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Old 09-30-2007, 04:31 PM   #53
Jake
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Location: San Rafael, California
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Though game-for-game I like quite a few of the games andii's discussed in a negative context, I do agree with a lot of his general sentiment about adventure games.

It really frustrates me that so much of adventure gaming is about impeding the plot by telling you "no" over and over. If your game is nothing but a good story that is impeded over and over by people telling you that you can't progress to the next point in the story because they're an unreasonable bastard, or because some piece of machinery is broken... there's only so much of that you can take before wanting to just sort of chuck your PC out the window.

"I have the amulet which you seek, but before I share its secrets with you, I need you to find my two missing chickens, and some spice for the soup I'm making. One of the chickens will probably be just outside the house and easily obtained to give you a bit of gratification and to show you the ropes of how this is going to work, but the other one has been captured by a cave troll who you will need to find within a maze. The maze is guarded by a man who will only let you in if you sing him a happy song which reminds him of his three favorite childhood memories (memories you can only find out about by walking through town asking every shopkeeper and street begger if they are aquainted with the guard, and whether or not they feel like dropping you a veiled allusion to his youth in seemingly unrelated chit chat). The spice can be purchased from the store down the street, which is conveniently closed due to totally arbitrary store hours. Time will have passed the exact amount so that the store is open when you come back to the town after -- and only after -- you have completed the cave troll puzzle... Did I say 'puzzle?' I mean, 'compelling point in a non-ridiculous and overwrought gated narrative.'"
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