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Gone Home |OT| I ain't afraid of no ghost!

C

Camp Freddie

Member
It's not really a game but a new method of storytelling. The price is high for the amount of play-time, but not much different to buying the latest movie on blu-ray (and frankly, it's better than any movie I've seen in the last few years).

I really liked the story, but then I'm a sucker for Manic Pixie Dream Girls and the subversion of that trope that is shown in this game
(in a lesbian love story there are 2 MPDGs!)
.
What makes it brilliant is the way the story is told, which really immerses you in the characters. Movies don't let you do things at your own pace, and books tell and don't show. The ability to literally explore the characters' live is amazing.

Also, the setting is fantastic. As a 90's teenager and Riot Grrrl fan, it feels like it was written specifically for me (seriously, you had me with a hand-written Heavens to Betsy C90. And the X-ray Spex badge made me squee with delight!).
If you dismiss Riot Grrrl as dumb emo girls who can't play their instruments then you probably won't like it so much (and you are wrong, you have no soul and your body is not ready - truthfact!).

This game could be a bit of a poster child for how having a mixed-sex dev team and not being afraid of having female protagonists can make your stories and character motivations much more believable than typical stories that revolve around 'men who like guns, ass-kicking and boobies'. I wonder what that Sarkeesian(sp?) girl will make of the subverted damsel in distress trope in this game!

I really want to see what the developers' next project is.

Oh, and the audio (not just the Riot Grrrl) is brilliantly atmospheric. Congrats to the dev guy that's been posting in this thread.

Does anyone have a list of the audio logs. I'm missing 2, not including the purple ball system shock easter egg reference

Anyway, I won't be playing COD:Ghosts because I'll be too busy waiting for Gone Home 2: I know that everything's fucked up but i ain't ever gonna shut up: It's not-so-straight up grrrl time!
 
R

RadixNegative2

Member
Ovek said:
To sum up... Meh.

The story is massively bullet pointed by the audio log to the point of predictability. Nothing is left to the users imagination as you are heavily hand held from on area to the next with locked doors (really who locks internal doors?!). The ending is a cope out and should have been open ended leaving only some random hints throughout the game of what might have happened, instead we get it all wrapped up in a bow.

For a game that is all about story it's a shame it comes of as trite and simplistic.

On a positive note the VO work was immensely good and I hope she does more in the future.

It gets 4 out of 10 from me.
Click to expand...

Nothing is left to the players imagination? Did we play the same game?

Sam's story was told quite clearly to you in the audio logs because she had left the dairy and explanation for you in the attic. Everything that we hear in those audio logs is from her side only as she wrote it. Everyone else side of the story is hidden in all the documents and objects around the house, which you have to work to connect together. Even if you manage to connect all the pieces it still leaves much to the imagination. The biggest example of this is your fathers uncle. I only thought that he had a drug problem but if you read other peoples reaction to it they say he was a pedophile or maybe he abused your father. In the process of trying to figure out his story we get an idea of what the father is going through and how his relationship to the uncle shaped him. Then we get a sense of maybe how Sam was shaped growing up or maybe just understand the fathers reaction to her being a lesbian. This game isn't just about Sam. It may seem that way because she had a chance to write to you directly, but in the end the story is about the family as a whole. It is far from "trite and simplistic" but has all the complications of a family dynamic.

In the end we don't even know how accurate or truthful the audio logs were, not only because it was from one characters perspective, but also because that character could very well have deliberately bent the truth in a number of ways. She doesn't seem to have a problem lying to her parents, how do we know she isn't lying to the sister?

You can even look at the game from a completely different angle. Let's take everything at face value: lights going out just as you pick up a crucifix, documents about ghosts, documents that are specifically placed around the house for you to find, Sam and Lonnie's hobby of using the house for spooky/fun activities, hearing footsteps around the house. To me that just sounds like your sister and her friend are playing games with you while the parents are away.

Whether that is the case or whether those elements are just used by the developers to mislead and guide you, the last thing you can say about this game is that it isn't open ended or doesn't leave anything to the players imagination.
 
C

ComputerMKII

Banned
I like that the game is original, easy, story-based and short, and I wanted to like it but it did nothing for me. The story was obscure and I couldn't relate to anything or anyone. As the credits rolled, I thought 'that's it?'. What a disappointment.
 
R

rohlfinator

Member
Finished this last night, very cool experience. It's so exceedingly rare for games to be grounded in a mostly plausible real-world setting, which gave everything an emotional weight that was really refreshing. Kudos to the Fullbright team.

I think I'll be doing a second playthrough -- reading through this thread, I think I must have overlooked a couple of important audiologs or notes, and I missed some key details from some of the side stories as a result. I suppose that's the big downside to this sort of storytelling.
 
P

pakkit

Banned
I'm 23 and still attending college, but the story in Gone Home resonated with me strongly. I'm very close with my 15-year-old sister, and currently her and Sam's arc are in sync. I don't understand how anyone could call the story obscure, though... if anything it seems (despite the setting) ripped straight from this year's headlines. Gone Home is something special. I caught myself cleaning up other people's messes, and reordering dressers. The subtle cues that reminded me that I too was a character in this play were genius and helped keep me (literally) in the fiction.

Thanks for the music, Remo. The way your piano chords enmeshed with the raucous thunder and Sarah's brilliant voice acting elevated the game to another level.

EDIT: Almost as entertaining as the game is reading the bro-gamers rage on YouTube and IGN at this perplexingly well-rated game.
 
J

Jake

Member
The story is either impenetrably obscure or so trite it's done to death, depending on who you are, so you just kind of have to take it for what it is: a subjective experience.
 
I

Ingueferroque

Banned
I loved it. Though I probably missed a few logs and experiences.

I never actually picked up the crucifix, so the only 'ghost' related things I picked up on were sound related. At some point I couldn't continue playing the game because I was so terrified, but eventually I learned to listen to the music tapes to help me combat the fear. And before I knew it I was too absorbed in the characters and couldn't wait to find out what was in the attic.
 
B

badnewsbeers

Member
Ingueferroque said:
I loved it. Though I probably missed a few logs and experiences.

I never actually picked up the crucifix, so the only 'ghost' related things I picked up on were sound related. At some point I couldn't continue playing the game because I was so terrified, but eventually I learned to listen to the music tapes to help me combat the fear. And before I knew it I was too absorbed in the characters and couldn't wait to find out what was in the attic.
Click to expand...

You said it. There was a point later in the game where my fear melted away and was replaced only by curiosity. Interesting how the game emotionally manipulates so well.
 
G

Goron2000

best junior ever
I finished the game last night and i was amazed. I was terrified the entire time playing it.

As the lesbian story started to unravel, my thought process the entire time was that it was meaningless and would be quickly discarded. I assumed that like most games, it was just put in to titillate spotty adolescents and was a distraction from what would most likely turn out to be a middle of the road horror adventure. Even as the actual story was unraveling my expectations were for it all to be ruined by typical game tropes or that there was no way the devs wouldn't have something scary because why would they create such a spooky atmosphere. I was picking up on all the signs of classic game tropes and Fullbright shattered them all when i entered that attic, which i think is the brilliance of this game and why i will not forget it easily.
 
K

kerotan_eater

Banned
I can understand the complaints of the price tag, heck I agree . But I honestly believe all games are priced way too much in the first place so I'm not sure why its being used as an example. Anyways, good game. Not GOTY or anything, but really well made. One caveat, the game should have had well... puzzles.

I can understand why they didn't (pacing, accessibility) but I still believe it could have given the game variety. If they were just a wee bit more complex than ... oh I dunno walking and looking all day.

I haven't played it twice yet, but the parents story (despite I believe being quite thorough) was too ambiguous from what I read to really get me to ponder anything too tie everything together. The side stories, might need to be a bit more obvious in the path the game leads you. Good game, 7/10.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
aeolist said:
it's probably just for babies though
Click to expand...
Famous babies.

(thread's old, joke's probably been done)

So, did we get the Idle Thumbs references? (probably also done)

Puffinth!
Haunted house game, by Famous Industries (or something like that)
Phaedrus! (I laughed out loud at this, so good)
umm... there were more, but I can't remember and it's late and I'm tired.

PS. I found practically everything (except that risque letter and I think that safe (let alone the combination to it), took me about 3.5 hours.

I also opted to play the game *without* the map or object highlights or anything. I figured that if this was spoiler]someone coming into a new house and people she hadn't seen for a year[/spoiler], I wanted to be in the same state of awareness and familiarity. I don't mean to get all high and mighty or whatever, but I'd like to think it helped me get more from the experience perhaps.

I also
felt really sorry for both Sam and Katie once I realised from the basement that Katie was very much the perfect child (blue ribbons, did the school exam as she was supposed to) but even from the very beginning you could see that Sam was a different member of the family. Even at the very start when seeing the family photo, wearing the flannel shirt as opposed to Katie's dress
.

So many damn nice touches to this game. It goes to further my theory that games build stronger characters when they're not visually depicted either well or even at all. Your imagination is able to fill in certain gaps that make you feel a part of the story which just doesn't happen when you play something packed with cutscenes. Very much like a book in that way, IMO.

Man, it may have cost $20 and I may not play it more than once or twice (I suspect I may try playing it whilst not sober... I was emotional whilst playing it, but I think anything that relaxes/dissolves any emotional safety-nets before playing this game could only help it's cause) but if you compare it to the cost of a movie at the cinema or a night out having a few drinks, it's far more memorable than either of those things as a one-off experience. As a "game" I probably wouldn't rate it that highly, but (this'll sound cheesy as hell) as an interactive storytelling experience, it's balls-out amazing. Minute-for-minute, I'd say better than The Walking Dead.


Jintor said:
- Delicious Gaynor Peaches. Gone Home takes place in Raptureverse confirmed.
[/spoiler]
Click to expand...
I never saw those! Only the ones in the pantry that *weren't* those.

One last thing: Anyone know what the deal was
with the food that had high-altitude preparation instructions? Was someone going on a mountain or something
?

Camp Freddie said:
I really liked the story, but then I'm a sucker for Manic Pixie Dream Girls and the subversion of that trope that is shown in this game
(in a lesbian love story there are 2 MPDGs!)
.
What makes it brilliant is the way the story is told, which really immerses you in the characters. Movies don't let you do things at your own pace, and books tell and don't show. The ability to literally explore the characters' live is amazing.

Also, the setting is fantastic. As a 90's teenager and Riot Grrrl fan, it feels like it was written specifically for me (seriously, you had me with a hand-written Heavens to Betsy C90. And the X-ray Spex badge made me squee with delight!).
If you dismiss Riot Grrrl as dumb emo girls who can't play their instruments then you probably won't like it so much (and you are wrong, you have no soul and your body is not ready - truthfact!).

This game could be a bit of a poster child for how having a mixed-sex dev team and not being afraid of having female protagonists can make your stories and character motivations much more believable than typical stories that revolve around 'men who like guns, ass-kicking and boobies'. I wonder what that Sarkeesian(sp?) girl will make of the subverted damsel in distress trope in this game!
Click to expand...
Even though I was never really into any of that during that era (even though I suspect I'm only a few years younger than Sam would have been), I managed to get the *perfect* idea of what it would've been like to be in that exact same situation (I'd like to think). It was like experiencing something happening to the kid sister of one of the people in Singles.
And not that it explains anything specifically, but knowing what the game's about now, I'm damn glad the team took the stance they did by not going to PAX this year.
 
C

Cartman86

Banned
This really does solidify the "death" of the "AAA" for me. The best games of the year by far this year have been small games. The Last of Us might just be the last great game of that videogamey game (AAA, guns, blood, father figures etc.)

EDIT: I'm using death in the same way that I do for the Japanese game industry. I hope they all come back, but they aren't the leaders anymore.
 
A

Acosta

Member
Disclaimer: This is a VERY personal take, please don't take it as I'm trying to ruin the parade of anyone, far from my intention.

Absolute waste of time and money, I feel pretty frustrated about it. A well crafted way to say nothing of value, nothing meaningful or emotive or interesting, all while pretending I'm stupid or something.

An anodyne and mundane story of a typical "TEENAGE PROBLEMS" because we all know teenagers have the biggest problems in life, because they are special and everything is magical, and new, and powerful beyond belief (ha). Combined with "RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS" because we have not seen that, ever.

The trope is always the same, falling in love with the one you shouldn't, be the son of the rival family or another girl/boy, it doesn't matter, it´s a trope, and it´s played in a straight way, nothing surprising or emotive about this particular execution. And given they way is built, there is absolute no way for me to establish any relationship or link with the characters. I don't care who is anyone in this game, there is no room for that to happen.

I don't want to offend anyone, but did anyone really fall for the idea that Sam would appear hanged or something like that at the end of the game? I saw it coming miles away that they were trying to play with "videogames expectations" since the cheap trick of the red dye. I didn't know what was going to happen but it was obvious it was not going to be anything dramatic.

And the way everything is built to tell a linear and cohesive story is just anti natural and at odds of what the game is trying to do.

I appreciate the craft and the attention of detail (and Sam's voice has a bright future in this, hope she keeps involved in videogames), but I finish this empty and unhappy of the experience.

"don't take it personally babe, it just ain't your story" or "Katawa Shoujo" were infinitely more powerful to me than this, and they didn't have this kind royal treatment from press.

My two cents, whatever they may serve for you.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Okay, so I've read through this thread and whatever. For the people who genuinely felt ripped off by the conclusion or weren't able to get involved in the story, I'd like to ask: Did you enjoy the movie Lost in Translation?

I didn't think to draw the conclusion while playing it, but after reading this thread I find the arc in Gone Home follows a very similar trajectory as that.
Particularly and most obviously, that you fully expect them to hook up in LiT but they never actually do. You realise that the movie wasn't necessarily about the conclusion but the journey along the way, and how having an emotional investment might lead you to draw a particular conclusion and think that something will turn out like X when really, things can throw you for six and turn out to be Y, making you question the predictability of life.

I think I might hit Steve up with that and ask whether that's what he was going for or even whether he just liked LiT. Honestly, I fucking loved it, but a lot of the criticisms I've read in this thread regarding the story and the medium encapsulating it could also be applied to that movie.

I also missed the storyline bit about the uncle and that safe, but even reading this thread I don't feel like I've missed anything or the game would've been more valuable personally if I'd been that little bit more thorough (I was pretty damn thorough anyway at 3.5 hours).

Edit: Turns out, I missed that storyline because I totally didn't go back to the basement to check out the room I was going to. Answers so many questions, but again, it didn't feel like the game was less complete without it. But holy crap,
was Terry really abused for six years? Poor bastard :(
 
F

Fried Food

Banned
Just finished it. I enjoyed it. Didn't cry or anything but it was kinda touching. Perfectly content with the price I paid for this experience.

Loved the music.
 
M

maxiell

Member
Really hope you can release the soundtrack Chris. Fantastic atmosphere added so much.

It's amazing how much people's expectations play into their view of the game.
 
D

Despera

Banned
Very unique experience, finished it in one sitting. I really hope we see more games like this, but with more interesting bits of interactivity.

Not worth 20 bucks, though.
 
V

VanCityGamer

Member
Finished the game last night. Played it in one sitting for approximately 2 hours. I really liked it! It was a very unique game, and I appreciate games that deviate from gun play and offer something different (though I do love games with guns too).

More specific game play and story thoughts:
Finding out information about the family was so cool, and I soaked in everything learned in notes, journals, cassettes, books, and numerous other artifacts. I really enjoyed finding out about Sam's dad being a failed author, about Uncle Oscar, and some of the supernatural investigating that was happening. I did think at one point that there might be a supernatural presence. I was kind of excited for that, actually. But I was perfectly fine with the story remaining more grounded in reality instead. The setting was also awesome. I loved the consistent sound of rainfall while in the house, and the intermittent sound of thunder and flashes of lighting. Great stuff! And the game was quite pretty graphically too.

In terms of value: $10 to $15 probably feels a bit closer to what I would consider appropriate. But I enjoyed the experience enough that $20 in no way feels like a ripoff.

After reading this thread, I can't believe how much I missed during my playthrough of the game - to the point that I completely misunderstood the ending. So be very thorough in collecting everything!

Spoilers about the ending:
It's kind of embarrassing to admit this, but I completely misunderstood the ending right through the end credits. It turns out that I missed a couple of key pieces of information and also made some misguided assumptions.

Based on the information I collected, my theory was that Sam had been misinterpreting Lonnie's feelings for her. So this would mean that Sam had romantic intentions toward Lonnie, but Lonnie didn't feel the same way. The most I came across to suggest romantic feelings was Sam recalling Lonnie telling her that she looked beautiful and that she liked her. But that doesn't necessarily indicate romantic feelings, or anything more than close friendship. I never came across anything describing kissing or secretly dating that you guys have described. Never saw anything about her parents knowing she liked Lonnie.

So it just seemed to me that they were setting us up for Sam to be heartbroken. I went up to the addict expecting a sad ending. On my way through the addict, I saw numerous pictures of broken hearts with the letters 'S' and 'L'. Then I saw a note/journal but didn't pick it up and carried on. I figured I'd pick it up after I explored the rest of the addict. So I ended up grabbing what was at the very end of the addict. Oops - that triggered the ending. So I had gone into the ending sequence without hearing that Lonnie had asked Sam to come get her because she couldn't bare to be away from her in the army. Without that crucial piece of information, the final ending took on a total different meaning for me. She says something like: "Katie, I'm so sorry that I can't be there to see you in person. But I hope that as you read this journal and think back, that you'll understand why I had to do what I did. And that you won't be sad or hate me. And that you'll just know I am where I need to be".

My interpretation: "holy crap, she committed suicide!" I was deeply moved by that. I was saddened, yet satisfied with the ending. Then I found out I missed information and interpreted the ending completely wrong. Oops!

I also missed Sam's parents telling her that they went camping but had actually gone to couple's therapy. So I had no idea where the parents were. And I didn't end up getting into either of the safes. I planned to do that later and didn't know the game was about to conclude in the addict and that my interpretation of it would be so off. Wow!
 
Harlock

Harlock

Member
I can´t say what I really think without being banned, but all that high scores reviews, just bullshit. In special the Polygon "10" review. So much typical of Polygon review agenda.

If you don´t played the game yet, don´t spend 20 dollars. 5 dollars maximum.
 
H

huxley00

Member
I liked it a lot...after having played Dear Esther, I knew what I was getting myself into with a game like this. I think once you realize what you can expect from games like these, they become much more enjoyable.

I don't even know if I would call it a game so much, its more of an interactive story. I like that I can completely relax, I know that there are no monsters, no enemies and I can take my time. There is no clock, no rules for completion, just go at your own pace and absorb yourself in the narrative.

The music and setting was great, I was a 90s teenager myself and I really appreciated everything about it. I liked that there were clues to piece together

Finding the book about the ranger saving the damsel in distress, seeing the wedding invitation to Ranger Rick's wedding and then seeing the anniversary getaway scheduled on the calendar and then finding the pamphlet for a couples therapy weekend. They don't slap you in the face with the information, just give you hints to put together the story

Also, the end had me worried for a second

I thought that the film development materials were pill bottles for a second, thinking I would find her dead body around the corner!!!

I loved the voice actor they had for Sam, I cared about her and I was genuinely interested in her story.

Overall, I don't know if I would recommend the game though. This experience is for a select audience. I would point someone to Dear Esther first (as it is cheaper). If they liked that at all, they would probably like this.

Also, 20 dollars was a bit much, the only reason I paid full price is because I want to see more of these types of games developed in the future.

I think the reason I like games like this is that they make me think. I THINK about them for a few days after I play them. I never do that with any other game I play, even ones that I love. It mimics the experience of reading a book very closely.
 
J

Jintor

Member
Harlock said:
I can´t say what I really think without being banned, but all that high scores reviews, just bullshit. In special the Polygon "10" review. So much typical of Polygon review agenda.
Click to expand...

Yup, clearly they've been paid off by big indie. You've cut right to the heart of the problem. :rollseyes:
 
Harlock

Harlock

Member
Off course is not a paid money review, but is is a very friend review. The game has Idle Thumbs references. Chris Remo worked in the game. Two weeks ago, who was the special guest inIdle Thumbs podcast? Danielle Riendeau. Is not because is a indie game that is immune to shade reviews.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Chris Remo said:
Not my place to make this call of course, but I don't think Danielle actually really knows Steve or the other Fullbright folks (she only met Jake for the first time ever on that podcast). I'm good friends with her—totally unrelated to Idle Thumbs—but I doubt my contribution to the game affected her review much at all.

Edit: For what it's worth, I think Danielle's life experience makes her uniquely suited at Polygon to review this game. I think it would be a bummer if that opportunity were lost because of a relatively thin other connection. That's just my perspective of course.
Click to expand...
.
 
J

Jintor

Member
What about the rest of the reviews then? What about the people on this very page enjoying it? All bullshit, too?
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Jintor said:
What about the rest of the reviews then? What about the people on this very page enjoying it? All bullshit, too?
Click to expand...
Thing is, "it's a very friend review"... but I guess that's based on the 10 that it was given because if Harlock read the review, he'd know *why* Danielle was gushing over it.

Or, you know... moneyhats. It's probably the moneyhats.
 
Harlock

Harlock

Member
Not wrong like the game, because it is good. But give a 9 or 10 in reviews is another history. The reviewers are being called out because, well, they got the games for free while people are paying 20 dollars without a fair counterbalances of value in the review.

http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/worth-reading-08-23-2013/1100-4723/

Patrick Klepek
Even when it becomes vitriolic, I’ve enjoyed the ongoing discussion about how we value video games, a heated conversation prompted by Gone Home. It’s one of those conversations that helps expose the gaps between critics and players, a gap we sometimes forget actually exists.
Click to expand...

And if Danielle had the same thing of personal relationship with people who worked in a triple A game she would be crucified by now. But I don´t think she get a free pass only because it is a indie game.

This whole "the game has a value different for each people" in game media is so ridiculous when the same people sy all the time how $60 games are expensie or a $500 Xbox One is too much.
 
P

probune

Member
So is the Polygon review bullshit because she's too close to the developers or because she got the game for free? At least try to keep your story straight.
 
J

Jintor

Member
Harlock said:
This whole "the game has a value different for each people" in game media is so ridiculous when the same people sy all the time how $60 games are expensie or a $500 Xbox One is too much.
Click to expand...

I don't really get what you mean here. In that I can't understand what your sentence is saying.

Other concerns are fair enough, but they're such an inherent part of games media I don't think the situation is particularly exascebated re: Gone Home.
 
C

Chris Remo

Member
Harlock said:
Not wrong like the game, because it is good. But give a 9 or 10 in reviews is another history. The reviewers are being called out because, well, they got the games for free while people are paying 20 dollars without a fair counterbalances of value in the review.

http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/worth-reading-08-23-2013/1100-4723/



And if Danielle had the same thing of personal relationship with people who worked in a triple A game she would be crucified by now. But I don´t think she get a free pass only because it is a indie game.

This whole "the game has a value different for each people" in game media is so ridiculous when the same people sy all the time how $60 games are expensie or a $500 Xbox One is too much.
Click to expand...

The game is going to be many different prices over the course of its time on Steam. We already know that's the case, because it's the case for every game on Steam. However, once it is published, a review will be the same forever. It should address only the game on its own merits. A review is not simply a day-one buying guide; however, if readers wish to use it as one, they should make their best effort to apply whatever personal value rubric they have based on the full text of that review, or other reviews. It was absolutely no secret that this is a short and mechanically lightweight game. And if a particular individual considers $20 a risky amount of money to spend on a game that doesn't fit a set of specific criteria, including length, simply waiting one day after launch would have provided a wealth of reviews from critics and players providing more than enough information to make that evaluation. I think it's silly to expect any given reviewer to have to evaluate games on an arbitrary basis for things like length. You don't need a professional critic for that; in the age of the internet, that information is extremely easy to find.

Basically: There's nothing wrong with any buyer taking into account any factor they want, including price and length, but I don't think it must be considered part of the critical apparatus unless the reviewer in question actually feels it affects the experience of the game itself.
 
C

Cartman86

Banned
Harlock said:
Not wrong like the game, because it is good. But give a 9 or 10 in reviews is another history. The reviewers are being called out because, well, they got the games for free while people are paying 20 dollars without a fair counterbalances of value in the review.

http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/worth-reading-08-23-2013/1100-4723/



And if Danielle had the same thing of personal relationship with people who worked in a triple A game she would be crucified by now. But I don´t think she get a free pass only because it is a indie game.

This whole "the game has a value different for each people" in game media is so ridiculous when the same people sy all the time how $60 games are expensie or a $500 Xbox One is too much.
Click to expand...

There is nothing to be done about this. Patrick from Gaintbomb gave it a 5/5 despite his acknowledgement of the privileged position he is in. His personal experience and subjective reaction are inevitable. Do you suggest that every reviewer pay for the games they review? Not gonna happen. If the games weren't sent to them for free then their employers would pay for them. Either way they aren't going to spend their own money on their JOB! Yes $20 might be too much for you, and people who don't have to think about that might not be able to accurately assess that value for others. Not really their problem though. Same thing with the content itself. Patrick can't base his review on how he thinks someone else might react. Reading a couple reviews it's very clear that it is a short game that many have had a strong emotional reaction to. A reaction that might just be worth $20. Adults can make pretty informed decisions these days.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Cartman86 said:
Reading a couple reviews it's very clear that it is a short game that many have had a strong emotional reaction to. A reaction that might just be worth $20. Adults can make pretty informed decisions these days.
Click to expand...
These days I actually prefer shorter games. Rather pay $20 for a three hour game I can finish and grasp the entire arc of, than a $60 game I play for nine hours but get sick of before I'm halfway through.
 
GhaleonQ

GhaleonQ

Member
Acosta said:
Disclaimer: This is a VERY personal take, please don't take it as I'm trying to ruin the parade of anyone, far from my intention.

Absolute waste of time and money, I feel pretty frustrated about it. A well crafted way to say nothing of value, nothing meaningful or emotive or interesting, all while pretending I'm stupid or something.

An anodyne and mundane story of a typical "TEENAGE PROBLEMS" because we all know teenagers have the biggest problems in life, because they are special and everything is magical, and new, and powerful beyond belief (ha). Combined with "RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS" because we have not seen that, ever.

The trope is always the same, falling in love with the one you shouldn't, be the son of the rival family or another girl/boy, it doesn't matter, it´s a trope, and it´s played in a straight way, nothing surprising or emotive about this particular execution. And given they way is built, there is absolute no way for me to establish any relationship or link with the characters. I don't care who is anyone in this game, there is no room for that to happen.

I don't want to offend anyone, but did anyone really fall for the idea that Sam would appear hanged or something like that at the end of the game? I saw it coming miles away that they were trying to play with "videogames expectations" since the cheap trick of the red dye. I didn't know what was going to happen but it was obvious it was not going to be anything dramatic.

And the way everything is built to tell a linear and cohesive story is just anti natural and at odds of what the game is trying to do.

I appreciate the craft and the attention of detail (and Sam's voice has a bright future in this, hope she keeps involved in videogames), but I finish this empty and unhappy of the experience.

"don't take it personally babe, it just ain't your story" or "Katawa Shoujo" were infinitely more powerful to me than this, and they didn't have this kind royal treatment from press.

My two cents, whatever they may serve for you.
Click to expand...

I haven't stuck around because I respect the effort of the designers and only actively rag on those I deem categorically unworthy of praise. That said, this is a good post. I don't care about
the linear nature of anything
. The house structure and themes lend itself to the opposite, but I don't think it MUST be that way.
 
M

mr teaspoon

Member
Heard the game being discussed on the /Filmcast. All positive stuff, but I had to share this little nugget from notable idiot David Chen -

We don't bring up videogames that often, but when we do it's something that reminds you of the power that cinema can have.
Click to expand...
 
S

SlasherJPC

Banned
I really enjoyed the game and it was powerful stuff, but I'm also a 30 year old dude. I'm not sure player below the ages of 13 or so might find this as compelling as adults do. Maybe I'm over thinking it or not giving younger players enough credit, but I related so well to this game's story, due to my experience coming into adulthood, etc and can't see how someone that's younger getting the same effect. Much like how when I was a child and didn't enjoy some movies, only to watch them as a late teenage/early adult and absolutely love them/ catch the hidden meaning or message.
 
P

pakkit

Banned
I think a big reason this game is a critical darling is it's a smart use of the First Person Perspective that has become the go-to viewpoint for gaming. See also: Amnesia, Dear Esther. FPP is easily the most immersive viewpoint for me, and it was utilized brilliantly by Fullbright.
 
O

oVerde

Banned
You guys are all over the narrative and stuff, but I can't play it for the controls, damn slow look up speed, it drive me nuts all the time, why I walk like 3x the speed I turn my head?

Did increased the mouse sensitivity but just helped a little to no good amount.

Is there anything else to help it?
 
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