What an interesting and thought-provoking story! I love this type of games that not only entertains you, but also gives you food for thought. The atmosphere is dark and fits to the story perfectly and the retro graphics is, as always, my achilles hill.

Gemini Rue has a deep and thought-provoking storyline. It suggests a massive world with a beautiful back-story, while restraining itself from telling too much of that back-story, so that the game is not bogged down in needless dialogue and reading. This provides the game with a dark and mysterious feel, contributing to the overall feel of the game. The graphics, as I mentioned in my introduction, contribute a great deal to the feel of the game. This is partly, I think, because of the sophistication of the story and certain aspects of the graphics that create an appealing contrast. For example, the art style and bit-like appearance is contrasted with the amazing detail included in the game, and even the rain pouring down becomes beautiful in front of the scenes experienced.
I won’t get into the story too much, but I will say that it was surprising and intriguing-this is the type of game that leaves you contemplating many different questions for weeks after you have completed it (I finished it a week ago and am still thinking about it). The main flaw in the game is that the dialogue can seemed forced at times, in an attempt to explain certain aspects of the story-even when the player has already figured it out. This is not pervasive throughout, however, and only comes up in certain scenes and transitions of the plot.

Conclusion: This game surprised me with its excellent use of video game as art. It makes you appreciate the drawings, story, and movement, while also forcing you to ask questions about the nature of choice and identity. I highly recommend it as an enjoyable and worth-while game.

This jewel has a paper wrapping: its outward appearance comes from the early 90s, with the difference that the designers are well aware of their work’s generic conventions. This makes Gemini Rue an extremely pleasant piece to play, watch, and listen.

The interface is simple, yet enables puzzles that make progress uncertain, just enough to make you feel you’re challenged. The pixels are simple, yet the neo noir atmosphere is as smooth as the monkeys in the Caribbean. The audio… well, it’s not simple but simply awesome; the voice actors are pro and the music is pure Blade Runner — the game version (1997) of which can actually be considered as the closest relative to Gemini Rue as a whole, not least in quality.

I won’t spoil a word about the story (and if you’ve played this you know it anyway), but let me make one thing clear: this is one of the few classic adventures that actually makes a thematic argument worth further discussion elsewhere. The only clear flaw in this landmark is the lack of hotspot lighter, albeit there’s no actual pixel hunting involved. Who knows, perhaps this ‘deficiency’ is rather a feature that refines your cyber detective work into an even more intense experience?

Conclusion: Gemini Rue belongs to the general knowledge of every classic adventurer, in the very readerly sense. If you’re not an adventurer but a real gamer, you’ll probably want to consume this creamy cake in place of a novel instead. Don’t expect a Deus Ex, but a Philip K. Dick with a click.