03-03-2008, 09:20 AM | #1 |
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Some Questions Regarding Our Favorite Genre...
So I've been playing a few adventure games lately, having stepped away from the genre for a while for a lack of games to play. I've played some new games and some classics and well here we go:
So I played Runaway 1 a few years ago and have played through half of part 2 and wow. Pretty terrible. But I'll put the dialog and characters aside for a sec and talk about triggers. The terrible use of triggers in this game made an already underwhelming experience downright awful. Why the hell any developer would rely on this cheap way to tell a story in an adventure game is beyond me. I fired up Monkey Island 3 and DoTT right after shutting off Runaway 2 and just marveled at the freedom present in these games. Sure these aren't free roam titles, but you always felt in control and if I wanted to use the @@@ with the %%% before I clicked on just the right dialog option or WORSE YET clicked examine on it to "allow" my character to notice what I as a player already noticed. Runaway is terrible at this and not too good at much else. So question 1. is - What are some more recent games that get this right? Also, dialog and voice acting. Lame attempts at humor do nothing to add to the enjoyment of the game! Less is more! And if you have a terrible writer, at least fork up some dough for a decent voice director so the acting and tone match the context. Jack Keane, I'm pointing at you. Monkey Island was perfect in this regard. So question 2. is - What are some more recent games that get this right? Puzzles. Aahhh puzzles. Nothing better in the world of gaming than a solid and genius puzzles that allows you to really think, even when you aren't playing the game. Problem is, because of the previously mentioned triggers as well as pixel hunts, I find myself not wanting to REALLY think since I'm never REALLY sure I've triggered or found every hidden thing. Some games even USE this as a PUZZLE in itself for God's sake. And this isn't just a symptom of newer games. So question 3. is - Wait for it... What are some more recent games that get this right? More on puzzles. I don't really want to sit around trying to figure out some rediculous piece of machinery or playing mini-game slider puzzles. I WANT TO BE MACGYVER dammit! I want an adventure game that puts me in situations (dangerous situations) and I have to think of a clever way out using everyday objects. - - As opposed to running errands for people. I'm not big on endless conversation either or conversation based puzzles. Lost in Time is a favorite of mine. So question 4 is - Aw hell, you get the idea. I don't want to sound as though I feel like every game made since Grim is bad, but I'm having trouble finding anything even close!! I love adventure games, and can't WAIT til Grey Matter and Vampyre, but I need something NOW!! Really appreciate it! Great site and great community. |
03-03-2008, 10:24 AM | #2 |
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In my opinion there are a few modern titles that get it right.
Try Barrow Hill for example: free exploration (if you have the proper amount of light), and a lot of puzzles whose solutions rely (almost) only on your ability to use modern devices in a very scary environment and a great atmosphere. Secret Files: Tunguska sacrifice characters and story to puzzles, putting in puzzles to do almost anything. If you're looking for puzzles and exploration (although not very expanded), it's worth a shot. I'm only within the very beginning of The Experiment, but sure it's very original and might be worth a trying.
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Top Ten Adventures: Gabriel Knight Series, King's Quest VI, Conquests of the Longbow, Quest for Glory II, Police Quest III, Gold Rush!, Leisure Suit Larry III, Under a Killing Moon, Conquests of Camelot, Freddy Pharkas Frontier Pharmacist. Now Playing: Neverwinter Nights, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box |
03-03-2008, 11:30 AM | #3 |
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1. Most recent games steer away from those trigger sequences (as far as i know), that doesn't mean they are good games though.
2. Sam&max season 1 and 2 no doubt; both the script and the Voice acting there is pitch perfect. I loved the voice acting in Scratches as well, although there wasn't much dialogue in that game. Still life doesn't have the best voice acting ever heard, but the story is very good. Come to think of it, the Penumbra games has some very good, if wierd, voice acting aswel. 3. Sam&max is pretty pixel hunt free, as is the Penumbra games (Sam&Max however has one trigger related item in one of the later episodes, but its a very easy one to overcome) 4. Both Penumbra games, and Return to mysterious island has very macguyverish puzzles, and the puzzles there are very fun as well. Return to mysterious island also has a very interesting inventory system, but sadly a bad plot and just decent atmosphere. Penumbra however has a interesting plot and atmosphere, although the puzzles is not as macgyverish as those in Return to mysterious island (the Penumbra games does have some very interesting physics puzzles though, and you will feel like macgyver in those games as well, just not as much). Last edited by GepardenK; 03-03-2008 at 11:36 AM. |
03-03-2008, 11:47 AM | #4 |
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I disagree with the previous poster, I advise you not to get Sam & Max if you don't enjoy sad attempts at humor. The old game wasn't funny and these new ones aren't either.
Some good titles to buy that involves puzzles, well, there aren't all that many great titles lately that are free from the more simple-minded puzzles, has proper voice acting/scripting and stays away from fetch me this quests over and over again. Try out some of the CSI games perhaps, they are somewhat interesting. Also there are some other titles aswell but I have a terrible memory and aren't all that into the darker titles so not an expert on the subject. |
03-03-2008, 12:05 PM | #5 | |
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Quote:
Probably the best way to find out if the new Sam&Max games are to your liking is to download Episode 4 from Season 1 - Abe Lincoln Must Die (this is a download link). The entire game is free (legally) and gamers can decide if it's their cup of tea. |
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03-03-2008, 12:07 PM | #6 |
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Thanks for the help!
Hm. Hearing that most modern games don't rely on triggers makes me even more angry at Runaway for having so many. SO can you tell me more about Secret Files: Tunguska? All Macgyver type puzzles? Or are there Myst-ish ones as well. Also, is there a ton of conversation? |
03-03-2008, 12:15 PM | #7 |
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While some may find Sam & Max not particularly funny, I have to give it kudos for having some excellent puzzles. Many of them are clever enough to stand right up there with the best of those from the golden age of LucasArts.
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03-03-2008, 04:44 PM | #8 |
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Plenty of MacGyver puzzles, a normal amount of conversation (consider that I'm a fan of conversation - with only few exceptions, like Culpa Innata o The longest journey, which both have, in my opinion, stupid lines), and - if I remember correctly - only two or three "Myst-ish" puzzles.
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Top Ten Adventures: Gabriel Knight Series, King's Quest VI, Conquests of the Longbow, Quest for Glory II, Police Quest III, Gold Rush!, Leisure Suit Larry III, Under a Killing Moon, Conquests of Camelot, Freddy Pharkas Frontier Pharmacist. Now Playing: Neverwinter Nights, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box |
03-03-2008, 06:06 PM | #9 |
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two, almost perfect adventures, in last years are in my opinion
al emmo the most original humour seen in adventure game since lucas and sierra clasics. relation between the narrator and al, reminiscent of the black adder and boldrick is the backbone of this game, and everything is in service of it. sure, graphic, sound and other technical elements could have been done better and more professional, but it really doesnt matter that much because of distinctive humour, and one of the biggest interactivity that i ve seen in an adventure game - you can click on every cactus on every screen and comment will be different for each one, you can show every single inventory item to all of the characters and everyone will have a different thing to say, you can talk to sky on every screen, try using items on items without hearing same comment over and over like in majority of the games - and even better sometimes followed by hints or typical sarcasm. puzzles are typical inventory based with a little deja vu feel to it but take nothing of the game. even cliche-like story didnt bother me that much, and i even grow on to voice of al. i d like to see more variety of the puzzles next time (there is only one simple mini-game) and maybe a little better sorted and designed inventory system. since it was a debut title, done in ags engine, it is really a triumph in post golden-era developement. irony is that it is one of the rare titles that gave me back hope of adventure games future and it is really a remake of classic adventure games. i would lie if i d say that i dont want more technicaly toned sequel, but al emmo, plain as it is, has something that adventure titles needs lately - fun. the other one is - keepsake although, i am very mad at developers of keepsake for letting such a beatiful fantasy adventure game, that we havent seen for a long time to be frustrating at some elements. noone is and no one should be perfect, but when you have such a great atmosphere, great puzzles and mistery from the start that force you to play it and see what happens, then its ashame that you also have - awfull dialog system, even when you click to skip it the characters just keep doing to mime, and the same amount of time take them to say no matter if you skipped it or not. i like the voice acting of main character but indeed others, like mustavio and zak could have been done better, but thats not the main flaw. the thing is, when you have such a wide locations, and i mean distance in one location with a scrolling screen, both with the complex area of a castle, then it is really a must thing to include, along with running, some device of quick teleport between locations, whether it is a double click at the edge of a screen, or smart map, to click on the places that you already visited without frustration of walking the same routine you already did, if you dont want to. the map they included with a patch is only an informational one, and either in that aspect it is not doing the very good job, because it is very confusing. well, the only thing why i am saying this, and i wrote to wicked studios also, is because i have a strong opinion that keepsake is one of the best adventures lately nevertheless of technical flaws because it has something else that many new adventures fail to have - personality. and it is truely a unique mix of kings quest meets myst-like puzzles with the best hint system i ever seen in and adventure, but also i d like to see more variety, and mix with a traditional inventory based puzzles Last edited by diego; 03-04-2008 at 07:41 AM. |
03-04-2008, 12:31 AM | #10 |
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kevinandros. I see you already found this thread but I've moved your post wtih your specs there from here.
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