This adventure games series by Wadjet Eye is a treat for fans of LucasArts and Sierra classics. The narrative follows Rosangela Blackwell, an introverted young woman who inherits from her aunt the powers of a medium. With the help of her sarcastic spirit guide Joey, Rosangela helps several ghosts move on by investigating their deaths.
Characters are likable and well-acted; I appreciate that Rosa (and Lauren in Unbound) are flawed, somewhat unusual protagonists; their interactions with Joey are enjoyable.
Overall, the series was a pleasant surprise, with solid writing, memorable characters, clever puzzles.
Characters are likable and well-acted; I appreciate that Rosa (and Lauren in Unbound) are flawed, somewhat unusual protagonists; their interactions with Joey are enjoyable.
- The Blackwell Legacy is the shortest and simplest, with a pleasantly straightforward plot, even if in terms of gameplay the series was still learning the ropes. 7,5/10
- Blackwell Unbound, prequel to Legacy, follows Rosa's aunt Lauren and is the first Blackwell game which allows to switch between the main character (who can interact with living people and the physical world) and Joey (who can talk to ghosts and access restricted areas). My personal favorite, with a lovely bittersweet tone. 8,5/10
- The Blackwell Convergence is fine but has an irritating gameplay mechanic which forces the player to go back and forth from Rosa's home to check the computer after unlocking nearly every new piece of evidence. This was improved in the following games. 7,5/10
- The Blackwell Deception is my second favorite and has some of the most challenging puzzles. In general, in terms of difficulty the series was a reasonable compromise between old-school classics and new adventure games: neither frustrating nor tediously easy. 8/10
- The Blackwell Epiphany is the longest and darkest. It could have been my favorite after Unbound but I had issues with the last act. Without going into spoilers, I liked that the series had a small scale with "personal" stories; raising the stakes with a more "epic" conclusion didn't fit tonally. 7,5/10
Overall, the series was a pleasant surprise, with solid writing, memorable characters, clever puzzles.
