Adventure Gamers - Forums
You are here: Home → Forum Home → Gaming → Adventure → Thread
Post Marker Legend:
-
New posts -
No new posts
Currently online
Casual Games Thread
I finished Surface: The Pantheon 2 days ago, and I’m giving up this series now.
This game wasn’t so offensively “ordinary” or badly written as the Soaring City, but it’s still a far cry from the 2 first games. I might be too harsh on the series, but the first 2 games presented a completely unique experience, with mature game-play and psychological terror, and now it’s just turned into a “floating island controlled by evil beings” series.
This game tried a more mature storyline with your protagonist’s captured family, a not-at-all surprising backstabbing (at least she acknowledges it) and slavery, but they completely ruined any sort of impact by having the ending be an extremely convenient “kill switch” puzzle, that restored everything and removed the alien threat all-in-one.
At the start I was positively surprised by the added complexity to the bonus unlockables from collecting the flowers - Soaring City dumbed it down by collecting flowers just to pay to restore the city - but I soon realized that the puzzles and HOGs you do to unlock extra content are repeats of puzzles/HOGs you’ve already done in the game. “Yay, I get to redo the HOG I already did, and then the puzzle I hated” said no-one, ever.
Objectively the game is fine, it’s pretty high-quality, the puzzles and items are usually smart and work well with the story, though I’ve never been fan of the “chapter” type of gameplay (your inventory is wiped after solving one area, so that you start from scratch finding everything you need in the next 3 unlocked screens), and the story is on par for an adventure game.
But, I cannot be objective about this series. The first 2 games tried so much harder, and told a much more fulfilling story than anything this developer has done since. The newer Surface games just remind me too much of what is missing. 
I’d rather recommend playing through the old: Surface the Noise she Didn’t Make (the best one in my opinion) and Surface: Mystery of another World (think this is the first one?).
I play story-heavy games, watch animation, anime, B-movies, disaster movies, sci-fi movies and crime shows and try to write about it all on my blog: Snark, pedantry and random geekery
I agree. The latter two games didn’t measure up to the standards of the first two.
But that doesn’t surprise me. The last two or three Puppetshow games didn’t measure up to the first three. The Shadow Lake episode of Mystery Case Files was absolutely substandard when compared to Dire Grove for example. And there has been discussion about the three Drawn games with people having varying opinions as to which was the best.
I think developers try to create a “franchise” title after the success of a game or two. More often than not it simply doesn’t work.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Mythic Wonders: The Philosopher’s Stone
This game has a lot going for it, thought the story was a bit of a disappointment.
First, the good stuff. The gameworld has varied locations and some unusual environments. Four of the locations are related to the four elements: earth, water, fire and air. The underwater area has an odd, misty, organic atmosphere that is just this side of creepy. The organic shapes continue in the airborne world, but here the structures are crystalline and have an etched, surreal quality. The fire realm features pools of molten lava and classic Pompeii-like statuary. The cavern location (which is more like the environments in other Hidden Object games) contains twisty, gnarled trees and giant mushrooms, creating a fairy tale-like atmosphere. Altogether it’s a fun trip for the sights alone, and the game encourages exploration—not trapping you in one room at a time with puzzle barriers as other HO games sometimes do.
Hidden object screens are fairly infrequent, and include “find” lists, images of objects or object parts, and multiples of the same item. The game provides many inventory item challenges, pattern analysis puzzles, and mini-games that are variations of familiar types from other HO games (I’d say average difficulty for the mini-games). There are also a few multi-stepped assembly puzzles where you create potions or reassemble machinery. In each portal world, you gain an ability related to each of the four elements and these abilities can be used for the rest of the game.
The story is quite simple, unfortunately. It involves the usual ambitious/crazy scientist who discovers a portal to another world and goes through it and then can’t get back. So it’s your job (you play the scientist’s sensible, brave, intelligent niece) to rescue him. There are occasional hints as to what’s really going on, but no real character development or particularly unusual plot twists. If you are the sort of gamer who doesn’t like listening to character dialog, you will probably enjoy this game, because there’s very little of it. Since I’m the sort of gamer who enjoys dialog, I really missed it here.
The bonus game takes you back in time and at first seems to be setting up quite a backstory. But soon enough the focus returns to the inventory quests, mini-games and HO screens. There’s one particularly difficult mini-game in the bonus chapter that apparently baffled the strategy guide writer, because there was no solution provided in the guide. I would recommend against buying the Collector’s Edition unless the art style in the demo has you so intrigued that you know you want to see all there is to offer. Or if you want to try out that one really, really difficult mini-game.
I played the demo of this and didn’t like it. Which is a bit strange. From your description it would appear that I should have liked it.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I played the demo of this and didn’t like it. Which is a bit strange. From your description it would appear that I should have liked it.
The first portal you go through is to the Earth realm, which is the most fairy-tale-like, and therefore the most standard for an HO game. That’s what you saw in the demo. I suspect this is because the developers were concerned that HO gamers might find the other areas a bit too odd unless they were introduced gradually by something more familiar.
The worlds through the other portals aren’t wildly strange—I don’t want to give that impression. But they are somewhat different from what you often see in HO games, and that’s why I liked them.
I may give it another shot then. Minus the CE.
Between trying to stay current on the CPT and everything else going on including work, which is always intrusive, and taxes here in the US, I’ve been letting my Casual game participation slide.
It might be hard, but I’m thinking of skipping the next CPT in favor of getting some more activity/participation in this thread. (Unless, of course the Tony Tough/Dreamland duo wins.)
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Tim—I just finished doing my taxes too. It’s pretty much my least favorite activity every year. It takes me hours and in the end a whole year comes down to a few numbers. And I’m terrible with numbers.
I think I like going to the dentist better.
You’re one step ahead of me. We just got our third corrected 1099 which needs to be delivered to the accountant before taxes can be filed. It’s just nutso right now.
And, speaking of, I have my annual physical, my appointment with the periodontist and a visit to the retinal surgeon scheduled for April as well. It really doesn’t get any better than this!
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I’ve been enjoying Mystery Case Files Fate’s Carnival CE. It’s so good, I’m playing little bits at a time to savor the game. I’m playing on monstrously hard mode and the puzzles are refreshing, especially the interactive discovery machines. I’ve no use for the collectables, but I’m hoping the CE will give me some more gameplay at the end.
Tim—well, it is rather nice to walk around and eat good food and look at everything. And not just virtually! Take care of yourself.
Colpet—I’ve tried to play Fate’s Carnival and can’t get into it. I suspect it’s because I floundered around so much in the MCF: Madame Fate game years ago. I flunked the timed HOs in Madame Fate way early on and then threw in the towel. I did really like the puzzles though.
Should I shake off bad memories from the first game and get further into the sequel? Does the story become compelling further in?
,
Tim—well, it is rather nice to walk around and eat good food and look at everything. And not just virtually! Take care of yourself.
Colpet—I’ve tried to play Fate’s Carnival and can’t get into it. I suspect it’s because I floundered around so much in the MCF: Madame Fate game years ago. I flunked the timed HOs in Madame Fate way early on and then threw in the towel. I did really like the puzzles though.
Should I shake off bad memories from the first game and get further into the sequel? Does the story become compelling further in?
The difficulty level I’m playing at is not timed. I would be frustrated too, if that were the case.
I’m ashamed to say I can’t comment on the story, since I always skip the cut scenes in casual games.(I really just play them for the puzzles).The basic rhythm of the game is finding a carnival character in dire straits and work towards releasing him/her. You do need to keep in mind previous locations visited because you go back quite often, though once a scene has given up all it’s clues, it is no longer accessible.
I think that those mechanical deduction puzzles are genius in design. I mess around and click on things, waiting for that ‘aha’ moment. I just wish there were more games like this.
Hi colpet—
As far as I know, Fate’s Carnival doesn’t have timed HO challenges. The game that did is the first game, released I think in 2007: MCF: Madame Fate.
It sounds as though the story in Fate’s Carnival focuses on the individuals in the carnival (that’s the way the first game worked too) with perhaps an overarching mystery that’s solved at the end.
Intriguing that you skip the story elements. For adventure games too, or just casuals?
What would you say are some of the best casuals in terms of puzzles that have released in the past year or so? (Just curious.)
Hi colpet—
Intriguing that you skip the story elements. For adventure games too, or just casuals?What would you say are some of the best casuals in terms of puzzles that have released in the past year or so? (Just curious.)
I’ve always preferred minimal character interaction in my adventure games. Games like Riven and Rhem are good examples. I enjoy a good story in adventures, just not one I have to truck through endless dialogue to find out :-). I never got the hang of dialogue trees. My choice response was usually not represented, so I ended up picking the most obvious or least offensive of the selection. Important Adventure elements are 1st person, solitary exploration and lots of puzzles. Games like Black Dahlia, Zork Nemesis, Dark Fall, even Tex Murphy and GK 2 and 3 were great games for me.Casual games give me most of what I like, though the exploration is limited and the mini games are similar from one game to the next. The casual game stories add nothing to the enjoyment of the puzzles, so I skip them. These games set the bar low enough that if you do need a piece of information from the dialogue, it’s in the notes or journal.
MCF Fate’s Carnival is an exceptional game in terms of the puzzles being varied and not run of the mill. My standard mode of play is the most difficult level as long as it is not timed. I do not play many CEs, too much add on junk/achievements that is annoying. Here’s my favorites of the 42 games I played last year:
Timeless Lost Castle
Break the Curse of the Crimson Gems
9 Dark Side of Notre Dame
Mystery Trackers 4 Aces
Redemption Cemetery Salvation of the Lost
Mayan Prophesies Ship of Spirits
Nightmare Adventures Turning Thorn
Enigma Agency Case of Shadows
Corpatros the Hidden Village (liked this one a lot)
Nearwood
Nightmare Mysteries Amphora Prisoner
Ashley Clark Secrets of the Ruby
Questerium Sinister Trinity.
Limiting this to a casual game, The Torment of Mont Triste had, by far the most and hardest puzzles I’ve ever encountered.
Shivers 1&2 had very difficult puzzles and absolutely no dialog which should fit Colpet’s needs to a T.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Limiting this to a casual game, The Torment of Mont Triste had, by far the most and hardest puzzles I’ve ever encountered.
Shivers 1&2 had very difficult puzzles and absolutely no dialog which should fit Colpet’s needs to a T.
I’ll look that casual up. And I did enjoy the Shivers games. There probably aren’t many 1st person adventures I haven’t played. From obscure ( Chaos a Fantasy Adventure, Comer ) to rare (Cassandra Galleries, Celtica), I’ve played most of the oldies in their heyday. Not many non horror 1st person games coming down the pipes now, so I’m relying on Casuals for my gaming fix. I’m grateful for threads like these where I can get recommendations. I don’t participate as much since I have no comments on the story part of the games, which is an important part for most gamers.
You are here: Home → Forum Home → Gaming → Adventure → Thread
