I played Gemini Rue several months ago and upon finishing it I immediately began to play it again. This time with commentary. I let it rest for so long because I was in the middle of trying to write about interactive fiction and that took most of my critical attention. But Gemini Rue is a great game. In fact, I call it one of the best sci-fi stories of the last decade.
There’s a lot to talk about in Gemini Rue, but as is often the case it becomes a matter of how to approach the material. This weekend in the discussion that happens after recording a podcast I started chatting about it a little and out of that I figured my approach. It was the game’s Easter Eggs. The more I described them the more I realized how perfectly they encapsulated the game’s themes. Once I started down that track everything just poured into place. Everything neatly coming together in an essay about identity and memory.
Funnily enough writing this essay made me appreciate Cowboy Bebop even more. The game that referenced it, in turn mirrored itself upon it.
As is often the case for me, I have trouble concluding things satisfactorily. I had trouble this time too as every time I tried to wrap it up, I ended up with an extra paragraph. But then the perfect closer has been staring me in the face the whole time. Go on and read it. I’m particularly proud of this one. Be warned there are spoilers for pretty much the whole plot.