[Sandman]

Just finished the game. It was entertaining but just satisfactory. Nothing extraordinary.

Dark Fall 3 is dark and suffocating so much so if you are wearing a tie you will feel the need to take it off. Hell take off the whole shirt if no one is around. Most of the game takes place in a small hotel with small rooms, very narrow corridors with only 3 floors. Though the hotel is creepy enough it is the only place where much of the game takes place (you do get a chance to out to the train station).

There are only 2 horror games that I have played which take place in single location. One is this (Dark Fall 3) the other is Scratches and for me Scratches is a far better game.

Though not disappointed by Jonathan Boakes, I was expecting much better game from him after playing the Lost Crown.

[Lermontov]

I agree about DF3: it just felt rushed; he even repeated some of the previous puzzles: safe, joining bits of paper together. Moreover, some of the areas felt conveniently shut off, as though Boakes wanted to keep the same layout of the hotel, but didn't have any desire to use all the rooms. Finally, the idea of releasing lost souls trapped in the hotel had already been done in DF1, and in DF3 it just distracted from the main narrative: the lost girl.

You mentioned Threads and I would like to download it, but I can't seem to find a site where that's possible. In addition, there seems to be three versions floating around: the original, director's cut and special edition. Which would you recommend?

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Lermontov

Finally, the idea of releasing lost souls trapped in the hotel had already been done in DF1, and in DF3 it just distracted from the main narrative: the lost girl.

I felt the same way though missed out on writing it here. Releasing souls did distract from the main objective. Boakes also did not connect the relationship between the girl and the trapped souls. She was holding them there, but why and for what? No answers.

You mentioned Threads and I would like to download it, but I can't seem to find a site where that's possible. In addition, there seems to be three versions floating around: the original, director's cut and special edition. Which would you recommend?

Threads?

[Lermontov]

I meant Scratches.

[Mircalla]

Is this one along the lines of the original Dark Fall, more of an easy Myst in a haunted house kind of game? I tried that Scratches thing some time ago and was utterly dissapointed the game element was entirely composed of find the hidden hotspot moments, without a single real puzzle through what little of the game i could play before having to get away really fast.

I have been thinking of giving Lost Souls a try but what i have seen so far kind of disapoints me and i am not a big fan of what that Boakes guy has been doing since the original game. Is it a game with real puzzles and stuff or a game where you only get stumped when you missed the small hotspot five screens before, no thinking required at all? Also, does the plot gets too much in the way of the game or are we back at the mostly exploratory, go your own way and solve puzzles and banish that thing back to wherever it came from kind of experience of the original game?

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Lermontov

I meant Scratches.

Alright It should have been available at the adventure shop but the search option gives ZERO Result. Try other online shops or ask the admin here.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Mircalla

I have been thinking of giving Lost Souls a try but what i have seen so far kind of disapoints me and i am not a big fan of what that Boakes guy has been doing since the original game.

I haven't played DF-1 or 2 but after playing Boakes' The Lost Crown I had high expectations from this game. I found nothing new in it from other FVP horror adv games. I think you would disappointed by this one as well.

Is it a game with real puzzles and stuff or a game where you only get stumped when you missed the small hotspot five screens before, no thinking required at all? Also, does the plot gets too much in the way of the game or are we back at the mostly exploratory, go your own way and solve puzzles and banish that thing back to wherever it came from kind of experience of the original game?

If you are looking for puzzles you would be really disappointed. Very few of them and most of them repetitive i.e. putting pictures together (like jigsaw ... only torn pages) and lock picking.

[Mircalla]

Oh, i see. I really loved the first game's setup, with the codes and the puzzle box and the symbol hunting, it all being kind of lightweight Myst in a scary place and with the story being there for you to discover but never really jumping at you and asking for attention. I'm kind of disapointed he went away from that kind of game.

Thank you very much for the quick response, though.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Mircalla

Oh, i see. I really loved the first game's setup, with the codes and the puzzle box and the symbol hunting, it all being kind of lightweight Myst in a scary place and with the story being there for you to discover but never really jumping at you and asking for attention. I'm kind of disapointed he went away from that kind of game.

Thank you very much for the quick response, though.

There are puzzles such as symbol hunting, codes etc ... but very few and each appearing only once.

[cbman]

Originally Posted by Mircalla

Oh, i see. I really loved the first game's setup, with the codes and the puzzle box and the symbol hunting, it all being kind of lightweight Myst in a scary place and with the story being there for you to discover but never really jumping at you and asking for attention. I'm kind of disapointed he went away from that kind of game.

It's story-driven and completely linear. I think it's a good game but in the complete opposite direction to the first one gameplay-wise. Sadly you probably won't like it if you are looking for more of that 'Myst-in-a-haunted-house' kind of thing (good way of putting it by the way).

Unfortunately it seems to be the direction Jonathan Boakes is moving in; the 'director's cut' of Lights Out pretty much did the same thing to that game - strip out as much of the non-linearity as possible and add in lots of material to spell things out for slow players.

I love the lost Crown; it's one of my all-time favourite games but i wish he would leave that kind of direct storytelling to that series and keep the Dark Fall games non-linear and exploration-driven.


I disagree that there aren't many puzzles in Lost Souls; if anything there are more outright puzzles in the game than there are in the Journal but they are all direct: do this, now do this, now this etc, with the game quite literally guiding you through at times.

[Lermontov]

It should be pointed out that graphically and aurally it is far superior to the early DF games. As I said previously, it had real potential, but IMO felt rushed.

I really liked the idea of the bonus story sheets you find in the game. I'd hoped that perhaps finding all 6 would've unlocked other areas in the game.

I agree with the comment about non-linearity. I spent 30 pounds on the game and felt disappointed by the 'closed' nature of it, to wit: once I'd completed it there was nothing to draw me back. Furthermore, I didn't comprehend how the skill level impacted upon the actual game.

There were some clever puzzles utilised in places: the figures on Floor 3 and Mr Bones and his tin can. Although, I hated the fact that certain objects appeared at designated times in the game within areas that had been explored previously e.g. the eyeballs. That felt like cheating on behalf of Boakes.

Having said ALL that, I still think it's worth a look and maybe the criticism is born out of the fact that he set the bar so high previously.

[cbman]

Originally Posted by Lermontov

Having said ALL that, I still think it's worth a look and maybe the criticism is born out of the fact that he set the bar so high previously.

Certainly. I for one don't want to sound entirely critical of the game; Jonathan Boakes is my favourite current adventure game creator by far.

It's a good game... just not the game that many players of the first two wanted him to make. Let's see what he deos (typo, but i left it in tribute to Lights Out ) with his next game.