The adventure genre has not been represented by a good, old-fashioned horror game in a long time, but if potential speaks volumes then The Black Mirror is about to shatter that long dry-spell.

The Black Mirror is a throwback to the halcyon days of adventuring when it was common to expect games like Sanitarium or Darkseed every few months. A third-person, point-and-click developed in that new hotbed of adventure development – the Czech Republic – The Black Mirror follows the exploits of Samuel Gordon as he returns after a twelve-year absence to his old manor in England to investigate the mysterious death of his relative William Gordon.

If the playable demo is any indication then prepare to be spooked-out as the developers – Unknown Identity - seem to have captured just the right touch of skin-crawling creepiness. The final game promises cemeteries, a mental hospital, a medieval underground temple and dozens of other scenarios over the course of six chapters. The demo concentrates on but a small part of the manor, but it is enough to whet the appetite. The occasional odd bird flutters against a static discolored sky (in fact, when I spoke with Gaston Krasnik, a member of the development team, he seemed to think this a negative, I think it adds to the eeriness) and the unkempt manor and surrounding grounds suggest great mysteries to yet be uncovered.

The demo also offers some innovation that we hope remains in the final version: once Samuel has examined an item that is no longer of use, the cursor then no longer changes when passing over that item. This not only makes the game easier by reducing the number of ‘hot ‘spots’ but it also helps the forward progression of the game as the player is not then constantly backtracking over now useless objects.

The only suggestion I have to offer the developers is that some of the English translations are a bit stilted and need to be reworked, other than that, give the demo a try and see if you don’t agree with me that The Black Mirror is soon to be one of the most anticipated adventures of 2003.

Please download The Black Mirror playable demo here (scroll to the bottom of the page to find the demo link).