[Matt Berkeley]

Okay, I've not bothered with this because I have heard from multiple sources in multiple phrasings that it is "too easy". Although most say it is a good (or even great) game. This is usually with reference to the story. Or some obviously nostalgia-driven appreciation of the old-school look ("sprite-ish-ness).

But, this "too easy" thing is a no-go for me. If it isn't a game, if there are no challenges, I'm sure I'll have a hard time finding time...

But Gemini Rue has stayed on my radar and, now, I've come across this review, which features big, fat quotes like these:

"You will also be spending quite a few hours pondering Gemini Rue’s puzzles"

"...provides the thinking gamer with a satisfying adventure experience..."

...

So is the reviewer crazy?

[zane]

i havnt completed the game so i cant say for certain, but while difficulty is on the easy side, its not mindlessly easy. And theres plenty of scenarios where you can die and you have to think on your feet. Those review quotes sound like a bit of embellishment, but again, i havnt gotten around to finishing the game yet.

[Ascovel]

I recommend trying out the demo.

[TheLongestJourney]

Originally Posted by Ascovel

I recommend trying out the demo.

I second this recommendation in that you can determine if you will like the setting and story but it should also be cautioned that the puzzles get more difficult as the game progresses and the ones at the beginning are the easiest in the game.

[drunk]

In my opinion both the quote and the "too easy" is an exaggeration.
I liked the puzzles because they fit into the story, they make sense and never made me asking myself: why on earth am I doing this?
And for me this is more important than a higher difficulty level.
Besides, some of the "action" puzzles can be a bit challenging if one isn't used to this kind of puzzles or games.

[Idrisguitar]

People say Full Throttle is easy too. Guess what, I got stuck twice as many times in that game than in SOMI, which is recognized as a harder game for sure.

Adventure games boil down to creative logic and lateral thinking. Each game designer creates these problems differently, so to expect every player to adapt and change to every type of variation would be unrealistic. Sometimes your brain just wont slide into the groove as well as it might do for other games.

Basically to sum up, hearing people say a game is easy means nothing until you have played it yourself, especially in the adventure genre.

[Fien]

All true, Idrisguitar, and yet some games are easy compared to others. Many people have this idea that "easy" means they never get stuck, that they should be able to solve every puzzle within 15 minutes. I got stuck in Gemini Rue several times and I still consider it an easy game.

Want hard? Play Black Dahlia, Feeble Files, Discworld and congratulate yourself when you don't feel frustrated every inch of the way.

PS: How are you getting on with the Longest Journey? It's not what I would call a very hard game (pixelhunting aside) but at the same time it has a few terribly difficult, illogical puzzles.

[Idrisguitar]

Originally Posted by Fien

All true, Idrisguitar, and yet some games are easy compared to others. Many people have this idea that "easy" means they never get stuck, that they should be able to solve every puzzle within 15 minutes. I got stuck in Gemini Rue several times and I still consider it an easy game.

Want hard? Play Black Dahlia, Feeble Files, Discworld and congratulate yourself when you don't feel frustrated every inch of the way.

PS: How are you getting on with the Longest Journey? It's not what I would call a very hard game (pixelhunting aside) but at the same time it has a few terribly difficult, illogical puzzles.

still stuck, but i haven't had much time to go over it all again. loaded it up a few times and gone through every area as carefully as i can, but still a bit stuck. every possible conversation has been covered anyway i think.

ill give it another good hour of trying before i seek anymore hints. and i have to say im agreeing with you. im not finding this game hard even though im stuck, all the puzzles have followed decent enough logic and getting stuck has usually been down to me being blind.

[Schneckchen ^.^]

Gemini Rue's difficulty was just right for me. I didn't completely rush through it but I also didn't get stuck long enough to have to use a walkthrough. If I remember correctly the shooting gave me the most trouble lol.

So yes, compared to other really obscure adventure games, I would consider this one easy as well. However, consider this... do you not play adventure games mainly for the story and atmosphere? I know I do and in this game I really enjoyed both. Honestly I find hard games too frustrating because I always just have to look at the walkthrough, which breaks the immersion.

[Ascovel]

Gemini is fairly easy, but what's your gripe with that exactly?

It's interactive all the way through (not cutscene-after-cutscene, dialog-after-dialog recent Tellltale style) and offers a multiple-verb interface. In general you solve a lot of puzzles, have a lot of options and all is fun.

The game doesn't feel like it's holding your hand or looking down on your puzzle solving abilities either.

So why it's easy? It's just that the puzzle solutions seem so intuitive while playing. There are also some situations with alternate solutions.

[SnowyRed]

I just beat Gemini Rue today and it was so awesome. I haven't played an adventure game since Grim Fandango a few years ago and I never really got into the genre until recently but I really enjoyed it. The music is really good too.

First post btw, greetings yall.

[thejobloshow]

Gemini Rue is a great cyberpunk game.

[jhetfield21]

greetings infidel(@Snowy) and welcome.

gemini might seem easy to many people but that doesn't mean you don't have to try it.it's a great story with great characters that you have to see for yourself.sure there is a chance it might seem easy to you but it shouldn't be an obstacle.

[ADan]

By the way, it will be released in Germany on Tuesday.

Fully localized (by Daedalic) but including the original version and developer commentary (Josh).

[CrimsonBlue]

Had Gemini Rue been released alongside Beneath a Steel Sky, it would've been considered a classic of the same caliber. Fantastic game, to be honest, and well worth the money.

It WAS a fairly easy game, but it did provide challenge and required me to think a bit a couple of times. It's not Telltale easy.

[Matt Berkeley]

Sorry, all, for seeming to have abandoned a thread I started.

After reading the first few replies, I've decided to play.

So I'll do so, as far as that goes, and then come back and reply to your kind replies! As always I'm paranoid about being spoiled so I haven't read any more than those first few posts here... but I do appreciate and plan to read them all.

So far I am enjoying it (and! I have only one small bit of complaint {a tiny bit of tedium}). It does indeed have that retro look-and-feel too. A nice touch of nostalgia, sure, but maybe it would be better suited to a dream-sequence or some other temporary thing. I'm of the mind that I'll always want improvements employed.

Anyway, I'm going to just do as I do these days and take my own sweet time playing.

[ggreen737]

I loved Gemini Rue, and I got stuck probably twice for a good while which is the proper amount in my opinion for an enjoyable adventure game of that length.

[Matt Berkeley]

Oh...

I am trying. I have given this thing a good try. I'm at the Weather Tower 2, or whatever it is... and...

I'm sorry, but this game hasn't given a single honest challenge. Just, as feared (and, yes, ~precautioned~), a series of tasks. And those made all the more tasking by the horrible interface.

As for the story, to me it's been pretty uninspiring too. I mean finally -- just recently -- Giselle said something interesting, but...

I know for a fact that, at least to some degree, attitude going in will affect the experience. But I did not intend and am not intending to dislike this game. Quite the opposite. I wanted to take what the reviewer upon who's word I started this thread as a good reason to give it a go.

...

So, I still haven't read a lot of the previous posts for fear of spoiling it, but I think I am finished with Gemini Rue. But I will ask just in case:

Is this thing about to get a whole lot better?

[Kuny]

Originally Posted by Matt Berkeley

Is this thing about to get a whole lot better?

Yes, yes and yes. Do yourself a favor and finish the game.

[Fien]

No, no, and no. He doesn't like the story, the interface, the "tasks", and not a word about the wonderful atmosphere.

Why am I posting, I wonder. What we have here is someone who asks a question and then doesn't read the answers for fear they will "spoil" a game he doesn't like anyway...