[Crapstorm]

By now, I am pretty guarded when I start playing an adventure game that has been touted as a one-of-a-kind classic and a timeless masterpiece. Few really live up to the hype. If I had a dollar for every time I've been disappointed by a rabid fanboy recommendation ("OMG! You haven't played _____? Go! Now! Obtain! Play!"), I'd have enough to buy a ... well, used Playstation or something.

Anyway, Last Express came off the dusty eBay shelf today. As it installed, I reminded myself not to get too excited, don't expect too much. It's probably full of pixel-hunting, stupid humour, slider puzzles, and all those other annoying things that have been stinking up the genre for decades. Well, I am pleased to report that this is not the case. Last Express is a very different kind of adventure game. At first I thought: interactive movie, but it's definitely deeper than that.

Is it any good? I don't know yet. I've only been at it for a couple of hours. I have little idea what I'm doing or what I should be doing, which is frustrating. The game is in real-time, so events happen even when you're just standing around doing nothing. I fear that I missed some critical conversation or opportunity, and now I can't make any progress storywise. Do I have to restart from the beginning, or will the opportunity to do whatever I'm supposed to do recur in the future?

[Tomasz]

Well, I really liked it when I played it about 7 years ago. The realtime aspect is kind of cool and unique... personally, I really liked the story and the presentation. However, now the rotoscoped and scantly animated images will feel dated.

If you fail, the game gives you an opportunity to rewind time and try again.

[Once A Villain]

My third favorite adventure game. Brilliant.

[Junkface]

My favourite game after Quest for Glory 4. Great atmosphere, visuals, gameplay and writing - what more could you want? (Even if it does fall apart a little towards the end.)

[Periglo]

A brilliant game. I would recommend using a walkthrough when playing it for a second time in order to get all the threads you might have lost. These details are amazing, I still remember some parts of a very high literary level.

[Robodoc]

I too have recently started to play The Last Express. I’m wary about giving an opinion on a game I’ve not yet finished, but I’m going to do it anyway.

Although I am enjoying it at the moment, I agree with your comment that it could do with a bit more direction. At the moment I frequently find myself wandering up and down the corridors waiting for something to happen. Am I doing something wrong?

I am fond of the graphics style but find the skipping animation slightly irritating. At first I thought the discs were skipping.

When it comes to the story, although it's intriguing, I feel perpetually confused. I haven’t the slightest idea about what is happening or why. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t played it for long enough yet, or that I haven’t been paying much attention; but, nevertheless, I think it’s not looking good when I feel I need to be taking notes just to keep track of what is happening.

I guess I’ll just have to wait until I’ve finished it to make my final judgement…

[Boneho Chane]

Guess I'll be purchasing this game after I play Blade Runner.

[Crapstorm]

Robodoc: Whew! I am glad I am not alone in feeling this way. Fienepien's list of "things to do" is nice, but what are we supposed to do when every person on the train won't talk to us, almost every door is locked, and the ones that aren't just reveal empty compartments?

I wandered around fruitlessly for at least 60 minutes last night trying everything, but nothing happened. The clock kept ticking by and the train kept making stops but I had no clear goals in front of me. There is one strange thing that might be a bug. In the dining car, there's a woman in a red & purple dress just standing there. I cannot interact with her, and I can only see her from certain angles. I have a feeling she's important, but every time I approach her, she magically vanishes. I also hear disembodied voices apologize to me whenever I step into or out of the smoking lounge. Where are these people?

[Robodoc]

Originally Posted by Crapstorm

what are we supposed to do when every person on the train won't talk to us, almost every door is locked, and the ones that aren't just reveal empty compartments?

It’s a cruel, cruel world my friend. Not to mention thoroughly depressing discovering that I’m as unsuccessful at making friends in video games as I am in real life.

Originally Posted by Crapstorm

In the dining car, there's a woman in a red & purple dress just standing there. I cannot interact with her, and I can only see her from certain angles. I have a feeling she's important, but every time I approach her, she magically vanishes. I also hear disembodied voices apologize to me whenever I step into or out of the smoking lounge. Where are these people?

I think theres a strong possibility your game is haunted or that all the wandering and loneliness has driven you mental.

[Jackal]

You're definitely not alone. This is my major beef with TLE. I rarely felt any sense of direction, meaning I spent most of the game simply cycling locations and repeating my actions, hoping to stumble upon the next useful scene. That's frustrating enough in any game, but knowing that I could be missing things while I uselessly knocked on doors and roamed hallways compounded my annoyance.

Of course, I think that was the idea, being much more realistic that way, but it just didn't really work for me.

I still highly recommend playing the game, as I do any of the genre's truly unique games, but I don't hold it in nearly the same high regard as many other people.

[Crapstorm]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

You haven't met Anna yet? Definitely a bug! Did you meet Schmidt? Kronos? Milos? You should... all of them during the very first part of the journey. If you don't look for them, they will look for you or send the conductor or whatever. So if nothing has happened for 60 minutes, there must be something wrong with your game or your disk.

Oh, great. Just my luck. I don't suppose there's a patch for this?

Well, thanks for the heads up. Guess I'll start over from the beginning and try to be where the game expects me to be. I'm guessing that since this is the only real-time adventure ever made, it wasn't really a feasible concept.

By the way, I spoke to both Schmidt and Kronos, but no Anna. And I did the man-dance with some dark-haired guy in my compartment - was he Milos? I sincerely hope that was the only action sequence in the game. So far this "masterpiece" is off to a very crappy start.

[Lee in Limbo]

Last Express is one of those games I played years ago that completely spoiled me for PC video games. It's one of the reasons I get into so many arguments about the nature and necessity of puzzles in adventure gaming. There are puzzles, yes, but very few, and all are absolutely necessary and utterly charming. The rest is sleuthing and problem solving.

The Last Express is basically one story, but it's a different game every time you play it, and the story and the interactivity absolutely rule. Your actions have consequences. Everything makes sense. It's a shame this game proved to be such a rare exception, rather than the vanguard of a new way of doing things.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Lee in Limbo

Last Express is one of those games I played years ago that completely spoiled me for PC video games. It's one of the reasons I get into so many arguments about the nature and necessity of puzzles in adventure gaming. There are puzzles, yes, but very few, and all are absolutely necessary and utterly charming. The rest is sleuthing and problem solving.

The Last Express is basically one story, but it's a different game every time you play it, and the story and the interactivity absolutely rule. Your actions have consequences. Everything makes sense. It's a shame this game proved to be such a rare exception, rather than the vanguard of a new way of doing things.

Well said!

[Cathy1]

Just a hint.... If you can't go forward or backwards try going out and up.

Cathy

[equallyAvant]

And of course try to visit your "own" cabin once in a while...u never know what to expect.

Although its in real time, its kinda hard to miss major key events. Either you will stumble into them or you will know soon enough that you missed them. You should try to listen to every conversation. End when you know you missed there is the Clock. Remember that rewinding the clock doesnt mean that you rewind time but mostly you rewind actions. That is, letting the clock rewind time, transfers you to the last "correct" action. Use this feature as it is very handy.
(Although there was a part near the end that needed a bit of blind guessing of where you should be to see it)

[Periglo]

Originally Posted by Robodoc

... it could do with a bit more direction. At the moment I frequently find myself wandering up and down the corridors waiting for something to happen. Am I doing something wrong?

I was thinking, this comment seems very appropriate in an adventure gaming forum. If I had a penny for every time I didn't have a clue on what to do next in game... I felt stupid wasting hours just trying here and there. This is the main reason that led me into using walkthroughs. And TLE, beautiful game as it is, calls for cheating, imho, lest you spend much time wandering around and missing some very interesting stuff.

[Crapstorm]

Okay, I am officially fed up with this game. I put a few more hours into it, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I checked a walkthrough to make sure I wasn't missing a major section of the game. Seems all one has to do is walk the length of the train over and over again, trying to find a conversation to eavesdrop or an unlocked door when the conductor is distracted. It's a tedious affair. The story may be very good, but it's mighty slow, and according to the walkthrough, I've missed huge chunks of it. Hitting the major plot developments is a total crapshoot. You simply have to be in the right place at the right time, and often there is no indication of where and when that will be. It's a lot like reading a book after random pages have been torn out.

No, sir. I don't like it.

[courderoy guy]

Originally Posted by Crapstorm

Okay, I am officially fed up with this game. I put a few more hours into it, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I checked a walkthrough to make sure I wasn't missing a major section of the game. Seems all one has to do is walk the length of the train over and over again, trying to find a conversation to eavesdrop or an unlocked door when the conductor is distracted. It's a tedious affair. The story may be very good, but it's mighty slow, and according to the walkthrough, I've missed huge chunks of it. Hitting the major plot developments is a total crapshoot. You simply have to be in the right place at the right time, and often there is no indication of where and when that will be. It's a lot like reading a book after random pages have been torn out.

No, sir. I don't like it.

I really enjoyed playing this game but unfortunately had a somewhat similar experience. I tried and tried again to complete this game but got stuck at a certain point where i'd need to get a certain item during a certain time frame and was completely stuck on how to do it. Walkthroughs didn't help as i'd done the game without one and it seemed to be out of order (hard to complete). Now, i really liked the atmosphere, voice work and overall feel of the game (even the graphics). But as much as i liked this game i've yet to be able to finish it, and after going through the first section so many times just don't have the energy to do it again.

[Legolas813]

I bought the game on Ebay last week and it should arrive in the mail soon. TLE seems like a game you either love or you hate, so I'm interested to see which side I fall on. The premise of the game does look interesting.

[dantebk]

Originally Posted by Crapstorm

Okay, I am officially fed up with this game. I put a few more hours into it, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I checked a walkthrough to make sure I wasn't missing a major section of the game. Seems all one has to do is walk the length of the train over and over again, trying to find a conversation to eavesdrop or an unlocked door when the conductor is distracted. It's a tedious affair. The story may be very good, but it's mighty slow, and according to the walkthrough, I've missed huge chunks of it. Hitting the major plot developments is a total crapshoot. You simply have to be in the right place at the right time, and often there is no indication of where and when that will be. It's a lot like reading a book after random pages have been torn out.

No, sir. I don't like it.

I'm glad someone else feels this way about this overrated game. After a few confusing hours, I was sick of not knowing what to do, just like you, and played through the rest of the game with a walkthrough next to me. Believe it or not, that makes it almost as bad the other way, where you do everything you need to, and find yourself standing around waiting for time to pass to do the next thing. At one point, I had to literally wait TWENTY MINUTES before I could interact with something. UGH.