Sadly I had a different view when I visited Washington Square Park...
If you are a fan of Wadjet Eye Games, your zeal will be transformed into divine adoration after playing Old Skies. I reached the end in 15 hours!
Since last time, I finished chapter 4, which was basically an example of the proverb while two dogs fight over a bone, a third runs away with it. It was a very fun chapter, almost to the silly side.
"Old Skies" took me on a rollercoaster ride, alright!
Next came chapter 5. Oh man, this one brings back memories. Real life memories. It takes place right before (and after) an event a couple of decades ago of which I still remember where I was at the time (and always will; it was Disneyland in Paris). This case is a corporate conspiracy story. I felt some John Grisham vibes there. And just like with chapter 1, I had to make a very difficult decision. Which doesn't really affect the outcome, but it's more of a moral decision you carry with you. That's a very strange feeling, especially for people used to more straightforward games with obvious causes and consequences.
Chilling on the beach...
Then finally it was onto chapter 6, the last chapter. For some reason this chapter makes me think of Stephen King. Both him as a person, as well as his novel 11.22.63. And yet again Dave Gilbert succeeds in introducing a new gameplay aspect: yes, even in a time-travel story, you have to race against time once in a while.
Credit where credit is due! These people are artists indeed!
Wow.
What an experience. There are many games from the 80s and 90s I've
replayed often. I never really felt that urge with modern titles, moreso
because there are way many more games to play these days, there's
always a backlog, new titles coming out. But Old Skies? I have a feeling
that's one I'll return to as well. This is just instant classic to me,
and it should be instant buy for anyone who's serious about playing adventure games. You can find Old Skies here.
Chapter three of Old Skies brought me to August 18, 1923. A museum curator wanted to verify whether a favorite painting of hers was indeed painted by this famous painter. Color me impressed with the artwork that went into creating these in-game canvases!
Ah, young love...
Of course some more things went wrong, I got caught up in a type of Bonnie & Clyde scenario, and witnessed a twist in the story I definitely didn't see coming! Let's just say Old Skies isn't just a series of standalone time-travel missions... There's an overarching story as well, because... you know, butterfly effect and all that...
From the distant past to the... not so distant past...
I'm currently into chapter 4, in which two people are vying for control of a company. There's a change in tone in this chapter, and it seems to aim to tickle your funny bone after a more dramatic halfway-point event. It's another take on the time-loop gameplay, but at least here you're not repeating the same tasks over and over again. Instead, you take on more of a stealth role...
The further I get in this game, the harder it becomes to remain spoiler-free. Hence the shorter post this time! Rest assured, this is a story you really want to discover for yourself!
Back to the Future taught me this headline will probably change...
I'm five hours into Old Skies by Wadjet Eye Games and I've just finished chapter 2!
You won't collect many inventory items in Old Skies!
After catching up with the guy that went awol in chapter 1, I returned to the present to prepare myself for the next assignment. This time, a famous boxer wants to travel back in time to the guy who inspired her, to ask him a question. That sounded simple enough, but it turned out to be anything but.
A cozy night to prepare for the big fight!
So we traveled to the year 1871. First of all we had to track him down, then he turned out to be a completely different person than we'd anticipated. Very different. So different, in fact, we had to activate an emergency protocol, rewinding time for a short period so I could try something again. But rest assured, these are short scenes and not as annoying as other time-looping games where they have you replay entire sections over and over again. I really don't like playing those, and I can honestly say I never once felt like I wasn't having fun with Old Skies!
These close-up scenes are really gorgeous!
These scenes are actually part of the fun. They are very well written, and Fia's personality really comes to the fore in these extreme situations. They are also part of the puzzles, and usually come down to discovering the right information, which you can then use in the correct dialogue options. It takes some figuring out, and even some time-hopping between two different dates, but it all happens with the right amount of humor and doing so gives a great feeling of accomplishment.
New York museums have always astounded me...
So after a lot of unexpected stuff went down in 1871, I returned back to the present, where I was put on a third assignment which took me to the art gallery. The curator wants to find out if an anonymous painting truly belongs to this famous painter in the 1920's. Yet another era to visit, no doubt with its own challenges!
I've started playing the new Wadjet Eye game, Old Skies, and I'm one hour into it!
Got any Belgian beers in this place?
My name is Fia Quinn. I work for a company called Chronozen, which works as a kind of travel agency, only across time instead of across the geographical world. It's my job to accompany travelers and keep them (and the time they're traveling to) safe. Think of me as some kind of Time Police. Of course, this wouldn't be much of an adventure game if things didn't go wrong!
Weeeeeeee!!!!!
After one hour of gameplay, I'm still on my first mission. This dying man - a pretty famous inventor, as well - wanted to go eat at the burger joint of his college days one last time, but then tricks everyone and vamooses for some kind of covert, personal mission he didn't tell us about. So I need to track him down, the slippery git...
A real restaurant would cram THREE tables in that spot...
Old Skies doesn't feel like a game; it feels like a work of art. It's entertainment of a whole other level. Its graphical style doesn't look anything like other Wadjet Eye games. There's a constant jazzy, bluesy soundtrack that's just waiting for the game equivalent of an Oscar nomination. Fia is voiced by the incomparable Sally Beaumont, who also worked as a writer on this story.
Always love search engines in games!
The puzzles feel very much like those in the Blackwell series. It's mostly figuring things out and progressing the story than actually "solving" puzzles, combining items, etc. You talk to people, you look up things in Chronozen's archive system and even on a regular computer if they happen to exist in the time you've traveled to. The first real puzzle in the game is figuring out the combination of a door lock. The story progresses at a natural pace through dialogue and cutscenes, and I'm basically loving this type of gameplay. I'm playing, but it doesn't feel like I'm playing. I'm experiencing, and so far I haven't cursed getting stuck on some obtuse puzzle obstacle or other. Simply put, I'm enjoying the heck out of this game, and I'm having a great time with it!
The map or travel screen, always era-appropriate.
And no, I'm not just saying that because Dave Gilbert honored me with the chance to test it before release. I gave him plenty of feedback of things I thought could be better ;)
It's a new year, and there are many adventure game titles scheduled for release. Some already have concrete publication dates, others are more vague on when we will be able to play them. Each one of us probably has their favorites wishlisted for a long time already, but here are a couple of games I'm especially looking forward to.
Whirlight: No Time To Trip is a realistic looking yet still cartoony time-travel adventure by Italian developers imaginarylab, the creators of Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town. That one was a lovely game, waaay too short, but the type of game I like best: no fantasy, no sci-fi, but a modern day setting and environment yet with its own peculiar identity with some history thrown in, clear goals to achieve, no overwhelming amount of possibilities, very structured. So I'm expecting something similar, and hopefully longer, from Whirlight.
Foolish Mortals has been in development for quite a while, but UK-based Inklingwood Studios just confirmed a 2025 release for their debut adventure! It's a traditionally styled mystery point 'n click with a supernatural edge. The game already has the look of an instant classic, so I hope it will also play as one! I for one can't wait to go treasure hunting in 1930's Louisiana!
Old Skies by Wadjet Eye Games shouldn't need an introduction. It's the new game by the creators of the renowned Blackwell series. It doesn't have the developer's signature pixel art style, but it's still a very beautiful game with an amazing soundtrack, excellent voiceovers, and a time-travel story that pulls you in and makes you forget your own timezone! And I know, because I'm a beta tester with 30+ hours on the clock already!
Rosewater by Grundislav Games is a western adventure I've tried to remain spoiler-free of, which is hard because Francisco González is one of the most transparent developers out there, so there are many screenshots and videos to avoid! This game takes place in the same universe as Lamplight City. What interests me most is how you will be playing as part of a team of characters, and the way you play - the choices you make - will affect the relationships and ultimately the story. Many games promise such a thing, however, but I'm confident that if anyone can truly pull that off, it's Francisco Gonzáles!
I really enjoyed the last adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, so I'm looking very much forward to their obligatory - though perhaps not quite original - next title in this franchise: Death on the Nile. After all, how can I not love another opportunity to play as the most famous Belgian detective! It'll once again be developed by Microids Studio Lyon, so I have high hopes for the title, plus it's great incentive to finally go and read the book.
And if you can't get enough of globetrotting, classic 2D point 'n click adventures, be on the lookout for The Adventures of Bryan Scott, the first game by German developer Radio Silence Studios. To be honest, I haven't heard all that much from this game for a while, so I do hope it will see the light of day by their projected release month, December '25! And that they'll go easy on the adventure game references and retain their own identity, since such tactics are wearing a bit thin lately...
Of course there are many more games coming out this year. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of Elroy and the Aliens, Legends of Castile, Sleepytime Village and Slender Threads, just to name a few. I sincerely hope to play them all someday and write some cool playthrough posts about them!
Let me tell you about the Blackwell series by Wadjet Eye Games. If you're new to adventure gaming, or have only played the old classics, this series is considered a must-play. And it all begins with The Blackwell Legacy.
It's such a beautiful game. I love how it's set in New York. I've walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and through Washington Square Park myself. I really like the characters, I love Rosa's red hair and that she wants to be a writer too. Joey looks a bit like Mark Ruffalo in Shutter Island.
The story is amazing and I was so disappointed when it was over so quickly. I had no idea what these games were about, from the cover I knew there had to be a ghost involved, but this goes so much further. It reminded me a bit of Odd Thomas, the hero in a book series by Dean Koontz. It was a bit weird to have 25 pages of letters to read in the game itself, but it does add some backstory. And I had a feeling what would happen to the pictures you find at the beginning of the game. I lost some time not knowing how to use the notebook. Whenever I got stuck, it usually solved itself once I combined elements in my notebook to give new information. Something I probably would have known if I hadn't skipped the tutorial part... Stupid ol' me...
Where I lost the most time was finding the name to enter the hospital. I mean, it was so obvious how to use the fake name, I never thought to play with it in the notebook. Left clicking to use objects, right clicking to look at them also took some getting used to, and I still mess up there occasionally. I've played a lot of games with primarily inventory-based puzzles; this one focuses on dialogue and finding information to advance the story, but I kept automatically scrolling through the inventory to see where I could use things. I was surprised that it was such a short game. I've heard a lot of good things about this series, so I thought it would be bigger. It only took me a little over four hours to finish this one.
Blackwell Unbound was even shorter for me, taking me only 3.5 hours. This time it wasn't the notebook I didn't know how to use, but the phone book. It just didn't occur to me to look people up that way.
I was stuck almost immediately, because I couldn't get away from the balcony; no matter what I tried, she kept wanting to finish her cigarette. Then I saw the letters in the interface. "Oh, you can switch between them!" So as Joey I finally got the game started properly.
I didn't like the "map" screen. I mean, the skyline is nice, but I liked the map with the buildings on it in The Blackwell Legacy better. I did a lot of running back and forth between all the places.
I didn't know what to do with one task, so I started exploring the other and that was pretty easy. Then back to the first task, trying to look for things I missed. It took me a while because I didn't explore one item enough and missed an important element there. After that it was easy.
This certainly seems like the next chapter of a great game. I wish they would make an edition where it all plays as one game, and you automatically go to the next chapter. I tried looking up the Blackwell series in the Guide to Classic Graphic Adventures and was sad to see that it barely gets a mention, a small line in the afterword. These games deserve so much more; I wish the book had a sequel, with all the adventure games from the last ten years.
The Blackwell Convergence is the third game in the series. I really like Rosangela, although she sometimes gives a creepy grin after she says something. I'm at least glad that the character portraits during dialogues are back; I missed them in Blackwell Unbound.
I like the jazzy music. Working on the computer is fun. I dig into the story, had some unexpected surprises. The interrogation through the notebook reminds me of Gabriel Knight, although I wish it was clearer sometimes when you've exhausted a topic with someone.
I like this "map" screen better than in Unbound, it gives a better perspective on where all the locations are in the city. I finished The Blackwell Convergence in 3.5 hours of playtime spread over two weeks. It was an easier game than the previous two, because the interface was simpler. No notebook to make connections and no phone book to look things up. There are some very small inventory puzzles added, which I liked as well. I love how in the credits the voice actors have pictures next to their characters. It's so much more interesting than just a name. I wonder if the character designs were based on the actors' performances.
The Blackwell Deception is harder than the others. I got stuck a few times with no idea where to go or what to do. I had to run back and forth between locations a few times.
I like how the notebook is replaced by a phone, but not how you have to re-establish connections. I like how the character portraits end up facing the same side as the characters and even turn around if necessary, which bothered me in the previous games.
I don't like the "map" screen, because it doesn't even look like a map this time. You just choose your destination on your smartphone, no idea where those locations are exactly in the city. I'm also not a fan of Rosa's outfit in this game, kind of bland, and there's also something wrong with her character design. All the characters look a bit thin.
There seem to be more ghosts in this part. The hardest part is finding clues so you unlock the right conversation topics/answers.
I finished The Blackwell Deception with 6.7 hours on the clock. So that's almost double the playing time it took me to play Unbound and Convergence. I got seriously stuck twice. I wasn't aware of the extent to which Joey could walk through doors and walls; apparently he can also stick his head into smaller spaces that are otherwise inaccessible. The second time I got stuck was because I wasn't aware of the full extent of how Joey's tie could be used. So I got stuck because I didn't know those things were options
The Blackwell Epiphany is the conclusion of this series. I feel like I'm constantly fighting an invisible enemy here. It's a long game, with nice surprises. Rosa looks better than in Deception, she's cute with her earmuffs.
The "map" screen is something else again. I like how the animated artwork looks, but the locations lack a visible distance from each other, which was at least evident in Legacy and Unbound. The phone has a new feature that lets you download information, which you can then use in your notes to look for cross-references.
I finished The Blackwell Epiphany in eight hours of playtime. This story never ceased to amaze me. I'm sad it's over, having spent a total of 27 hours in this universe (and apparently 682 footsteps in this particular episode).
I don't think I'd ever be best friends with Joey, but Rosa found a place in my heart. An aspiring writer who finds a very different calling, and red hair to top it all off. Yeah, I'd definitely go for coffee with her.
This is very well written, good puzzles although it took some getting used to with the notebook and search engines. The music is perfect, the artwork is beautiful, this series is indeed a huge game.
Wadjet Eye Games will be releasing Old Skies in 2025. I already had the privilige of playtesting it, and the look and feel of Blackwell is apparent throughout. Old Skies is easily as big a game as all Blackwell games combined. So if you want to prepare yourself for Old Skies and want to get a taste of how Dave Gilbert's puzzling mind works, I can definitely recommend the Blackwell series.
