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[Bebpo]

I'm at the

Spoiler

flashback STEALTH mission

a couple of hours in and while the visuals are nice and the dialogue seems fine, the gameplay is frustrating as hell. Considering that until now adventure games were fine with just clicking and pointing, I gotta wonder if the genre really needed changing.

The simon says bits are longish and not fun at all (I want to punch the punching bag for a few secs, not sit through 3-4 mins of button pressing) and the timed mouse movement segments are annoying as well

Spoiler

(climbing a few feet on the ropes and then falling back down because it didn't register the mouse sliding in the exact path is annoying)

. And then on top of that you have this camera that always wants to be staring at YOU and not what's in front of you.

Spoiler

Running through the multi-camera graveyard and trying to find the branching path without being able to see it since you can't control the camera at all in the multi-camera segments.

It's like the Splinter Cell camera in reverse. At the part I'm at

Spoiler

I keep dying in the stealth segment because I CAN'T SEE IN FRONT OF ME. I turn the camera and it just turns back...wtf...to the way it was facing. After a few tries of this I got sick of it and exited the program

.

Now I'm curious about where the story goes and would like to keep playing but everything about the gameplay just is yelling "quit and play something that has good gameplay". So does the game start focusing more on intellectual puzzles and less on fast button tapping and wierd mouse movements later on? Would using a PC gamepad help make it more bearable?

Bring back Grim Fandango style controls if you're going 3d please, otherwise click and point is still fine

 

[Belfast]

No, that's what the game is like. I was rather refreshed by the change in controls. Sure, it may not be the best scheme one could come up with, but its a decent way of communicating action in an adventure game without trying to contruct some inevitably lame fighting system. Overall, though, I'm *glad* it wasn't point-and-click. The genre needs to change, why else do you think its been floundering so much in recent years?

 

[Bebpo]

No, that's what the game is like. I was rather refreshed by the change in controls. Sure, it may not be the best scheme one could come up with, but its a decent way of communicating action in an adventure game without trying to contruct some inevitably lame fighting system. Overall, though, I'm *glad* it wasn't point-and-click. The genre needs to change, why else do you think its been floundering so much in recent years?

Yeah, but point and click would never make you mad. You'd never accidently do something you didn't want to, or have something not register precisely. You clicked and whatever was on that dot would react.

I don't understand how making something that was simple and 100% precise, less precise and more complicated makes it more fun. Adventure games are supposed to be about thinking and using your brain to solve puzzles, not about doing arobics with your hands.

 

[Belfast]

Yeah, but point and click would never make you mad. You'd never accidently do something you didn't want to, or have something not register precisely. You clicked and whatever was on that dot would react.

I don't understand how making something that was simple and 100% precise, less precise and more complicated makes it more fun. Adventure games are supposed to be about thinking and using your brain to solve puzzles, not about doing arobics with your hands.

Well, they're definitely going for a meta-genre thing in the case of Indigo Prophecy. Hell, most games these days are going in that direction, so its no big surprise there. And I disagree somewhat with the accuracy thing. Granted, as a method, its pretty precise, but depending on the developer, it could be quite hard to find/click an object on-screen.

In some ways, it was *too* precise.

 

[dark10x]

If you aren't already doing so, play with a gamepad. It makes a world of difference...

Also, those stealth portions always leave bad impressions when you walk away from them.

 

[funcojoe]

Well as for the story , let's just say it gets bad, VERY bad the further u go into the game.

 

[bitwise]

well I didnt have many problems but I played it on XBOX

the camera was very funky though :/

 

[drohne]

a gamepad would solve most of your interface troubles -- i think it was designed for the ps2 pad in particular. and while i'm not sure it gets better, it doesn't get any worse until the end, when the plotting goes hilariously off the rails and the budget seems to run out. i think it's a really interesting game that hits a lot of registers games rarely do: on one hand you have these exuberant and outrageous action sequences, and on the other you have these quiet and smartly detailed scenes of characters at home, and somewhere in between you have flashes of really effective dread and paranoia. you shouldn't play it out of any vague oblligation to support games that try new things, but because it sometimes does new things really well.

 

[aaaaa0]

It was designed for a gamepad, don't bother playing it with a mouse. (I finished it on xbox.)

 

[Bebpo]

If you aren't already doing so, play with a gamepad. It makes a world of difference...

Ok, I have a PS2 -> PC converter lying around somewhere.

What would you recommend mapping the buttons to? I'm guessing the simon says bits should be the left digital pad & 4 face buttons. Then left mouse is like L1 right mouse is R1?

 

[drohne]

on ps2, the simon bits are mapped to the two analog sticks. and yeah, you use r1 and l1 for the button mashing bits.

 

[dark10x]

Ok, I have a PS2 -> PC converter lying around somewhere.

What would you recommend mapping the buttons to? I'm guessing the simon says bits should be the left digital pad & 4 face buttons. Then left mouse is like L1 right mouse is R1?

Use the two analog sticks.

The default setup should be close enough when it detects a pad. It did not setup my right analog stick, though, and that is required for the simon games and interaction.

The interaction feels much better when using the analog sticks, I think.

 

[Bebpo]

Is there ever a time that it forces you to pass all the simon bits? I've failed most of them so far but it never leads to game over. As long as you can't get KO'd from screwing them up then I'd guess the only main hurdle is getting through this stealth bit.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

a gamepad would solve most of your interface troubles -- i think it was designed for the ps2 pad in particular. and while i'm not sure it gets better, it doesn't get any worse until the end, when the plotting goes hilariously off the rails and the budget seems to run out. i think it's a really interesting game that hits a lot of registers games rarely do: [/b]on one hand you have these exuberant and outrageous action sequences, and on the other you have these quiet and smartly detailed scenes of characters at home, and somewhere in between you have flashes of really effective dread and paranoia. you shouldn't play it out of any vague oblligation to support games that try new things, but because it sometimes does new things really well.[/b]

The action sequences do get a little too exuberant imo. I hope they can create a sequel or game in the same vein that plays out more like a phsycological thriller

Spoiler

without being intruded by the fantasy/occult/prophecy stuff. Hell I'd even settle for just the hypnosis stuff without the mayan oracle stuff

.

 

[drohne]

there are parts where failing enough of the simon sequences will end your game, yeah. but honestly they're really easy on a dual analog gamepad...i personally never had to repeat one. how are you doing them on pc, with the keyboard? :/

edit: and incidentally, i haven't had the problems with the stealth that other gafers seem to have. i mean, you get an mgs-style radar, and the game pretty much tells you what path to take. it wasn't much fun -- stealth sequences outside stealth games never are -- but it wasn't a sticking point for me either.

and yeah, i'd really like to see a "sequel" that sticks to the tone indigo prophecy establishes at the beginning of the game.

 

[Bebpo]

there are parts where failing enough of the simon sequences will end your game, yeah. but honestly they're really easy on a dual analog gamepad...i personally never had to repeat one. how are you doing them on pc, with the keyboard? :/

wasd + arrow keys :\

 

[Tain]

If you can't use a gamepad, rebind the keys so you don't need to use the mouse as the right four timed events keys. Helps. A ton.

edit: looks like you have.

 

[dark10x]

Is there ever a time that it forces you to pass all the simon bits? I've failed most of them so far but it never leads to game over. As long as you can't get KO'd from screwing them up then I'd guess the only main hurdle is getting through this stealth bit.

The simon bits simply reveal things that you would otherwise miss, but occasionally require success in order to proceed.

Must be a pain on the keyboard, though. They are dead simple on a gamepad. Using the normal setting, I rarely ever missed one (unless I wasn't ready for it).

 

[Bebpo]

The simon bits simply reveal things that you would otherwise miss, but occasionally require success in order to proceed.

Must be a pain on the keyboard, though. They are dead simple on a gamepad. Using the normal setting, I rarely ever missed one (unless I wasn't ready for it).

It's just dis-orientating for the most part which screws me up. Hooking my PS2 pad now, will see if this helps.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

My problem with the simon says bits was that sometimes I found it hard to see which direction was lighting up if the background was light. Should have had more contrast between the darkned colours and the lightned ones. Also some sort of noise to indicate a new instruction would have been nice.

 

[Crispy]

The Simon bits are a joke, just set the game to easy difficulty and then during the sequences just press all the buttons as fast as you can. It doesn't matter how many wrong keys you press, as long as the right one is also in it. I HATED the simon sequences, especially because they are often very long and really distract from the sequences themself.

Also, I think this game got way too much praise...I'd give it a seven...and that's pushing it. The story just gets way too ridiculous at the last quarter of the game and the gameplay is way too flawed.

 

[Bebpo]

Wow, with a gamepad it's like a completely different experience. It actually controls mainly good although the camera angle changes often have my character moving in the wrong direction for a few steps. Otherwise it's nice being able to move the camera with the right stick (mouse was hold down left button and rotate so you couldn't really do it while moving). Also the trigger stuff is easier.

Guess I'll stick with it and just use the PS2 pad.

 

[Bebpo]

The Simon bits are a joke, just set the game to easy difficulty and then during the sequences just press all the buttons as fast as you can. It doesn't matter how many wrong keys you press, as long as the right one is also in it. I HATED the simon sequences, especially because they are often very long and really distract from the sequences themself.

Also, I think this game got way too much praise...I'd give it a seven...and that's pushing it. The story just gets way too ridiculous at the last quarter of the game and the gameplay is way too flawed.

Yeah, I just finished the game and I think a 6-7 is about fair (with 90% of the score being just because the 60fps nicely textured graphics are worth the playthrough [take that people who said 60fps is only needed for racing and fighting. It was the 60fps that really made this game stick out visually]). The story is fine for like an hour or two while it plays the modern-day Gabriel Knight but-without-a-likeable-lead part, then once the goofy stuff

Spoiler

OH NO GIANT BUGS

hits it just goes downhill and my god the last 30% reminded me of why most videogame stories are idiotic

Spoiler

AI!? LOL

. Romance subplot was terrrrible as well

Spoiler

Main two know each other for like one day and she's all 'I LOVE YOU', 'I NEED YOU'....plus wouldn't she catch on to the fact that he was ICE COLD DEAD BODY at some point during sex.

Add to that the almost non-existant gameplay that consisted almost entirely of just hitting flashing buttons; Adventure games are about thinking, about using your brain to solve puzzles...yet there were almost no puzzles at all the entire game and you just had to keep moving forward and tapping the simon says sequences. Plus it's short as hell (was about 6-7 hours for me). Bleh, GAF over-hype indeed. Still haven't played an AAA adventure game since Grim Fandango :\

Were the Syberia games any good?

 

[MrDaravon]

I actually just finished the game about five minutes ago. The simon bits didn't bother me at, I actually kinda liked it, but I HATED most of the L/R sequences. That combined with the horrible, horrible controls (I will jam a knife in MY eye if I ever have to play the flashback stealth sequences again) are the only things I really didn't like. I actually liked the plot up until about

Spoiler

the totally pointless and contrived sex scene and beyond that point

. But other than the controls at points and about the last 10-15% of the story/plot, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Did some new interesting things I'd like to see more of in games. I'd give it a solid 7.5. Probably would be a 8.5-9 if it wasn't for the shitty shitty controls. A fantastic rental all the way, probably not worth buying for most.

 

[Bebpo]

Yeah, the stealth bits were horrible due to controls and camera.

developers: stop putting stealth in your non-stealth game. The only time it was done right was in Beyond Good & Evil and unless you made that game you cannot do stealth.

 

[Prince of Space]

I just can't understand where all the high scores for this game come from. Yeah, the story's good until the very end

Spoiler

"Hi, I'm the cop that's been trying to put you away for the majority of the game and MAN, is it cold in here or is it just me? Oh well, wanna fuck?" "Sure, but I hope the internet isn't watching!"

. But the game was a complete chore to play the whole way through. So much wasted potential...