And rarely do I use that phrase. I entered into this series on a whim, looking into the adventure genre I had only dabbled in. I heard good things about it, but was unsure. So I watched a Let's Play of the first game... then the second... then the third... the fourth. I couldn't stop; it was like a brilliant new book before bedtime, and you just keep wanting to squeeze in one more chapter or page before light's out. I stopped myself. I enjoyed this journey so much that I bought the finale, The Blackwell Epiphany, so that I could experience the joy of controlling this magnificent journey's finale. I don't regret it one bit. It has been a long, long time since I've been so engrossed in a story and so invested in its characters -- so many overused cliches avoided, so many turns I incorrectly guessed, all carried on the shoulders of quirky, lovable, relatable characters. The writing is the crown champion of all the things this series got right, and I'm so glad that I gave it a shot and then took the reins for myself. I cannot recommend this series more. I don't hand out 5 stars like candy, they MEAN something. If you aren't sure, perhaps do like I did and watch somebody play the first episode but, trust me, stop there. You'll know whether or not this series is something you'll be interested in, and you'll get the joy of being the one in the driver's seat for most of it -- something I know look back and wish I had done, because this series has been so charmingly enjoyable to experience. If you like adventure games at all, you will enjoy this. I could stop there, but I have 400 characters left, and Blackwell deserves every one. I bought the rest of the series, despite knowing (most of) what happens in them. I spent my money on a book I'd already read. I hope that's taken as a sign of just how worthy of a read it was, and how happy I will be to revisit this series periodically down the road, like that favorite book, that you want to experience again.
The title of the review tells you most of what you need to know. Most of the game consists of staring at your character's "Spacebook" page, and doing typical Facebook things like commenting on your EXTREMELY NEEDY friends' pages, liking their posts, and pretending that you have a life while you really just go to work and injure yourself everyday. While it may sound terrible (and I can easily see other people finding it as such), it's strangely addicting and kinda fun. Gameplay is fast and you tend to see immediate results to your actions, which keeps you thinking "just one more 'day', and then I'll quit" as you blast through an in-game month as you work toward your next life goal to see if anything cool happens when you achieve it. If you want a cute little game that parodies the Facebook experience, I'd say pick this game up when it's on sale. It does have its charm, but it's rarely the game on the forefront of my mind when deciding what to play. (**SPOILERS below!!!!!**) And absolutely do NOT expect a satisfying conclusion: the "ending" is basically a simple splash screen with the words "Congratulations" on it. Doesn't make it a bad game, but remember to enjoy the meat of the game for what it is, without hope for any kind of exciting or entertaining conclusion.
It's SWERY: it's quirky, it's bizarre, it's beautiful, and with each character you encounter it only further cements the haunting realization that you are, indeed, playing something that came out of this man's wonderfully strange consciousness. I've only played the Prologue and partway through Episode One, so I can't say too much about the story other than I'm interested in the premise and falling in love with the characters in it. I *LOVE* that you can customize the look of the protagonists (to some extent). I *HATE* that you can't change David's hair. I've rated it 4 stars due to the fact that I've only played a little of it so far (and to some controller issues during the QTE segments), but I will alter my rating as I delve deeper in the mystery of David Young's Dark Dreams. Which, y'know... Don't Die. I hear.
If you've played Heavy Rain, you'll know what to expect here for the most part (in fact, if you played Heavy Rain, just play it again over this, as despite it's own problems it doesn't fall apart completely like Fahrenheit did). Many QTEs, although to my memory there weren't any one-chance-or-game-over -- you have a life bar of sorts that allows you to mess up a few QTEs before having to try again. Unlike Heavy Rain, there actually IS a game over screen if you mess up, so you'll have to repeat sections over but not to any really terrible degree. Most people tend to mention the story, and for good reason: it is both the strongest and weakest aspect of the game. My experience mirrors so many others', I'm sure: I was interested and, at times, captivated by the story, the drama, the tension, and especially playing both sides of a fugitive pursuit. Should I (the player) help the fugitive by hiding evidence well? Should I use the knowledge of where I hid that evidence to show the cops exactly what to look for? Sadly, it feels like the game got to a certain point in development, the creators remembered they had a fast-approaching deadline, and gave up on the story they were telling to wrap things up as quickly as possible, yet strangely enough as bizarrely as possible too. Did someone on the staff start panicking and asked their preteen son and his friends to come up with some "cool" ideas for things to randomly throw into the last third of the game? It's truly disappointing because I remember how much fun I had on my first playthrough, and how the opening scene in the diner bathroom (and it's myriad of options) had me thinking on my feet. By the end, however, I was left sad and very confused. I wish I could recommend this to others, but I don't particularly want anyone to take the downhill ride so many of us took already. 2 stars for the cool gameplay elements, characterization and choices, but the sudden drop on story just kills this game for me.
What I enjoy about this game is that, while it's obviously got a huge nostalgia factor for people who grew up with or otherwise loved the movies, it never really felt too fanservice-y for me; the way it was presented felt like an honest (if a bit spinoff-ish) possible continuation to the story of Marty, Doc and the others (while seemingly ignoring the ending of 3 a bit). Sure you get to see familiar characters but they don't really pop up as you expect and throw out an old line, it's just "oh hey, look it's him/her" and then you interact with them as if it's all routine to Marty (which it is). The voice acting is mostly great, and I'm sure AJ Locasio is still being asked to do his MJF impersonation as it is the closest I've ever heard to the man himself, and it's great having Doc and a few others voiced by the actors who played them (especially a few surprise (sort of) guests). George sounded weird to me, as if they forgot about how far he progressed by the end of BttF1, although it's passable, and although Marty sounded great, his characterization was a bit off -- he's too much of a quiet "nice guy" (even a pushover on occasion) whereas in the movie he seemed tougher and much more like someone who wouldn't (or couldn't) back down from a fight. Plenty of stuff to click on to get a fun little line from a character, not too terribly difficult puzzles (and a hint system if you need it, but you shouldn't), clean graphics, interesting storylines and decent new characters, good times. Overall, the game is a fun little trip wherein you can't lose or screw yourself up and you just sit back and enjoy the ride. There are moments of humor, tension, and even a few sweet little tidbits, and they are presented with due love and respect for the original material by the game makers. If you had any love for the movies, I'd definitely recommend this game; if not, but you like adventure games in general, I'd give a slightly less enthusiastic but still valid "why not?".
