The Black Mirror (PC Games, 2003)

I couldn't get this game to work on my computer. Don't know if it's me, or the computer is not compatible to this CD. Don't think anything bad about the way it was written up. Good item for someone.

This is an excellent role playing game with a surprise ending! The graphics are excellent; easy to get around in the game. The presentation of the music during specific scenes made my heart race quite a few times.

The Black Mirror was developed by Unknown Identity and published in the US by the Adventure Company in October 2003. Unknown Identity, a Czech company, joins a growing number of east European game developers who turn out games with superb graphics.

The game is set sometime in 1980, in the Black Mirror Manor, situated somewhere in Great Britain. After twelve years, Samuel Gordon returns to his ancestral home of Black Mirror Castle to attend the funeral of his grandfather, William Gordon, who died in a suspicious circumstance. Samuel does not believe the death to be a suicide or accident as most people around him assume, and sets about to discover what really happened. Following William’s footsteps, as Samuel delves deeper into the family’s past, people around him start to die a mysterious, horrific death.

Your task, as Samuel Gordon, is to uncover the secrets that have haunted your family for over seven centuries. As these secrets seem to be inexplicably linked to the present, you are going to get to the truth by investigating the current murders and deaths around you.

The game is a third-person point and click, and you do not have the complete freedom of movement or viewing angle. Use of the mouse is pretty much intuitive and standard, except for the occasional right click. . Left click on the hot spot usually gives you a comment on the object or lets you pick it up as an inventory item, but there are cases where hot spots remain after a single left click. If that happens, you’d better click again for more info, OR right click to uncover more info or uncover what is hidden beneath the hot spot.

The tempo of the game is rather slow and relaxed. The game does not require time-critical maneuver for the most part. There are only two instances in the whole game where you need to do something quick to prevent a catastrophic outcome, but other than those you can take as much time as you want, talking to people or going between places. It is actually a good idea to go back and forth, as certain events and clues won’t be triggered until after you do certain things. Word of caution: Save often, especially toward the end of each chapter (there are six). Although this game does not have multiple endings, there are multiple ways for Samuel Gordon to get killed; if that happens, that’s the end of the whole game for you.

Puzzles you encounter in the game are not mind-bogglingly difficult by themselves. What I personally found most difficult in this game is that many puzzles can only be solved either by creative combination of inventory items or creative action. So if you are a simple-minded and honest person like me, try to think outside your mold.. Be cunning and resourceful.

Voice acting is passable, not great but not bad enough to turn you off completely. It is clearly a translation of the original language, and I used the subtitle option. Graphics are very detailed and have a good, sinister ambience.

Overall, this is a fun game for the inquiring mind. It is rated mature for some gore and violence (I was grossed out on some scenes, but not terrified - I am too old for that). I am looking forward to the next offering from this developer.

I enjoyed this game. A little to much talking and wait time between conversations in which you are asked to wait for something to happen. I could not play it on my newer laptop because the software was not compatible BUT I used my older desktop and it worked great.

Great game, very very enjoyable. Hours of fun. I loved it! And WHAT a surprise ending, I never expected it. Several shockers throughout the game that took me by surprise - they actually made me gasp! I loved the dialogue with the characters. I'm keeping this one, and plan to play it again.

THE GAME ITSELF IS PRETTY GOOD IF YOU CAN GET IT TO OPEN. I bought this game and then installed it and it would not open up. I searched everywhere for help and when I went to company's website and it had a patch for it, but when you click on the link it goes to a page that is no longer available. There is a place you can download a patch to stop starforce from blocking its opening. You have to find a file and rename it then replace it with the one you downloaded. If you are really computer literate you might not have a problem, but for those of us that get confused if we have to cut and paste,,LOL then DON'T BUY IT!!!!

This is an awesome game. I just started it yesterday and I find it really hard to stop playing. It has good graphics and is very easy to use. I would recomend this game to anyone who likes mystery games.

I was a bit surprised by this game. I'd read the reviews and wasn't sure I'd like it. An eBayer suggest it during conversation of another purchase. Think they bought one of mine, or vice versa. Anyway, I decided to buy and try.

I have to tell you I got my money's worth. This was a very fun game. True there is a lot of conversation, but most of it was needed and it made the game enjoyable and understandable.

These are the things that I liked. Easy to save - has 24 spots. Easy to get to what you're carrying. Push Tab and you can see all the exits from any screen, or an arrow to proceed to the next screen. I liked the fact that the cursor turned red on hot spots. Just get all the hot spots and you'll win. I couldn't proceed, so I went back and sure enough I'd missed two hot spots.

The Black Mirror does have some gorgeous graphics and an impressively Gothic atmosphere, but it's ruined by perpetual slowness and many, many scenes of long, long conversations. Samuel is the wayward heir to the Gordon Manor who returns to his rural England roots when his grandfather is killed in suspicious circumstances. It's up to you to guide him around the Manor and village, talking to people and investigating. Typical 'adventure' gameplay mechanics are involved in progressing through the chapters. Which is fine, but when the game makes you wait for other characters to do stuff for you, boy does it make you WAIT. I've had the game running for over 6 hours while other characters waste you're time doing stuff for you (or not doing it rather). And there's nothing else for YOU do to when this is going on. It's infuriating. The ending to the game is profoundly weak. A lame twist I should have seen coming is capped-off with dull, cut-scene and then the end credits. When I play a game for so long I expect more than that! It also leaves many questions unanswered. Who EXACTLY killed William Gordon? Where did Uncle Robert really go? What's the deal with Samuel's long-dead lover? How did the Priest not find the secret crypt halfway through the game? Why is it set in 1981? I was impressed with the game at first but in the last third it got pretty tiresome and the end is no real pay-off. For serious adventure gamers ONLY.