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So here's a review I wrote about a little GEM called Gemini Rue quite a few months ago, I've been so busy lately so I haven't done anything new and I forgot to upload this so here it is.

GEMINI RUE

Sci-Fi Adventure at Its Finest

A sci-fi cyberpunk space setting, a point-and-click adventure, two genres merged together masterfully to create a charming and memorable adventure with a plot that while short, leaves one satisfied.

The point-and-click adventure scene is nowhere near at the level it was in the early and mid-90's, but as of late I am starting to believe there is hope for this now niche and "Indie" genre. Nowadays, with the wealth of information at our fingertips, anybody can learn to program and create a piece of art that took thousands upon thousands of dollars to create just 20 years ago. The beauty of this is that you can create your own piece of art, your own way, without any cost except your own time. You can be the director, the actor, and everything in-between. Gemini Rue is a shining example of the current wave of Indie ingenuity, and while I may be giving it too much praise, I was genuinely impressed with it. It was created as a college project and picked up late in development by Wadjet Eye Games, who are known for their other adventure titles such as the Blackwell adventure series.

The game itself takes place in the Gemini system of the galaxy. The beginning cut-scene starts the plot off with questions, with a man strapped in a chair in a lab, about to have his memory wiped. You can point and click at everything on the screen, yet you can do nothing. This shows an inventive use of storytelling through the tools you think you always have in point-and-click games. Things pick up with more mysteries as you see a new character standing in a desolate city where it always rains, standing under an awning waiting. You play as two characters in the game, space-wanderer slash former assassin, Azriel Odin, and freshly-mind-wiped prisoner, Delta Six. You switch between the characters at certain key points in the story, and at one point I was so into the story with Azriel that I was mad when I switched to Delta Six abruptly. This is purposefully done to lure you in and to make you want more; and in this case, it works.

The plot is interesting in itself, but it is not without its highs and lows. At its best it's gripping and entrancing and at its worst it's only slightly dull because you find yourself wandering in the same map a lot. You also interact with only a handful of characters, and the voice acting is disappointingly sub-par, but it works.

The puzzles were inevitable and the gameplay kept things interesting, because let's face it, a point-and-click adventure without puzzles is just a movie where you walk the character between dialog scenes. There were only a handful of puzzles, though, and a particular puzzle will fluster most people because it seems so out of place about halfway through the game. One thing that's new to the genre is a shooting mechanic which you use several times throughout the game. It takes time to get accustomed to it and it also feels out of place at times.

I would say that what hooked me most on this game is the plot and storytelling despite its faults. I'm a sucker for everything this game entails, and though it is reminiscent of a lot of what was great about Cowboy Bebop (your ship is almost a complete rip-off of the Bebop), the story itself is original and engaging. Speaking of Bebop, there are four secret characters hidden in the game that will make you squee with delight.

So, the verdict is, if you like point and click adventures, or sci-fi space stories, or both, you need to get this game. It only takes about 5-8 hours to complete depending on how well you work with the puzzles and it's worth it to support companies that create throwbacks to the gaming days of old in new and inventive ways.