History hasn’t exactly been kind to the point-and-click adventure games of yesteryear. Aside from dedicated fan remakes and the recent indie resurgence thanks to the likes of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead, the genre had all but died out since its golden age in the early 1990s. Developers like Phoenix Online Studios, however, are also working hard to breathe new life into the classic game genre, with the help of legendary game designer Jane Jensen, formerly of Sierra Online.

The first episode of Cognition: An Erica Reed Story has been released, which puts players in the shoes of Erica Reed, a stubborn yet effective FBI agent. Reed is gifted with the ability to look beyond what others can see in a crime scene – something she refers to as her “intuition.” Unfortunately, the death of her younger brother at the hands of a ruthless serial killer has left her damaged, spiraling out of control unless she can find a way to control her ability. Cognition stands as a departure from most point-and-click adventure games in this regard, with the guiding hand of Jane Jensen, whom many fans of the genre will know as the designer behind the Gabriel Knight series in the mid-1990s.

Phoenix’s ambitious project will span four separate episodes, and follows a similar gameplay style as the aforementioned The Walking Dead series. Choices that players make throughout the game will direct the course of Reed’s investigations, and the lives of herself and those around her. Also in the works is an immersive prequel e-comic, which will be given to players who order the full season of the game, and contains work from comic artist Romano Molenaar (Batman, Witchblade, Tomb Raider, X-Men).

It certainly looks like Phoenix Online Studios is ready for an all-out release, the first episode of which is already available for Windows and Mac. A Steam Greenlight page has also been created for it in the hopes that the title will make even more waves within the indie gaming community.

What do you think, Ranters: are you willing to face Erica Reed’s demons? For those who are curious to see more, stay tuned for our upcoming full review of the first episode, titled The Hangman.

You can find out more about Cognition: An Erica Reed Story at Phoenix Online Studios’ website.

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