Old Skies, A First Look by flotsam

Who doesn't like a Wadjet Eye game, and while this is just an hour long demo, I am certainly looking forward to the rest.

Fia Quinn, a time agent for ChronoZen, is newly arrived in 2024 escorting a wealthy client on a trip back in time. A burger at a local diner he frequented as a student is the goal, or at least that is how it seems. When things go sideways, Fia has to sort it out before time ripples do ... well, whatever it is they do.

While there is still a bit of a retro feel to the design, it's a step-up from the pixelly visuals of earlier games. The same painted backgrounds are present, and the music track is appropriately good. Game-play is familiar, point-and-click all the way, save for having to enter a password with the keyboard towards the end of the demo. The inventory ribbon appears top of screen in response to the mouse, and you have access to your items as well as a digital archive with search terms that increase as you uncover information, and a 'phone' to contact Nozzo back in the future, who monitors and assist your activities in the past. New locations get added to the ribbon as you learn about them. It's all very straightforward.

While it is only a demo, it felt well-constructed in terms of the world-building that has gone into it. Characterisation is a high point, not surprisingly given the pedigree. They are all voiced.

Puzzling has been fairly gentle to date, consisting of having to find and use various items and finding certain information, either from the archive or by being otherwise thorough (and a little bit laterally thinking) in your searches. According to the Steam page however, you can die, but "time travel means you can try again." There are apparently seven travelers to escort to seven different times, including the speakeasies of prohibition and the morning of September 11th.

I for one can't wait.