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Say something about the adventure game in the post above.
Karlok, regarding Vampyre Story: If that’s the case (and in hindsight, I remember reading that some ex-Lucas Arts employees worked on the game), then gosh darn that is some very poor writing, in almost every sense of the word ‘writing’. Often unclear and unhelpful, both from a gameplay perspective and a storytelling one.
That would be Bill Tiller, the creator of the game, who has also worked on some Monkey Island games and others.
Here’s an interview with him around the time when A Vampyre Story was released:
http://diehardgamefan.com/2008/11/21/an-interview-with-a-vampyre-storys-bill-tiller/
I never really heard of Another World or Heart of Darkness referred to as “puzzle platformer”, they are usually called “cinematic platformers”, and that’s a pretty good description I think. It’s like playing an action movie where a simple guy finds himself in some alien hostile world and has to fight through all kind of stressful situations in order to survive. There’s rarely a storyline or even a clear goal, and in case of Darkness it’s pretty much “A boy wants his dog back” 
While there are plenty of obstacles that require quick thinking and that could be called “puzzles” (usually physics-based), those games are probably the last thing to recommend to adventure gamers because they are extremely hard and require quick reflexes all the time. In case of Darkness there’s also lots of shooting, because you are constantly attacked by hordes, HORDES of creepy shadow creatures that could be only killed by a light gun, and you’ll often find yourself brutally eaten.
In fact everything will try to kill the protagonist, I think the world Eric Chahi created is even more cruel than in any other cinematic platformer I know. Which is more surprising as the “story” is told through Disney-like cutie-cute cutscenes that feel just so out of this game Guess they tried to sell it to more people, but I wouldn’t allow my kids playing it. And the game itself has a somewhat claymation-like unique look, it’s absolutely stunning and immersive, with a breathing world (that uses every opportunity to murder you) and lots and lots of beautiful animations. Too bad it was lost in a production hell and came out with a low resolution, why it was called “dated” and why it didn’t sell.
Say something about…
PC means personal computer
In my humble opinion, the Case of the Rose Tattoo is a solid contender to be the best Sherlock Holmes adventure made. It has a solid story and a good amount of sleuthing and it’s not a half-bad adventure game either. It’s a damn shame it’s not sold anywhere anymore.
Say something about Innocent Until Caught
I liked it. A cyberpunk aesthetic, science fiction with a lot of humour? A mix that at first I found totally weird, or at least unattractive, but nevertheless it’s a very fun game. A character with a lot of charisma and dubious morality, a simple story, the Treasury is looking for us to pay a debt we have, that’s basically how it all starts.
The only thing I didn’t like was the inventory, the objects piled on top of each other, something that should be simple is annoying. But other than that it’s worth playing. The second part Guilty I remember playing as well.
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Say something about Curse of Enchantia:
” I remember. Somebody died. It was me.”
~
Initial impression upon looking at the box art: Oh, look, it’s King’s Quest VII for boys!
Really, it’s amazing just how similar this looks to KQ and Kyrandia.
In the course of my adventure game meanderings throughout the internet, I realize that this game has a small contingent of fans, but is generally regarded as a me-too game from that alleged Golden Age of adventure games when publishing any decent one was a viable business strategy. The art really tickles my fancy, and I’m sure I’ll give it a go someday.
Say something about…
Player, purveyor, and propagator of smart toys and games for all ages.
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IG @weplayfaves
I have no idea what this game is about, and looking at the poster doesn’t tell me much either, but I don’t want to google it to see what it looks like and what it’s exactly about. So I’m going to speculate based purely on the poster.
In a dystopian future the world is devastated by corruption and government control that defends the most powerful and wealthy. Those who do not belong to the elite live in poverty, almost destitution, in oblivion. In Nosco reside our characters who still resist total control and absolute submission.
They will have to find a way to reveal themselves and perhaps be free. Any corporation is an enemy. The revolution is near and it is up to them.
- We will be able to control several characters with different motivations but a common goal.
- Alternative endings.
- Hundreds of puzzles.
- Unique cinematic experience depending on our decisions and the emotional state of our character.
- Explore the streets of Nosco, find allies, make enemies.
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Say something about:
” I remember. Somebody died. It was me.”
~
A horror based adventure game which has H.R. Giger providing the background art sounds like a recipe for a classic. Unfortunately, the developers of Darkseed didn’t actually commission H.R. Giger to produce any artwork for the game. Instead they licensed his pre-existing artworks, chopped them up and and hodge podged the various elements together in order to create their in-game backgrounds. Combine this with some terrible puzzle design, unwinnable state gameplay scenarios, a main protagonist played by the nebbish non-actor lead programmer and a ridiculous, half-baked plot and you’re left with a pretty disappointing game all told.
Now, give me your thoughts on Starship Titanic.
(sorry but I’m unable to post images at the moment)
A horror based adventure game which has H.R. Giger providing the background art sounds like a recipe for a classic. Unfortunately, the developers of Darkseed didn’t actually commission H.R. Giger to produce any artwork for the game. Instead they licensed his pre-existing artworks, chopped them up and and hodge podged the various elements together in order to create their in-game backgrounds. Combine this with some terrible puzzle design, unwinnable state gameplay scenarios, a main protagonist played by the nebbish non-actor lead programmer and a ridiculous, half-baked plot and you’re left with a pretty disappointing game all told.
Now, give me your thoughts on Starship Titanic.
(sorry but I’m unable to post images at the moment)
I always liked Darkseed, it was a surprise? when I found out that many people actually dislike this game for many reasons, some of which you list.
The first time I played it, it had a great effect on me, its oppressive atmosphere, Giger’s art, that idea of parallel universes. It was the first horror adventure game I remember playing and it disturbed me at the time mostly because I was just a kid. The only thing I didn’t like was that (if I remember correctly) you had to be at your house at a specific time because certain events were executed depending on the day and time, and you were in danger of missing them if you weren’t there.
Starship Titanic.
I never finished it, teenager, just trying to learn a little bit of English, first steps, and I had to type words to communicate with the robots? Forget it, I made some progress and quit. From what I understand it was a game written by a well known writer, Douglas Adams, but I must admit I never read any of his work.
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Say something about:
” I remember. Somebody died. It was me.”
~
From what I understand it was a game written by a well known writer, Douglas Adams, but I must admit I never read any of his work.
I cannot recommend The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy enough. The best place to start would be either with the original radio series or the BBC TV series. Though the 80s low budget effects are pretty dated, I’d recommend going for the TV series (it’s six 30 minute episodes). It’s one of the greatest comedies of all time and right up there with Red Dwarf in terms of sci-fi comedies. Whatever you do though, do NOT watch the movie adaptation. They Hollywoodized an intrinsically British comedy, completely miscast the lead roles, as well as cutting major scenes and dialogue in order to cram the story within a 2 hour timeframe and it is dreadful.
Say something about:
I need to finish this game. I played for around an hour and I did enjoy what I played. It’s got a very creepy and oppressive atmosphere and it felt as though it was thematically dealing with depression and suicide, which are two topics I’m all too able to relate to. I’m not sure how the cats figure into the plot yet but I fear that it will involve moggy slaughter. 
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Now talk about the curiosity compelled young man searching for some hot sailor action classic that is…
Shenmue
Shenmue is quite simply one of the best games ever made.
It’s not flawless by any means, but if one game introduces concepts such as simulated day-night patterns, real life locations, games in a game, QTEs, and open world exploration in a way that had never been done before, and rarely since, it’s a classic.
If on top of it all it is also a Japanese game, and adventure, what’s there not to like?
すごいですね！ ^ ^
And in case someone wants to see a nice blog post about those real life locations, here’s the link:
http://shenmuereal.wordpress.com/dobuita/
Anyway, since St_Eddie didn’t mention anything about “Hitchhiker” game (on purpose?), let’s get back to that topic.
So what do you guys think about it?
Shenmue is quite simply one of the best games ever made.
It’s not flawless by any means, but if one game introduces concepts such as simulated day-night patterns, real life locations, games in a game, QTEs, and open world exploration in a way that had never been done before, and rarely since, it’s a classic.
It is indeed a masterpiece of ambition. Being that I was one of the few people to actually purchase a Dreamcast back in the day, I always felt as though Shenmue and Resident Evil: Code Veronica were my main rewards for backing the underdog. Shenmue blew me away at the time; that unparalleled sense of exploration, the adventure game mechanics, the working arcade, collectible toy egg machines, getting a job as a forklift driver; it felt as much of a life simulator as it did a tale of epic revenge. Oh and the soundtrack! That gorgeous soundtrack. I loved the game so much that I saved up my money and imported the orchestral soundtrack from Japan.
Anyway, since St_Eddie didn’t mention anything about “Hitchhiker” game (on purpose?), let’s get back to that topic.
So what do you guys think about it?
Quite possibly the greatest example of a game which trolls the player ever. It goes out of its way to be as obtuse and infuriatingly convoluted in its puzzle solutions as possible. As a game in its own right, it’s terrible but one has to admire the sheer gumption and audacity of the core joke. That joke being Douglas Adams poking fun and satirising the moon logic of adventure games by making the puzzles as ridiculously difficult and maddening as possible. That kind of joke falls very much in line with the humour of Hitchhiker’s itself. I can well imagine an entry within the titular book talking about a computer game which drove its players to the brink of insanity.
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Now discuss the misguided stealthy, crate pushing sequel that is…
Broken Sword: The Snoozing Player… sorry, I meant to say The Sleeping Dragon
I cannot recommend The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy enough. The best place to start would be either with the original radio series or the BBC TV series. Though the 80s low budget effects are pretty dated, I’d recommend going for the TV series (it’s six 30 minute episodes). It’s one of the greatest comedies of all time and right up there with Red Dwarf in terms of sci-fi comedies. Whatever you do though, do NOT watch the movie adaptation. They Hollywoodized an intrinsically British comedy, completely miscast the lead roles, as well as cutting major scenes and dialogue in order to cram the story within a 2 hour timeframe and it is dreadful.
Thanks for the recommendation!. I’ll keep it in mind.
” I remember. Somebody died. It was me.”
~
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon is actually my third favorite game in the series…and maaaaybe even my second favorite, but I’d have to replay it to decide. The two games that precede it for preference are BS 1 and BS 2, in that order.
I thought BS4: Angel of Death really pooped out after a pretty strong opening—nonsensical and out of character behavior from George, blah stealth scenes, some nonsensical puzzles, and a recurring logic puzzle that became annoying and boring after the second instance.
The fifth game started out as a strong redemption for the series…but the second half/episode was a disaster. Worst plot of the entire series, dumb puzzles, and a really stupid climax—and that’s saying something considering that the 4th game was nothing to write home about.
By contrast, I think The Sleeping Dragon might have had the best plot and characters of the whole series. Yes, it might have been better without so much crate pushing and stealth, but I didn’t find it too egregious—I’d rather solve a crate pushing slide puzzle than do any of the logic puzzles in Broken Sword 4, that’s for sure.
Susarro was a super memorable villain (my sister and I still get a kick out of imitating him), and the climax was one of the most satisfying closing chapters of any adventure game I’ve ever played.
****
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Player, purveyor, and propagator of smart toys and games for all ages.
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IG @weplayfaves
Regarding Shenmue, all I have to say is this.
For the last time. Where…is…the mirror?
Actually never played the game, but watched my brother play it a a little bit. The cinematic quality of the intro, by the standards of the day, was absolutely gripping. Don’t know why I never played it back then. These days, I just don’t think I have the time.
Player, purveyor, and propagator of smart toys and games for all ages.
Facebook.com/weplayfaves
IG @weplayfaves
Parents bought me Sanitarium as a birthday present when I was a schoolboy, somehow this cover art didn’t turn them off. And I really enjoyed the game, in fact I think it should be experienced as a teen — for a grown-up it’s neither too scary nor too original, basically a collection of cliched horror/fantasy plots without much depth or gore. What makes it so memorable is the atmospheric soundtrack, the unique isometric look (the game was made by RPG veterans, so no wonder) and the variety of locations that create a very surreal experience. Later I learned that one of the major inspirations for developers was not Stephen King or Clive Barker, but the French dark fantasy movie The City of Lost Children which happened to be one of my favourite films, and this put it even higher in my adventure top list
Speaking of which, say something about…
PC means personal computer
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