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Average Adventure

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: November 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Game format: plain-vanilla point and click. Graphics screens are of good quality, except for the rendering of people's faces. The "walker" is a bit stiff, and walks around like a handicapped android. The sound is realistic, especially the stormy scenes, with good rain sounds and thunder/lightening.
Game play: tiresomely repetitive. Too much time is spent in moving from location to location, and especially within particular locations. The puzzles range from simple to impossible. In one or two places you can die irreversibly.
Story Line: Interesting and mysterious, not overly logical. The end stage of the game is total bunkum and does not fit the rest of the story at all. It was clearly pasted on solely to bring the effort to a close. The story does not unfold very well as one progresses through it.
Overall Assessment: After playing a surplus of very poor adventure games, this one was a relief, at least insofar as it held my interest for a while. If only games like "Sam and Max..." or "Day of the Tentacle" had good graphics! Like so many others of the genre, the developers of Black Mirror have gotten lost in the production of their graphics screens and have forgotten story line.

very LONG game with a great story

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: August 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I really liked this game. The story is one of the best. Most of the time you just don't know what could be happening, so you want to keep playing for hours and hours. First, it took a long long time. I ususally finish the games so quickly, that it's not even worth buying them. But you do have to be very patient with this game. This is a plus for me. The ending was not as bad as many of the reviewers have said it was. I thought Syberia 2's ending explained A LOT LESS than this game's ending. The graphics are great, and the weather in the game is extremely realistic. Defiately buy this game. The only negative thing is that there is a lot of pixel hunting and long conversations, but it adds to the game.

Great graphics, great effects, good music, poor characters

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: November 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is really a paradox. One one side the effects of it really were a sight to see. The lighting, mist, moving water, rain, thunder and all, was great to be immersed in, with really well done graphics that set the mood. The music was good and I felt at times I was there, so hats off to the artists of this game.

Now the not so good were the characters first and foremost. They were stiff. You don't ever connect to any of them and the main lead character was less than charming. In fact, his arrogant behavior at times made me want to give the dude a sharp kick in the pants and yet he could be caring and soft at other times. I wanted to like the dude, really I did, but I just couldn't get there. Now I haven't completed it so maybe as I get near the end this VERY long story will make sense, I can only hope so. If you like the Longest Journey with all the trite dialogue, you will love this game. If you like Myst, you probably won't like this one. There isn't any challenging logic puzzles to work out but simple mechanical ones that seem rather silly. A lever here, a key there. I got tired of looking for a blanking key every little bit. Key here, key there, everywhere a key, key! You have to do some pixel hunting too and a few were really hard to spot, making you go through everything with a fine-toothed comb. I hated the left, right clicking mouse feature too. I had to get help once when I couldn't get out of a room. It turns out I hadn't right clicked an item at a rather illogical time to right click. Having to click several times on many items just to hear an additional nothing wasn't too fun either. It takes a while for the characters to respond too, at least on my machine and I own an Athlon 2400 that is over a year old so I have a fairly fast computer with a good graphics card yet the characters moved like slugs. The game plays smooth and I haven't had any troubles but just know that the characters are poorly done.

I know it sounds like I don't like this game but I do. I like the game, it is just these frustrating things that I have to vent. Don't buy this game if you are looking for chills and thrills. I liked Amber Journeys Beyond a lot better, as far as thrilling, and Dark Fall, as far as chilling, more than this one.

Get Black Mirror if you want to go through a very realistic world in an environment that was convincing and for that alone. You won't enjoy this game if your are impatient. This game will teach you to be patient though, or you might be throwing it out the window.

Okay, but scary to me......

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 10 / 14
Date: May 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The graphics, like everyone else has said, are gorgeous. The acting is terrible. The game definitely should keep its horror rating. It is gory. There's a ton of action that happens in a morgue! There's also a very scary scene in which you're talking to a man in a mental ward through a peep hole in an adjacent cell. But the worst part of this game, and the part that makes it able to keep the horror rating, is the satanic stuff at the end. Very creepy and very unnecessary. They could have ended the game without all of that. Not a game for children.

avid adventure gamer

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: November 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have been playing adventure games for awhile now. starting with myst on up to todays latest, i have played quite a few. After playing Syberia my whole outlook on adventure games took a turn. I couldn't get enough of 3rd person adventures. playing through other such great games like The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango and the Monkey Island Series was a treat. Then when I came across this game, The Black Mirror I knew I was in for a treat. I enjoy the adventure genre because I can get away from the real world for awhile. This game does just that. The graphics, though dark and moody, are rather beautiful and actually, in my opinion, rival those of landscapes seen in Syberia. The music and sound effects are of extremely high quality. It wouldn't surprise me if Dolby Surround had a hand in it. The screen size is a respectable 800X600. This is something I am really skeptical about. And the story thus far is very captivating and very dark. I actually want to keep playing to see what happens next. The puzzles do require some thinking but I haven't had to seek the help of a guide yet. That says a lot for me! Overall I give this game 5 stars because it thus far offers everything I like in adventures. Awesome eye candy, great sound, great story!

Perfect game for beginner or intermediate adventure gamers!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I absolutely loved this game! The game play is so intuitively designed that as beginner/intermediate level gamer I was able to play the WHOLE game without ever having to look at a walkthrough - which made the game so much more satisfying! The puzzles are logical and many clues are scattered throughout the game to help move you along - very "player friendly". The puzzles are not too hard, but just tricky enough to provide a sense of delight when they are solved. This game was so addicting, I could hardly wait to get home and play it in the evening. It ranks right up there with my favorite games like Longest Journey, Phantasmagoria and Syberia for enjoyable gaming.

Great Story

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: November 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I really liked this game. The graphics and music are great. SOme of the movements are alittle slow going. Some of the puzzles are challenging, but not too challenging. I dont think you will need any hints or walkthroughs in this game, it is pretty easy to figure out what to do next. Fans of Syberia and The Longest Journey will really enjoy this. I think the playability is easy, and the interface is easy as well. I loved it. I dont think it has a great replay value, but the game is a decent length. It has 6 chapters and I would say approximatley 30 hours of game time. All in all I would highly recommend it. IF you are a fan of this type of game this one is for you!!!

How about adding a storyline?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 12 / 23
Date: October 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I really don't think that there is a reason to cover up, that this adventure had -NO- story. If you want me to spoiler the whole story, read on, if not just don't.
******The Story:
A bunch of people dies during you investigate the murder of your grandfather. You get deeper and deeper stuck in it, and can't solve who murdered your grandfather or the others - but you, as the player, most probably knew after the first three to five hours that your dearest Samuel was the murder himself. Surprised? Yes, this is kind of a new element in a story, really! There's no more story.
Now the main problems:
So Samuel didn't return for 12 or 14 years - well, whatever - so he probably won't live near this region, right? Or you would at least return home one time during the game. Well, Samuel is the murderer, possessed by this evil ancestor-spirit, or whatever... How the hell did he get to Black Mirror, could murder William, get back home, and wake up, as if nothing happened? The ghost drove there, killed William, drove back, put back everything, where it was before (keys, car, clothes, etc.) within one night? Wow. Why the hell should it? It needed five souls, or something - not quite clear - why didn't he just throw a bomb into the sanatory? No no, he has to kill people Samuel gets to know (Vick [The boy], Henry) or already knew a long time, and he also has to do it very complex. Why does the evil spirit put the boy onto an altar and kill him there instead of just cutting his throat whereever he found Vick?
And how does Samuel get to the victim and kill this one that complex and accurate, without leaving ANY trace at his clothing or at the place? It's a riddle every single time.
And what about this little subplots in the story?
The family history... it's only: "Well, yeah, there was a curse! OVER! Enough! The curse was... just there, you know?"
Samuel's wife... "Yeah, ahem, it was my fault that she died." "No, it wasn't!" "But the flames-" Yeah, and what exactly did happen? Ah, it doesn't matter, just add the beginning of deep mysteries, and there is no more need to solve a thing.
Robert's experiments... Yey, he tortured his patients... Hermann was involved... And? What for? Why? How? What was the liquid or whatever he gave them? Or was he just sadistic and had his fun with this? Oh please...
What exactly were the reasons, why no one wanted to work for the family anymore? "A lot has changed." ... Aha? Beat it, you won't find out anymore, Victoria is tired everytime, if she should talk about a storypart, very nice work to avoid to spend some thoughts on a story. Really.
God, why is there a mine under the crypt? What was the "thing" that killed everyone, who worked in this region?
What was James' story? How did they find him, why did they let him live in the mansion? The producers just let him hang himself to avoid thinking about a story for him.
It's a real shame. NOTHING, and absolutely NOTHING is solved.
The producers were so cunning, that they added so many mysteries and really suspenseful story-arcs until the very end, that you REALLY was excited, what the reason for all of this is, and then comes the BIGGEST disappointment: There is NO reason.
And at the very end you only begin to think, that they already had no more motivation to work at this game and just made a quick ending"dungeon" and -scene, in which Samuel kills himself. In approximately 3 seconds. Yeah, we know, you regret what the evil spirit has done in some miraculous way, and you kill yourself, so, that there is NO MORE way, to find out, what happened a long time ago. Thanks.
Really, this was great work, avoiding everything to think about a story. The producers should've better spend the time in thinking about a story, instead of thinking about how to avoid thinking about a story.
******The Gameplay
The Gameplay is quite good in some points. The control is really easy, you can double-click on an exit to leave immediately and save time that way, are able to travel from place to place very quick by using your map and you have no great loading times or retards, except for the people, who MUST first finish something, before speaking with you.
Example: The Barkeeper: First, he has to take a cup, look into it, clean it really slowly, then put it away, push his flannel in his pinafore and at last look at you, before he says something, so, that you are able to ask him about:... well, if you already have talked with him about everything, he does the same thing, says the same, but you only have lost time, because Samuel couldn't recognize before that he hasn't got any topic to talk with him. Real cool.
And besides: Most of the riddles are fun, they make you think about it, and search around the area, but some are really overdone. You see a string of skulls, and ONE of ten or more is slack, great, you have to find THIS one, and the skull doesn't even look else than the others. But the reason, why you have to pull this skull of: He falls onto the floor, and you can look at it, only to realize, that there's a key behind a grate. Oh, this wasn't possible, BEFORE THIS SKULL HAS FALLEN DOWN THERE? Nope, sorry. I mean, Samuel is a polite man, he never could look down into a grate, it is more noble to pull a skull off and investigate this.
But another frustrating thing was a riddle, where you had to know some symbols for zodiac signs, some not familiar symbols. How the heck should you know, in which order you had to push the zodiacs (You had one room free, so that you only could push one zodiac after another, it was terrible and frustrating, and not even a walkthrough could help you properly, you had to know these zodiacs.). How can you expect from someone, to know such things? I mean, as a player you expect from an adventure to force you to think about things, but the producers weren't able to create riddles, in which you have to think logically, no, they had to make a quiz about general knowledge.
******The graphics
The locations were really great, every single one. They varied and where really nice designed. Only the locations already created some atmosphere, and this Victorian style was so great. I loved it. The only thing, that was disturbing was, that the characters didn't really fit, and some had a really unnatural physique.
******The Atmosphere, Sounds
Atmosphere was the main motivation to play "The Black Mirror". They mastered to create such a wonderful vicinity, they've well varied with the designs and you couldn't get bored to look at the different locations, until "The Black Mirror" became a "Run there, to get there again, to return to this place, to move to this again, in between return five times to Black Mirror" - I don't know what happened, but it was as if their house of cards collapsed.
>>>As if they lost every motivation and every passion for this game. The graphics varied, the sounds remained great, the rudiments of the story were amazing, but nothing was solved, locations were just used a few more times, to avoid creating new ones, the atmosphere wasn't kept. But I tried. I tried to play the game to the end, and because the tempo of the events raised and raised, it was exciting, though the passion got lost, and I just wanted to find out everything, what the riddles and mysteries were all about... - Nothing. It was a total loss of time. It was like you sat at a hot seat and just couldn't wait, but you suddenly froze.
Black Mirror is maybe worth buying for 10-15$, yes, because it is fun a long time, if you don't know how disappointing the story is. It is nice for 50% of the game, your attention is arrested for a long time, so it probably isn't a total loss of money, but if you are focused on a story in an adventure, like I am: Borrow it, but don't BUY it.

Needlessly tedious

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: December 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I like games where you have to figure out puzzles, trade items for information other items, that sort of thing. I had high hopes for this because there were "numerous characters" to interact with and "several locations" to explore. Halfway through I got tired of the pointless dialogue, the need to travel back and forth between locations to get one item to advance the game. The ending was so anti-climactic I wondered if that was really supposed to be the end of the game. I expected there to at least be some degree of difficulty for the end. I wouldn't recommend buying this game.

Absolutely BRIALLIANT!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I simply dont understand the people who havent enjoyed this game. Simply for the fact that its one of the BEST adventure games to come out with counterparts like Longest Journey and Syberia.
If one is a True adventure game genre fan i cannot possibly conceive of why the game was not liked? Beautiful, relaistic graphics,Good music, excellent and not unsolvable puzzles and a terrific climax!!The game delivers much more than it promises!
I wish that many more of such games are made to keep up the adventure game genre alive.
If i had to give 6 stars i de think they werent enough for this game!Try it guys, its one helluva great game!

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