixel art is beautiful here (i have a weakness for pixel art in general). Music was probably one of the weakest points of the game.
Anyway, a solid start for the Blackwell saga, and what's best, is that the game is also pretty short, which is something i tend to appreciate a lot. Go check it out.
All of the Blackwell games merge together in my head, so the rating for each individual game can be thought of as a series rating.
All of the Blackwell games are well-made PnC adventures with interesting stories and puzzles. The series manages to pull of a 5-game storyline fairly well and it's one of the first series of games I would recommend for anybody looking to get into PnC games.
All of the Blackwell games are well-made PnC adventures with interesting stories and puzzles. The series manages to pull of a 5-game storyline fairly well and it's one of the first series of games I would recommend for anybody looking to get into PnC games.
Adorei o traço da pixel art e a dublagem.
I haven't played this game since maybe 2008, and if my memory serves, it slaps. But I am desperate to replay it because I am almost certain that my memory...is wrong.