Quote:
Originally Posted by Puzzler
Mostly likely the reason Adventure games feature so many puzzles is because there is a demand for them in the game, so that makes you an odd man out. Personally, I like a happy medium between the two, both puzzles and story, otherwise I would just stick to reading novels and watching movies.
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I agree that it's often a way to increase involvement in the storyline, my gripe is that it's often a lazy way that comes at the expense of the story or the suspension of disbelief. TLJ is a great example of this (to be honest, so is the lame humor but that's another story.)
As to odd man out, I disagree. I know some people like puzzles, and in some cases I do, too - but I think it's horrible to fit ways to tell stories into cute little genres. Because this is an adventure, it needs puzzles! That's absurd, are the puzzles integral into the game design? Then, yes, they should be included - but so often, it's the adventure game equivalent of adding faceless monsters in a FPS to add (word I can't remember) violence just to sate that.
We should ask more of our games.
Which brings me to your final point - I'd just read novels or watch movies. Without completely writing 10,000,000 words, is it JUST THE PUZZLES that makes the medium of video/computer games different than those? No, it's the immersion, the ability to think non-linearly, and the ability to offer players choices they don't have in a novel or movie.
Novels or movies are suited best to particular storytelling - and they often use shortcuts, just like stupid puzzles in an adventure game, to involve you emotionally or intellectually. Tear jerkers, trite romance films use shortcuts to your emotions, instead of developing an involving storyline or believable, relatable plot points, they use candy ("If blood and lust are the candy...") to cheaply manufacture emotional involvement.
It's the same with adventure games. I love adventure games because they often challenge the status quo of gaming by offering unusual landscapes, pushing the boundaries of story and characterization
You mentioned odd man out. You might be right, but I'd rather have the medium push itself and risk making great works of art, which the medium CAN BE, than exist only as a commercial medium. I'm really not interested that.
there's a time and place to be entertained, but considering the length and often intellectual involvement required for games, I'd like some of my video game experience to be truly worthwhile, like a great novel or movie.
