10-28-2009, 12:55 PM | #1 |
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Hidden Object games, good thing or bad?
Now I remember having a slight verbal spat with someone on this forum about these games. Looking back I might have come across as a bit 'elitist' but didn't mean any offence.
I've seen tons of these games in the last couple of years, it maybe seems worse because in the UK there are a lot of Adventure games that never seem to reach distribution. I know because I've looked on Amazon.com and there's quite a few games I would like that Amazons rules for some reason, wont allow the exporting of video games. Therefore there doesn't seem to be as many adventure games in the UK anyway. Add to that that stores like Game, HMV and Gamestation are drastically reducing their PC presence or in some cases doing away with it altogether. Morrisons however seems to have a moderate sized gaming selection. For the uninformed here, Morrisons is a major UK supermarket, not the usual sort of place to get games, and even then its often more the latest console titles. In this I see a lot of hidden object games, Ravenheart, Mystery Case Files, the locations games "The White House/Buckingham Palace", and so on. I've played a few of these games, like Mystery in London, Death in Scarlet one of the Womens Murder club games which was very well produced and quite enjoyable, and lately a game called Blood Ties based off what seems to be a Canadian TV show I've never even heard of. These games IMHO are more 'casual' than games like The Longest Journey and last time I said that I didn't regard them as 'true' adventure games, since all you really did was find objects and sometimes solve an arbitary puzzle. That doesn't make them bad games, but again, in my opinion not true adventures. However, I may have came across a bit harsh before seeming as if I'm decrying them. Do people here think they might serve as a good intro to the adventure genre, especially for younger gamers, those experimenting or families? Some of these games do look pretty cheaply done, but some like the Womens Murder Club game are very nicely done. Graphically quite nice, good use of sound and decent voice actors and presentation. I remember a similiar argument years back with tabletop RPGs vs Gamebooks (Fighting Fantasy, Lone Wolf, Choose Your Own Adventure etc) that gamebooks were going to be the end of the tabletop RPG market, but the tabletop games are still going. Whats everyones opinions of these games though. I think personally Morrisons must be getting a good distributor deal as there are tons of them.
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10-28-2009, 01:47 PM | #2 |
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I think its a good thing, i really enjoy them. Easier to pop in and out of than a full on adventure game and if you find good ones they are fun, good story's. I have always loved eye spy books since i was young.
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10-28-2009, 02:30 PM | #3 |
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Pixel hunting now is a separate genre. I personally don't like pure HO. But if a game includes inventory puzzles, not inventory puzzles and some HO its OK. The last game I liked in the genre was Princess Isabella.
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10-28-2009, 02:44 PM | #4 |
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Bad thing.
Pixel hunts in real adventures are never fun so why make a whole game out of it. I played one a while ago and while it was mildly diverting I wouldn't go out of my way to play another.
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10-28-2009, 03:45 PM | #5 |
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Bad thing. Very bad thing.
Compared to adventures casual games are watered-down versions diluted to the point that all flavor has disappeared. I've read a lot about how the people who play casual games will eventually feel attracted to adventures... HA! (I'm looking at you, Jane Jensen!). In fact, the opposite is true: so many people who used to play adventures are now turning to casual puzzle games. I want quality games. |
10-28-2009, 09:49 PM | #6 | |
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Quote:
Oh and hello jadefalcon! Yeah, thats why I started reviewing some of the better HOG. http://www.adventuregamers.com/forum...d.php?p=526121 |
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10-29-2009, 12:06 AM | #7 |
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Personally, I'm not a big fan of hidden objects games but I think they can sometimes be good enough for "patching up the hole" - when there is no good full adventures or other games around. I have tried only two such games so far: Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Cameras, Curses and Resorting to Danger. I never liked ND series and haven't played a single game from it without quitting after some 20 minutes of gameplay, but this two minigames were actually pretty fun and I liked their overall looks.
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10-29-2009, 02:08 AM | #8 |
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I don't see the attraction. They always look like those online flash games.
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10-29-2009, 03:58 AM | #9 |
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I certainly won't be getting a lot of these, but the Womens Murder Club game I played, Death in Scarlet I think it was called was nicely produced and is one that was worth the ÂŁ5.99 I paid. Blood Ties......I'm not sure.
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10-29-2009, 04:13 AM | #10 |
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i bought several not too long ago because they can be a nice diversion every now and then:
-ravenhearst 1&2 -drawn -department 42: mystery of the nine |
10-29-2009, 04:15 AM | #11 |
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Drawn isn't an hidden object game. It is a lite adventure, or casual adventure if you prefer. There's an abyss (OK, maybe not an abyss ) between the two of them.
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10-29-2009, 04:16 AM | #12 |
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I've heard of Ravenheart, but not the others. The Death in Scarlet Game is nice, its off a book series which I've never read, but its a nice little game, though the other Womens Murder Club game seems to be unavailable so far.
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10-29-2009, 04:52 AM | #13 |
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I agree that they are not "true" adventure games and cannot be even compared with them.
I have a few, all free, and I admit they are a good distraction though I like to play match-3 games more.
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10-29-2009, 05:52 AM | #14 |
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They are time wasters and have no relation to adventure games, although they are called "adventures" on the casual language. That's what confuses people. But they don't really influence the genre. There's little left from it anyway, so there are other matters to worry about.
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10-29-2009, 06:36 AM | #15 |
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I started playing casual games this year, because I found that adventures are getting easier and focusing more on story/characters and dialogue. I don't mind HOGs to pass some time, just like I do Jigsaws. However, most of the puzzle mini games in HOGs and IHOGS don't present much of a challenge either. Now I find that the newer casual games are trying to emulate adventures by having more narrative, characters and dialogue. Just the thing I was trying to avoid in the first place. Thank goodness for my foray into DS. I need more games like Professor Layton.
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10-29-2009, 06:43 AM | #16 |
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On the whole i don't mind HO games, as I don't mind RPG games or bowling.
What I do mind, is they are becoming associated with Adventures because they use traditional adventure themes, like Agatha Christie or even lately, CSI. Now that is outrageus, and I protest. They are intelectually nothing more than Minesweeper, and that's where their place is, among Windows games or similar. I was surely hoping for a new CSI game, and to find out that CSI:NY was a HOG was a low blow. Thanks for this thread, where I can finally complain about HOGs, at last |
10-29-2009, 09:11 AM | #17 |
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I totally agree ! If Poirot needs to solve a murder he uses "the little grey cells"
He doesn't go around looking for useless objects |
10-29-2009, 10:23 AM | #18 |
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I agree with the people who are saying the two genres have nothing in common with each other, besides using a point-and-click interface.
The only reaction I can estimate from HOG fans checking out adventure games is, "OMG! You have to figure stuff out???"
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10-29-2009, 12:31 PM | #19 |
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Actually you all are wrong. HOG are Adventure games. By game development definition, Adventure games require the use of puzzles and complicated object oriented manipulation to solve a situation. By your guys definition, they aren't adventure games, yet you need to realize that adventure games aren't solely first person slideshows or third person point and clicks.
Also, you are all falling for the "I played a generic HOG game. All of them must be like this" disease. I played a point and click adventure game that was horrible, so all adventure games are horrible. Sure casual games maybe the lite versions of commercial adventure games, but not all of them are generic object finding romps. |
10-29-2009, 01:00 PM | #20 |
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Ok, with the risk of sound stupid, what is a HOG? To open a drawer to find a screwdriver that you need to undo something to find the clue to....
If that's it, I would say that it is the pure essence for me in a game. Puzzles. The reason I play! Last edited by Mohlin; 10-29-2009 at 01:30 PM. |