The acclaimed indie adventure series Blackwell kicked off back in 2006 with The Blackwell Legacy and won game designer Dave Gilbert all kinds of acclaim and awards. Over the years three more installments were released (Blackwell Unbound, Blackwell Convergence, and Blackwell Deception), each just as loved, but nothing can last forever and the story has been drawing to a close. Gilbert's Wadjet Eye Games has just announced that the fifth and final installment of the series, Blackwell Epiphany, is going to be released in April for PC.
It continues Rosangela Blackwell's story as she helps New York City's lost souls take the step into the other world. As per usual she's got help from Joey Mallone, a jazz-era ghost who helps guide her in her quest, although this time they find themselves facing a force that's literally ripping apart spirits before they can be saved. Joey is in danger too and Rosa is too, of losing her sanity against such a horror.
The official synopsis-
"A dead man’s soul cries out against the force of a ferocious blizzard. He cries for help. He cries for answers. Then he screams as he is torn apart like damp tissue paper."
"This wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last."
"The police are powerless to stop it, so the duty falls to the only ones who can. What force could be so powerful – and so malevolent – that it would destroy the very core of a life in order to get what it wants? Rosa Blackwell and Joey Mallone mean to find out, even if it means risking themselves in the process."
"I always knew how Rosa and Joey's story would end, but figuring out how to get there was a challenge. Every lesson I learned over the last eight years has been put to good use," says series creator Dave Gilbert in a statement. "This is the last Blackwell game and we've given it our all -- it's longer, more detailed, darker, and more atmospheric than any of the games that came before it. I can't think of a more worthy note to end on."
Now that Blackwell's about to wrap up we'll certainly be looking to see what Wadjet Eye Games is up to next, because there are so few publisher putting out classic point and click adventure games. With games like Gilbert's own The Shivah: Kosher Edition and Gemini Rue in their library it's clear that they hold the genre in high regard.
Anyone who wants to catch up on the series can pick up the first four games in a bundle on Steam or GOG.com, or individually from Wadget Eye Games' own site. Check out the teaser trailer for Blackwell Epiphany below.
