I’ve been following the development of Joshua Nuernberger’s Gemini Rue for a while. I first heard about the game a couple months ago and, as a fan of point-and-click adventure games of days past, I was pulled in by the retro graphics and the promise of a compelling noir-soaked narrative. Previews and early reports dropped names like Beneath a Steel Sky* and Westwood Studios’ Blade Runner when talking about it. So when Dave Gilbert posted on the Wadjet Eye Games‘ Twitter account he was looking for a fistful of beta testers for the demo, I couldn’t throw my hat into the ring quick enough.
I downloaded the demo and got playing immediately. Over the course of a half-hour, I was pulled into a noir-cyberpunk world of addiction, oppression, interstellar travel, imprisonment, brain wipes, and lots and lots of rain—all centered on Azriel Odin, a cop with a shadowy past, and Delta-Six, the subject of clandestine experiments only hinted at in the demo.
As someone who has played hundreds of games over the past twenty-five years, it takes something special to suck me in. Gemini Rue had me within a few clicks and the demo stopped on a great hook. I knew the end was near but was hoping I’d get to play just a little bit more. When the game comes out on Thursday, I will.
If you’re a fan of old school adventure games—or just like great games—give the Gemini Rue demo a try when it comes out. If you like it, pick up the game when it launches on February 24th. (If you want it on disc, that’s only available through pre-order so hop to it. You’ll get the download copy as well so you won’t have to wait unless you want to. I’ve already ordered my copy.)
As you’re checking out the Wadjet Eye Games website, put your eyes on Erin Robinson‘s Puzzle Bots and Dave Gilbert’s own Emerald City Confidential as well.
If you try out any of those games, I’d love to hear what you think. For more about Gemini Rue, check out the official trailer below.
*Click that Beneath a Steel Sky link. Seriously. You can grab a legal copy for free from the folks at Good Old Games and it’s worth a whole lot more than that. Sadly, Blade Runner is over a decade out of print but if you have a chance to snag a copy, I highly recommend it.
