AG Community Playthrough #14: Sanitarium
 

After the mysterious car crash, our at-first-unnamed hero wakes up in the eponymous freaky asylum. At least, so it begins, because Sanitarium will soon be juggling its stories and moods in a way that will confuse, annoy or make you fall in love with it -- sometimes all at once -- but that also makes it one of the most unusual in the history of adventure games, and a must-play classic.

And what better way to play it than with your fellow AGers? :)

What we do
We play the game, together, one chunk at a time. Then we talk about it here. It's a way to get a bit of community into our gameplaying, and also take a closer look at the games. You can search for the previous playthroughs to see how it goes.

How to participate

1. Get the game if you don't own it yet. The easiest way is buying a digital copy at GOG, but you can also hunt down one of the (usually more pricey) boxed copies available online.
2. Install and set up the game. Keep in mind that apart from the original release, there's been a XS Games rerelease (GOG uses that version, too) which should be more compatible with Windows XP. However, players have been known to have troubles with all the versions, so if you run into any problems, ask here or use the Technical Forum.
3. Play!
4. Stop at the breakpoint (and save!). I'll make a post when it's time to move on to the next chunk.
5. Post your impressions, thoughts and comments in this thread. If you wish to comment on something that relates to parts of the game further than the current chunk, use spoiler tags, so as to not spoil the fun for the first-time players.

If anything needs further clarification, ask here or shoot me a Private Message. And with all that out of the way, I welcome you to the twisted world of...


Where are we? Who are all those people (us included)? What, if anything, does any of this mean? Speculate away. Also: ask, explain, bring to our attention, reminisce, praise and criticise. :)

Stop playing as soon as Chapter 2, "The Innocent Abandoned", starts. I propose that we move to the next section on Sunday, September 5th. While it's a very short section to play for a week, I want to give people some time for buying the game, finding it in the attic, installing etc., and also solve any technical difficulties they might have. Not to mention, give the latecomers more chance to catch up, and the host (that's me!) more time to plan the deadlines ahead in a sensible way.

This is going to be fun! :)

Sweeet! I'm downloading from GOG right now, have owned it for months without touching it. :9 Very much looking forward to checking it out!

Argh. I really wish I could take part in this. But it's really not a good time. :frown:

Oh well... Have fun, people.

I really like the first chapter, even though there aren't many puzzles to do yet. Each character in the asylum with you, at least patients, is a little hint in and of itself. :)

Just downloaded the game !

Never owned it although it did intrigue me when it came out back in 1998.

I´m very curious ;)

Sorry to hear you can't participate. Maybe you'll be able to catch up later on if you have more time then? I don't know how long the game is, so I don't know how long it'll last.

I just finished the first chapter. First impressions, starting with the bad to get it out of the way:

Interface - horrible. Seriously... you have to hold the right mouse-button to walk? They couldn't afford a path-finding algorithm? And in addition to that, you can't look at something more than once - as soon as you've used the look option, the "smart cursor" changes permanently into a hand. A minor thing, sure, and possibly one that won't affect the game (since you apparently can't skip a line of text that the game thinks you haven't heard yet :frusty:), but it irritates me.

Voice acting - pretty bad. The characters either sound incredibly cheesy or incredibly bland. The main character might grow on me, but right now his voice doesn't really add anything to the experience.

Graphics. This is just personal preference, but I don't care much for this graphic style. The characters look like they were made out of toothpaste, or some other shiny and soft material. Marshmallow? And the animations are too quick and... spastic. I can't describe it very well, but I don't like it. It looks like Prisoner of Ice. Which looked bad, I seem to remember. :P

Sorry for being so negative. It's just that the bad stuff is easier to summarize. (And easier to rant about - especially since it getting late and I'm tired. :)) But I really enjoyed playing the first chapter. It was certainly intriguing. I can't say much about the story yet since I really have no idea what's going on. I'm very curious though!

Puzzles were nice, no complaints there. I like that you can review all the cutscenes you encounter. I don't suppose there's any way to turn off the scan lines?

The rest of this post is somewhat spoilerish, so I'll tag it in case people need to visit the thread before they get the game running.

Spoiler:

I like the surreal atmosphere. It seems that right now, everything we see is either metaphors or illusions. But I still think the protagonist could react a bit more naturally to some of the things he encounters. I mean, that guy banging his head against the wall? That immediately sent shivers down my spine. Until I clicked on him and got the sarcastic words "Diagnosis: Crazy!" That completely ruined the effect.

How come I always have so much to say in these threads? Here's a quick summary of this post: :P
Interface is clumsy, voice acting not promising. Dislike the graphic style, but that's just me. I really enjoy the atmosphere and am looking forward to the rest of the story.

harald, I was already 3/4 of the way through the game when I signed onto the forum so I'll probably keep quiet and just follow the discussion but I had to say you're right for the most part. The main character's voice acting isn't great, the graphics aren't lovely, the interface is clumsy, the story is bizarre, but...you know what?...this game grows on you. Maybe, reading the discussion, I'll figure out why I've enjoyed it so much.

Btw, you get used to walking around via the right mouse button pretty quickly. Just remember to swing wide.

Woo, playthrough time! I missed some of the recent discussion on the other thread so this was a surprise for me :D. Happy about the delay in going to chapter 2, I got plenty of work to do in the next few days so will report back after with my thoughts...

Great!

I've downloaded and installed the game and will get playing later on.:)

When this was discussed as a playthrough I had a look at running my original version (the one with XP issues) again. There is a patch for Sanitarium that fixes the XP issue for this early edition (as well as a bug that stops you entering some areas in chapter 2) It can be obtained here. . It's an executable zip file but you need to make sure it extracts to your game install folder.

Inicidentally, even after the patch, I experienced another problem that others may or may not have. The game seemed unable to recognise disk space above 20GB (and so said I had no space to save on my 40GB hard drive when it was nearly half empty. I had to uninstall some stuff to fix this). Since in testing it after patching I ended up playing the whole thing right through (I know, terrible lack of willpower :D ) I have saves at the start of each chapter if anyone needs one at some point.

I'd played this game before anyway so I knew about most of the plot twists already. I'll aim to join in the discussion but use spoiler tags for things that refer to later events in the game.

Are the videos (like the intro movie) supposed to be interlaced (like the movies in GK2 originally are, but to a lesser extent)?
And also, are there known bugs or patches necessary when installing the early version on a win98 partition? I am not experiencing any problems (apart maybe from said interlacing), but I prefer to patch things beforehand.

There is a known bug that can prevent you entering some buildings in chapter 2 (making that chapter unsolvable). The patch I linked to fixes that as well. Saves taken pre-patch won't work post-patch.

Awesome! Sanitarium playthrough. I will definately participate.I played the game long ago, and with my short memory i am sure i will be surprised not once.

What I do remember is the annoying interface - dug itself into my memory :r

*delurks*

You know, having finished The Lost Crown this week I was going to play something light and comedic next, but since I only recently discovered these forums and have never done a playthrough before ... Anyway, I bought Sanitarium a while ago when it was on sale at GOG, but I had yet to start it up. All I knew before this morning was what I'd read in the blurb, so doubtless it will be full of surprises.

What I don't like so far: the terrible, terrible interface. Already mentioned by previous posters, but ... holding down the mouse button to move? Really? Who thought that was a good idea?

What I do like: the visual design of the tower level is great, if not the easiest thing to navigate. And the story is already nothing like I expected! I was genuinely startled when the angel spoke to me. Puzzles seem good so far.

The joys of old graphics: I spent the first ten minutes wondering if my character had a ponytail.

Neat. I started playing Sanitarium a few months back and stopped in Chapter 3 (I think), but I'm willing to pick it up again.

OK, played through the first Chapter, definitely shorter then I was expecting!

I agree with others that the control scheme and graphics will take a bit of getting used to for me. It kind of has the feel of direct control (although it isn't really) and an isometric screen (which it definitely isn't) which makes it feel very different from most other adventures.

I think that what it does well (so far) is giving the feeling of being thrown into a completely unfamiliar and strange environment. Everything about this game, including the control scheme and graphics but also atmosphere, voice acting etc. feels unfamiliar and at least a little bit weird and this gives the feeling of a dream, or probably a nightmare. It also bolsters the idea of waking up with no memory in a terrible place - probably doing that better than any other game i've played atmosphere wise. I haven't really even thought about whether the main character is insane and why he is there yet because I'm still bewildered by the setting and atmosphere etc!

Puzzles have been good so far as have cut-scenes. On the whole I don't quite know what to make of the game yet from this quick snippet, but I'm looking forward to playing on and finding out! :D

Hi, I just registered (but I've been coming to the site for years). I want to take part in this playthrough. I started Sanitarium last year but never finished it and I'd like to finally finish it.

Hrm, that's strange. I can look at things more than once. I'm playing the game on my trusty old Win95/98 machine, so there are no patches or XP issues that might have caused that problem for you.

I've played Sanitarium once before and I remember feeling the same way at that time about graphics and interface as being expressed here. Not a problem this time though. :)

The tower is indeed a creepy place to enter. I find the person who constantly is banging his head into the brick wall deeply disturbing. And the sound it makes really makes me cringe.

Playing the game for the second time I now notice things from another perspective than the first time I played and I realize that the tower-chapter is an introduction (or how to put it) to the rest of the chapters. No need to put that in spoilers I hope since I'm not revealing anything.

Well, this game is a long-time favourite of mine. I won't be joining in the playthrough because I already replayed it not too long ago and have other things going on currently but I will follow the thread to hear what people think of the game and may occasionaly contribute with theories / explanations as topics arise, without giving spoilers.

I fear (but hope i'll be proved wrong) that it might get a bit of a bashing from current gamers. The movement interface is very poor but you get used to it fairly quickly and the interface is very good in all other aspects.

As for the voice acting: I love it. It is probably my single favourite game in that regard. Many years after first playing it (back in 1999 when it first came out) I still find myself saying "who would put pumpkins on a stained glass window?" or "Diagnosis: crazy!" sometimes. I also love the voice acting in Lost Crown, another game that tends to get panned from that perspective so maybe my tastes in this area are very untypical: I like character and uniqueness, not boring 'realism' when it comes to character voices. I find the vast majority of voice acting in games to be bland and uninteresting. I like voices that add to the atmosphere of the game, that fit with the overall ambience (and in a game like this, the ambience is weird) - I could care less whether they sound 'natural' or not. The guy who voices the main character in this game is awesome; I don't want to give spoilers so I won't be too specific but I will say he voices a number of characters in this game and they are all really entertaining. He really goes for it when playing the part. So much of the dialogue and spoken comments is extremely memorable.

Get set for a rollercoaster ride people. This one is special.

Finally got round to taking notes from the first section.

Firstly, the opening cinematic. Note that we only get to see the main character's legs and not his face (which is covered by bandages by the time we get to see it) The trousers look like the same colour as the ones he's wearing in the tower cells. The video in the control centre indicates he stole a car and raced off believing he was doing something important. That fits together with his excited phone call (we have no indication he actually spoke to anyone so that could easily be part of a delusion). There's also the vaguely overheard comment from an attendant about his car being stolen just before you get control. It would appear we're a dangerous nutter alright. :crazy: One that sees statues come alive, talk to him and transport him to other places as well.

Whilst maybe not ideal, I got used to the movement system over time. However, there was one thing about it that bugged me. The character walks up and down stairs on their own if you clip one end of them. Not so much a problem here but drove me mad on a later level. I wonder if the perspective and the fact there are a lot of rough edges (which would make automated parth-finding difficult) is what led them to choose this method.

I like the voicework overall. At this stage the main character is in a state of shock (he's woken up heavily bandaged and with no memory after all) so his slightly vague sound and dispassionate approach to the wall-butter fitted that state for me. It will be interesting to see if that continues to be a concern for others as the game progresses. The other voices I thought were good, especially the very convincing stutter.

I also like the background animation. The other inmates (including chicken man on the lower floors). The water streaming through the grate at the back. The rats that run around near the furnace. These make it all the more horrible but bring it to life as well.

One other point on the head-bashing noise. It gets louder the closer you get to him and fades if you get a long-distance away. (so noises are as the PC hears them) A minor thing perhaps but it's these little details that make a difference.

I thnk the word Jelena was looking for is "foreshadowing". There is a ton of foreshadowing in this scene. Here's the things I noticed (in spoilers for obvious reasons). Anyone see any others? (please also use spoilers for those playing for the first time)

EXTREME SPOILERS. DO NOT READ IF PLAYING FOR FIRST TIME. I WILL REFERENCE BACK WHEN THESE BECOME RELEVANT.

Spoiler:

The stained glass shows children (on right). pumpkins, and a meteor (both on left). These are clear references to chapter 2. Also referring to chapter 2 is most of the conversation with Lenny (in cell on right). He refers to pumpkin pie, the patch, Mother and everyone going to school (which is where you'll find them in that chapter)

Martin (near Lenny) refers to robotic insects intent on destroying the world and that he'll find their hive one day. These are all references to chapter 6. The exploding furnace next to Martin could also be a reference to this.

Conversing with Danny (on the left) brings all sorts of references to the Aztec village in chapter 8. He mentions fallen temples and warrior spirits seeking vengeance and describes the tower as the village. The key is also Aztec, which is a reference to this, and the "key" to the discovery that led to this whole situation.

Great point. A lot of people hear the detached voice and think it is lazy or inept acting but it is actually character acting, which becomes even more apparent when one hears the actor's other character voices later in the game.

I started playing the game some weeks ago and I'm near the end, so I won't participate, but I may post a few comments anyway. :)
I like the grahpics, and have no problems with the isometric point of view, though it's a shame that they were downscaled to 256 colours. They certainly would've looked better in 16-bit or so.
I'm not very much a fan of the voice acting, and I agree that the "Diagnosis: Crazy!" line ruins the atmosphere at this point, it seems inconsistent in tone in this regard, but it doesn't happen much later on.
The writing overall is quite solid and thankfully quite succinct compared to other games. Yeah, some dialogues go on for a bit too long, but I've seen much worse. So, if the endless dialogues of TLJ didn't bother you, you shouldn't have problems with Sanitarium either. ;)

You get accustomed to the controls. It took some time for me to figure out how to open the inventory, since it's rather unusual how you do it, and I still walk a lot against walls or other obstacles, which is annoying. And the stairs...yeah, how often did I run up the stairs in Chapter 3 without wanting to do it. But they're acceptable, since you rarely have to react fast anyway. Action scenes are very few, can be repeated endlessly and are easy to master.

Sanitarium is not perfect, it has lots of rough edges. Chapter 2 especially features some pixelhunting, and in later ones you have to walk around a bit too much. Still, it's a unique experience, and I'm glad it exists.
I imagine what Dreamforge could've done next, because they really hit their stride with this title. It's by far their best game. Therefore it's a shame that the studio dissolved shortly after Sanitarium's release.

That's a nice summary Step, concise and to the point. I'm keeping my mind open as to what may be going on though! ;)

On the whole, i'm reserving judgment on the voicework at the moment, although I simply can't agree with you on the stutter. I have a couple of friends/relatives with stutters/stammers and I really can't reconcile the stuttering character's voice acting in this game with the reality as I have seen it. (Or maybe that should be heard it ;)). That may just be me though.

I look forward to coming back to your foreshadowing spoilers later on!

I think you covered them all. I didn't notice any other 'foreshadowings'.

I really like that word btw. ;)

I see your point. But he reacts naturally to the guy falling down the chasm, expressing shock and concern. And this is just seconds later. They should have made it consistent.

(Argh, I almost saw your spoilers when quoting your post!)

After reading the opinions of those who have already played, I'm even more eager to continue playing! I have high hopes for the rest of the game, despite the somewhat shaky start.

Hey Step. I actually saw more foreshadowings, because

Spoiler:

the guy who falls off the edge is talking about a tightrope, and other circus things.

This is my second play-through after finishing Sanitarium a few months ago. Funny thing is that I now recognise that the people you talk with in the first chapter are already referring to the later chapters. Let me elaborate:

Spoiler:

Don - the patient all the way on the left - talks about warriors and temples; the chapter called The Lost Village. Is he hiding from Quetzalcoatl?
Lenny - the patient sitting on the bed on the right of the tower - is talking about mother and the pumpkin patch that appear in the second second chapter
Martin - the patient sitting near the boiler on the right - is talking about insects, probably referring to the sixth chapter; The Hive.

In my first play-through I just thought they where talking gibberish, well actually I still think so, but it gives some extra coherence to the game as a whole and is also giving some joy to replay it.
The chapters are probably metaphors, I just haven't figured most of them out. I hope we can talk about their meaning later on. As for the first chapter, does anyone have some thoughts on the large angel statue?

Edit: oh crap, my post totally crossed stepurhan's one. Sorry for repeating the subjects!

Wow, that was a lot shorter than I expected!
I think it's kind of what you'd expect from an introduction: it raises questions, but doesn't answer any.

So far the people you can talk to aren't making any sense. I wonder whether they're there just to get the atmosphere across, or whether their delusions are part of the story and will be explained later.

The moving statue surprised me quite a bit, I somehow expected the game to not contain any "unreal" elements. I wonder: is it just the main character's delusion or is it really happening? And why is he suddenly at another location, did he simply forget what happened in between or did the statue actually move him? I'm tempted to think it actually happened, but again, I am surprised that (or would be surprised if) the game contains such supernatural elements. Something tells me that he doesn't really have any business being in a sanitarium (although it is strange that he can't remember anything, while he appears to have been there for some time). A nice conspiracy perhaps? There's not much to go on yet...

I'm very curious about the rest of the story, although I can't say I like the interface much... I wonder how hard the puzzles will be; so far they were pretty straight-forward :P

That's interesting because I have a friend who stutters and I thought it did sound like them. Would it be wrong to ask our stuttering friends to read the game dialogue so we can compare properly? :devil:
The English language is full of wonderful words. The definition for this one is "A technique that involves clues that a writer gives his/her readers about what will happen later on in a novel or in a short story"
That's a good point. I hadn't thought about that. As I said earlier, it will be interesting to see if those who didn't like the voicework in this scene maintain that view in later scenes. Was that one line an anomaly or will they spot other things like this that don't sit right?
Sorry about that.
Good catch.
Those were exactly the sort of questions I asked myself first time out. Don't expect any definitive answers either way any time soon.
If you (or indeed anyone else) has trouble with the puzzles then feel free to PM me or post in the hint forum. We probably want to avoid too much "how do I solve this" here (though feelings on solving puzzles and whether they were fair are definitely part of the picture)

Just a thought on the graphics question as a few people have mentioned it. This game was originally released in 1997, so you can't really compare to modern graphics. To put it into context, the original Diablo (which has a similar perspective if not content) came out in January of that year. Here's a screenshot for comparison. (ignore the fiery outline, which was added where i sourced the screenshot)

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...han/diablo.jpg

:D

"Uh, uncle Ian...?"

Perhaps not. ;)

Sorry if i'm labouring a point but a question for those who criticize the voice acting for not sounding 'authentic' (by which I presume they mean naturalistic): would you make the same criticism if you went to see a performance of Shakespeare? Or indeed in one of those period dramas where the characters all talk ever so properly and in that strange stilted manner employed in such things. The realism there is zero but it gets accepted because its accepted as the style for that type of drama.

Also, let's be fair: this game has thousands of lines of dialogue. I doubt any game anywhere has this much dialogue and doesn't occasioanly hit a duff or inconsistent line.

Graphically I think the game still holds up. Obviously, the resolution is low by modern standards but aesthetically I still find it pleasing on the eye. And its generally true to the say that the more advanced the graphics appeared to be in a game at the time the more quickly they will date. A game like this ages far better than say, the awful 3D animations in Gabriel Knight 3.

Regarding the story: I think that aiming for too literal an interpretation of any of the events in a game like this would be a little bit diagnosis: crazy :P but rest assured, for better or worse, there will be clarity come the end of the game.

There is undoubtedly a lot of dialogue in this game so "Diagnosis Crazy" may be an anomaly. This is why I think this discussion will prove more interesting once we've played a decent chunk of the game. Those that don't like the voices in this short segment may find that the voices feel more natural over time or they may have a problem with the voices for the game as a whole. The Innocents Abandoned is fairly chunky and so may give some indications on that.

I think, up to a limit, it's always going to be a matter of taste though.

Great discussion in here so far. When Sanitarium was first released I remember loving the demo, but I just never bought the game (14-year-old kids have to budget a hell of a lot!).

I found a copy of the updated for XP Sanitarium a few years ago at Office Depot or Office Max and played it through then. I don't have time to replay with you guys but will follow along with the a youtube playthrough I found.

This is one of my favorite games. The story is very much like that in the movie (BIG-TIME SPOILER, only read if you've played before)

Spoiler:

Jacob's Ladder.

The writing is really great, the puzzles fit within the story, and the characters are relatable.

I have finished this (very, very short) segment for some time now, but until now I hadn't had the time to post my ramblings, so you be warned, here they are.

I think I don't need to add again that the atmosphere is great, something spooky is going on. This isn't your every day asylum. This isn't your every day story. This isn't your every day game. I like how they made the main menu more creepy than a usual main menu. The eyes that follow you, the kid's voice telling you which button you hover over...
(By the way, anyone else jumping up a little bt when putting the disc in for installation and out of the blue hearing someone say Sanitarium? :P)

The controls...they haven't given me much trouble, they are just...different. It may have helped that I played GK3 just before playing Sanitarium, which also contains mouse-based movement (albeit a bit different), so maybe because of that I was already a bit used to it.

Regarding the point of view/camera: it does feel a bit like everything is happening somewhere far away-ish down there. It does give the opportunity to include a large bit of scenery in one view, but it also makes everything down there so small. (Before seeing the cutscene I thought the base of the satue was covered with some red substance like blood or something). I wonder how that will work for immersion, with things happening so far away (apart from the cutscenes of course).

The 'delusions being part of the story' thought made me think of something. If we assume that our main character may not be delusional, why are we so certain the others are? I mean, granted, they sound a lot more delusional and all like the main character, but if indeed our main character is sane, and he, in all is sanity is seeing the things he does in this first chapter, including a talking angel... If he, in his sanity, sees that, and relays it to others, would they not consider him delusional as well?
Or alternatively, could it be that the other inmates had been there so long that they started to sound delusional, yet that there is still truth in what they are saying, even though it may have come to sound like delusional gibberish over the (possibly) years they have been captured in the tower?


Has he been there for some time? I must have missed out on that bit then...either way, even if he has been there for some time (let's assume that, what with Step's remark on the colour of his trouwers before the crash, he has actually been an inmate for some time), the crash could have easily caused the amnesia he is experiencing now, which sort of makes it logical that his mind is blank.

Yes, I like conspiracy theories :D
My current idea is that our main character is, in fact, sane. He may have lost his memory due to the crash, he may still be in a shock, but he is not delusional. He just doesn't sound that way (yeah I know, great argument, will win in any debate :crazy:).

Could his so-called delusions just be a way to shut him up? In the intro he mentioned he found something out. Something that sounded like a huge thing, something that could have something to do with the asylum. Likely something the staff of the asylum does not want to be known. Wouldn't it be the easiest way to give everyone (including the main character himself) the idea that he is in fact delusional, and all he says is made up? That all what he has discovered thus far is just made up by the delusions in his own mind, not something to be trsuted or to be regarded as real? After all, the only one really calling him delusional is Dr. Morgan, and it may seem a bit too convenient that out of all tapes just that one is in the VCR...

Remains of course the question of the colour of his trousers. Either he has been an inmate before, and found something out while being there (but I wonder for what reason he was in the asylum in the first place), or could it be that the staff of the asylum also has that colour trousers, yet with a different colour above what we see in the intro?

And why was he so stupid to drive so extremely fast that made him get in the crash, knowing he had such important info to share? Was he so eager to tell it? Was he followed? Was he pushed of the road? Did someone of the unknown bad guys somehow take over the wheel, and most importantly, the gas pedal?

Something else I've been wondering...in the intro someone of the (I think) staff asks "what to do with that one", to which someone else replies to "leave him, that's the bastard that stole my car". So that would be the reason to specifically leave our main character for dead, but what about the other inmates? Had they done something against them as well, that they could easily be left behind, to die in the tower cells? Or was it normal to leave the inmates, and does our main character have a special status, belonging to a group who usually would be saved, unless of course when they do something bad like stealing a car?

Okay, I have bored you enough with my conspiracy theories now :P Looking forward to see how the story really evolves.

I've just re-installed the game and played Chapter 1 again. When I played Sanitarium for the first time a few years ago, I knew I was in for a very disturbing adventure. Although the initial shock and horror of the asylum I experienced has passed, the imagery and unsettling, creepy atmosphere of two upcoming chapters are permanently stuck in my mind. :crazy:

As always, it's very interesting to hear first-time players' initial thoughts and speculations about the plot. :) Without spoiling too much, I'll have to play through the next chapter as quickly as possible (unsettling and creepy, see above ;)), as our heretofore-unnamed character begins his quest to "seek the truth".

I've played this game some time ago, and like Trunkyo says, it's great to see how people actually discuss the way the game develops. I was just playing from scene to scene not knowing what to expect and it kept on growing in it's disturbing way. Not giving detailed thoughts about it as I'm reading here...

I think I can speak for the people who played this game, that we wonder about where the thoughts of the first-time-players will go, because there's some really awesome stuff coming up during the upcoming levels that is confusing but awesome in perspective of the eventual solution. So yeah, I've played it... And this will be my first (and probably final) post in this thread, since I'll love to read about the thoughts going that will go into this game! Have fun you newcomers. God, this game is worth a movie. - And about the visuals, I love the simplicity; you get the basic picture, but the details can be easily created by the mind.... And the voice-acting is great also. Shove that need for realism where the...!

Anyway. Favorite adventure game ever.

Any info on how far we should play for this next segment? I was kinda hoping I'd be able to spend the day in blissful insanity (?) before heading back to the dull, non-delusional life of school tomorrow. :D

Finally found my copy of the game and played the little chapter.
My memory of the game is very blurry. So it is more a rediscovery of the game than a replay for me.
But happily i remembered instantely how to turn out the alarm.
Everything seems already said.
I'm happy i found my copy in time!

Sorry for seemingly neglecting the playthrough. I've been having not only (predictably) busy offline life, but also (what I hadn't predicted) constant problems with the game. It began well enough, then started random crashes which were gradually becoming more and more frequent, eventually forcing me to save and reload every two minutes. Following the advice from one of the threads either here or on GOG, I ran it in a windowed mode, which eliminated the crashes. But then I encountered a game-stopping bug, apparently similar to the one stepurhan mentioned but in a different chapter, so just to be on a safe side, I've replayed everything from the beginning with the patch applied. Argh. Serves me right for questioning the bugginess of the game a couple of years ago. :shifty:

But I am glad to see the discussion is going strong even after this brief introductory chapter. So, about The Tower Cell...




What the...?The above quote, taken from one of the earliest examples of mental-asylum-based fiction, could be a motto for the game, as is evident from wild theorizing of the first-time players among us. For indeed: if our anonymous, faceless character isn't crazy, then how do we know that the other patients are, and who is in on the conspiracy that put him in this haunting place? And if he is insane, what else is also a part of his delusion? Either way, it seems we can't take anything for granted. But that, as Ozzie noted, this shouldn't stop us from enjoying the ride. Whatever is "real", we can always try to decipher the metaphors behind things we witness. And whatever the metaphor, we can always enjoy the clever way the stories overlap. Which brings me to...

Foreshadowing. Actually, from the start, one of my secretive plans regarding the playthrough was to list all the tiny connections between chapters we manage to find, including those subtle enough to be possibly accidental. However, because there are quite a few (though nowhere as dense as in the first chapter), I was taking notes intending to try to summarise them when we reach the foreshadowed part, if everyone's okay with that.

That's not to say you are not allowed to point them out whenever you see it fitting -- that's what the spoiler tags are for, after all. (And I fully intend to steal Step's and Fantasy's observations when applicable). I just want to avoid having big parts of the discussion being in whitespace if we almost definitely get back to them anyway.

I am hearing voices. It's a very interesting debate about acting, which I expect to get only more divisive in later stages.

These are excellent points. I am reminded of the discussions about the way characters talked in The Village (I mean the Shyamalan's movie rather than a latter part of Sanitaium), which I thought was lovely and suited the context (even more so after one of the reveals), but everybody else lambasted.

That said, while I am certain much of the voicework here that rubs people the wrong way is due to very intentional writing and direction (like the "Diagnosis: crazy!" bit which I believe was supposed to grate, by contrast with all the gloom and insanity around; in the next chapter there'll be a very similar moment where our hero, amidst the very grim environment, will do something very childlike and laugh), the talent of the actors are also nowhere near, say, Blackstone Chronicles, comparable because also had a cast of characters with a loose grip on reality. As much as it pains me to admit it, because I remember pretty much loving Sanitarium's acting back when I originally played it.

Other things I'd like to reply to:

No, I believe harald's right. You can only look more than once at hotspots that are not pickable/usable objects.

Prisoner of Ice had infamously "squished" character models, but rather outstanding backgrounds (which made the characters all the uglier). Anyway, I love the look of both those games. :) I wonder if you'll be more keen on the graphics after you see all the varied environments in the game (although the tower was one of my favourites, so perhaps you won't).

Oh come on. Playthroughs are not fun if we restrain from being talkative. :D

Interesting. Can you explain why it isn't both of those things? Because to me it's clearly direct control movement despite employing only a mouse (and I actually used it in at least one conversation as an example that mouse-based interface and direct control aren't mutually exclusive). Telltale has started using basically the same method recently (just with left click) as an alternative to keyboard and gamepad, and I had no doubt it is direct control, as well. And I have no idea why you wouldn't call the view isometric.


Finally, welcome to the new inmates members: aimless, AnneS, TheLongestJourney -- hope you all stick around. :)