Azriel Odin is a name to be feared as it belongs to a cop and former assassin. Azriel’s mission takes him into the heart of the crime syndicate he once killed for to rescue his brother. Will he be able to find a way to free his brother from the mysterious Center 7?

Inside a strange facility, Delta Six wakes up without any memory of who or where he is. All he knows is that trusting the other inmates might not be the best idea, and that The Director is always watching. Will Delta Six ever find out who he was or even escape?

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Gemini Rue’s story is split into two parts following two characters in very different situations. One is trying to get in, while the other is trying to get out. How these stories connect is rather well done. I feel that getting too heavily into the plot and story of the game might ruin some of the enjoyment since they are both a big part of the game.

Anyone who grew up with a computer in the 90’s will be familiar with the interface used to play this game. Telling the character where to go is as simple as clicking a spot. By right clicking an object, you gain access to your inventory and can select an action or item to be used with that object. While the game is simple to control, the puzzles that bar your path throughout the story are where the challenge comes in.

In typical point-and-click adventure fashion, there are several puzzles to solve,  each requiring a different method. Some puzzles will be readily obvious while others might take awhile to figure out. While some of these puzzles might come in the form of an actual puzzle, others might require you to go to a certain location or use a certain item. Figuring these things out can, at times, be a little frustrating but nothing in this game is impossible. Patience is key, and solving things feels rewarding.

Puzzles aren’t the only things you’ll be faced with, though, as there are action sequences requiring your character to duck behind cover and fire at assailants.   The only way to return fire is to lean out of cover, so timing is key. By filling a bar to a set point before firing, you can insure a headshot which will instantly kill the target. These don’t come up too often, but are a nice change of ace to the otherwise slower puzzle solving elements.

Gemini Rue’s graphics fit right in with the games it’s mimicking, giving it an old PC game feel, right down to its menus. Were I to have seen this game in the 90’s, I’d have never guessed it was made in 2011. I also wouldn’t guess that it was chiefly made and written by just one guy. The level of quality that went into this game is on par with games made by LucasArts back in the day. While most indie titles suffer bad voice overs, Gemini Rue’s voice acting is surprisingly good and further helps the game’s over all quality. 

If you’re like me and you miss the heyday of graphic adventure games, then you’ll definitely want to pick this game up. It stays very true to its roots and comes at a reasonable price. On the other hand, if you’ve never played this style of game, you might not find it worth the price, so new comers should err on the side of caution. While the game might not be for everyone, it is a great example of a retro styled game done well and succeeds in doing everything that could be expected of it. For more games like this, you should definitely check out Wadjet Eye Games.

GO Rating: 4/5

[Intro image via]