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What themes would you like to see more of in adventure games?

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I recently finished (re)playing Conquests of Camelot, and it really put me in the mood for some more Arthurian-style adventuring. Then I realized that there really isn’t much of it out there.
You might think King’s Quest would scratch that itch, but despite the name, it really doesn’t. Maybe it’s because Daventry seems so nepotistic that there’s little incentive for a Knights of the Round table style meritocracy, so all the knights just sit at home plucking petals off of roses with forlorn chivalric hope?

Anyway, if you had your druthers, what themes, characters, eras, and settings would you like to see more of in adventure games?

     

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Just finished 5 dates and really liked it. Sure you can complete it in about 7 hours, but what a 7 hours! Very very funny. So I’d love more FMV games of course, with a horror theme like The Shapeshifting Detective preferred.

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Very cool question. Because I’m VP, I’m going to divide my answers in three categories: fun, somewhat more serious and maybe skip if you roll your eyes at anything that could be remotely considered pretentious, aka, more talk. less rock.

FUN

Characters: Musicians! Please, more games about bands, songwriters, rappers, composers, etc. Spies, carrying strange gadgets, wearing disguises. More well-informed diversity. The genre could be a little less white and we could use a couple of dudes making out, to name a couple of things. And yes, that does count as fun. Make it less ham-fisted, it doesn’t (always) need to have a moral or make people feel good or bad about whatever.

Mysterioso pizzicato villains. Sure, give us your tragic/conflicted/pure evil/uncaring AI-types, that’s all fine. But I’d love to see more mischief makers.

Settings: Outer space (spaceships, other planets).

Eras: All of them! At any point in space and time!

SOMEWHAT MORE SERIOUS

Characters: see first part of FUN. Maybe the second part as well.

Settings: More games set in the Middle East, Asia, Middle- and South-America and Africa. Not as exotic locations to visit, but from the perspective of someone with knowledge and experience regarding the region.

Themes/Eras: I’m okay with all the sci-fi dystopian stuff, but I would really like to see the genre move out of the 80s. “Technobabylon” and “Whispers of a Machine” did a decent job, but some of their ideas remained rather surface-level compared to the stuff that came out in the 70s and 80s. This stuff reflected the situation at that time, in combination with the ideas about the future that seemed very prophetic.. back then. Current games that pretend to be deeper/more philosophical either directly tap into the classics, or just straight-up fantasy with robots instead of dragons. Or both. Which, to me.. eh.

MORE TALK, LESS ROCK

Characters: see first part of FUN. Make it slightly more painful, I suppose.

Themes/Eras: Games that explore historical political situations that have been completely overshadowed by propaganda. This is hard, there’s really no such thing as a neutral historian, but right now most stories with historical themes seem too entrenched in rather superficial and pre-fab narratives that make them accessible, but dumb down anything remotely interesting. They’re usually convenient to one side or the other. I’m not talking alternative facts, I mean knowledge provided by legit historians.

     
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Science fiction is always nice!

Especially stuff like being on a (more or less) malfunctioning spaceship, trying to make things work somehow.

Other than that, I would like to see developers taking some completely new kind of approaches with their themes, stories, and protagonists.

Games like Monkey Island or Space Quest were great not only because they were the best adventure games in their own time, but because they had stories and protagonists like no other game before them did.

     
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I’m open for any theme or setting as long as the game is masterfully written and fun to play. Never thought I’d enjoy an attorney simulator, for example, but here I am - half-through the second game in the Phoenix Wright series.

But I also wouldn’t mind more games set during medieval times, only maybe more realistic than King Arthur’s legends and closer to our century. And not set in Britain - which is overused in fiction. Something in the vein of The Name of the Rose. There was in fact an adventure loosely based on Umberto Eco’s novel, and it turned to be a boredom, so there’s still a problem of adapting that - not very well-documented and not too exciting - time period into a game unless writers mix history with fables (the Conquests series) or make a straightforward comedy/parody (Eric the Unready).

I’d still like to see devs trying a more serious approach. I think Arxel Tribe was praised for making an interesting, more or less historically accurate series of adventure games set during the times of Crusades, but I never tried them out.

     

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GateKeeper - 09 May 2021 11:20 AM

Other than that, I would like to see developers taking some completely new kind of approaches with their themes, stories, and protagonists.

That would be awesome. Can you think of any new game that surprised you in this way?

Doom - 09 May 2021 11:27 AM

But I also wouldn’t mind more games set during medieval times, only maybe more realistic than King Arthur’s legends and closer to our century. And not set in Britain - which is overused in fiction.

I remember playing “Knight’s Chase”, hoping for this.. it didn’t really deliver, but it had some things going for it. A game about the Templars that doesn’t go into conspiracy territory would be a welcome change of pace.

     
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Gatekeeper and Veggie Party’s comments to the effect of (quoting Gatekeeper)  “seeing developers taking some completely new kind of approaches with their themes, stories, and protagonists” reminds me of a theory I have on why some movies gain classic status or large ‘cult’ followings.
Take a movie like Glengarry Glen Ross. It’s about what are ostensibly the machinations of a real estate agency. What could be more mundane, right? But think about it: How much does the average non-real estate agent know about the inner workings of that business? (Granted, it’s a bit different these days, when so much of the business is freelance.) For most of us, the answer is ‘precious little.’ So as mundane as the description ‘movie about a few people in a real estate agency’ might sound, it actually turns out to be a fascinating look inside of an integral yet opaque part of modern society.
Now, because it’s integral, because it’s something we all know exists and we all might make use of at one or several points in our lives, it is ‘important’ to us—it’s got an automatic hook. On the flip side, because it is pretty opaque, the story writers have a good deal of leeway to make things up—for the rosy or for the sordid—and as long as they stay within the general range of public gullibility, we’ll buy it. Or at least we’ll squint and ask ‘really? Is that how it works? I wonder…it doesn’t seem likely, but maybe it is? Do I know someone I could ask?’
This creative license can be used to turn something that is ‘interesting’ in a field trip sort of way, into something that is utterly *fascinating*.
To that end, I think there is *so much* room in adventure games to take characters and themes that might seem quite ‘every day’ and naturalistic, and use them as a hook and then a springboard to give us some insight and attention-grabbing skepticism.
Perhaps a game where you play as a teacher? There could be a greater overarching story that might be an ‘extracurricular’ quest, having nothing or very little to do with the teaching career of the protagonist…but some of the puzzles and characters and social paradigms we explore would be between teacher-and-teacher, between teacher-and-parent, between teacher-and-child (great book by Haim Ginot, coincidentally), etc.
It wouldn’t have to be deep, it wouldn’t have to be the focus of the game, but it would stir our imagination with just a little behind the scenes information and experience of what being a teacher is like.

I actually think that one of the reasons The Godfather was so successful is the way it makes the viewer feel like he is gaining deep insight into that omerta culture. Of course, it’s also a good story, but that behinds-the-scenes of a real life that you’ll never live narrative is very attractive to most people, I think.

Bit of a tangent, but I think it’s a shame that this device is more often used to explore ‘dark and gritty realism’ than the heroic or just normal-but-interesting parts of life.
I’d love a game where I could play as an astronaut, both on earth and on a space mission. Maybe a *good* adventure game where you play as a doctor (Freddy Pharkas doesn’t count. He’s not a doctor and his game’s not very good).  Even a game where you play as a landscaper and maybe uncover clues to a mystery on a job that leads to to using your landscaping skills to solve a few of the puzzles.
Police Quest straddles this naturalistic line. I think a huge part of the hook of that game was that, in a sense, it does for police life what The Godfather did for mob life. An inside look that feels authentic.
(Please please note: I’m not equating the level of artistic achievement between PQ and The Godfather—just that they share this principle.)

     

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Vegetable Party - 09 May 2021 11:57 AM
GateKeeper - 09 May 2021 11:20 AM

Other than that, I would like to see developers taking some completely new kind of approaches with their themes, stories, and protagonists.

That would be awesome. Can you think of any new game that surprised you in this way?

There are some, although “new game” is a bit hard to define, I personally consider anything withing the last 10 years as new.

Most of these stranger ideas never get made though, as they don’t get funding. I know a bunch of games with a unique approach that never got funding, and were either cancelled or are forever put on hold, waiting for a lucky chance that never comes.

Baron_Blubba - 09 May 2021 02:43 PM

Maybe a *good* adventure game where you play as a doctor (Freddy Pharkas doesn’t count. He’s not a doctor and his game’s not very good).

Healing Process: Tokyo.

“Healing Process: Tokyo is a throwback to the interactive storytelling genre fused with more recent tropes from RPGs, sandboxes, and modern designs. It includes a nostalgic pixel art style that defines itself stylishly, featuring an extensive amount of voice acting and an immense world with a broad scope of areas to visit. The core concept takes a heavy amount of influence from the graphical adventures of Sierra Entertainment, but looks to expand upon the medium of interactive storytelling by adding numerous systems unfamiliar to the genre.

Healing Process tells the story of recovery from the mental illness that is depression and combating one’s inner demons. Our protagonist Charles Russell, an experienced doctor and surgeon, has suffered the loss of his wife, causing a downward spiral in his life. After several surgeries resulting in failure, it becomes apparent that Charles’ personal problems are affecting his professional life. Charles reluctantly decides to take a day’s leave from his job in hopes of regaining his composure. This journey aims to explore a multitude of well developed characters and thought evoking themes that will be grounded in extensive real world research and interviews with doctors, and victims of depression.”

But back to the point of these kind of ideas not getting made.
This game tried for a Kickstarter funding, but the project was unsuccessful.

I don’t know what’s the current state of the game, at least it hasn’t been released, so it’s either being made on someone’s spare time and money, or not being made at all.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eclipsejapan-jp/healing-process-tokyo-pc-mac/

http://healingprocessgame.com

     
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I would probably enjoy even a just-decent point and click game that let me play as a doctor, in a realistic setting. However, I have yet to enjoy a story line that involves the ‘exploration of mental illness.’
Celeste is one of my favorite games, but the more the story shifted from metaphorical to literal, the less engaged I became. While some people might find these stories helpful or valuable in some way, they usually feel like self indulgent catharsis for the developer. The heart might be in the right place, maybe wanting to share their experience in case it might prove useful to someone else, but as a gameplay (or game story) device, it just doesn’t work. Not that it can’t work, but I haven’t seen it yet…not that I can remember.

Can anyone point out games where they thought a story with a significant focus on mental illness worked?
I’m not talking about a game like Sanitarium. I’m talking something like chronic anxiety or depression.
I just feel…as triumphant as it might feel to overcome anxiety in a game (but really, would it? In a game context I think it would be superficial and maybe even depressing), playing as a severely depressed protagonist would probably, in a negative sense, outweigh the positive feelings I’d get from ‘winning’ the game or surmounting that challenge.

However…an adventure game where you play as a psychotherapist could be fascinating! Especially if the stories in the game were based on really interesting true-life cases, like the ones you might find in an Oliver Sacks book.

     

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I remember a game that did something like that, in a slightly abstract way.
https://www.hulub.ch/mentalrepairs.php

     
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Baron_Blubba - 09 May 2021 03:32 PM

Can anyone point out games where they thought a story with a significant focus on mental illness worked?
I’m not talking about a game like Sanitarium. I’m talking something like chronic anxiety or depression.
I just feel…as triumphant as it might feel to overcome anxiety in a game (but really, would it? In a game context I think it would be superficial and maybe even depressing), playing as a severely depressed protagonist would probably, in a negative sense, outweigh the positive feelings I’d get from ‘winning’ the game or surmounting that challenge.

However…an adventure game where you play as a psychotherapist could be fascinating! Especially if the stories in the game were based on really interesting true-life cases, like the ones you might find in an Oliver Sacks book.

You should really play The Cat Lady, it’s a brilliant little game about a woman who suffers from chronic depression, being stuck between sanity and madness. This put me off at first as the game felt too depressive, but I finally played through it last year and loved every minute (well, apart from some really gruesome scenes).

As for psychotherapists, I remember enjoying Overclocked: A History of Violence where you play as one and have to “travel” into the minds of your patients. The game was on the easy side, but the plot was really fascinating (again, back in the 2000s, I haven’t replayed the game since).

     

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Baron_Blubba - 09 May 2021 03:32 PM

Can anyone point out games where they thought a story with a significant focus on mental illness worked?
I’m not talking about a game like Sanitarium. I’m talking something like chronic anxiety or depression.
I just feel…as triumphant as it might feel to overcome anxiety in a game (but really, would it? In a game context I think it would be superficial and maybe even depressing), playing as a severely depressed protagonist would probably, in a negative sense, outweigh the positive feelings I’d get from ‘winning’ the game or surmounting that challenge.

The Cat Lady has a pretty accurate depiction of depression and what can set off a breakdown, and it’s a significant portion of the game that’s centered around this, since it’s the main character’s “backstory”.

We had a CPT of that game here, and the game’s dev joined in with comments. Apparently, he works (or worked) as a nurse and he’s living with someone suffering from depression, which explains why he was able to get the portrayal convincingly correct.


Edit: beaten to the punch Smile

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Vegetable Party - 09 May 2021 11:57 AM

I remember playing “Knight’s Chase”, hoping for this.. it didn’t really deliver, but it had some things going for it. A game about the Templars that doesn’t go into conspiracy territory would be a welcome change of pace.

Wow, a fantasy historical adventure I’ve never heard of that looks and plays like Alone in the Dark. And I thought I’ve seen everything by Infogrames. Will definitely look into it, especially since it’s available at GOG and Steam. Thanks!

TimovieMan - 09 May 2021 04:47 PM

Edit: beaten to the punch Smile

Sorry, I just rushed to recommend it. After so many years of ignoring the game I feel like I owe the author)

     

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More comedy games with less PC comedy. I’d prefer no political correctness in humorland whatsoever, to be honest. I don’t think a comedy writer should create something with a long list of themes/people/situations in mind that, God forbid, will offend someone somewhere - it restricts the creativity in its purest sense, and comedy should be as raw as the author wanted it to be.

I’d love more games like Hector: Badge of Carnage (still, arguably, one the best Telltale games out there, and one of my all-time favorites - mostly because of the writing). “Lancelot’s Hangover” kinda scratched the surface last year; although it’s not for everyone, more for fans of Monty Python sense of humor. But basically, I miss some boldness of being unapologetic. We do get comedy games, of course, but majority still thread some kind of safety line - and it’s a killer of humor and fun. I was always a big fan of raunchiness, sarcasm, cynicism, dark and gallows humor, political satire and politically incorrect jokes of all kinds, but the amount of games employing these tricks of the trade is practically non-existent, so I’d like more of those.

As far as the setting - classic 90s. I feel like it’s always being overlooked for much more stylish decades in terms of some significant trends, but I’m 90s kid, so I’d like more of the games set in the polaroid era before social networks and cell phones, where punk and grunge slowly gave way to the biggest way of pop, where people tried to see each other instead of taking a million of pictures of what they are doing, where playing on the streets were just as prominent as playing video games, and AOL was just the coolest thing ever. Capture this small moment right before the huge technological break.

Also, always wanted a game set in the 60s that has something to do with space program or NASA research.


EDIT: The Cat Lady is a masterpiece.

     
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Doom - 09 May 2021 05:25 PM
Vegetable Party - 09 May 2021 11:57 AM

I remember playing “Knight’s Chase”, hoping for this.. it didn’t really deliver, but it had some things going for it. A game about the Templars that doesn’t go into conspiracy territory would be a welcome change of pace.

Wow, a fantasy historical adventure I’ve never heard of that looks and plays like Alone in the Dark. And I thought I’ve seen everything by Infogrames. Will definitely look into it, especially since it’s available at GOG and Steam. Thanks!

TimovieMan - 09 May 2021 04:47 PM

Edit: beaten to the punch Smile

Sorry, I just rushed to recommend it. After so many years of ignoring the game I feel like I owe the author)

Well, it’s not exactly historical. The premise of the game is being transported back in time, and it’s also involves secret cults and so forth which likely involve a lot of speculation.

I do however second the wish for more purely historical or well-researched real-life based games. For me, this would involve playing a character from the past or even the present, without fantasy elements. More games like 1893: A World’s Fair Mystery, Riddle of the Sphinx, Pillars of the Earth, Odyssey: The Story of Science from writers who know their stuff and are able to educate as well as entertain.

     
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Luhr28 - 10 May 2021 01:11 AM

I do however second the wish for more purely historical or well-researched real-life based games. For me, this would involve playing a character from the past or even the present, without fantasy elements. More games like 1893: A World’s Fair Mystery, Riddle of the Sphinx, Pillars of the Earth, Odyssey: The Story of Science from writers who know their stuff and are able to educate as well as entertain.

For some reason, a couple of these ideas just culminated into a very specific wish: a game about Marie Curie.

 

     

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