A Film Noir masterpiece come to life in game form.
We cut away from the terrible sight; try and banish it from our sights, as if it isn't real, as if it didn't happen. It is here that we meet a second protagonist, more in control of his situation. A cop named Azriel Odin lands on Barracus, a planet of the Gemini system. He has lost his brother and there is a man here that can help him locate his sibling. As he stands underneath a small overhang, the everlasting rain pours down the bleak and decrepit cityscapes. It doesn't seem like his adventure will be any less glum.
The perfect film noir setting for this two-part adventure takes place in a world where corruption and greed are still well alive in human spirits. Everyone is still only interested in self-gratification and any means are good to reach the most satisfactory end. The gritty grime of the human emotion cesspool is flawlessly represented in the dark, pixelated art panels; sectioned and lighted in the exact proper way to create distinct nuances in the universe of Gemini. With the detective character of Azriel and his somber, scraping voice, Gemini Rue could well be the game realization of the Humphrey Bogart movie era. The jazz background scores, the piercing mobster voices, clattering rains and the entire somber surroundings of this universe only amplify this feeling. It's a shame that the prologue is very poorly spoken, with clear distorted voice acting and wind breakage in the microphone. But barring that, Gemini Rue offer a flawless presentation of a pseudo-apocalyptic future, complete with decaying structures and powerful story narration.
Even the futuristic counterpart in Delta-Six only serves to portray the cold, clinical goals of humanity, devoid of all emotion. A space prison, where people are shaped, trained and molded into conforming citizens and food is obtained with token inserted into dispenser. It's a double-plus good world out there and Big Brother is watching.
As a two-part story, it is possible to switch between protagonists from time and pick up gameplay at the player's leisure. Furthering the pixel art and detective feel of the game, gameplay is mostly set as a point and click adventure, where players find clues and solve puzzles. On the way, our heroes can investigate by checking their surroundings or questioning characters. They'll discover hidden secrets about the world and after each solved mystery; they'll grow closer towards fitting together the huge pieces of a universal puzzle.
Interacting with objects allows for 4 basic actions; being talking, manipulating, observing or fancy footwork. This will set the basics of combining elements, but of course there will also be items to pick up and use successfully, in order to complete puzzles. Also, some characters can be persuaded to interact with objects under the right circumstances. Unfortunately, locating some of these objects is tough as nails, due to the very gritty pixelated screen. A smudge of gray can be mistaken for a background, while in reality it is a hole in the wall big enough to fit a gun through. This can lead to frustrating blocks in gameplay. Additionally, there is also a conversation puzzle which bars little logic in it; making it clicking guess work, rather than a well implemented mechanic. These are only minor setbacks, as overall the game has a natural drive compelling constant advancement.
To create even more momentum, set pieces are broken down into action sequences. Here, the protagonist will have to shoot his way out of a bind and while the WASD mechanic isn't ideal, it's a welcome change of pace. In addition, the heroes can take concentrated breaths to focus their line of fire and time a well-timed headshot. Combat is driving, but never hard enough to be challenging, which eases players less suited for action. Additionally, all combat is cleverly taught to players through tests Delta-Six has to go through. As they teach him the fine elements of armed combat, so does the player vicariously learn along. It is rare to see a fluent tutorial in a game, that doesn't feel like a forced job.
As a whole, the game is a fluent transition of what an old whodunit might've been. Unfortunately, the minimalistic setting of Gemini Rue offers a lot of backtracks and familiar sceneries, which only open up at the conclusion of the game. While it still unfolds into the grand master scheme it's supposed to be, it leaves the previous chapters seem smaller than they actually are. And yet, the grandeur of the finale is everything anyone would play Gemini Rue for. The twists and turns of the plot finally merging the two stories into a diptych, might come to fruition sooner for the clever gents among us, but it doesn't make it any less satisfying. The immersion aspect is so large by then, that the exponentially rapid unfurling of the last chapter leaves players wanting to know more.
Gemini Rue exceeds any expectation as a simple nod towards oldschool point and click adventure games. Rather, it breathes new life into the genre as a whole and sets a standard for any other game that would boast frivolous elements over the core aspects of storytelling. A strong plot, combined with alternating gameplay elements and merged into the perfect dark mood make this game a masterpiece, solidified by the added commentary track. While rough around the edges, there is nothing to note about the excellence that is the basic driving factor. And that's all a game needs; for people to want to play it and to keep playing it.