Part 41: Blackwell Convergence - Update 16

Update 16

Last update, Rosa severed the link between the Countess and the next world. However, instead of moving on, the Countess shot off seeking revenge for her years of being abused in such a cruel way. We rejoin Rosa and Joey as they emerge from Nodespace and try to figure out how to stop the Countess.



Crossing back to reality, Rosa emerges with a throbbing headache. No music plays during Rosa's apartment this time around. This is a serious situation.

Careful, kid. You've never been under for that long.
At least I'm alive.
Yeah, everything's peachy. There's a killer ghost on the loose, and it's our fault.

Joey is taking this fairly personally.

But we broke the link! She doesn't have to kill anymore.
You wanna tell her that?
Who would she want to kill, anyway?



That would be my assumption too. Rosa, of course, is immediately stricken with mixed emotions.

Oh. Him. The guy who wants me dead.
Yeah. Ironic as all get out. We'll sort it out later. Let's get going.

By this stage, Rosa is understandably frustrated about the whole situation.

I can't believe we have to save Charles Meltzer. The guy tried to kill me!
We're not so much saving him as stopping her. Let's get a move on.



Funnily enough, despite Gould's cigarette being merely an echo, it seems to have survived that diner vanishing.

The light got absorbed by this cigarette.

I guess part of the Countess' essence is still here and the cigarette is just a vessel.



Rosa quickly catches up with Joey.

She did, huh? How'd she know her?
She didn't say.
Why didn't you ask her?
You drove her away before I could.
Priorities, kid. Killer ghost on the loose. Let's get a move on.

Haha, I like how Joey quickly changes the subject.



All this ghost activity must have shorted out something.

Rosa's electrical equipment has all shat itself. This is turning into an expensive case.



It's about time. Let's scram.

Let's do this.



Only one destination left to visit.

Prelude to Tragedy



Rosa and Joey arrive to find the Meltzer's office in disarray.



We're too late.
You! You stay back!

Paul is still here, looking shocked and horrified, but Charlie is gone.



Charles... h-he... Something took him! I've never seen anything like it.

Oh geez. The Countess literally floated in here and grabbed Charlie, probably by the throat, and flew off with him. Right in front of Paul too, that's not fucking good.

What happened?
The... the roof! She took him to the roof.
Let's go. There was a stairway down the hall.



As Rosa hurries out of the office, Paul mournfully calls out to her.

... Yes. I'm sorry.
I didn't know. I swear. I didn't know.

Rosa pauses for a moment, before heading out of the office without a word. There's nothing left to say.



On the roof, the Countess has Charlie in her vice-like chokehold.

Please! I am not a killer! I... I had no idea you were real!
I am as real as death.
I thought it was just wishful thinking!
And just what are you wishing for now, false guide?

It's not clear whether Charlie is simply lying here, or if he really just figured that it was "wishful thinking" that writing these names down would help him out. It's entirely possible that he just felt he had a rather macabre version of the Midas touch. With this ambiguity, it's difficult to know whether Charlie is really evil, or not. After all, he only wrote down four names that we know of.

Really, if it wasn't for him listing Rosa, I'd be inclined to believe him. He could easily have started an email about Frank, had Frank die, and suddenly the movie be a success. Somehow he cottons on and writes down John's name, and then Claude. At this point, he could very easily have said "shit, this isn't a coincidence anymore... maybe I need to stop doing this?" like Mitchell did. But then writing Rosa's name down? That's just low. Even if he was just scared that Rosa might go to the police, writing her name in his inbox makes it very clear that he is a man of very low moral fibre.



Rosa and Joey arrive on the scene.

Don't interfere! For over fifty years I have been a slave to false guides. But none have been more corrupt and pitiful than this one.

She is seriously pissed off here, and I can't even blame her.

Haven't you killed enough?
I was just the tool! This man is the hand that wielded it! He used it against you! You want to spare his life? I have killed countless innocents and my hands are stained with their blood. If I must kill, let it be one who deserves it! False guide, it is time to reap what you sowed.
No. Please!

Ghost Struggle



There she is, doing what she does best. He doesn't have much time left.

Joey and Rosa try to reason with the Countess.

Just come with us. Your time is over. You've gotta know that.
I know more than you can imagine.
Please, you don't want to do this! I know you didn't want to kill before, and I don't think you want to kill now. You're innocent. Don't you want to stay that way?
You are wrong. I lost my innocence long ago. It was stolen. Ripped from me. I will never get it back.



You better be worth it.

Rosa bitterly regards Charlie. All too soon, however...



The Countess snaps Charlie's neck, and deposits him on the ground like a piece of garbage. The Countess has claimed another victim.

Have no sympathy for this man! His spirit has moved on. It is less than he deserves.

I guess Charlie didn't need to stick around, because the Countess is right. No ghost emerges from his corpse. The music quietens down for now, with the moment seemingly having passed.

We can do this an alternative way - by showing the ghost cigarette to the Countess.



I think I found something of yours.
What... what is that?
It's a part of you, isn't it?



The Countess quickly deposits Charlie, barely alive, on the roof.

It was torn from me so long ago.
Here. Take it.



I am not the same person I once was.
Hey, we've all changed. And sometimes we just have to accept it.



Whether we save Charlie or not, Joey now approaches the Countess.

Now, why don't you take a hold of this and we can finish it.

However, the Countess turns to face Joey, and her eyes flash with rage.

You! You are the most guilty of all!
What?
What?



Oh geez, what did you do, Joey? The music immediately kicks back into full gear.

Hey. Get off! What are you talking about?
My death.
That was self-defence!
You must be held accountable.

Fuck. We do NOT need this.



In a fit of spiritual strength, the Countess literally tears off Joey's tie and throws it onto the ground. He has been separated from his own link to the next world for the first time.



Joey and the Countess engage in some spiritual boxing, but it is clear that Joey is outmatched in terms of sheer power.



Joey can attempt to throw jabs, but the Countess is too wily for him. He's not going to beat her in a straightforward fight.



Eyeing Rosa for inspiration, Joey steels himself for the battle ahead.



Switching over to Rosa, she looks around desperately for some way to help turn the tide.

Just stay back! Come nowhere near her!

She's really tearing into him. He looks like he's fighting for his life. Sort of. I can't touch her. She's a ghost! Think, Rosangela. Think! There's got to be something you can do.

If Rosa tries to approach the fight, Joey yells at her to get out of the way.

Just stay back. I'm handling this.

You're really not, Joey



With no real plans in mind, Rosa scoops up the tie.



It's not glowing anymore. I guess whatever was inside has died.

If you failed to save Charlie, this is an indication that whatever morality the Countess had is gone. She is now driven solely by the fury of having spent half a decade as a murder weapon.



Rosa can't touch the Countess, but she can touch the tie, and presumably the Countess can touch the tie as well. Perhaps Rosa can use it to interfere with the Countess in some way? Periodically, the Countess will wind up for a big punch (with the purple-pink effect). When she does, Rosa can attempt to lasoo her hand with the tie.



Success!

Joey, it's... not... working!
Course it's not! She's too strong for you. What do you think you're doing?!
Trying... to... save... your... butt.

If we don't do anything for a few second, the Countess fights out of the grip of the tie and resumes her punchup with Joey.



However, by switching back to Joey, we can have him take a swing at the Countess while she's distracted. The combined power is enough, and the Countess is overcome. However, this means she goes straight into Nodespace with Rosa.



Wake up, Red. Damn it, wake up.

Joey is mortified at what has just happened, with genuine fear in his voice here.

In The Wrong Place



The light. I remember.
Just head towards it.

As seems to commonly be the case, when the Countess' ghost enters Rosa's Nodespace, the potency of her emotions seems greatly diminished.

I went through once. And I was dragged back.
It hurt. It hurt so much.
The link brought you back, but it's gone now. You understand? You're free. You don't have to hurt anyone anymore.

I wonder if this is how the Countess corrupted her link? This poor woman has gone through some ghastly experiences in her existence



But here, everything is so clear. That man. Meltzer. He lives?

If we failed to save Charlie, Rosa sadly responds.

No. You killed him.

She obviously isn't even aware of her actions in the real world.

Perhaps that is justice. He will not kill again. I made sure of that.

If we did managed to save Charlie, however, Rosa tells her:

Yes. We stopped you before you could kill him.
Is that justice? I wonder. He is a murderer. He will find ways to kill again.

Either way, the Countess has finally reached a stage where she can let go of it all.

But you are right. It is no longer my concern.
What do you mean?
Live your life. Help the lost spirits of the world. Let nothing deter you. This work is more important than you will ever know.



With those parting words, the tortured existence of the Countess blessedly comes, at last, to a close.



Rosa reflects only for a moment, before heading back to reality.

It's worth mentioning here that Gilbert's original plan for this scene was for the Countess to have completely lost her mind, and for her to grab ahold of Rosa while in Nodespace, fly through the portal back to reality, and careen off into the Manhattan skyline while Joey tried desperately to save her. It would end up with the Countess and Rosa landing in Central Park in front of a crowd of people, where Rosa and Joey would defeat her in a battle and force her back into Nodespace.

Fortunately, Gilbert realised that this was a terrible ending, not to mention one that would be difficult to handwave away in the next game since everyone would have seen Rosa literally fighting a demonic ghost. So he went instead with the much more logical step of having the Countess seek revenge on Charlie Meltzer. One thing I'll say for Gilbert - at least he knows how to edit out his bad ideas

Prelude to Tragedy



Back on the Meltzer's roof, Joey is still very concerned.



With no way to influence the situation, Joey floats around frantically.

Wake up, Red. Damn it, wake up.

Joey's frustration starts to give way to legitimate fear.

I'm not spending twenty years over another hospital bed. I'm not.



His fear then turns into genuine anger I have absolutely no difficulty believing him here, either. Joey is absolutely incensed. I guess he bears a lot of scars from the 25 years he spent hovering over Lauren's bed in Bellevue



Fortunately, before he can take any action, Rosa starts to stir, and Joey's anger immediately dissipates.

Thank god. You okay?



Gone? You sure?
Yeah. She went through the light. She's gone.
Good. Then I just got one question for you.

With the danger having passed, Joey is able to let loose his pent-up emotions.

What the hell were you thinking! I thought you were...



Rosa, of course, has some pent-up emotions of her own after this whole affair, and snaps back at Joey in kind.

Yeah. Stupid. I only saved your life.
I don't have a life to save! You only risked your own.

I'm... not sure that argument is very rational. It's not like Rosa could have left the scene, and clearly neither of them were not going to defeat the Countess individually. But this scene shows a darker side of Joey. He cares for Rosa, but selfishly (though understandably), he is even more concerned about his own existence becoming intolerable.

Joey, I'm soaking wet. And I'm sharing a roof with a corpse. If I'm getting a lecture, I'll listen to it at home.



Leaving Charlie's corpse on the roof, Rosa marches back down the stairwell while Joey complains behind her. This night has taken its toll on all involved.

If Charlie was saved, Rosa comments that Charlie needs an ambulance, rather than being a corpse, but either way she leaves him there and heads home.

Rosa's Theme



It's the only way.

In an epilogue scene of sorts, we rejoin Rosa and Joey back in their apartment. By this point, their argument has changed topics.

Why change was isn't broken?
But it IS. We can't keep blundering around like we have.
We stopped a killer ghost today. I wouldn't call that blundering.
It was pure luck. We just happened to run into her while doing something else.
So?



As has been hinted at several times in this game, Rosa is unhappy with the Lauren model of looking for cases via clues and hearsay.

People should seek US out. Not the other way around.
What do you want to do? Put up a billboard in Times Square?

Rosa does have a plan, however, and it's one that Lauren could never have taken advantage of.

No. We've got a special place nowadays. A place where you can talk about all sorts of crazy things and it's accepted as normal.
What's that?



Hahaha, wow

What, that computer box? No way.
Look, I've trusted you so far, right?
Yeah, I guess.
Then trust me. Just this once.

Joey isn't so hot on the idea, but he begrudgingly agrees, or at least, he doesn't disagree.

*sigh* If we end up in a padded room, I'm going to make your life a living hell. You know that.



I hope your advertising page still has Griff, the P.I. Bear, as it's background, Rosa

See Into Forever



And that's the game! Much like in Unbound, we are treated to an actual song, complete with lyrics, as the credit scene plays. This song is not a creation of Thomas Regin, but rather the outcome of an arrangement made with Union State Records to include a song in a game. The song is performed by Sammy Allen, and features modestly successful Los Angeles alternative rock band (they describe themselves as "Space Rock", I'm not even kidding) Hypnoqaja.



One final scene after the credits, as Madeline finds herself still just floating in the infinite void, much to her displeasure.

How long have I been here, trapped between worlds? The others could not help me. Perhaps this new one will? She is just beginning to come into her power. I just hope she is strong enough when the time comes.



With that cryptic final message, Madeline goes... somewhere, and Convergence ends. That's all folks!





Of course, Convergence comes with a bunch of special features, most of which are mildly amusing or interesting, though I've picked a couple here. Josie was an interesting character, but apparently she was originally much more "interesting". It's probably a good thing they toned her down a bit.



Finally, here's the original concept art for Joey Mallone (not Malone as this picture states). He looks a bit more like a conman here.



Finally, here is a little montage of reference photos Gilbert took for the came, as well as some stock photos of Gould and Mitchell. The artist did a pretty good job of capturing the scenes, I think.




So, that's Convergence! What did you think? I have so mixed feelings about Convergence. It has some absolutely brilliant moments - the Countess' return after Frank moves on, Rosa's name getting added to the email list, the Countess descending on Charlie. Rosa and Joey themselves have a much more interesting dynamic than in Legacy. I love the tie-ins to real world characters, and pretty much every character is believable and feels distinct. The writing is top-notch, as we've come to expect form Gilbert.

There are some issues with the game, though. A lot of things are left up to interpretation, or not even addressed at all. It's one thing to leave plot points for the later games to address, but there are plenty of small holes in the exposition that it's safe to assume will never be revisited. I would have loved to be given some information as to how the Countess moved the link to Gould, or some idea as to the mechanism involved. Charlie having spent ten years with the power before writing someone's name down seems unlikely, but it's never addressed. Why is the Countess' essence in an oven? It makes no sense.

In the end, I think the game is good for what it is, which is a fun romp through several days of awesome moments and Rosa and Joey being amusing. Convergence is probably a victim of its own strengths - the setting and writing is so interesting and mysterious that we want to learn about everything that has happened, and it feels like a letdown when that doesn't happen.

I don't mind the emergence of Charlie Meltzer as the first truly "evil" character in the series. Even there, he's not a bonafide big nasty evil character, he's just a bit of a shut-in creep who isn't above offing someone from a distance to get ahead in life. It's clear that supernatural powers of several kinds exist in the Blackwell universe, and as we all know, wherever power exists, someone will seek to abuse it. I much prefer that "evil" dynamic, rather than the alternative concept of an evil entity from the next plane of existence wreaking havoc. As it is, Convergence gives a sense that our universe simply has some serious flaws in the way its constructed, and those flaws are ripe for exploitation.

In terms of the other aspects of the game, I think Convergence is definitely a success. The art is really quite beautiful, and the portraits are very effective. The music, while not reaching the same emotional highs as in Unbound, is consistently of high standard with no real low-points to speak of. It's extremely easy to listen to and several scenes are choreographed to the music, which is extremely effective.

The removal of the notebook mechanic doesn't really detract from Convergence, though it does mean that every puzzle involves either a simple pixel hunt, or running through dialogue trees. Fortunately, the dialogue is so good that this never feels like a chore. A couple of the puzzles are stupid, but hey, it wouldn't be an Adventure Game without a few stupid puzzles!

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that Convergence felt like the final game in a trilogy, while Deception feels like the start of a new trilogy (though as we now know, the fifth game in the series will be the last). That feeling is justified, because most of the events from Legacy and Unbound have been wrapped up in Convergence. The Deacon, The Countess, Joe Gould, Joseph Mitchell, all those stories have reached their conclusions. Rosa and Joey have both developed as characters, we've fleshed out Lauren a bit, and we are now poised to move onto something different in The Blackwell Deception. I hope you're all as excited to see the fourth game as I am!

Tomorrow we'll get started straight away on Deception, so get your discussion about Convergence in now! We're about to change gears real soon.