Adventure Gamers - Forums

It’s best to interpret most of my posts as being tinged with sarcasm, unless otherwise stated.  But here, if it makes you feel better:

On a more serious note, I really see the oversexualization of women in games as a serious issue, and I think that the screen caps of the FMV that have been posted here are just as guilty of it as, say, the bouncing-titted character model from A.R.K that I argued about a while ago.  The difference, of course, is that because it’s FMV, we’re talking about actual people, the way they are dressed, the way they have been made up, and in general the traits of their appearance that the game’s directors were looking for when they made their casting choices.  My colorful initial language aside, I have nothing against these women themselves—but I do have to wonder about the casting directors, and what their intent was with choosing this particular “look” for their female characters.  There is an overly made-up quality to these women (particularly the bone-thin, collagen-injected one in the most recently posted image) that makes them look fake and evokes a sense of cheapness.  Maybe that’s intentional, I don’t know.  I think it’s interesting, in any case.

Lambonius - 03 June 2013 03:00 PM

There is an overly made-up quality to these women (particularly the bone-thin, collagen-injected one in the most recently posted image) that makes them look fake and evokes a sense of cheapness.

I’d say the women in this game run the gamut

millenia - 03 June 2013 03:21 PM

Think about Mona in the community playthrough that is just starting: .

She’s ridiculous and she’s fantastic. I am a woman who has certainly had her share of unwanted attention and all these characters are just fine to me, really, they are not supporting an unhealthy image. All of these games are also humorous.

Froderick does indeed makes some humorous comments about the “hourglass” style of women that Mona represents and how he prefers them differently!

Dag - 03 June 2013 03:04 PM

I’ll admit that you’ve rubbed me the wrong way quite a few times earlier, but either I’m beginning to understand your humour, or maybe I’m just getting some sort of depraved entertainment value out of how your posts allways tend to ruffle someones feathers with you (seemingly) not understanding why Anyway, just shout out whenever you’re in Norway, and I’ll buy you some mead

Haha…welcome to the dark side! 

Lambonius - 03 June 2013 03:00 PM

but I do have to wonder about the casting directors, and what their intent was with choosing this particular “look” for their female characters.  There is an overly made-up quality to these women (particularly the bone-thin, collagen-injected one in the most recently posted image) that makes them look fake and evokes a sense of cheapness.  Maybe that’s intentional, I don’t know.  I think it’s interesting, in any case.

when it comes to issues such as oversexulization of female characters and so forth, in this particular instance what needs to be remembered is that we simply don’t yet know what kind of characters are being portrayed.
It could be that the style and general demeanor of these particular characters are completely appropriate to the characters being portrayed, as well as appropriate to the tex series trademark stylistic choices in both art and narrative.

From just a few screen caps it’s way WAY to early to be commenting on issues such as oversexualization.

Lambonius - 03 June 2013 10:28 AM

I am going to have to give these games a try though.  So far every experience I’ve ever had with FMV has been utterly sickening, so all this love for it here has got my interest peaked.  I’m still quite skeptical, however, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong. 

Since you’re skeptical, I would recommend you start with The Pandora Directive. Each adventure is reasonably standalone, and these days The Pandora Directive is generally agreed upon to be the overall best game, especially gameplay wise. Branching paths with multiple endings, lots of exploration/investigation, and generally good puzzles. I’m certainly not going to claim it solves every complaint one might have with FMV games, and the interface is cumbersome by modern standards, but it has plenty of legitimate gameplay and is by no means a click-to-advance interactive movie.

Frogacuda is right about the tone. It’s a noir-inspired B-movie sci-fi comedy. Tex is a regular human who lives in a rundown part of San Francisco that is mostly populated by humans mutated by radioactive fallout, which is part of why some characters will look so extreme whereas some will look normal. Do not expect great acting, but if you accept it in that tongue-in-cheek spirit, the presentation will begin to feel appropriate and enjoyable. The writing is actually quite good, with likable characters and an interesting mystery.

Tex ALWAYS plays to the tropes… and that’s what makes it fun. 

Bt

Iznogood - 04 June 2013 12:11 AM

Lambonius - 03 June 2013 10:28 AM

I am going to have to give these games a try though.  So far every experience I’ve ever had with FMV has been utterly sickening, so all this love for it here has got my interest peaked.  I’m still quite skeptical, however, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong. 

IMO the Tex Murphy series is really the only games where FMV has worked.
In all other games using FMV i have always felt it detracted more from the game then it added.
Okay i also quite liked Phantasmagoria, but that was in many ways more of an interactive story then and actual AG.

Wing Commander 3/4 also used it quite well, in my opinion. And the Myst series, for that matter.

But yeah, usually it was used in a way that compromised gameplay and the fmv itself poorly produced.

Frogacuda - 04 June 2013 02:48 PM

Iznogood - 04 June 2013 12:11 AM

IMO the Tex Murphy series is really the only games where FMV has worked.
In all other games using FMV i have always felt it detracted more from the game then it added.
Okay i also quite liked Phantasmagoria, but that was in many ways more of an interactive story then and actual AG.

Wing Commander 3/4 also used it quite well, in my opinion. And the Myst series, for that matter.

But yeah, usually it was used in a way that compromised gameplay and the fmv itself poorly produced.

I thought Spycraft: The Great Game worked quite well too, but I’m not sure if it qualifies as an adventure game or not. It’s more of a simulation/puzzle game/rail shooter with a story kind of thing (so maybe it is an adventure after all). It’s one of the few FMV games I’ve played (not that I’ve played a whole lot of them) where I neither remember getting frustrated with the game mechanics, nor getting annoyed by the acting.

So I sent this thread to Christopher Walken, and this is what he kept saying about every anti-FMV post.