Jane Jensen’s Moebius – Hands-On

Jane Jensen’s Moebius – Hands-On

Calling a game “Jane Jensen’s Anything” means that people are going to buy it. And for good reason too. Jensen designed and directed the classic Gabriel Knight adventure games; still considered some of the best in the genre. She also designed the underrated Gray Matter a few years ago, and she consulted on the recent indie adventure series Cognition. Her new game is Jane Jensen’s Moebius, a spiritual successor to the Gabriel Knight series that lets players control Malachi Rector, an adventurous antique appraiser who becomes entangled in a murder investigation.

Malachi

Point and click adventure games have been using the same mechanics for decades, so the genre thrives on story and characterization, something that Jensen has always done exceptionally well. The recent playable demo of Moebius gives players a brief look Jensen’s new leading man, Malachi. He comes from a tragic childhood which has left him detached from the world, but also gave him a dry wit. He’s a genius too, and extremely well educated, making him delightfully smug in his interactions with the other characters he encounters. He isn’t necessarily a likeable character, but it’s fun to hear his endless condescension while exploring environments or sizing up the people he meets.

Mechanics

It also helps an adventure game if there’s a gimmick; something that makes the playable character special. What makes Malachi Rector so special is that he has a photographic memory, and an encyclopedic knowledge of history. He uses these special skills to appraise antiques for auction houses, but he can also analyze people and everyday objects with the same level of scrutiny. This helps him discover the hidden truths in any situation, and shortly into the game he is recruited by a mysterious organization called F.I.S.T to investigate the murder of an Italian socialite.

Moebius uses several techniques to simulate Malachi’s abilities. When he meets a new character, players can bring up a picture of that character, then click on different points to reveal what Malachi has gleaned from seemingly irrelevant things like a character’s choice of hairstyle, or the condition of their clothing. He can make deductive leaps like Sherlock Holmes and use these details to manipulate people into doing what he wants. Doing so helps progress the game but also rewards the player with greater insight into the characters and how they fit into the story.

Elsewhere, Malachi’s historical knowledge is represented when he is asked determine the origin of an antique object, and players have to scroll though a set of images trying to find the best match. It’s a unique puzzle system, made all the more interesting because it lets players use their real world knowledge of history to help. Players who know nothing about history can still solve the puzzles, but it’s extra entertaining for those who have a prior interest.

As someone who appraises antiques for a living, every location in the game is filled with opportunities for Malachi to drop condescending quips about people’s taste in decor. A common feature in adventure games is for locations to have red herring items scattered around to make it harder for players to find the important items. With many adventure games clicking on one of these items would simply result in the character saying “That’s not important”, but in Moebius Malachi will often have a droll comment.

The Supernatural

As with Jensen’s other work, there are hints of the supernatural in Moebius. In the demo this is just a vague implication about reincarnation; Malachi is non-believer but he is able to see similarities between historical figures and people who live in the modern world. His ability to draw these connections was an integral part of the story in the demo, and the title implies an infinite loop, so the theme of reincarnation seems like it will become a focus for the story.

Moebius is being developed by Phoenix Online Studios, the people behind Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller, and people who have played the Cognition games will see a distinct resemblance in the interface. Moebius is still in development, so hopefully it will have a more distinct look by the time it launches.

Conclusion

There are still bugs and warts in this preview build, but it is clear that the important parts of a great adventure game are there. Given that crowdfunding and “Community Supported Gaming” have financed the development so far, it’s clear that Jensen’s games are in demand by long-time fans of her work. Hopefully Moebius brings her work to a wider audience when it releases on PC, Mac, Linux and iPad later this year. Check back with GamesReviews in the months ahead for more as the project develops.