[Oscar]

What is the reason this type of game hasn't taken off in adventure gaming? I can only think of a few of these games:

Sherlock Holmes: Awakened and vs Arsene Lupin
Darkness Within 2
Myst 5 and Realmyst
Amnesia and Penumbra
Tex Murphy

Any more?

10 years ago I thought that slideshow games like Myst or static panning screens like the Kheops games would be replaced by real time, but this hasn't happened. The slideshow is still more popular with many adventure games still being released in the style. I thought the reason that it is not so popular might have been that you cannot include as much detail in 3D as you can in 2D, because everything must be viewed from a number of angles, and detail is essential in a good adventure game. I love my slideshows, but would also love to see some more slideshow-style games experimenting with real-time.

[jhetfield21]

the only thing i can think of is that first person is usually used when third person is not an option because of factors like low budget,no knowhow etc etc.it's a cheaper way of making a game so if you add animation to that why not go to third person which is more popular.

of course this is just a hypothesis and it would be interesting to see a first person with animation jut for the sake of it.

also there is one game that kinda has that.Asylum(by Senscape) has animation for a while when moving but it fast forwards the movement at some point.

[Temesis]

I was talking about this with a publishing figure once, and he told me first person AGs don't generally sell as well as third-person games. "Players want to see their characters".

Just from the top of my head, one of other reasons might be the prominence of the FPS shooter genre and its conventions. When you look at the game world from first person view, many players might want to grab a gun and shoot something.

But that was just from the top of my head.

[Beacon]

AG Developers need to continue in this direction if they want AGs to grow and enjoy broader success. However, these kinds of games require game designers with great skill in working with 3D game engines and I am afraid that most AG Developers jut don't have the money to pay designers with this kind of skill. Costs have come down a lot and perhaps now some AG Developer could take the risk, but it still that. A risk.

[Temesis]

Yeah. Doing a first person game properly is a lot more work than third person game, as you get yourself compared to AAA gaming titles.

[diego]

Not only full 3D, but also traditional first-person Myst-like games are in minority in last couple of years.

The reason why it proved that full 3D games did not erase other traditional first-person titles could be of several things, like - developing 3D engine and rpg/action - like world is more demanding than slide-show or semi-3D and it does not necessarily mean better game, because adventure games rely on story and puzzles rather than graphics.

Normality i think is one of the earliest adventures in that style. There's Azrael's Tear also. Also, there's recent Conspiracies 2 as can be seen in this gameplay video

Also, when you say "real-time" i first think that there're some things in game world which happen without player's control, like in strategy titles. The only FP title of that sort is probably The Last Express, although it's not full 3D.

[jhetfield21]

yeah but nice scenery is always welcome.it's one of the pros in a game.e.g. one of the reasons i played Syberia were the nice scenery.while it's not a FP example i think you get my point.and for a FP example i would have to say Dark Fall.it's graphics were so beautifully made to have that eerie atmosphere that it was one of the charm points.

of course playing AGs is supposed to be about the story but when you have a gorgeous world that's been made to perfectly visualize that story it's certainly a plus.

also it's a shame that FPs are a minority.

[DavidN]

One of my all time favourite games is an older first person game, called "Realms of the Hauntng". Although the graphics may not compare to modern games, they are not too bad, and the fact is that this game s filled with atmosphere, and has a wonderful story too. Yes, there is combat, but it can be set to "easy" should one wish, and it is filled with puzzles too.

I is now available as a download on the gog site, adapted to run on modern operating systems such as Windows 7 and Vista.

[Jannik]

Yeah, it's really a shame this sub-genre hasn't taken off (yet). And unfortunately almost the same could be said about third-person adventures.

Some would maybe mention Telltales' games, but IMO they are clearly not built from the ground up with 3D exploration and direct control in mind, so the camera angles fits point and click better than direct control - at least the games I've tried.

I agree with some of the above reasons, but I think it's just a matter of time before it will happen. At least regarding third-person games. Because there are already a few games released every year that resembles adventure games and has 3D exploration and direct control.

For first-person games in this category, I'll add Jonathan Blow's (Braid) upcoming The Witness.

EDIT: What I mentioned about Telltales' games maybe unintentionally sounded a bit harsh - I just meant that in the games I've played 3D exploration and direct control didn't seem fully integrated with the game engine.

[Arial Type]

Gabriel Knight 3, I suppose, was intended to become a trendsetter for adventure games of new generation. Unfortunately it was done from the scratch by the people without proper experience. It was a great commersial failure. At the same time The Longest Journey was a great success.

So that's what we have today - plenty of TLJ clones (like Gray Matter, hehe) and almost no cool real-time 3D games.

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Jannik

Yeah, it's really a shame this sub-genre hasn't taken off (yet). And unfortunately almost the same could be said about third-person adventures.

Some would maybe mention Telltales' games, but IMO they are clearly not built from the ground up with 3D exploration and direct control in mind, so the camera angles fits point and click better than direct control - at least the games I've tried.

I agree with some of the above reasons, but I think it's just a matter of time before it will happen. At least regarding third-person games. Because there are already a few games released every year that resembles adventure games and has 3D exploration and direct control.

For first-person games in this category, I'll add Jonathan Blow's (Braid) upcoming The Witness.

EDIT: What I mentioned about Telltales' games maybe unintentionally sounded a bit harsh - I just meant that in the games I've played 3D exploration and direct control didn't seem fully integrated with the game engine.

Yeah, and the only third person adventure that had modern gaming in mind was LA Noire and that had shown that you have to rethink the gameplay if we want things to change or work. I absolutely agree with you.

But I'm thinking the new jurassic park games will demonstrate what we want out of them than just 3d slapped on top of a point and click interface.

Remember, going away from point n click is also taboo amongst these forums.