The Black Mirror 2 Impressions

The E3 2009 show floor showcases few traditional PC adventure games, so we were glad to have an opportunity to check out The Black Mirror 2, the sequel to 2003's The Black Mirror. We sat down behind closed doors with publisher DTS's Claas Wolter, who walked us through the finer points of this upcoming mystery adventure.

Who's Making This Game: Cranberry Productions, formerly known as 4Head, is behind this adventure-game sequel, taking over for Future Games, who developed the original The Black Mirror. 4Head are the minds responsible for Europa 1400: The Guild.

What the Game Looks Like: Like many point-and-click PC adventures, The Black Mirror 2 features attractive, artistic 2D backgrounds. The early hours of the game take place in Biddeford, Maine, and we saw shop interiors, idyllic village streets, and pretty, hand-drawn storefronts. We also admired the docks, where perched seagulls flapped their wings and the water lapped against the pier. It all looked just like a sleepy New England town; we half expected to see Angela Lansbury and Tom Bosley stroll in and solve a murder in an hour's time.

Of course, what would an adventure game be without mystery? When the story takes hold, you'll find your way to the black castle familiar to fans of the original Black Mirror. The environments there were creepy and misty. We saw castle interiors where the walls were covered with old, oval portraits, and the furniture was covered with dusty sheets. In a graveyard, we glimpsed a gangly, rotting tree and a mausoleum entrance coated with ivy. If you played the original, you'll recognize some of these locations, but they've changed. The area's tourism has diminished, leaving the region dark and deserted, and newer technology should render these areas even moodier than before.

What There Is to Do: The Black Mirror 2 is a traditional point-and-click adventure in which you click on your destination to move to it, and examine the screen for items and characters that help you solve puzzles. You'll move from location to location, puzzling over your current conundrums, uncovering clues to help move the story forward, and examining new items that you unearth.

As with most adventure games, the story is key. In The Black Mirror 2, you play as Darren, an assistant in a photography shop who feels stuck. His boss is a jerk, but he needs the money. He fancies Angelina, the new girl in town, though she seems to have a dark past. Soon, Darren's mother collapses into a coma, and while searching for clues, he finds a photograph of her standing in front of the original game's black castle. And when his boss is murdered, Darren becomes a prime suspect--along with Angelina, who flees to the castle. Darren goes in search of Angelina, knowing that she's the key to uncovering the dark events at hand.

How the Game Is Played: Like in most similar games, you move around from location to location by clicking on your destination. We saw only a few puzzles, one of which was a fuse-box puzzle in which you had to arrange fuses--a fairly typical adventure game riddler. In another puzzle, you must interrupt a long conversation between two women by sounding a fire alarm. You'll interact with Darren's inventory via his diary, and a handy overhead map in the style of a tourist map lets you move quickly from one location to another. If you need a hint, the diary will have one waiting for you.

What They Say: Black Mirror 2 will fascinate players with lovely, detailed 2D backgrounds and a thrilling story.

What We Say: The game looks lovely but relatively typical for the genre. The strength of the game depends on the puzzles, and on the story. The Black Mirror featured rather mediocre voice acting and an unsatisfying ending; hopefully, the sequel can deliver a more satisfying and immersive narrative.

Adventure games may not be what they used to be, but the Black Mirror was successful enough to inspire a sequel. The Black Mirror 2 doesn't seem to be playing with any genre conventions, but that will be just fine for folks who played the original. Look for The Black Mirror 2 on store shelves in 2010.