The
Return to Blackwell
It’s time to return to the Blackwell series. This is an innovative
series about an unlikely pair who help ghosts move forward to the
beyond. Joey is our ghost hero and he has an unspoken, mysterious
past that is hinted at but never explored. Rosa is the medium, with
a confusing family history. When we last saw Rosa and Joey, Rosa was
creating a web site to advertise their services. Past games in the
series have included an innovative notebook inventory system, a mysterious
ghost that Rosa dreams about—but never remembers—and a
handful of real life New York City locations. The biggest question
after playing part three was “When can I get more?” The
answer is today.

Life
on a Boat
The story starts out with Rosa and Joey on a case. This is, in essence,
the tutorial level. It teaches you all the mechanics of the game.
It teaches you how to control Rosa and Joey, how to use inventory,
and how to save ghosts. I found this level to be slightly more challenging
than some of the past tutorial levels; which made it more enjoyable
for a seasoned veteran to play. But, it should still be simple enough
for the newcomers to get through. It’s a nice little introduction
to the world of saving ghosts.

After
that we start to get into the real story. Rosa gets a call from an
old reporting buddy, Jeremy Sans. Jeremy and Rosa used to write together
at a previous assignment. Unfortunately, at their first meeting Jeremy
has a big surprise for Rosa. I won’t spoil it, but it is a great,
surprising way to start off the game’s main plot that sends
Rosa and Joey once again looking for lost souls.

Who needs Saving Tonight?
Jamie Graham and Tiffany Walters are two spirits that our unlikely
pair discovers. What is their story? How are they related? The bulk
of the game focuses on this, while also starting to introduce an in-game
conspiracy theory.

You’ll
meet another medium in this game, and she’ll have ties to a
mysterious character, Gavin, who seems to have more importance in
the larger story arc of the series. The spirit guide, Madeline, who
first appeared in Blackwell
Convergence, makes another appearance here. Some of Joey’s
history is written between the lines of the main plot. If you’ve
been a fan of the series, this is chock full of informational nuggets.
If you’re not a fan, the game works well stand-alone; but be
sure to revisit the past history too.

The Interface
The interface will be familiar to fans of the previous games. It is
a marriage between the best of parser interfaces and the best of typing
interfaces. Rosa’s computer and notebook are now replaced with
her smart phone, which she carries with her all the time. You can
always check her notes or email or even perform a web search with
the in-game Google clone.

This
game also reintroduces the ability to combine notes together in order
to create new talking points with other characters. Pay close attention
to names, places, and other information as you’ll need to combine
said information into searches on your phone to discover more names,
hints, and places to go.

The Graphics and Sound
The game uses wonderfully detailed character portraits as characters
are talking. Unfortunately, they aren’t animated, but I’m
impressed with the visuals. The backgrounds are done well enough for
a game like this. They hold a steady mix of modern images and nostalgia
for the games of old.

The
background music is apt and appropriate. It bolsters the scene while
never distracting from the action. The soft jazz behind the opening
theme is almost familiar at this point. The voice characters are well-versed
and rarely miss a beat.

Where do we go from here
This chapter wraps up nicely, and I felt very satisfied after finishing
the game. But the game has a clear direction for the series, so there
is definitely more to come.

I
love the fact that these stories take place in New York, with real
locations. I’d love to see Rosa and Joey move beyond their New
York roots. The mansions in Newport, Rhode Island are probably ripe
for a ghost adventure game story, or even a trip to Niagra Falls in
upstate New York. I thought they might be practical given Dave Gilbert,
the creator, could easily visit them to scout real world locations.
However, the plot direction could easily extend out to something larger,
such as jaunts to Paris, London, and Egypt.

I finish this chapter left wanting more. The sooner the better.

System Requirements:

• Windows XP SP3/Vista/7
• Pentium 4 1.6 GHz or equivalent
• 64 MB RAM (1 GB RAM – Vista/7)
• Graphics Card 128 MB (GeForce 5900 or better)