Blackwell Epiphany

This is a review of the entire [b]Blackwell[/b] series of games. I recently marathoned the entire saga, and I discovered this to be a series held entirely by its rich dialogue and excellent voice-acting combined with light, fun adventure-game puzzles set in a pulpy, noir-laden New York setting. The first game is understandably more modest in scope as it establishes the world and its leads, but from the second game onward the series quickly settles into the identity that makes it special. I became a fan of Wadjet Eye Games after trying out Unavowed as my first, and that introduction turned out to have a powerful impact on my enjoyment of this game. If the rougher look of these games deters you from checking them out, I recommend actually playing Unavowed, and then Blackwell, as you may enjoy unraveling these games more, after that great experience. The stars of the game are Rosangela Blackwell and her spirit guide, Joey Mallone, and they absolutely carry the series. Their banter is palpable in a way that kept me glued and curious to learn more about them from beginning to end. There is a lot of ‘show, don’t tell’ in how they are presented, in the sense that you can glean a lot of …

Poetic finale to an unforgettable series. Blackwell Epiphany refines an already solid adventure game formula with streamlined movement controls, more detailed background art and portraits, and probably some of the most satisfying continuity and character exposition in games. That backstory with Durkin having met Rosa as a child? Chef's kiss. While Wadjet Eye might have drawn the curtain here, I can't help but feel Joey's story isn't done just yet, and will only come full circle when he meets a ghost who introduces herself as 'Red'.

Awful end to an even worse series. Some of the worst main characters in all of adventure gaming. The negative inevitable outcome of the adventure game genre: all puzzle, all style, and very little else. It's very clear through these games (and the game dev commentary) that Dave Gilbert has no business being a writer. Maybe these games would have been a bit better if he had designated that task to someone who actually understands how to write characters who aren't completely unrealistic two-dimensional husks who are also wholly unlikable, let alone how to write a basic story that makes sense.

The last of the Blackwell games and what a great game to end the series on. This one only took the best from each of the games and cranked it to 11. Art, writing, gameplay, music. All absolute peak for an adventure game. It feels like such a great reward for playing through alle the previous games (which were already great) to be able to experience this. I'm just a little sad that it's over. Well, guess I can now replay Unavowed!

Great culmination of the story, even if i didn't like 2 or 3 of the very first puzzles.

This was a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ crazy, entertaining, and heartbreaking ending to the Blackwell games. While I had an idea of how this story was gonna end, the game still took me by surprise and has for sure left a lasting impact on me. I had so much fun with Epiphany and all the others, I can't wait to replay them all someday.