I accidentally reviewed the wrong Blackwell, meant to write this under the first one, Legacy. Yeah, a review inside a review that both link to each other, call it Blackwell Inception. But whatever, all of them are great anyway. This one has less reviews, so maybe it's for the best!

I'm quite an elitist when it comes to point & clicks, but I think that even in the 90's when there was plenty of competition the series would stand out. I'm even inclined to claim that Blackwell would be considered a classic by now. Because it has it all: charismatic characters with believable motivations, clever puzzles with original tools for solving them, and great stories with satisfactory conclusions. Not to mention the games get progressively more beautiful. Although, in terms of looks, my personal favourite is Unbound, a prequel. If I had to be a stickler, I'd say that the voice acting quality is not always consistent and I personally didn't care much for the music, but these aren't even nitpicks, only half-relevant whims. The two main characters, Rosangela the medium and Joey Mallone, a 1920's ghost who guides her, get so thoughtfully fleshed-out throughout the series your relationship with them is going to feel almost intimate. Together you shall investigate dead people's back stories and send their stranded souls to a place where they belong, not necessarily Heaven or Hell. That part remains a bit of a mystery. Not because the writing is obtuse, just subtle.

But what really makes these games stand out is the inventive use of Joey's intangible nature (ghosts are the perfect eaves-droppers, who knew?) and Rosa's notebook for puzzle-solving. Normally in adventure games you can either talk on certain topics or use inventory items to achieve your goals. Here, the notes add another layer of complexity. You can ask characters about the stuff you documented or compare evidence by using your records on environmental hot spots. You'll see what I mean almost instantly if you give Blackwell a chance. I think everyone should. There were no bad games in the series, each one of them is full of heart and soul. I truly enjoyed the whole thing and make my recommendation without a shadow of a doubt. I wish I could be more thorough, however, I played a long time ago. Don't have any notes left. So, these impressions are a residue that stayed with me after many years since I touched Blackwell. Which is probably also telling. The games never left my mind, haunting my ass into writing this. And you don't even have to be interested in the paranormal to love them. I'm not. These are still among the best point-n-clicks ever made. If you're into the genre and you just found this goodness, congratulations. It's your lucky day.

My curator Big Bad Mutuh