Adventure Gamers - Forums

Jim Purcell - 14 April 2014 05:39 PM

Personally I think both are pretty amazing, and we’re lucky to live in an age where both exist. As they are clearly two different experiences.

Excellent summary Jim - pretty much encapsulates my feelings too. I really enjoyed Broken Age part 1, will start on Moebius in the next couple of days, and the Tesla after that. I’m sure I’ll enjoy them all. But I wouldn’t want all games to be the same as Tex - I really enjoyed the acting style and humour of the last 3 Tex games, but a number of the puzzles were pretty abstract, convulted and felt “added-on”. The classic “we need more puzzles to up the difficulty” thinking as opposed to “organic puzzles” which actually made sense in the situation. From what I’ve read re Tesla Effect, it’ll follow a similar formula.

First, I think Broken Age looks nicer than Tesla Effect, though that doesn’t mean that I think Tesla looks bad, it looks nice enough, but quite dated. Heck, if I compare its graphics to another indie game, Ether One, it seems lacking. Though the be fair, Ether One made use of the latest Unreal engine.
Regarding puzzle design: yes, Tesla’s puzzles are more bountiful and more challenging. They’re also a lot less well integrated into the environments/the story, though. Why would someone have a slider puzzle hanging over their fireplace, which, when arranged correctly, spells out the combination for the safe? The same goes for the water pipe puzle. And why do you irretrievably lose objects once you used them in a puzzle? And why can’t I pick up the screwdriver with the thongs, why? At least in Broken Age I would have gotten an appropiate answer.

I feel for some Double Fine got “too big” to be an underdog anymore, which is why they give them shit about everything. I don’t mean that it’s unfair to give them shit about stuff. I was as surprised as anyone when I found out that work on Act 2 had barely started before Act 1 was finished. And I think it was risky of them to base the production of Act 2 on the success of Act 1. Broken Sword 5 of course hasn’t gotten nearly as much shit about its split into two parts and its slip of release dates again and again.

My point is: maybe you could extoll the virtues of Tesla Effect and other kickstarted adventure games you like without bashing Broken Age FOR ONCE? Because it gets tiring after a while…

Jim Purcell - 14 April 2014 05:39 PM

nomadsoul - 14 April 2014 05:06 PM

@DaveyB

Tesla Demo shits on brokenage in all departments. Period…i think this will make you understand.

It really doesn’t. Its good, but its good for a lot of different reasons then how Broken Age is good.

If you like brain teasers, convoluted inventory puzzles, and environment exploration/navigation. You’re going to love Tesla Effect. If you don’t you’re probably going to HATE it.

Broken Age on the other hand is significantly less frustrating and more visually interesting.

Personally I think both are pretty amazing, and we’re lucky to live in an age where both exist. As they are clearly two different experiences.

yes you can always make mainstream bustin jeibers generation happier with that kind of difficulty, but its the last thing in my mind when it comes to revival of old times AG through KS.

We need fix like old times, atleast i do

Visually its cartoonnetwrok flash animations Versus HD contemporary movie, with High
level CG to boot.

Give the same effort and scope to Doublefine they will ask for 20millions.

Don’t you miss my post over yours! Just making sure…

I’ m amazed to play a new Tex game after all these years I think it’s in the right mood as always Tex style. But all in all in the full game, i wonder what it will be like the jazz tones in chandler avenue guys I’m dying to fill that ambience again…

Jim Purcell - 14 April 2014 05:39 PM

Personally I think both are pretty amazing, and we’re lucky to live in an age where both exist. As they are clearly two different experiences.

Ding! We have a winner.

Besides, I think it’s great there are enough adventure games out there, some new, some from developers of old, and even some from existing franchises, to give us the ability to discuss, compare and debate about!

I don’t think any game “shits” on another game. It’s usually people who “shit” on a game. That said, I guess it’s a term of passion. I personally believe Tesla will raise some eyebrows on many levels (technically, story, atmosphere and overall presentaiton), that will hopefully not serve as a means to down-play other adventure games, rather get some much needed life back into the pulse of adventure gaming overall. That said, take these last couple of sentences with a grain of salt if you like, because I am obviously hella biased! 

Cubase - 14 April 2014 07:39 PM

I don’t think any game “shits” on another game. It’s usually people who “shit” on a game.[...]

Never said anything to the contrary.
I may have focused too much in my post on the negatives of Tesla Effect, which I did to dirty those rose-tinted glasses of some…or one.
I think Tex Murphy looks much more snazzy now than it did back then, the graphics made a big leap, as did the way the live action scenes were shot (especially regarding the camera movement). And the interface is much better and intuitive now, though I wish I could remap the keys (and duck).
But otherwise Tex Murphy remains Tex Murphy with all its pros and cons. The design is almost old-school to a fault. Everything you loved about Tex is still there, but everything you didn’t, too. Probably the reason why Kickstarter backers are so pleased. Hardcore fans are in for a treat. Time has passed, but little has changed. It just looks better and controls better.
I for one look ahead to experiencing the story and loathing some of the puzzle types.

Tesla Effect gives people a lot more game for the money. I played the demo with a friend, and had a lot of fun!

Broken Age is delightful and well-made, but I wish it had more game “meat” for me to sink my teeth into.

The “beta” process was laughable. They only gave us the demo which went to the press fist.

I don’t complain. BFG prolly had more important things to do (like giving us a bigger game than originally intended)and Atlus most likely did most of the bug fixing anyway.

Those spoilers are a design choice and I, like you Kartok, doubt that there will be changes to it. 

The Silent Dude - 15 April 2014 01:24 PM

The “beta” process was laughable. They only gave us the demo which went to the press fist.

I haven’t downloaded the demo, but I had a feeling and from the sounds of things that the ‘beta’ we were provided was actually this demo that’s gone out. To me it seems pretty clear that what the backers got was not a beta; whereas it was quite clearly state in the Kickstarter rewards that the backers at certain pledge level would get to beta test the game.

Big Finish has done pretty much everything right, but this seems a little dishonest to me.

The Beta was of a single location of the game. Feedback from that level in terms of design, gameplay mechanics, features and general comments were received during the time in which Beta backers had access to it. Many of those identified issues and suggestions were then applied and integrated into the game (both as a whole and specifically to the level that was tested). After which point the Demo was released. So basically, while it was not the whole game, all feedback was received, noted, appreciated and many of the items were implemented swiftly and effectively, both into the demo, and continually into the full game.