Warning: The following preview contains information which may be considered a spoiler for those who haven’t yet played Black Mirror II.

People who’ve played Black Mirror II don’t have to be told that it was well set up for a sequel. Indeed, with its shocking cliffhanger ending, some would say too well. Luckily, fans don’t have as long to wait for the next game as the first time around: Black Mirror III is set to come out next February (or this November for the German-only version), and at this year’s gamescom I sat down for a demonstration with dtp’s senior PR manager Claas Wolter and writer Anne von Vaszary for a first-hand look at what’s in store.

Being a direct sequel, the game picks up soon after Black Mirror II ends, and the main character is still Darren Michaels. As things start out, Darren is in a bad spot. The Black Mirror Castle is on fire, and the police have just caught him running out of it holding a burning torch. What he doesn't know yet is that mere hours before the fire, two dead bodies turned up and the same police officers, investigating a missing persons report, have already found something connecting one of them to Darren. Naturally, Darren is promptly thrown in jail, followed by mandatory psychiatric treatment.

Three weeks later, we see Darren at one of these appointments, where he conveniently talks about some important plot points of the previous game, including how he has come to realize his real name is Adrian Gordon, and that he is intent on learning more about his family and the curse said to be on it. Players have been trying to find that out for a while now, but as this is set to be the last Black Mirror game, I was assured that Darren/ Adrian will finally uncover a lot of answers sought since the original game. The promotional material even goes so far as to say the game “won’t leave a single question unanswered.”

Adrian does have some trouble remembering more recent events: he is not sure he didn’t set the fire himself, and his psychiatrist is not too comfortable with the way he keeps playing with his lighter. Then, just as she is trying to explain to him that there’s no way she’s paying his bail money, someone steps in the office to tell him that it has just been paid by an anonymous donor, leaving Adrian free to go. But first he needs to pick up his belongings from his jail cell in what is the first interactive part of the game.

Although I didn't get to see too much of the game in action, from what I can tell the gameplay is very traditional: a single context-sensitive cursor does all in the main environments and right-clicking gives more info on inventory items, which are still stored at the bottom. The version being demonstrated was still an early build, with additional comforts like hotspot highlighting to be added later on. The journal detailing your situation and what to do next also makes a return – once you get it back, that is.

As it turns out, the journal is not where you left it in your locker, but it doesn't take much prompting to get the guy in the cell next to you to admit to taking it. He then starts to quote some of the more angst-ridden passages liberally (and hilariously) until Adrian gets so riled up he kills him on the spot… Actually, that last part doesn't really happen, but you wouldn't know the first time you see it, and neither does Adrian, for he has finally come under the curse of the Gordon family. Finding out exactly what that curse consists of will be one of his top priorities, but it's clear from the start that it involves disturbing visions which may or may not show the future, as well as an increasingly loose grasp on reality.

This also ties in with another feature from previous games: dying. A scene from later in the game has Adrian walking in the forest, nearly surrounded by some nasty wolf-like monsters. There is ample time to run away and get to safety, but if you don't believe they are real, you can decide to wait and see. Do that and there is a quick cutscene as they rip you to pieces. If you’re wise enough to flee, you’ll have reason to doubt your own eyes again soon. After running into a cabin and barricading the door, Adrian looks out the window to sees what seems to be the ghost of a woman floating nearby. Anne told me this woman will turn out to be very important to the plot. As to how and why we will have to wait and see.

A side effect of the curse (or perhaps just of being implicated in arson and two murders) is that, whether through gossip or recognizing something of the Gordon family in him, the people of Willow Creek are getting seriously scared of Adrian. The results range from thinly-veiled unease and dirty looks to one lady actually running out of a store the moment he walks in. Many places in Willow Creek from the first and second games are set to return, so this may end up a persistent issue in your investigations.



On the more technical front, there’s not as much I’m able to say, but also not as much that needs to be said. The visuals are shaping up to be every bit as good as in Black Mirror II, which should surprise no one. I wasn't able to hear as much of the music as I would have liked due to the background noise around us, but what I could make out sounded good and appropriate to the atmosphere. As in the previous game, the music and sound design are being handled by Studio Periscope, so returning players should have an idea of what to expect in that regard. English voices weren’t present at all in this demo, so impressions will have to wait for now. Claas did assure me the game will have “voiceovers of the high quality that you know from dtp entertainment."

All in all, it would seem that returning players have little to worry about aesthetically, while having plenty to look forward to story-wise. As for newcomers, I wasn’t particularly familiar with the series myself, yet this demonstration managed to grip me with a desire to find out more, although clearly this isn't the ideal place to begin the Black Mirror experience. The many shared resources between the second and third games not only create welcome continuity, they are responsible for the much tighter production schedule, which cuts down on the wait time for the series finale. If you’re not too averse to dark, disturbing adventures, you can look forward to this one next February.