Part 63: Blackwell Deception - Update 20 (Part 2)

We're half way there now. Next up is Penelope.



Family. What did family ever do for me?

Joey's first thoughts go to Lauren.

Hey, your aunt gave up everything to raise you. Doesn't that mean anything?
It drove her insane for decades and then killed her.
I watched her. My entire life, I saw her waste away and die. If that's what having family does, I want no part of it.

Next up, Joey finally addresses the question of how Lauren and Rosa survived for so long living in the middle of Manhattan without having a proper job.

They left you some money, didn't they?
Three generations worth of cash, barely used. All for you. And don't think I haven't noticed you dipping into that fund since you quit your job.
Money. Right. Does that make the pain go away?
Does that make the years of living in foster homes any better?
No. I suppose it doesn't.
Then shut up.

Joey then points out that Rosa may still meet her family again in the afterlife...

You know that death isn't the end. Your parents. Your aunt. They are out there, somewhere. That's gotta mean something, doesn't it?
I have wasted too much time on the dead. I'm still here. Living. Breathing. Alive. I need to focus on that, for once.

...but that doesn't work either. How can Joey get through to her?



By appealing to Rosa's sense of individuality - one thing being well and truly violated by Gavin.

That's right.
Who needs family? You got through it on your own. Those lonely years would break most people, but not Rosa Blackwell.
No. I'm still here.
That's right. A bit shaken, perhaps, but not broken. You should be proud, kid.
I am.
So tell me. Why are you letting a creep like Gavin tell you what to do?
... I'm not.
Then prove it. Walk away.



She's almost out of it. Just a little bit more!

That's it. Come on. Almost there.
No! Your spirit guide is wrong. He always has been. You need to take control over your own life. Turn away from him!
...



Tiffany. She was weak. And stupid.

Last of all is Tiffany. Rosa certainly never thought Tiffany was weak and stupid before, which Joey points out to her.

She was just human, Red. We are all weak and stupid sometimes.
She didn't really want to live. She just gave up and wasted away.
That's right. You are not a quitter. You want something, you take it.
Damn it, stop twisting my words.

Next up, he tries pointing out that Gavin made Tiffany how she was.

Gavin KILLED her! You know it. I know it. And above all, he knows it.
Tiffany wasn't killed by Gavin.
That's right. I was nowhere near her.
He's brainwashing you, kid. You know what really went down.
I only know that I don't want to talk to you any longer.

Joey then tries appealing to Rosa's sense of love.

Is it weak and stupid to fall in love?
It's weak to let it control you life. I need to be in control.
News flash, kid. You're not in control.
I am in control of my own destiny now, Joey.
There's no place for you any more.



But in the end, the final step is to point out to Rosa that she's about to fall into the same trap as Tiffany.

Yes.
Not from where I'm standing, you're not.
You always think the worst of me.
I do, huh? Then prove it. Walk away.



She's completely turned around now. Gavin is furious at her resistance.

Rosangela Blackwell! Listen to my voice! You want to listen to me. You need to listen to me. In your heart, you know I am right about everything.



Seemingly reacting to Gavin's raised voice, Rosa starts to turn back around.

I think...
YOU THINK WHAT I TELL YOU TO THINK.

As Gavin yells, Rosa snaps back to face him.



Now, where were we?

However, Rosa suddenly stares straight at him.

Get. Out.
Of. My.
HEAD!



Using all that remains of her willpower, Rosa blocks the mind magic out of her head, sending it sparking out of control back to the source. The resulting supernatural explosion sends Gavin flying, dead before he hits the ground. Almost immediately, his ghost materialises in front of them.



Unlike other ghosts though, he seems very much aware of what is going on - and he's pissed about it.

You got me when I was feeding. I might have been unpreprared, but I won't be next time.

Gavin talks a big game for someone who just got his ass whipped.

Next time? I hate to break it to you, pally. But you're dead.
Dead? No. I have energy to spare. More than enough to bring me back.

Say what?! God fucking damn it. The last thing we need is for him to have regenerative powers as well!

Confrontation



Suddenly, Lisa's ghost re-enters the room.

Gavin.
Oh. It's you.
I didn't want it to be this way.
Get out of my way, Lisa.

Lisa isn't budging, though.

I was scared. Maybe my grandfather was right.
I said get out of my way!
No. I can't. Not now.

Having had time to reflect on her own death, Lisa wants at least one of her actions to be something heroic.



Get off of me!

Lisa and Gavin grab each other's throats, trying to throttle one another, while Rosa and Joey watch on.



What do you think?
Dunno how much longer she can hold him off. If we're gonna do something, it's gotta be now.



Floating next to the battling ghosts, Joey hands one end of the tie to Rosa, and in a last desperate move, Lisa grabs the other end. With a quick tug, Rosa pulls both Lisa and Gavin into Nodespace.

The music dies out here, leaving only the echoey hum of infinity.



Gavin is NOT happy to be here.

Wait. I was never supposed to come back here. It was part of the deal.

He turns around and implores Rosa with terror in his voice.

Please. Send me back.
I don't think that's possible.
No. Not yet. It's too soon. You don't understand. If they find me here...



But it's all too late. Whatever cosmic deity Gavin struck a bargain with 200 years ago has come to collect. His horrifying screams echo through the endless universe for only a moment before dissipating.



Lisa has no idea what to make of any of this.

I'm not sure.
I...
I think I want to go home, now. I am very tired.
Just head that way.

Looks like this whole experience has really knocked the wind out of Lisa's sails. She's definitely ready to move on.



Yes.

Lisa floats to the threshold, then hesitates.

Do you think... it was worth it, in the end? Any of it?

In our final choice of three dialogue options for this LP, Rosa can either say she's not sure:

That's not for me to decide, Lisa.
Well. I guess I'll have lots of time to think about it.

She can point out that people died:

A lot of people are dead because of you.
Yes. I can't deny that anymore.

Or she can choose to focus on Lisa's final actions:

You did help us stop Gavin. He won't hurt anyone else.
Does that make up for it all? I wonder.

It's time for Lisa to go.

I was so angry. I've never been so angry. And now... I'm just so tired.
Go ahead, Lisa. You can rest as long as you like.
Thank you.



And so ghost #12 goes to her final rest. I'd say #13, but I'm not really sure if we should count Gavin or not



Back in the real world, Joey asks after Rosa.

Sure. I think so. My brain feels scrubbed raw, but I'm okay.
And the spooks?
Lisa went through. Gavin was... taken.
Taken?
Look, I don't want to stay here. Let's get out of here.
Sure.

Deception Lament



Joey and Rosa head to the High Line to reflect on the events of the past two days.

You wanted to come here?
It's a place to go.
And I need some air.
Suit yourself.

The tension is pretty heavy between these two.



Forget it. It never happened.

Rosa doesn't find it so easy to just forget it, however. Some of the things she said, though exaggerated, were grounded in something real.

No. It's all mixed up. The truth and the lies. It's all a big mess. I'm not sure who I am, right now.
It'll sort itself out.
No. I...



Finally, the emotions overcome Rosa.

Eh?
I was weak. He got into my head. He found a loose thread in my mind and yanked it free.
I should have been stronger.

Joey tries to reassure Rosa...

Stronger? The guy had to tie you up and hold you at gunpoint to get through to you. That's more that you can say for anyone else he's met.
Maybe. But what's the point?
What do you mean?

...but it's clear that her experience with Gavin has left her with more than just guilt.



What brought this on?
Helping Jeremy. All these ghosts. It should be fulfilling. Why do I feel so empty. Is it Gavin? Or is it me?

Even though Gavin was only preying on Rosa's weaknesses, the fact remains that they are legitimate concerns for her, and this experience has fully exposed them to her.

*sigh* I wish I had answers. There was a time when I thought the same. That helping someone else would do me good. Turns out... I was wrong.
Do you regret it?
I dunno. Maybe. Who can say? You make your choices, whether there's a point or not.

Joey's words seem to strike a chord with Rosa.



This organization that Gavin belongs to. They're out there. Somewhere.
Somewhere.
I want to find them.
You sure?
Yes.

That sounds pretty damn dangerous, but I guess I can see why Rosa would make this decision.

And this is what's gonna bring meaning to your existence?
I need to do something. Anything. I can't just react anymore.
It might not be the right choice, or even a good one, but it's something. Do you understand?
Yeah, I get it. And I'm with you. All the way to the end. I'm with you.
Thank you.

Rosa peers over the balcony at the city lights below.



You think that cafe down there is open?
For their sake, I hope so.
Let's get out of here.
After you, sweetheart.

At the end of it all, despite what has happened, Joey seems to gave gained some respect for Rosa. He chooses to leave the portal-shutting incident alone for now. I guess he reasons that it wasn't really Rosa's doing.



And that's the end of Deception! The credit scene rolls past, though this time without an actual piece of music with lyrics like the last two games.

Breaking News



Finally, the now-customary epilogue scene rolls past.



Oh geez, I'm not sure it was so smart to alert the police. Our prints are probably all over that damn building, and nobody else's will be. The report continues.

Police commissioner Alex Silva had this to say.

I want to send a very public message to the ones who did this. This isn't something we tolerate. Not in this city, and not under my watch. So whoever you are, let's get one thing straight.



Just when we didn't need more things to worry about...



And that's all she (or he, in this case) wrote! Of course, the next Blackwell game is due out in a few months time, and I hope you will all join me in buying it and seeing how this little saga ends. I also hope those of you who didn't like the final twist in the series so far won't be put off from seeing how Gilbert chooses to resolve it.

Just before I get to my final thoughts on Deception and the series as a whole, I'll just make a very quick note on Alex Silva, who is actually a girl despite the name (possibly a callback to Legacy!) Much like Jeremy Sams, her name has been mentioned earlier in the series - in fact, at the same time.



Of course, at this point, you all know as much as I do about the Blackwell series, so I have no idea if the Alex character will be continued in Epiphany, but it's a safe bet. It seems like she's been on Gilbert's mind for some time.

So, that was The Blackwell Deception! What did you all think of it, and the series (to date) as a whole? I'm keen to keep discussion, thoughts and speculation alive for a little while before closing up shop here. Personally, I really like Deception, even though the last part of it with Gavin is entirely out of step with the rest of the series. The majority of the game is well-handled, and in my opinion extremely well-paced. That said, the pacing is hurt a little by some very poorly-designed puzzles in the Tiffany case. When I first played Deception I spent more time stuck on her case than I did playing the rest of the game.

The art, while lower in quality than Convergence, is still quite effective and beyond the initial boat scene I never found myself noticing it being poorer. The music is a lovely blend of some of the best pieces from Convergence, and some great new tracks, although if anything it was a bit heavy on the generic atmospheric tracks. The dialogue is as good as ever. Overall, I think it's great. I'll reserve my judgement on the Gavin developments until I see what happens in Epiphany. After all, if I had played Legacy when it first came out, I would have been pretty disappointed with the Devil showing up at the end, but I eventually came to accept that as a reasonable ending as I played on through the series. I am hoping to go through a similar process when Epiphany arrives.

What I was disappointed by with Deception was the lack of development in the overarching story. When I first played Deception, I was really hoping we'd learn more about Joey's past and his relation to the Blackwell family, and while we saw some glimpses, there are still so many questions left unanswered. Why did Patricia and Lauren go insane; was it simply because they didn't save ghosts for a while? How exactly did Joey die? We know he died saving Danny, and it's implied that they both had a relationship with Danny's eventual wife Linda, but we know nothing more of the story there. Why does Joey haunt the Blackwell family? When did Lauren meet Madeline? Are there other mediums and spirit guides out there? Was it divine power that created Nodespace or is it just a natural phenomenon?

All in all, I'm excited but nervous for Epiphany. Gilbert will have the opportunity to answer all of these questions and more, but as the last game in the series there is also the potential to drop the ball and leave too many holes in the exposition. Given that he was originally intending to make ten games in the series I'll forgive him for the sparsity of backstory so far, but he'd want to deliver in a big way in Epiphany to really put a bow on the series. There is also the danger that he'll stray too far from the series' roots of ghost saving which would be a pity. Hopefully he makes ghost saving the central role, even if chasing down this cult is a the overaching theme of the story. I can imagine them trying to track the cult down, and coming across a stream of ghosts along the way, each of which bring them one step closer. If I could make one additional request for Epiphany, it would be for another Lauren flashback. I know I'm a sucker for her, but damn it, she was a fantastic character and I want to spend more time exploring her story.

As for the series as a whole, I really love it. The games are all fairly easy and short, so they don't keep you engaged for that long, but the setting and the characters are so rich that you can't help but think back to them long after you finish playing. The music has a habit of sticking in your head, too. I can't tell you how many nights I found myself humming The Brown's Duet or Tiffany's Theme. Despite the short length of each game, putting the four of them together gives a good ten hours of extremely rewarding game time. If Epiphany ends up being twice as long as Deception as has been promised, that figure will end up looking more like 15 or 20 hours, which is a very reasonable chunk of game. Certainly very impressive considering the extremely humble beginnings of one man producing a free indie game back in 2003.

As I'm sure you've all noticed, I've made a point throughout this thread to regularly refer to Dave Gilbert, Wadjet Eye Games, the various individuals involved, and the real-life stories that are behind the Blackwell series. As someone who grew up wanting to be a game designer as a kid, I have an enormous amount of respect for those independent developers, artists, programmers and actors who are now living their dream, and doing it with a flair that would put many large organisations to shame. If nothing more, I hope that this thread has brought some well-deserved publicity to Wadjet Eye and to Gilbert himself. For that matter, the entire indie game development industry could use more support from the demographic here on Something Awful.

Finally, let me thank all of you who commented and speculated regularly in this thread - you've made it a joy to keep updated every day for the last two months For those keeping score, there were 57 consecutive updates in total - while not quite the most updates I've ever done for a single LP, it's definitely been the largest LP undertaking I've been a part of. Let me also extend an additional note of appreciation to all of those posters who had played these games before, and kept spoilers out of this thread right up to the end. I'm certain it made for a much better experience for all of the newcomers to the series who were reading.



Now I turn the thread over to all of you, to discuss your thoughts, speculate on what's to come (if any spoilers have been leaked already, feel free to post them but only in spoiler tags), talk about your favourite moments, characters, locations or music tracks, and give your own impressions of the series. I'd love to see discussion or analysis of certain moments in the series that you found interesting, or what you think might have happened for those parts that were left to our imagination. Thank you all, one final time, for your participating and encouragement over the last two months!



Aaaaand, that's a wrap.