Adventure Gamers - Forums

Oh thanks Bogi. haven’t heard these kinds of comments (here) for god knows when, most appreciated !,

I can’t vote on this one. For me, it’s definitely DOTT for the graphics and game mechanics (multiple characters, TIIIME TRAVEEEL!), and Grim for characters, writing, atmosphere, locations and overall pizzazz. Overall it’d probably have to go to Grim, but those goddamned controls and, let’s face it, ugly early 3d graphics (though extremely intelligently used - even disguised, in fact) stop it, in my eyes, from being a clear winner in this match. Draw, for me

Graphics/Animation : This point goes to DotT easily. Simple, but well composed 2D backgrounds, frame by frame animation accompanied by mirror-house perspectives, which I’m a sucker for. The early time 3D graphics of GF is disturbing to my eye in comparison. (I should add that I absolutely LOVE Peter Chans concept art for GF, but I felt it lost its soul when it was turned into polygons).

Design/Gameplaying : I found the controls and inventory system of Grim Fandango to be extremely obtuse, to the point where is interfered with my enjoyment of the game, while DotT’s gameplay is a thrill all the way. Again the point goes to DotT.

Story: Easy choice. Grim Fandango’s writing is at the very top of the crop, the nonsensical story of DotT has nothing on the extremely well thought out universe of Grim Fandango, the point goes to GF.

Music/Audio : Again, Grim Fandango. The Jazzy score of Grim Fandango is a delight through and through, while DotT’s score suffers from the audio limitations of its time.

Puzzles: Here I stand divided, I always loved the multi-step puzzles of DotT, and how the time travelling was incorporated into the puzzles. Brilliant! But then again, Grim Fandango’s puzzles is equally well thought out, and the Rubacava section is simply amazing.

Which means I’m left with a 2,5 point score for each game. A tie. The awkward controls of GF makes me tip in favor of DotT, but that may change when the GF remake comes out.

EDIT: We should probably add voice acting to the scoreboard too, which is great in DotT, but I think some of the actors are underperforming, but in Grim Fandango every single character shines in every dialogue line. This point goes to Grim Fandango, which puts it in the lead… Can I redo my vote?

Dag - 13 December 2014 07:43 PM

EDIT: We should probably add voice acting to the scoreboard too, which is great in DotT, but I think some of the actors are underperforming, but in Grim Fandango every single character shines in every dialogue line. This point goes to Grim Fandango, which puts it in the lead… Can I redo my vote?

I thought that Audio was the key word to this point on the scoreboard, Music goes for the soundtrack and Audio goes for the Voice-Acting and the Sound-Effects, so I guess all elements are covered here, at least IMHO.

I wish that rating/scoring system would work this way here or anywhere, by giving percentage for each point, gather the total and divide it by five, then finally we have got a good satisfying/objective score at the end.

Advie - 14 December 2014 03:13 AM

I thought that Audio was the key word to this point on the scoreboard, Music goes for the soundtrack and Audio goes for the Voice acting and the sound effects, so I guess all elements are cover here, at least IMHO.

Right, of course!

Then I’m back to a tie, hehe. Oh well, the vote stands with DotT, which is fine. Still, it’s hard to decide between two games that are so different from one another.

DoTT is a great game, very funny and with some clever use of time travel puzzles, BUT... Grim Fandagon is a freaking masterpiece and no. 2 on my personal list of the best AG’s ever made, so there is really no contest here.

Yeah, I agree that Grim Fandango is a better game, if I ignore the controls.

Advie - 14 December 2014 03:13 AM

I wish that rating/scoring system would work this way here or anywhere, by giving a percentage for each point then gather the total and divide it by five, and we have got a good satisfying/subjective score at the end.

That’s flawed as well. Some games are more than the sum of their parts, and some games are weaker than the sum of their parts.
Besides, the review itself is WAY more important than the score of the game. The score is just a number, the review is where all the information is…

Dag - 14 December 2014 04:31 AM

Yeah, I agree that Grim Fandango is a better game, if I ignore the controls.

Personally the controls never really bother me much, they weren’t perfect but not more cumbersome than what I could live with.

Iznogood - 14 December 2014 06:05 AM

Dag - 14 December 2014 04:31 AM

Yeah, I agree that Grim Fandango is a better game, if I ignore the controls.

Personally the controls never really bother me much, they weren’t perfect but not more cumbersome than what I could live with.

I think you are bypassing the point which dag’s thinks of (and I agree with him about) and that is the ruined fun; (in general)  terrible controls, slow moving avatars, long loading time of screens, strange camera views…etc,etc are all kinds of issues might seem trivial wise, but once you get more and more going into the game, they start you frustrate you/me (however these cons are minimal comparing to the other great aspects the ag has) and the fun loses its immersion .

One can start to get bored then eventually give up on the whole experience, I gave up on So blonde on my replay for the long loading time of screen/locations, and the same reason for Alcatraz (on my 1st experience with the game) , and also gave up on Grim Fandango on my replay for the Inventory and character’s controls.

So these issues are not be taking as some trivial ones you can just live with, we are all already living without these experiences (no one game is good enough to keep me from avoiding these frustrating issues) plus there are other 10s of ags waiting for me to run (even if they might seem less good) have not these issues .