[JHousequake]

I'd just like to ask if any of the naysayers complained when Adventuregamers reviewed Mask Of Eternity? I'd classify that as "not (exactly) an adventure game" as well.

I'm glad you fellas aren't Just Adventure though. That site is just messy.

[Stinger]

It has always been our unofficial policy to cover games that are direct sequels to established adventure franchises because we deem them to be of substantial interest to adventure fans. That's why we reviewed KQ8, that's why we would have reviewed Full Throttle 2. We actually were planning to do a real review of LSL:MCL all along and at the last minute decided we'd just keep it to a feature piece.

We will not, and I repeat not, be reviewing Psychonauts, ICO, Beyond Good & Evil, etc. These games are not even close to any sort of fine line that might exist. Dreamfall isn't close either, but it's on the other side of the line; as much of an adventure as Broken Sword 3 (or Full Throttle for that matter) and clearly deserving of our coverage.

Everything that most people not named clayton have said in this thread is accurate and correct and I don't need to regurgitate it. But in response to "that's how JA+ got started"...no, JA+ got started in spring of 1999 with a review of Half-Life. That was when the + got added (and when I left). That wasn't a slippery slope; that was packing up for a whole new mountain. We still maintain by far the most narrow scope of coverage of any adventure site and will continue to do so. Our feature on LSL:MCL is merely an attempt to serve the adventure gaming public at large.

And yes, a BeTrapped review is coming soon. Written by me personally, actually.

And yes, I bought @#$*ing LSL:MCL.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

In other words:

AG timcclayton

[Terabin]

Even though everyone has bashed Mr. Clayton for his comments on the LSL: MC feature, I would like to add an addendum affirming that I appreciate the clarification that this thread has brought up: AG definitely would NOT want to add a + to the end of their name. Far from it in fact.

So thank you Mr. Clayton for your thread for bringing up the issue. I suppose it's a constant negotiation that AG does with respect to the classification of adventures and non-adventures and those in between. It is good to have discussions that would clarify or affirm AG's stance on the matter.

Carry on.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

AG timcclayton

Hee hee, this is fun!!

[timcclayton]

Originally Posted by Stinger

And yes, a BeTrapped review is coming soon. Written by me personally, actually.

And yes, I bought @#$*ing LSL:MCL.

I hope you're joking about the BeTrapped review.
Out of interest, did you buy BeTrapped as well?

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

AG timcclayton

Hee hee, this is fun!!

Trep

[Erwin_Br]

Originally Posted by timcclayton

I hope you're joking about the BeTrapped review.

Well, BeTrapped is being advertised as having an adventure mode. I think many adventure gamers would certainly like to know if this 'adventure mode' really plays like an adventure. (Although many of us already have an idea about that)

--Erwin

[Mattsius]

Originally Posted by Stinger

And yes, I bought @#$*ing LSL:MCL.

I knew those words in that S&M feature would come back to haunt you.
Well, it's sad really.

I want to thank Jack for writing the reaction.
People would learn quite a lot by reading what Jack has to say even half a month before the actual reaction is out.

[Jackal]

Originally Posted by Mattsius

People would learn quite a lot by reading what Jack has to say...

Words of wisdom, Mattsius... words of wisdom.

Just to muddy the waters back up again, I will point out that while MCL is no adventure game, it's still CLOSEST to being an adventure than to any other genre. That's why I hedged a little in the review article.

Don't look now, but mini-games are becoming a trend in today's adventures. Might just have to warm up the "arcade adventure" label. :eek:

[Wormsie]

My spontaneous reaction:

"NOOOOO!!"

I hope the neighbour didn't get too terrified. But he's probably drunk anyway.

[Stinger]

Originally Posted by timcclayton

I hope you're joking about the BeTrapped review.
Out of interest, did you buy BeTrapped as well?

No, not joking at all; it'll be up within a week. The reasons for reviewing that are fairly clear and I don't think I need to explain that decision.

And I did not buy it; I was provided a review copy.

Anything else you'd like to know?

[AGA]

How much do you weigh?!

[timcclayton]

Evan, I'm just interested if it is being reviewed because it is the creation of Jane Jensen (the big sellout) or if it is because it has (supposed) adventure elements to it...?

[tabacco]

Two things...

1) Why exactly is Jane Jensen a sellout?

2) The game does have adventure elements.

[timcclayton]

Originally Posted by tabacco

Two things...

1) Why exactly is Jane Jensen a sellout?

2) The game does have adventure elements.

1) If you've even got to ask, then I'm shocked. The person who created the Gabriel Knight series, reduced to releasing a Cluedo-wannabe. I'm sure it's making money for her, but after all her promises about the game, it's quite frankly embarrassing.

2) Almost every game ever produced has adventure elements. Doesn't make them adventure games though does it ?

[TigerShard]

Originally Posted by timcclayton

Well, come on, let's hear it anyway...



As I explained in a previous post (if you had bothered to read it, which you clearly didn't, which is why I am now having to write this ), my problem is that I don't want to see AG go down the same road as JA and start including non-adventure games.

Yes, I know it had a disclaimer on it, but that's hardly an excuse - I could just as easily write a review of, say, Delta Force Land Warrior with a disclaimer saying something along similar lines. After all, it has an inventory system, you walk/run around in a 3D world, you interact with NPCs etc...

Don't assume I didn't read your post because I don't agree with you. I was merely pointing out that for some of us the explanation in the article provides a perfectly good reason for why it is on this webpage. Please do not attack people by accusing them of not reading your post.

[nordic_guy]

Originally Posted by timcclayton

2) Almost every game ever produced has adventure elements. Doesn't make them adventure games though does it ?

Some games, though, have more adventure elements than other, and can qualify to be an adventure game. There is more than one type of adventure game, and when a game is hyped up to be one, you can't just ignore it.
However, I do think that a game should receive a lesser score if the adventure elements are less clear than the hype would have led you to believe.

[timcclayton]

TigerShard, your original post was:

Originally Posted by TigerShard

The article explains right at the beginning why it is being written and why it is on the site... I really don't see what the problem is

which was why I was being sarcastic, because I had explained earlier on what my problem was:

Originally Posted by timcclayton

My point is, "Why are we giving airtime to a game that has been ripped off the original creator and yet tries to cash in on the originals' successes, while singularly failing to do so and just looks like it has been created by a bunch of pre-pubescent monkeys".

It's not an adventure and so (I imagine) has no place on this website ?

Now, if you had read that post, you would KNOW what my problem was - but you clearly didn't...

[timcclayton]

Originally Posted by nordic_guy

Some games have more adventure elements than other, and can qualify to be an adventure game. There is more than one type of adventure game, and when a game is hyped up to be one, you can't just ignore it.
However, I do think that a game should receive a lesser score if the adventure elements are less clear than the hype would have led you to believe.

That's fine - then roll on the reviews of Doom, HalfLife 1&2, Kotor, BG&E and the other 1000 games out there that qualify more as an adventure game that BeTrapped ever will.

[nordic_guy]

Originally Posted by timcclayton

That's fine - then roll on the reviews of Doom, HalfLife 1&2, Kotor, BG&E and the other 1000 games out there that qualify more as an adventure game that BeTrapped ever will.

But they are not (as far as I know) marketed as adventure games. That's what I see as the huge difference here, and that's what a lot of people have been saying already.