Adventure Forums - View Single Post - To die or not to die: that's the question. In Adventure games

DustCropper · 04-02-2011, 07:43 AM

It depends completely on the game and the mood the designer is trying to create.

Gabriel Knight, for example, is a horror detective game involving murders and scary monsters, and the fact that the character can die (in appropriate situations) adds a great sense of tension to the experience.

It can also give the game more realism. Take the Last Express. I remember all over the train there were emergency pull-handles that you could pull if you wanted to, which would bring the train to a sudden halt. And, obviously, that would be the kind of prank that would get you kicked off a train and end your trip. So my first play though the Last Express, I never pulled those handles because I was too afraid. That really made me feel like I was on board an actual train, and that just like in real life, my actions have consequences.

I also liked how the Last Express auto-saved just before your death so you could go back and try again. Minimal frustration.

So I think if done correctly, the possibility of death can add quite a bit to an adventure game.

04-02-2011, 07:43 AM	#11
DustCropper Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,117	It depends completely on the game and the mood the designer is trying to create. Gabriel Knight, for example, is a horror detective game involving murders and scary monsters, and the fact that the character can die (in appropriate situations) adds a great sense of tension to the experience. It can also give the game more realism. Take the Last Express. I remember all over the train there were emergency pull-handles that you could pull if you wanted to, which would bring the train to a sudden halt. And, obviously, that would be the kind of prank that would get you kicked off a train and end your trip. So my first play though the Last Express, I never pulled those handles because I was too afraid. That really made me feel like I was on board an actual train, and that just like in real life, my actions have consequences. I also liked how the Last Express auto-saved just before your death so you could go back and try again. Minimal frustration. So I think if done correctly, the possibility of death can add quite a bit to an adventure game.