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Old 03-05-2012, 01:12 AM   #446
chsmt
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 10
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I replayed this game recently and it was interesting to take an overall view of it, rather than get involved with the story which you do on first playing. My main reaction to it this time is that it seriously lacks what I call "gameplay flow". There are several instances in the game where the player has completed all the immediate objectives, and whether playing Sam or Dr Styles there is nothing in the story to hint at what to do next. All you can do is visit the areas which aren't greyed out until you find something by chance, but quite often there is no logical story reason why your character should go there. This lack of gameplay flow makes the game harder/more frustrating than it should be as the game is also filled with obscure triggers which will stop the game dead if you don't fire them.

The magic system was an interesting idea but it didn't really come off. Thinking about it, the system would either have to leave you on your own, which would have made it virtually impossible to figure out the moves, or it had to give you step by step instructions, which the game does, thus making it no challenge at all.

The cartoony cut scenes were another interesting idea which didn't come off, mainly because most of the characters looked nothing like they do in the rest of game, making them difficult to follow. The graphics otherwise were fine, but the game had a very twee view of England. We don't have steam vents in the street, Cockney flower sellers in Oxford, and the English Dr Styles would never use the term "cell" phone.

Overall, I thought Grey Matter was a good game but not a great one. The story premise was excellent, but the gameplay was ordinary, at times illogical and often felt under-developed.
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