Gemini Rue (iOs) Review
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Gemini Rue is a great example of what a point and click adventure should be. The story is riveting and mysterious. The gameplay is challenging and really makes you think, but won’t be overly frustrating for most players, and the controls are easy to pick up on. Gemini Rue is a really well done game, and simply a must play for point and click adventure fans.
Point and click adventure goes sci-fi.
Gemini Rue, newly ported to iOs, is a critically acclaimed point and click adventure that adds a depth of story rarely seen in iOs games. You play first as Azriel, a hard boiled detective reminiscent of classic film noir. Azriel is dark, curt, and to the point – but he gets the job done. In this case, the job is finding and rescuing his brother on the dreary world of Barracus. TO do this, he’ll have to delicately balance his interactions with the Boryokudan, the resident organized grime group that has Barracus solidly in its grip.
You’ll also play as Delta Six (Charlie), an inmate in a floating prison/rehabilitation center where guests have their memories completely wiped before they begin their intense training. Charlie had recently attempted an escape and has had his mind again wiped clean, so you’ll go into things with no idea of what is going on. It’s a really effective approach, as you get a sense of Charlie’s confusion and curiosity as you puzzle through the question of who you can really trust, all while the Director constantly watches over it all. Here, you need to work in tandem with other inmates to figure out a way to escape without being caught.
You can switch back and forth between Azriel and Charlie as you play, with the tap of a button at the top of the screen. However, there isn’t any real benefit in the sense of the two interacting or sharing items – it’s more of a nice change of pace if you happen to get stuck. Each of them plays through the same scenes regardless of order, both unfolding various pieces of the puzzle as you try to piece together what exactly is going on. It’s a great mystery, at its heart, and played out with the perfect blend of voice acting, exploration, and gritty environments.
The controls in Gemini Rue take a little getting used to, but overall work pretty well with the gameplay. Tapping the side of the screen will have your character move in that direction. Any item in the environment that can be interacted with will show up text when you scroll over it. Tap on one of those, and a box will pop up giving you the option to use your hand, foot, mouth, or eye to interact with it. Sometimes even figuring out just how to interact (for instance, an eye scan or hand scan) is part of the puzzle. The pop up box will also bring up your inventory items, which can be used to interact in the same way.
In addition to standard point and click stuff, Gemini Rue employs a few added extras that really enhance the variety of gameplay, most notably combat. It’s not that the combat is particularly difficult or pervasive in the game – but it does add an element of skill that isn’t usually present in this type of game. It’s a basic take cover and shoot type of setup, but if you aren’t particularly skilled in that type of thing (and many casual gamers are not), it may cause a little frustration. Gemini Rue is not a game that caters to the casual player, as there are no hints or skipping, but for the most part it isn’t an issue. Whether a combat scene or a mini game, you should be able to puzzle it through with a little trial and error.
Gemini Rue is a great example of what a point and click adventure should be. The story is riveting and mysterious. The gameplay is challenging and really makes you think, but won’t be overly frustrating for most players, and the controls are easy to pick up on. Gemini Rue is a really well done game, and simply a must play for point and click adventure fans.