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Adventure Games Thread 2022 - We CAN use these things together
- Thread starter Vampire On Titus
- Start date
- |OT|
Vampire On Titus
Member
That's funny because re-reading my post I felt it came across mostly critical. But yeah, I basically feel the same way. Judged by the standards of most other late 90s/early 00s adventure games, it's a really good game. Judged against the standards of the previous MI games or LucasArts top tier stuff, it's a noticeable downgrade.
I actually already got this on GOG, but I snagged it for free on Epic anyway because why not. I am looking forward to playing it. I'll probably play it before Born Punk since it seems like the better game.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Return to Monkey Island is out now, reviews for the game are very good so far. Gonna be playing this later today and I hope I have a great time.
SF Kosmo
The Trigglypuff
Ok, can we talk for a second about how SpaceVenture spent 10 years in development and decided to finally launch two days before a new Monkey Island?
It's not bad either. Dated and the interface is kinda rough, but the writing is decent and the voice acting is good. Shame it didn't come out in a reasonable time frame.
It's not bad either. Dated and the interface is kinda rough, but the writing is decent and the voice acting is good. Shame it didn't come out in a reasonable time frame.
Vampire On Titus
Member
I've seen some impressions that mirror what you're saying. Unfortunately at present it's only been released to backers so I can't check it out. Which is actually fortunate since they won't be directly competing with MI.
The Cockatrice
Member
Vampire On Titus
Member
lol, my bad, I've been kinda busy lately. I did post some of my impressions in the Return to Monkey Island review thread so I'll try to keep it (somewhat) brief. (I failed)
Getting the art out of the way since everything has been said about it in the past already. Personally, I felt it was up and down, many of the environments look cool and some don't, many of the designs look bad and some don't. Overall the aspects I didn't like about the art style didn't weigh down the game to the point where it hindered my overall enjoyment. Obviously it's something people are especially split on, so YMMV.
The story is, more than any other Monkey Island game, an obviously allegorical musing on Ron Gilbert's personal feelings on growing older, the Monkey Island series, and stories in general. Specifically how stories come to be reinterpreted over time as they mature in the minds of individual viewers. It's still told through the vehicle of a funny pirate story, but more so than ever the subtext is spilling out and inviting the player to think on the themes in tandem with the surface level plot.
This puts the game in somewhat of an odd position as some fans have been put off by Ron's response to the art style backlash, feeling he broad brushed a wide swath of fair criticism under the umbrella of harassment. And yeah, that happened. But, since this game is more personal, more Ron speaking to the audience through his characters than ever before, the fact that some fans have really soured on Ron could make them less receptive to what RtMI is trying to do.
For me, personally, I really enjoyed it and have been thinking about the game a lot since I finished it a week ago. I think it uses nostalgia intelligently to get its message across in a way that yields strong moments. Plus the actual pirate antics are a lot of fun. You wind up spending a lot of time on LeChuck's ship interacting with his ghost crew and all of those new characters were great. Gullet, a head swab who persistently hazes Guybrush, being my favorite.
The gameplay starts off simple, relative to Ron's past non-Humongous games, and opens up to having several islands to explore & multiple concurrent puzzle chains from chapter 4 onward. From that point RtMI is a decent challenge. The puzzles are well designed and many of them are funny, and funny puzzle solutions is something I always look for in an MI game. It is the least challenging game of the Gilbert MI games, but I wouldn't put it that far below Secret. The fact that the to-do list and more convenient backtracking make it harder to forget your objective or wander aimlessly is the biggest difference. What I will say is, although the puzzles are well designed, well sign posted, and never break their own rules or do something unfair, there really wasn't that "classic" puzzle or two I could hang my hat on. Not on the level of the mug switching puzzle, insult sword fighting, or even the spitting contest. The closest would probably be the three trials to become the queen of brr muda.
The ending has already been the subject of debate amongst the fans who've completed it. Without saying too much... it's extremely Ron Gilbert-y, but I think it works because it's far less of a curveball than Thimbleweed Park, for instance. After completing the game I'd highly urge people to check out the multiple post credit epilogues, which change depending on your actions in the final moments of the game. They give a bit more clarity at what Gilbert and Grossman are driving at, plus there's an unlockable letter in the game's "scrapbook," which is worth a read.
I do think the ending sacrifices immediate satisfaction in a way that can leave you feeling a little thrown off, but I've appreciated it more the more I've thought about it afterward. It's the kind of thing that's destined to be polarizing, though. I've already seen people labeling it pretentious and lazy, and while I don't agree it's any of those things, that response from some is a clear reflection of them wanting something fundamentally different out of Monkey Island than what Ron Gilbert wanted to give.
Overall I really did think the game was great, and want to play it again soon. For adventures this year I don't have it beating Perfect Tides, but it might be my number two above NORCO.
Getting the art out of the way since everything has been said about it in the past already. Personally, I felt it was up and down, many of the environments look cool and some don't, many of the designs look bad and some don't. Overall the aspects I didn't like about the art style didn't weigh down the game to the point where it hindered my overall enjoyment. Obviously it's something people are especially split on, so YMMV.
The story is, more than any other Monkey Island game, an obviously allegorical musing on Ron Gilbert's personal feelings on growing older, the Monkey Island series, and stories in general. Specifically how stories come to be reinterpreted over time as they mature in the minds of individual viewers. It's still told through the vehicle of a funny pirate story, but more so than ever the subtext is spilling out and inviting the player to think on the themes in tandem with the surface level plot.
This puts the game in somewhat of an odd position as some fans have been put off by Ron's response to the art style backlash, feeling he broad brushed a wide swath of fair criticism under the umbrella of harassment. And yeah, that happened. But, since this game is more personal, more Ron speaking to the audience through his characters than ever before, the fact that some fans have really soured on Ron could make them less receptive to what RtMI is trying to do.
For me, personally, I really enjoyed it and have been thinking about the game a lot since I finished it a week ago. I think it uses nostalgia intelligently to get its message across in a way that yields strong moments. Plus the actual pirate antics are a lot of fun. You wind up spending a lot of time on LeChuck's ship interacting with his ghost crew and all of those new characters were great. Gullet, a head swab who persistently hazes Guybrush, being my favorite.
The gameplay starts off simple, relative to Ron's past non-Humongous games, and opens up to having several islands to explore & multiple concurrent puzzle chains from chapter 4 onward. From that point RtMI is a decent challenge. The puzzles are well designed and many of them are funny, and funny puzzle solutions is something I always look for in an MI game. It is the least challenging game of the Gilbert MI games, but I wouldn't put it that far below Secret. The fact that the to-do list and more convenient backtracking make it harder to forget your objective or wander aimlessly is the biggest difference. What I will say is, although the puzzles are well designed, well sign posted, and never break their own rules or do something unfair, there really wasn't that "classic" puzzle or two I could hang my hat on. Not on the level of the mug switching puzzle, insult sword fighting, or even the spitting contest. The closest would probably be the three trials to become the queen of brr muda.
The ending has already been the subject of debate amongst the fans who've completed it. Without saying too much... it's extremely Ron Gilbert-y, but I think it works because it's far less of a curveball than Thimbleweed Park, for instance. After completing the game I'd highly urge people to check out the multiple post credit epilogues, which change depending on your actions in the final moments of the game. They give a bit more clarity at what Gilbert and Grossman are driving at, plus there's an unlockable letter in the game's "scrapbook," which is worth a read.
I do think the ending sacrifices immediate satisfaction in a way that can leave you feeling a little thrown off, but I've appreciated it more the more I've thought about it afterward. It's the kind of thing that's destined to be polarizing, though. I've already seen people labeling it pretentious and lazy, and while I don't agree it's any of those things, that response from some is a clear reflection of them wanting something fundamentally different out of Monkey Island than what Ron Gilbert wanted to give.
Overall I really did think the game was great, and want to play it again soon. For adventures this year I don't have it beating Perfect Tides, but it might be my number two above NORCO.
The Cockatrice
Member
Vampire On Titus
Member
Hob's Barrow out today, getting some good early reviews including a 4.5/5 by Adventure Gamers. I'm playing through the Mikagura sequel right now but after I finish that I'll likely jump into this.
Fuz
Member
(Rushed, I might add something later. Or maybe not, since I might not care enough to waste time about it)
Worse than I thought. Much worse than I thought, since I was confident Gilbert's writing would have been top notch despite the art direction. I was wrong.
The artstyle is adequate for what the game writing and story are. And I don't mean it in a nice way.
Yeah, it's an absolute disaster visually, with cheap animations everywhere. It's small, both in scope and in lenght - it has no breadth. It's empty. Just compare the islands in act IV with the islands in Monkey Island 2. There is no Caribbean to be found here. The puzzles are easy and not particularly well designed or interesting, some of them also have small hints on how to solve them (like seeing a blowfish while going down the anchor). They're just silly. The interface... well, you know already I hate those barebone interfaces designed for tablets and little kids at their first P&C experience.
And the writing. Oh my god.
I said the art style is adequate... because it's a full fledged low tier nickelodeon cartoon. It's silly through and through. Forget On Stranger Tides. It's not a pirate story, it's a cartoon. LeChuck - from a scary ghost pirate - became a caricature, as is everyone else. Cartoon caricatures.
And the writing. I don't even know where to start. Pretentious overall. I'm convinced that in 30 years Ron got sick of people asking him about Monkey Island (and a secret that never existed) and started to resent his creature. Now it's a meta story on growing old and the likes. I don't even feel bad about the ending like most people (I LOVED MI2 ending), but... AGAIN? Not that I was expecting anything different due to all the clues during the game.
And where the fuck their fixation for THE SECRET came out? They make it sounds like they didn't search for anything else since the beginning of the saga, while it was NEVER a thing.
And why Chuckie and Guybrush aren't the ones playing, since MI2 was Guybrush's story? "Uh, no, it weren't them" yes, they were, clearly. We also saw his parents in the dream, and they were not strangers. They retconned A LOT and it sucks. Ron was hell-bent on NOT giving the fans what they wanted.
Gilbert had no idea what to do with this game, scratched everything he planned and thought (his famous 17 points and "Guybrush goes to hell and Stan is there") and destroyed his creature.
The music is also disappointing. I mean, it's good but... it's the bare minimum. They just basically gave a lazy orchestration to the old tunes. And it's overdone and overcomplicated, in 1 year no one will remember those tunes, while we still perfectly remember every song in MI1 30 years later.
A mention for Dominic Amato, who does an excellent job - still not my Guybrush voice and still doesn't sound like MI1-MI2 Guybrush should sound, but he's GOOD at his job and he was obviously very committed to the part.
Oh, funny thing about incompetence.
The game doesn't run on Windows 7. The game runs on a Switch emulator on Windows 7.
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The Cockatrice
Member
(Rushed, I might add something later. Or maybe not, since I might not care enough to waste time about it)
Worse than I thought. Much worse than I thought, since I was confident Gilbert's writing would have been top notch despite the art direction. I was wrong.
The artstyle is adequate for what the game writing and story are. And I don't mean it in a nice way.
Yeah, it's an absolute disaster visually, with cheap animations everywhere. It's small, both in scope and in lenght - it has no breadth. It's empty. Just compare the islands in act IV with the islands in Monkey Island 2. There is no Caribbean to be found here. The puzzles are easy and not particularly well designed or interesting, some of them also have small hints on how to solve them (like seeing a blowfish while going down the anchor). They're just silly. The interface... well, you know already I hate those barebone interfaces designed for tablets and little kids at their first P&C experience.
And the writing. Oh my god.
I said the art style is adequate... because it's a full fledged low tier nickelodeon cartoon. It's silly through and through. Forget On Stranger Tides. It's not a pirate story, it's a cartoon. LeChuck - from a scary ghost pirate - became a caricature, as is everyone else. Cartoon caricatures.
And the writing. I don't even know where to start. Pretentious overall. I'm convinced that in 30 years Ron got sick of people asking him about Monkey Island (and a secret that never existed) and started to resent his creature. Now it's a meta story on growing old and the likes. I don't even feel bad about the ending like most people (I LOVED MI2 ending), but... AGAIN? Not that I was expecting anything different due to all the clues during the game.
The music is also disappointing. I mean, it's good but... it's the bare minimum. They just basically gave a lazy orchestration to the old tunes. And it's overdone and overcomplicated, in 1 year no one will remember those tunes, while we still perfectly remember every song in MI1 30 years later.
A mention for Dominic Amato, who does an excellent job - still not my Guybrush voice and still doesn't sound like MI1-MI2 Guybrush should sound, but he's GOOD at his job and he was obviously very committed to the part.
Oh, funny thing about incompetence.
The game doesn't run on Windows 7. The game runs on a Switch emulator on Windows 7.
Damn lol
Vampire On Titus
Member
PUR taking a break from Murder She Wrote retrospectives and making some adventure content again for RtMI.
Vampire On Titus
Member
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Vampire On Titus
Member
Mografi confirms that production is underway for Jenny LeClue 2. Really liked the first game, and it ended on a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to this.
The Cockatrice
Member
Vampire On Titus
Member
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Vampire On Titus
Member
Been playing through Zoku Mikagura Shoujo Tanteidan ~Kanketsuhen~, the second game in the detective ADV series about 3 girls (Tomoe, Chizuru, and Shigeno) solving crimes along with genius sleuth, Tokito Mikagura. The first game became a fast favorite of mine due to it's likable, and well animated, cast of characters, captivating mysteries, and simple yet engrossing "deduction trigger" mechanic.
At the tail end of the games fourth case, I feel like I can confidently say that the second game is even better than the first. The original game had one relatively weak case IMO, but so far Mikagura 2 has been all heat all the time. Each one of the mysteries has a strong aspect of human drama and high stakes for the team of detectives themselves. Plus a good array of plausible suspects to interact with, made all the better by the additional mannerisms and expressions which have been added to the sequel.
(The game features a large cast of expressive and nicely animated characters)
The star of the show is still the deduction trigger, a puzzle mechanic that has the player "pull the trigger" on suspicious evidence or testimony. It's simple in theory but in practice it makes you deeply consider everything the characters have to say, especially because the game doesn't hold your hand. You can only save between chapters, and you've only got but so many pulls of the trigger, so you really can feel the tension when it gets down to the wire. For the sequel they've also added, some multiple choice reasoning sections, and a few other styles of puzzling. They add some nice variety to the core gameplay. In addition, how well you solve the case effects your detective rank. It doesn't actually for the story, but higher ranks unlock cool bonus art, so it's a nice touch for replayability.
(In addition to investigating suspicious evidence with the "deduction trigger," other types of puzzles have been added to the mix)
Another part of the sequel that's been cool is that they really don't shy away from some particularly gruesome deaths. I guess don't watch this part if you plan on ever playing this game since it contains spoilers, but if you're just interested in knowing about it, this clip is a prime example of what I mean:
At the tail end of the games fourth case, I feel like I can confidently say that the second game is even better than the first. The original game had one relatively weak case IMO, but so far Mikagura 2 has been all heat all the time. Each one of the mysteries has a strong aspect of human drama and high stakes for the team of detectives themselves. Plus a good array of plausible suspects to interact with, made all the better by the additional mannerisms and expressions which have been added to the sequel.
(The game features a large cast of expressive and nicely animated characters)
The star of the show is still the deduction trigger, a puzzle mechanic that has the player "pull the trigger" on suspicious evidence or testimony. It's simple in theory but in practice it makes you deeply consider everything the characters have to say, especially because the game doesn't hold your hand. You can only save between chapters, and you've only got but so many pulls of the trigger, so you really can feel the tension when it gets down to the wire. For the sequel they've also added, some multiple choice reasoning sections, and a few other styles of puzzling. They add some nice variety to the core gameplay. In addition, how well you solve the case effects your detective rank. It doesn't actually for the story, but higher ranks unlock cool bonus art, so it's a nice touch for replayability.
(In addition to investigating suspicious evidence with the "deduction trigger," other types of puzzles have been added to the mix)
Another part of the sequel that's been cool is that they really don't shy away from some particularly gruesome deaths. I guess don't watch this part if you plan on ever playing this game since it contains spoilers, but if you're just interested in knowing about it, this clip is a prime example of what I mean:
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Vampire On Titus
Member
Spike Chunsoft, Inc. today released new details about Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE including information about the game's setting, characters, gameplay mechanics, and other basic elements. The Lucid-Noir adventure game by the creators of the Danganronpa series is scheduled for a Spring 2023 release in North America and Europe.
Take on unsolved cases in Kanai Ward, a strange city caged by unending rain.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE takes place in Kanai Ward, a strange city where it constantly rains. The city is divided into several areas, each with a different ambiance. Kanai Ward is also the home of a megacorporation. Both the city and company have grown alongside each other, but for some time, the city has been under the control of the megacorporation. The government does not function properly, and because of its isolation, there is little interference from the outside world. In Kanai Ward, no one can oppose the megacorporation, leaving many mysteries unsolved.
Character Introduction: Protagonist and Partner
Yuma Kokohead
Japanese VA: Katsumi Fukuhara
English VA: Lucien DodgeThe protagonist suffers from amnesia. His background is unknown, but he was in possession of documents indicating that he was sent to Kanai Ward as a detective-in-training at an agency in the city. He participates in ongoing investigations. A lack of self-confidence results in a tendency to frequently complain. However, he possesses a strong sense of justice and selflessly tries to help anyone in need.
Shinigami
Japanese VA: Sayumi Suzushiro
English VA: Anjali Kunapaneni
A death god contracted to haunt Yuma. She usually appears in her spirit form. Only visible to Yuma, Shinigami is constantly floating and bobbing along at his side. Though cheerful and chatty, this death god’s sense of morality is quite far removed from that of humans. Her words and actions sometimes confuse Yuma. In the Mystery Labyrinth she transforms into a humanoid form and has the power to intervene in matters.
Character Introduction: Master Detectives use specialized powers in investigations
Master Detectives
Master Detective: Among the detectives belonging to the World Detective Organization, this is a detective with a specialized power called Forensic Forte that aids in their investigative activities. Master Detectives are experts in criminal investigation. Using their abilities, they are capable of obtaining information and evidence that would otherwise not be available to ordinary people. Together with Yuma, they take on difficult cases in Kanai Ward.
Gameplay Mechanics: Conduct investigations throughout the city and get to the bottom of a case in the Mystery Labyrinth!
Scour the streets and investigate
The entirety of Kanai Ward is rendered in 3D and can be freely explored. Visit various locations, including crime scenes, and gather leads by conducting interviews. Avoid overlooking hidden clues by thoroughly examining the crime scene from various angles.
The Mystery Labyrinth, a world that embodies mystery
Advance through the Mystery Labyrinth, a realm that embodies the mysteries of the real world, and solve puzzles related to the case in order to achieve the truth. The Mystery Labyrinth is a space where human beings cannot interfere, nor can the megacorporation suppress and cover up inconvenient truths.
The Mystery Labyrinth changes in appearance as you move through it. Move toward the hidden truth while solving the various forms of puzzles that appear along the way.
Mystery Phantoms and Reasoning Death Match
As you progress through the Mystery Labyrinth, confront Mystery Phantoms in Reasoning Death Matches. Mystery Phantoms are the embodiment of the will of the person who is trying to cover up the case and prevent the truth from being revealed. They stand before you and argue against your deductions.
In a Reasoning Death Match, it is vital to identify contradictions while dodging the claims unleashed by a Mystery Phantom. Confront contradictions with evidence and slay the Mystery Phantom with the Solution Blade to defeat it.
Mystery Phantoms appear in the form of characters in the game, but the person modeled by the Mystery Phantom may not necessarily be the culprit. In some cases, the Mystery Phantom is the embodiment of the will of the person who is trying to cover up the case for reasons other than being the culprit.
- From Spike Chunsoft
Looks like Kodaka's most ambitious game to date, hands down. I've read in some other interviews that one of the big things with the Mystery Labyrinth is that the visuals change drastically as you solve the mystery. So I hope they show off at least a bit of that in action, before release.
New details on Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, gameplay details, new screenshots, character breakdowns. A healthy dump of new info to sate anyone interested in the game. The basic formula of investigate, puzzle through mystery labyrinth, defeat Mystery Phantoms by exposing contradictions is pretty clear now.
What I'm most interested in seeing now is how working with the other Master Detectives effects the investigation gameplay. It could be cool if you had to make thoughtful use of their different abilities to find clues and whatnot.
SweetShark
Member
I want to think not all the detective will agree with you. This will have as result making the 'maze' a little more harder each time.
The Cockatrice
Member
Vampire On Titus
Member
Do you mean if they made the Mystery Labyrinth different depending on how your investigation went? My assumption would be that you can't progress to the Labyrinth before getting all the clues and stuff, but that would be cool.
Been seeing this here and there, looks like it could be neat. Seems to be Obra Din inspired, which reminds me I actually need to play that game already.
The Cockatrice
Member
I played it for a bout 2h then refunded it, Obra Din. Might be more your style. It has a very interesting premise, cool idea, but I got bored really quick doing the same thing and the whole mystery didnt grip me as much as it did others which is its main selling point. If it would've then yeah, I might've enjoyed it more.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Unusual Findings is coming out later today if you wanna get your Stranger Things/80s kid adventure nostalgia on. There's a demo available, which I played a while back and found fairly charming.
Vampire On Titus
Member
I started playing The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, the new indie horror-ish (for the time being) adventure game, which has gotten a decent amount of press attention lately. I'm liking it so far, the first thing that stood out to me was the quality voice acting. I think it may be the best work Dave Gilbert's done on casting and voice direction. Compared to when I played the voiceless demo, it's a stark upgrade.
Hob's Barrow is billed as a "narrative adventure" on Steam and the description fits. There is an inventory and you do use items, but the story is 90% of the focus here, all puzzles I've encountered so far have been very simple (speaking for the first 2 hours of game or so). I do appreciate the slow build of tension and intrigue, while you get to know all the citizens of Bewley. Cloak & Dagger have but a lot of care and detail into the setting, making it feel real and lived in, that goes a long way for me. The way the story has played out so far not too many overtly terrifying things have happened, but there's a lot that's just slightly "off" or eerily unexplained. I'm now at the part where you arrive at the game's titular Barrow, so I except things may get more intense from here.
Looking forward to playing more tonight, interested in finding out why all the locales have been so secretive of the Barrow.
Hob's Barrow is billed as a "narrative adventure" on Steam and the description fits. There is an inventory and you do use items, but the story is 90% of the focus here, all puzzles I've encountered so far have been very simple (speaking for the first 2 hours of game or so). I do appreciate the slow build of tension and intrigue, while you get to know all the citizens of Bewley. Cloak & Dagger have but a lot of care and detail into the setting, making it feel real and lived in, that goes a long way for me. The way the story has played out so far not too many overtly terrifying things have happened, but there's a lot that's just slightly "off" or eerily unexplained. I'm now at the part where you arrive at the game's titular Barrow, so I except things may get more intense from here.
Looking forward to playing more tonight, interested in finding out why all the locales have been so secretive of the Barrow.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Shu Takumi hints at Ace Attorney 7 in the works, may be an announcement coming soon.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Ron giving his thoughts on Return to Monkey Island and detailing his approach to the writing, ending, and what the game meant to him. Haven't finished the interview yet, but it's been interesting so far.
anyone know if this is coming to console, couldn't find anything on it...the lack of decent voice acting is what puts me off many modern adventure games, they are sadly too few and far between. I wish Norco had a voice acting overhaul akin to disco Elysium...such a shame
Fuz
Member
Man, I'm gonna love this. I'm a sucker for the '80s ambience.
On a side note, I completed Lost in Play yesterday. I have no idea why I even got it, or why it interested me in the first place since the usual "flash like" art style and animations... I randomly saw it somewhere, checked it out and decided to give it a go. I keep postponing Norco and Chinatown Detective Agency (which I really want to play, but they seem like a big commitment), maybe because LiP seemed much lighter, approachable and less demanding. It's very... whimsical.
Anyway, it's really a cute game, easy on the inventory puzzles and annoying on the brain teasers (man, I hated the crabs); I straight up used a walkthrough for some of them, they're just not my cup of tea and always hated the occasional one in P&C games - they're all about inventory puzzles, for me. Anyway, there's LOTS of extremely good animations, even if they're "flashlike", it's surprising. It looks GOOD, objectively. Reminds of Amanita games, to put it simple. Very light on writing (and there's no real dialogue at all) but I liked the mirroring between life/game. Definitely worth its money.
I don't really have much to say about it, so here's the trailer that will tell you everything you need to know:
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Vampire On Titus
Member
Haven't heard anything about current plans for a console release. It's an AGS game so unlike a more modern engine, like Unity, you can't just export to different platforms easily. That being said Wadjet Eye, the publisher for Hob's Barrow, has ported Unavowed to Switch recently. So it's not outside the realm of possibility. Unavowed is worth checking out if you haven't played it already.
Lost in Play looks extremely charming. IDK when I'll end up getting to it but I loved the demo and how almost every action had a unique animation. I think I'm gonna play The Captain after Hob's Barrow, since I'm craving some sci-fi.
Fuz
Member
Can't wait to hear your impressions.
no vo in norco??
Seemingly not, at least based on when I’ve looked into it. It’s what held me off buying it.
Damn…I’ve got a seriesX and ps5, but may need to grab a switch or steam deck. As so many adventure games just never seem to make it to console, and those that do seem to only do the switch for some reason. They even got monkey island on timed exclusive for god knows how long…
Fuz
Member
Voice actors are quite expensive. They're a big hit on a game's budget.
So, it's understandable if a indie developer with a small budget chooses to cut them altogether.
And to be honest, I often prefer P&C games without VO.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Is it just your preference not to play games on PC? A game like Hob's Barrow will basically run on anything.
Yeah i used to play on pc many many years ago, having started on BBC’s, amstrads, spectrums, pc…played a lot still on pc when I was training in the industry, but soured on it after a big upgrade (about £1200ish) to play oblivion, the game then got delayed, and then when it finally released a year later i could only play it on medium settings with middling performance.
Got a PlayStation 2 around then, and gradually slowed pc gaming. Kept at it for a bit during my first company. 3d modelling etc meant I was on a pc a lot, so it still got a bit of a look in. But I much preferred playing console from the comfort of the sofa on a big tele.
Getting married etc meant hiding away in the office after work to play games was just kinda rude, and my wife is happy for me to play every night, but would be a bit grumpy if she never saw me from hiding upstairs.
Since switching to the app instead of games industry about 7 years ago Ive moved over to Macs for work. Don’t even own a pc anymore and have zero desire to. Ironic as I can now afford anything I’d like and could build a ridiculous rig. But everything about it is unappealing and impractical to me.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Obscure, janky, and unintentionally hilarious PS1 adventure game R?MJ - The Mystery Hospital is now available in English thanks to this fan translation. When I was looking up tons of Japanese adventures a year and change back, I stumbled across this game and never in my wildest imaginings would I have thought it'd receive a fan translation. Having played a little bit of it on Discord with some friends, I can confirm it's everything you want out of a "so bad it's good" gaming experience.
Link to the patch on Romhacking.net
Fuz
Member
Vampire On Titus
Member
Finished playing Hob's Barrow and its fittingly depressing, tragic conclusion. Overall, I can say that I really liked it. It's a very low-key game in a lot of ways, much time is spent on the characters, methodically building an unease-y atmosphere. The horror is more of a lingering sense of dread than anything grotesque or fully frightening. A dreary color palette successfully "sells" the atmosphere of a cold and damp rural British town. There were moments where it began to drag, but without fail, some peculiar event would catch my interest again before very long. Toward the end of the game the puzzles get a bit more complicated, emphasis on "a bit" as I wouldn't call any of them difficult, even the ones I've seen some people complain about (adventure gamers called out a music puzzle, which has a literal pictograph cypher right within your field of view while solving it). The end game puzzles are a bit more "riddle-ish" and less "item use-ish" as well. Which has a history of going bad but it was actually my favorite little bit of gameplay.
Thomasina, and her excellent voice actress, do a lot to maintain the consistent appeal of Hob's Barrow. There's an interesting arc of a logically minded person slowly being pulled away from her preconceived notions due to supernatural events and the hope that she may save her father. This would be a really good game to recommend to someone who's new to the genre, especially if they're a horror fan, I think just about anyone could clear it with no/minimal walkthrough use.
So yeah, really cool game. It's a testament to how many good releases there've been this year IMO that this isn't even in my top 5, but I enjoyed my time with it and I'm glad it's getting a lot of good press.
Thomasina, and her excellent voice actress, do a lot to maintain the consistent appeal of Hob's Barrow. There's an interesting arc of a logically minded person slowly being pulled away from her preconceived notions due to supernatural events and the hope that she may save her father. This would be a really good game to recommend to someone who's new to the genre, especially if they're a horror fan, I think just about anyone could clear it with no/minimal walkthrough use.
So yeah, really cool game. It's a testament to how many good releases there've been this year IMO that this isn't even in my top 5, but I enjoyed my time with it and I'm glad it's getting a lot of good press.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Kickstarter for the sequel to 2019's Zniw Adventure, Zid Journey, is underway. Like the first game, Zid Journey features some fantastic animation and some legit dinosaur knowledge pertaining the various species' that inhabit the game.
There's a demo for the game available on Steam for anyone who wants to check it out.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Lucy Dreaming is out today, from the look of the trailer there seems to be an appropriate amount of imagination for a game with "dreaming" in the title. Also, it features voice work from Dominic Armato. Not even sure how big a part he plays but it was funny to hear him in the trailer.
Fuz
Member
I was looking forward to this one.
Too many good games at the same time goddammit!
Vampire On Titus
Member
The Cockatrice
Member
Me likey, me no timey. I have prolly 8 p&c to play so at least im stacking them lol.
Fuz
Member
I started Unusual Findings.
(this poster is fucking fantastic)
First impressions are really good and there's a little letdown.
Looks great, great pixel art and good animations - it's a great throwback to a certain type of old adventure and to the 80s (I'm an absolute sucker for 80s movies and aesthetic).
The music is fantastic, really sets the tone. Really an excellent job on that. There's also some licensed music and I wonder how much they paid that and if it weren't better to use those money elsewhere...
Voice acting is a mixed bag. there's some good actor (the kids) but most of the others are absolutely AWFUL, even sounding like a parody (the hobo, the electrician). They really spoil the mood.
Walking: ok, bear with me. This is often very annoying because you always have to be mindful of where you click. Meaning that due to hotspots in the path you'll often open the menu instead of walking. And if you double click to run you'll have to listen to a description or something, so you'll have to find an empty spot to avoid the triggers. This seems like a minor thing, but I assure you, it's VERY annoying - you move a between screens quite often and it happens a lot. Also, the action coin is pretty big and ugly, and sometimes part of it might appear out of screen, forcing you to close it, walk more and reopen it. And by the way, this would have been a perfect game for verbs, why the fuck did they go with a barebone coin interface is beyond me.
Writing can be a little amateurish and ingenuous here and there, but nothing major.
I've been stuck in the first part for a while and it wasn't bad, felt exactly like when I walked around in adventures trying to get a lightbulb moment, back then. Once I solved that I just didn't see an extra exit on a screen the game basically went on on autoplay. And here comes that little letdown - Act one is set in the small city, which has a very 80s atmosphere - which was what I was looking for, the main point of interest. But it's brief, and you'll get thrown WAY too soon into the research base. So, goobye "Back to the Future vibes"; the game definitely doesn't take enough time to set the prologue and first act right, they don't take enough time to define the 80s tropes and atmospheres. No school, no bullies, not a wide enough cast of supports. We get way too quickly to the uncovering of the "mistery". Research bases are historically reserved for the endings, goddammit! They throw away the 80s too soon. And it looks like we won't get out of the base quickly, probably just the resolution will happen outside. This is a big letdown for me, but I suppose most people wouldn't care.
Now I'm stuck again on multiple puzzles, which is good. I'll might add some more impressions later on.
Edit: I forgot.
*sigh*
The game has a single autosave slot. A. SINGLE. AUTOSAVE. SLOT.
You can't save, ever. Want to keep a save of that scene you like? FUCK YOU.
This is especially surprising due to how the game is conceived, the tones and all the references to the golden age of adventures.
I can't even begin to state how much I fucking hate it. For me, it's an HUGE flaw.
(this poster is fucking fantastic)
First impressions are really good and there's a little letdown.
Looks great, great pixel art and good animations - it's a great throwback to a certain type of old adventure and to the 80s (I'm an absolute sucker for 80s movies and aesthetic).
The music is fantastic, really sets the tone. Really an excellent job on that. There's also some licensed music and I wonder how much they paid that and if it weren't better to use those money elsewhere...
Voice acting is a mixed bag. there's some good actor (the kids) but most of the others are absolutely AWFUL, even sounding like a parody (the hobo, the electrician). They really spoil the mood.
Walking: ok, bear with me. This is often very annoying because you always have to be mindful of where you click. Meaning that due to hotspots in the path you'll often open the menu instead of walking. And if you double click to run you'll have to listen to a description or something, so you'll have to find an empty spot to avoid the triggers. This seems like a minor thing, but I assure you, it's VERY annoying - you move a between screens quite often and it happens a lot. Also, the action coin is pretty big and ugly, and sometimes part of it might appear out of screen, forcing you to close it, walk more and reopen it. And by the way, this would have been a perfect game for verbs, why the fuck did they go with a barebone coin interface is beyond me.
Writing can be a little amateurish and ingenuous here and there, but nothing major.
I've been stuck in the first part for a while and it wasn't bad, felt exactly like when I walked around in adventures trying to get a lightbulb moment, back then. Once I solved that I just didn't see an extra exit on a screen the game basically went on on autoplay. And here comes that little letdown - Act one is set in the small city, which has a very 80s atmosphere - which was what I was looking for, the main point of interest. But it's brief, and you'll get thrown WAY too soon into the research base. So, goobye "Back to the Future vibes"; the game definitely doesn't take enough time to set the prologue and first act right, they don't take enough time to define the 80s tropes and atmospheres. No school, no bullies, not a wide enough cast of supports. We get way too quickly to the uncovering of the "mistery". Research bases are historically reserved for the endings, goddammit! They throw away the 80s too soon. And it looks like we won't get out of the base quickly, probably just the resolution will happen outside. This is a big letdown for me, but I suppose most people wouldn't care.
Now I'm stuck again on multiple puzzles, which is good. I'll might add some more impressions later on.
Edit: I forgot.
*sigh*
The game has a single autosave slot. A. SINGLE. AUTOSAVE. SLOT.
You can't save, ever. Want to keep a save of that scene you like? FUCK YOU.
This is especially surprising due to how the game is conceived, the tones and all the references to the golden age of adventures.
I can't even begin to state how much I fucking hate it. For me, it's an HUGE flaw.
Last edited:
Vampire On Titus
Member
Thanks for taking the time to write these detailed impressions. Seems mostly worth playing, I had the same impressions of the VA even from playing the demo. I'll see how you feel about the rest of the game before deciding to jump in or not, since I'm also considering Lost in Play, Lucy Dreaming, Jennifer Wilde, and Monorail Stories.I started Unusual Findings.
(this poster is fucking fantastic)
First impressions are really good and there's a little letdown.
Looks great, great pixel art and good animations - it's a great throwback to a certain type of old adventure and to the 80s (I'm an absolute sucker for 80s movies and aesthetic).
The music is fantastic, really sets the tone. Really an excellent job on that. There's also some licensed music and I wonder how much they paid that and if it weren't better to use those money elsewhere...
Voice acting is a mixed bag. there's some good actor (the kids) but most of the others are absolutely AWFUL, even sounding like a parody (the hobo, the electrician). They really spoil the mood.
Walking: ok, bear with me. This is often very annoying because you always have to be mindful of where you click. Meaning that due to hotspots in the path you'll often open the menu instead of walking. And if you double click to run you'll have to listen to a description or something, so you'll have to find an empty spot to avoid the triggers. This seems like a minor thing, but I assure you, it's VERY annoying - you move a between screens quite often and it happens a lot. Also, the action coin is pretty big and ugly, and sometimes part of it might appear out of screen, forcing you to close it, walk more and reopen it. And by the way, this would have been a perfect game for verbs, why the fuck did they go with a barebone coin interface is beyond me.
Writing can be a little amateurish and ingenuous here and there, but nothing major.
I've been stuck in the first part for a while and it wasn't bad, felt exactly like when I walked around in adventures trying to get a lightbulb moment, back then. Once I solved that I just didn't see an extra exit on a screen the game basically went on on autoplay. And here comes that little letdown - Act one is set in the small city, which has a very 80s atmosphere - which was what I was looking for, the main point of interest. But it's brief, and you'll get thrown WAY too soon into the research base. So, goobye "Back to the Future vibes"; the game definitely doesn't take enough time to set the prologue and first act right, they don't take enough time to define the 80s tropes and atmospheres. No school, no bullies, not a wide enough cast of supports. We get way too quickly to the uncovering of the "mistery". Research bases are historically reserved for the endings, goddammit! They throw away the 80s too soon. And it looks like we won't get out of the base quickly, probably just the resolution will happen outside. This is a big letdown for me, but I suppose most people wouldn't care.
Now I'm stuck again on multiple puzzles, which is good. I'll might add some more impressions later on.
Edit: I forgot.
*sigh*
The game has a single autosave slot. A. SINGLE. AUTOSAVE. SLOT.
You can't save, ever. Want to keep a save of that scene you like? FUCK YOU.
This is especially surprising due to how the game is conceived, the tones and all the references to the golden age of adventures.
I can't even begin to state how much I fucking hate it. For me, it's an HUGE flaw.
Just reposting this here in case anyone missed the other thread. It's fantastic interview (with ENG subs) of legendary dev Rika Suzuki, who's legacy of adventure games goes all the way back to the mid 80s. I tried to include a lineup of games that shows how many eras her works spanned.Watch the interview on YouTube here (their channel dosen't allow embeds), English subtitles are available in the close captions.
I watched this earlier and it was fantastic, especially as a fan of CiNG's games from back in the day. It was great to hear from Rika again and have her go over her extensive history in gaming. In the west people are most familiar with her Nintendo published games like Another Code (Trace Memory) and the Kyle Hyde games (Hotel Dusk & Last Window) but in Japan she's known for making numerous memorable mystery adventure games dating back to the mid 80s. A very under appreciated and historic game designer, I'm grateful to GPS for producing some good media about her games.
What's even more exciting at the end of the interview it sounded like she's considering working on more games in the future. Considering that playing Trace Memory/Another Code in junior high was one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with the genre, there's very little that would make me happier than that.