[Intrepid Homoludens]

The upcoming Heavy Rain proves that adventure games can go beyond the typical solve-puzzle-get-cutscene shtick.

Originally Posted by daniel_beck_90

I have to admit that I am with you to some degrees . Adventure games are all about intriguing stories that can not really be narrated in other genres (Except for RPGs ). I have always considered adventure games to be more like interactive fictions rather than a game and that is precisely why I find this genre so interesting .

I'm thinking your sentiments definitely applied several years ago. However, a lot has changed since then in other types of games in terms of how narrative is presented to the player. First person shooters, RPGs, and action adventures have since progressed a lot since 2000.

What's interesting is that the adventure game type itself has fundamentally remained the same. It has not evolved like some other game types.

Puzzle solving has always been an integral part of all adventure games and more often than not the majority of fans find those aforementioned puzzles quite amusing and entertaining .

One amusing definition I keep in mind is that adventure games are typical puzzle games using stories as an excuse. At least, that's my funny take on it from a superficial top down perspective. But of course it's more complex than that.

To put it simple we have to contemplate the nature of adventure games .

I myself would rather challenge the notion of what adventure games are supposed to be (according to the accepted standards and dogma). Only then can I see the possibilities for expanding and deepening this game type to make for new and thrillingly exciting experiences without necessarily destroying the framework of what makes it unique compared to other kinds of games.

There are a few designers who are doing that. The most prominent right now is David Cage.

WHAT MAKES THIS GENRE ANY DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS ?

The first would be the subtle focus on story telling and narration in a more detailed manner . [/B]

Could you please elaborate? What are those details? And how are they ultimately special compared to the details of other game types?

The second would be a slower pace in favor of a better exposition .

Please define "better".

The third would be high level of interaction with objects and environments (that does not necessarily help progress the story) by observing , commenting , picking , using , combining and so on .

But haven't other game types like RPGs and first person shooters been featuring a high level interaction in their game worlds for years now? I remember in Deus Ex (Eidos, 2000) you could pick up most anything remotely useful to your character, if not the game world. In Half-Life 2 you were able to stack several objects to make your way safely through an environment using the physical properties of the objects (video; though the main challenges involved action skills). In Mass Effect you could avoid violence and talk your way out of touchy situations, all in real time.

The fourth would be dialogs , diaries , transcriptions , pre recorded statements and so forth .

In System Shock 2 (first person RPG, 1999) most of the story was revealed in logs by dead crew members, or in other ways. In Bioshock the story details were enriched by voice recordings of the once alive inhabitants of the vast undersea city, and it's up to you to piece them all together to get an understanding of the story in all its tragedy. Mass Effect offered all the above, including real time playable in-game cutscenes where you, the player, steered the dialog and whatever action followed.



Watch this seductive, lush opening cutscene of Bioshock to see how a non-adventure game tells a story.

The last would be puzzles ; if you take a look back at the previous elements you'd realize that all of them could be turned into some sort of puzzle in one way or another . Finding the right combination , locating the right person to engage in the right conversation , finding the right path , reading the right diary to find a clue as to what to do next …………… Long story short you are solving puzzles all the time while playing adventure games .

You could say the same about many other non-adventure type games (that is, based on the accepted definition of adventures by sites like AG). All the elements are there.

However, to my understanding you are trying to refer to more run-of-the-mill puzzles that are put in the game for the sake of extending its length such as sliding puzzles , mazes , opening safes and whatnot and I have to say that I am totally with you . But I should also mention that this is merely personal taste and when for example I do not like a specific puzzle I would simply use a walkthrough and proceed through the game hoping to find another puzzle that I actually dare to take the time and solve .

Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of this thread - stupidly designed puzzles that look and feel like they've been shoved in at the last minute by incredibly lazy or inept designers. It's as if they couldn't be bothered. How unfortunate.

Every now and then I find some puzzles dull and not worthy of my time , some hotspots maddeningly hard to find , some dialogs impossible to engage , some items frustrating to find ……….So What Do I Do ?

I use a walkthrough and enjoy rest of the game !!!

Well, you could also write to the developers and publishers guilty of this. Tell them exactly what you stated here. If enough people do that they may finally listen. But if enough people stop buying their games precisely for stated reasons, then they have no choice BUT to listen.

I know this statement has become too long but in the end I just want to say that as time passes by and new adventure games hit the shelves ,those so called puzzles are becoming somewhat easier and hints and clues are becoming more abundant . Many newer games are providing the player with optional hints and keys that show all the hotspots ( Next life , Overclocked …….) and some even let you bypass puzzles (CSI: NY) so in the end if you still find some puzzles so annoying to solve then you can just use a walkthrough and get it over with . AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I DO .

I think part of this is that those companies are finally getting smart and trying, however half-arsed, to reach out and get new people interested in their products. Another is that they've finally gotten it into their thick skulls that many veteran gamers are sick of their crap. Let's hope it all signals towards a sustained effort to improve the games. Of course, it does largely depend on you and other gamers here to let these companies know their products are not acceptable and that you cannot give them your money til they improve it. The economy is too tough for gamers to part with their coin, and it's certainly too tough for game companies to just ignore that reality.