Gemini Rue is a fun little point and click adventure with a hardcore 90's grunge-punk vibe. Initially a student project, the game was rich enough for Wadjet Eye Games to pick it up for publication.
The graphics are nothing to write home about, but they strongly evoke the feel of a mid-90s DOS game. Pixelated and somewhat muddy at times, certain cut scenes are beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. The game mostly utilizes cold color palettes, evoking a strong sense within the player of exactly what this futuristic world is like.
The story is compelling. Delta Six (Charlie) and Azriel Odin are interesting, complex characters with engaging arcs. Azriel is initially searching for his brother Daniel, and the first time we meet Delta Six, we see that his mind has been wiped. Each character's journe emits an emotional reaction in the player in such a way that the game will stick with you.
Controls are fairly simple. Point. Click. Game play is built mostly around exploration, but there are puzzles to solve, collectibles to find, a range of characters to interact with, and even a minor shootout mechanic. Admittedly, I did some save scumming to get through that the first couple of times I played.
Sound can be annoying at times, particularly with rain as the primary background noise. It came across muddled on my system, but it may have been my headset. Admittedly, I only played one of my three playthroughs with sound, and that was a decade ago. My two most recent plays were mostly on mute (I'm allowed to play during working hours if I mute), but I do recall beautiful music.
Overall, this is a game that was fantastic for a student project. I picked it up in an indie games bundle a few years ago, but I wouldn't have been upset if I had paid the current $10 price tag for it.
4.0