Be careful with your wallet, AngelGaze may distract so much with its distorted CRT screen, scanlines, and flashback Zak McKracken verb selection that RetroKissGames could easily swipe it. However, they're more intent on you being exposed to an intelligent point and click that will make you think.
All point and click adventure games are for the thinking gamer, but this is a little different as that EGA familiarity of Sierra doesn't mean it's a Sierra game. LucasArts was the benchmark for the quirky characters and even more absurd problem-solving, where Sierra's direction was point-scoring and keeping the protagonist alive. With the slight exception of Police Quest, both powerhouses often released comedic games.
AngelGaze isn't supposed to be funny, if we're going by the store page, and in reality, if you read through the description, you might build up a different picture to the one being presented. It is cerebral, however, and certainly innovative, and veteran adventurers might find comfort with the difficulty. The first aspect is the aesthetics; with a limited colour palette, expect pixel hunting. The second is the dialogue paths.
Each Steam Next Fest poses a time management fiasco - how many demos can one play in a week? With this demo, the very first playable scene added value if we're measuring the time played, not through complexity, but the limited choices. In short, the scene required finding an item, which was obvious, though locating it required steps that put as much faith in zodiac signs. It was all about chance. After finding said item, the dialogue between the protagonist and another party resorted to some banter, and the ever-familiar friction one finds in a point and click companion.
In AngelGaze you play a naval investigator-type named Kian. He encounters someone named Joanna and must lead them out of a desert that isn't what it seems, and for some reason, he also has a bout of amnesia. Cue some intricate sci-fi themes and deep-rooted psychological theories, and we find Kian awakening from a CT-like device, presenting themselves to some lab coats and a decent 80s soundtrack. Besides the welcome point and click UI from 'the good 'ol days', AngelGaze introduces an intelligent dialogue tree that is deep, perplexing, and even paranoia-inducing. That spell temporarily broke with some fourth-wall breaking when overlooking a clue.
Source: Screen capture
For those who also grew up on Sierra games, or have been introduced to the recently released The Crimson Diamond, AngelGaze is a must. The artwork is fantastic, and though overly complex to begin with, the sci-fi and psychological themes are intriguing. You'll get your money's worth, too, as the demo has a decent amount to experiment with.
Here's a quick tutorial on how to wishlist AngelGaze. Head to the link below, or search for it on Steam, navigate to the 'add to wishlist' and select. That's it. You won't regret it.
