4/5 ★ – RelentlessHope's review of The Blackwell Deception.

Copy-pasted my steam review: I'm making my way through the Blackwell Series, and so far I've found the games to be a nice little treat. But Blackwell Deception made my eyes open, it made my heart hurt. I enjoyed it so much that I had to write a review. The Good: - Characters: Joey and Rosa have their characters built up though the first 3 games, but this is the one where you can tell there's been an evolution. Entertaining but generally one-note in the first games, in this game we learn more about their pasts and can really see how much they've bonded through their shared adventures. The other ghosts, and the major side-characters, also feel more fleshed out this time around. This was the first time I've been really sad about one ghost's story, and really angry at another's. The voice actors have definitely grown into their roles. they have gotten much better as the games have gone on. They really land some key emotional scenes. (A huge difference from the first game, where I played it with the voices muted.) -Plot: There are a lot more plot threads to follow in this game, and they tie up really neatly at the end. Rosa's driving motivation in this game is a lot more personal, making her seem more driven and passionate about solving the case. -Music: Excellent music. The music's always been pretty nice in this series, especially in Convergence and in this game. -Art: The character portraits get better every game. (NOTE: I've just found out the game's art was updated. The original portraits weren't that great, but the updated ones are amazing.) The Bad: -Animation: The animations of the sprites were a bit wonky. When Rosa walks, for example, her top half just glides along instead of bobbing up and down. Weird unnatural movements happen like this a few times in the game, but it honestly didn't detract from the experience. I'm very excited to play the final game in the series! Deception had me at the edge of my seat so I expect great things!