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

D

Deleted member 22576

Unconfirmed Member
Oh shit, this game is real as fuck.
Really enjoying it, can't remember the last time I booted up a game and just played for an hour straight when I really meant to just make sure all the settings are cool for when I "actually" want to play it.
 
J

jimmy5150

Member
TentPole said:
A little worried about Eurogamers assertion that the overall story could have fit as a plot thread in a subpar season of Dawson's Creek.
Click to expand...

Of all the criticisms from the Eurogamer review, this is the one I understand the least. The characters are all written in a believably flawed yet lovable way, devoid of any soap opera cheese.
 
M

More_Badass

Member
Intrigued by this, but I'll wait for a sale. Visual interactive storytelling is great, but for $19.99? Also, any other modifiers or mechanics beside exploring and learning more of what happened?
 
D

Deleted member 22576

Unconfirmed Member
Did anyone else try to
flip the cassette tape over to hear the other band on Side A? I tried like that 4 times before deciding it wouldn't work. lol. So far the story threads presented are just so perfectly crafted. The father as a failed author who writes Stereo Equipment reviews, Sams crush, etc.. And listening to the old timey record while reading Sam's story of Boris and Essa and the menstrual cycle.. its just so perfect.
Its crazy, I can't wait to play more tonight. This is a very exciting game. I built a pillow fort last weekend while I was playing DayZ, but this game seems like it was made to played in a pillow fort.
 
I

Ikopi

Member
Just finished it. Quite different from anything else around, never played anything like it. I feel like replaying it right away, because I think I have missed some things.

-Why are all the VCR's removed? Does it has something to do with the reviewing job of the father?
- Mom and dad are away on a camping trip? Or did the father discover his wives date with her co-worker?
- I haven't found the code for the safe in the basement, wonder what's in there ...
- Why is there blood in the bathtub?

So many questions ...
 
L

Liquid Helium

Member
Ikopi said:
Just finished it. Quite different from anything else around, never played anything like it. I feel like replaying it right away, because I think I have missed some things.

-Why are all the VCR's removed? Does it has something to do with the reviewing job of the father?
- Mom and dad are away on a camping trip? Or did the father discover his wives date with her co-worker?
- I haven't found the code for the safe in the basement, wonder what's in there ...
- Why is there blood in the bathtub?

So many questions ...
Click to expand...

the code for the safe is in the guest bedroom, the safe has a letter from Oscar
It's not blood it's hair dye
 
J

jimmy5150

Member
Ikopi said:
Just finished it. Quite different from anything else around, never played anything like it. I feel like replaying it right away, because I think I have missed some things.

-Why are all the VCR's removed? Does it has something to do with the reviewing job of the father?
- Mom and dad are away on a camping trip? Or did the father discover his wives date with her co-worker?
- I haven't found the code for the safe in the basement, wonder what's in there ...
- Why is there blood in the bathtub?

So many questions ...
Click to expand...

Regarding the bathtub, make sure you look in the space between the tub and the cupboard next to it. The item there should also trigger another one of Sam's journal entries.
 
I

Ikopi

Member
Liquid Helium said:
the code for the safe is in the guest bedroom, the safe has a letter from Oscar
It's not blood it's hair dye
Click to expand...

I guess that makes sense, thanks! It's great how the story isn't (completely) told to you, you have to discover it. But now I think I have missed some
journal entries. Is there a complete list somewhere already?
.
 
R

rexor0717

Member
Just finished...wow. That was the heaviest game I've ever played. I don't want to say much else about it, want to let it sink in a bit.
 
N

Nonentity

Member
I found the ghost.

I17RML6.jpg
 
R

randomwab

Member
Finished it one sitting. Don't really want to say much until I've let the whole thing sink in, but the game really is incredible and, in my opinion, a landmark for storytelling and presentation in games. There's just so many good things in there.
 
L

Liquid Helium

Member
Ikopi said:
I guess that makes sense, thanks! It's great how the story isn't (completely) told to you, you have to discover it. But now I think I have missed some
journal entries. Is there a complete list somewhere already?
.
Click to expand...

I don't know about the parents though, my interpretation when playing was that the mom changed jobs to get away from the guy trying to date her, and try to get the spark back with her husband, but I'm probably wrong about that. I also don't really know what was going on with Oscar either, presumably something bad happened with him, his sister and his child(?) and so he became a recluse and died, but I don't know what happened, or why he built secret stuff in the house. It would be nice if someone could fill me in/tell me were to look for stuff pertaining to them.
 
R

Rabbit Clock

Banned
Just finished it. I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I really like some of the music. The tapes are bad but the background music's nice. The story isn't
as sinister as I thought it was going to be but there's definitely some kinda sad stuff in there. It's also kinda sweet in a way, if not a little cheesy.
. So.. I dunno. It's a thing. I might like it? I don't know.
 
L

lunch

there's ALWAYS ONE
I understand the Eurogamer review, but the story's framing goes a long way toward building its emotional core. In any case, I enjoyed the game, and I wish I could have played when I was younger, when it was likely would have made an even greater impact. I'm definitely interested in what the studio releases next.

On a side note, I played it natively on a 2012 Macbook Air at 1280x800, and while it's much less smooth than I would have liked, it's certainly playable. There's no excuse not to play the game!
 
V

ViviOggi

Member
Jtwo said:
Oh shit, this game is real as fuck.
Really enjoying it, can't remember the last time I booted up a game and just played for an hour straight when I really meant to just make sure all the settings are cool for when I "actually" want to play it.
Click to expand...

I know right?

Can anyone tell me what playtime roughly to expect? I'm steering clear of reviews to avoid any kind of spoilers.
 
R

randomwab

Member
Liquid Helium said:
I don't know about the parents though, my interpretation when playing was that the mom changed jobs to get away from the guy trying to date her, and try to get the spark back with her husband, but I'm probably wrong about that. I also don't really know what was going on with Oscar either, presumably something bad happened with him, his sister and his child(?) and so he became a recluse and died, but I don't know what happened. It would be nice if someone could fill me in/tell me were to look for stuff pertaining to them.
Click to expand...

You can find
a pamphlet in the filling cabinet in the greenhouse that shows the parents have actually gone to a couples therapy retreat, not camping as is previously mentioned

ViviOggi said:
I know right?

Can anyone tell me what playtime roughly to expect? I'm steering clear of reviews to avoid any kind of spoilers.
Click to expand...

My Steam time on completion was
2.6 Hours
so make of that what you will. I felt like I took my time and explored a lot, but I have no doubt I missed some stuff.
 
L

lunch

there's ALWAYS ONE
ViviOggi said:
I know right?

Can anyone tell me what playtime roughly to expect? I'm steering clear of reviews to avoid any kind of spoilers.
Click to expand...

Rabbit Clock said:
I read and looked through everything (pretty thoroughly, I think) and I finished in like 3 hours.
Click to expand...
I also believe I went through everything pretty thoroughly and clocked just a little over 100 minutes, but the game's length certainly shouldn't be a deterrent.
 
V

ViviOggi

Member
randomwab said:
My Steam time on completion was
2.6 Hours
so make of that what you will. I felt like I took my time and explored a lot, but I have no doubt I missed some stuff.
Click to expand...

Rabbit Clock said:
I read and looked through everything (pretty thoroughly, I think) and I finished in like 3 hours.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Almost spoiled myself with that quote lol.

lunch said:
I also believe I went through everything pretty thoroughly and clocked just a little over 100 minutes, but the game's length certainly shouldn't be a deterrent.
Click to expand...

Not at all, I've already bought and played it for an hour. Just wanted to know what I'm in for.
 
Wok

Wok

Member
randomwab said:
You can find
a pamphlet in the filling cabinet in the greenhouse that shows the parents have actually gone to a couples therapy retreat, not camping as is previously mentioned
Click to expand...

But what about the note in the
garage
? It does mention
a trip for an anniversary
, it is part of the
couple-building therapy
.

lunch said:
I also believe I went through everything pretty thoroughly and clocked just a little over 100 minutes, but the game's length certainly shouldn't be a deterrent.
Click to expand...

It took me roughly two hours and a half.
 
E

Empty

Member
i wonder if the red hair die is a deliberate reference to the tv show 'my so called life'. the story definetely reminds me of it a lot.

probably going to finish this tonight. very easy to get sucked into and the story is hitting themes that i really enjoy.
 
R

randomwab

Member
Wok said:
But what about the note in the
garage
? It does mention
a trip for an anniversary
, it is part of the
couple-building therapy
.
Click to expand...

That's, presumably, just what they told Sam. Let's face it, are the parents really going to tell their kid they're going to couple's therapy? I imagine most parents would hide that from their kids.

Also, can I just say that when
you find the first hidden corridor, and you open that door, the chill that went down my spine was insane. And then going down into it, with all the walls papered and the crucifix, and when you pick it up and the light bulb breaks? I near lost it. One of the most memorable moments in a game in a long time for me. It was just perfectly executed.

And regarding our friend, the Christmas Duck,
who else left him in his basket in the attic?

Oh, and a genuine laugh when
you find the letter in the basement servants quarters with Sam describing her kissing and it saying "I am not reading that"

And what's the deal with
the corridor beside that. I opened the safe and found the cryptic letter from Oscar, but I'm not 100% sure what his story was. Was he a homosexual and, due to the time, lived a life of seclusion because he was also Christian? Or was he a pedophile or something? And at the end of that corridor is a closet with a broken lightbulb, but if you look at the back wall it looks like there's the outline of a doorway that can be pushed. And there's a note on the floor from prohibition times and a toy.

Ugh, this game. So much to think about.
 
N

Nihilistic Monk

Member
Just finished it, I thought it was fab. Only question I have is the whole sub plot of (DO NOT UNSPOILER UNLESS YOU ARE SATISFIED YOU HAVE FOUND EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO)
The whole uncle sub-plot. He's the dad's uncle right? Did he abuse the father and give them the house out of guilt? Or was he a drug addict with the old gear in the safe. The letter to the sister sounds super sinister, but I'm lost on what he actually did that was so terrible he sold his pharmacy for $1 and went into hiding. There's the weird whiskey invoice bear the safe as well... Happy with the policing or whatever it says...
 
G

Gilgamesh

Member
Pretty short but I really liked it so I don't feel too bad about buying it. I got chills during the ending, so there's that.

Oculus Rift would take this game to entirely new level.

Ravensmash said:
Talk about length is putting me off. I want it, but can't justify it at the moment.
Click to expand...
If I could go back, I'd probably tell myself to wait for a sale.
 
Wok

Wok

Member
Nihilistic Monk said:
Just finished it, I thought it was fab. Only question I have is the whole sub plot of (DO NOT UNSPOILER UNLESS YOU ARE SATISFIED YOU HAVE FOUND EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO)
The whole uncle sub-plot. He's the dad's uncle right? Did he abuse the father and give them the house out of guilt? Or was he a drug addict with the old gear in the safe. The letter to the sister sounds super sinister, but I'm lost on what he actually did that was so terrible he sold his pharmacy for $1 and went into hiding. There's the weird whiskey invoice bear the safe as well... Happy with the policing or whatever it says...
Click to expand...

He was
a chemist
. I understand he was
"psycho" and commited suicide with the morphine
.
 
N

Nihilistic Monk

Member
DedValve said:
I wonder if my laptop can run this. Seems super interesting.
Click to expand...

<sigh> The price is a tough call. It's a super interesting experience, but it's 3 hours absolute tops. It cost me £12 straight from the devs. Price of a CD. But you're not gonna replay this like good music or spelunky, that's for sure.

I'd say the price is a gun to your head if you care about spoilers. It's a great experience going in cold, but if you can dodge ANY talk of plot and wait months... If £6 is so important then it may be a way to go.

The plot isn't earth shattering or anything, but it's nicely done & keeps you guessing. The minor sub plots are surprisingly rich as well

Ravensmash said:
Talk about length is putting me off. I want it, but can't justify it at the moment.
Click to expand...

I tried playing on my 2012 17" MBP on high (ati 6750) and it ran like a dog, so I used my X51 instead. 720p would probably run decent but I wanted the full atmosphere so immediately disregarded it.

It's the same engine as receiver. So if you've played that it should give a rough estimate of performance I guess... That runs like a dog on my Lappy as well...
 
M

MikeJAMoran

Member
Just booted it up on my 2011 Macbook Air.

It actually runs okay... when it first booted I had a black screen and had to reset it, though, and the menus are filled with static-y graphic glitches on each item, like an image that hasn't loaded properly!
 
P

Pound_lb003

Member
Grrr, just want to find the keys. I am part of the video game problem, but I hate having NO idea where to look for the keys because it's literally like searching my bedroom to find my keys each morning. I barely even found the first key... YEAH, the first one!

Now I have to find 2 by the looks of it. Ugh, can anyone help me out?

Love the story, just the vessel to tell it is simultaneously compelling and obstructive.
 
E

Empty

Member
finished it. enjoyed it a lot. i thought the writing was terrific - very well observed, thoughtful, subverts cliche and avoids exploitative drama -
would be so easy to end with sam committing suicide in the attic and/or to have the mother go through with the affair and the father find out then get violent out of frustration, both things i thought could happen but thankfully didn't.
i found the central samantha - lonnie story to be really touching, but the other subplots were all sad and well done too. rare to see those kinds of stories in games too.

i do feel like the setup felt contrived though, i guess it's hard to balance the demands of telling a well paced story and making all the "evidence" feel natural in the world, but some of the stuff being littered around where it wouldn't naturally be took me out a bit. however i have to admit the setting did tap into my shameful love of reading other people's secret, intimate stuff.
 
W

Wrestlemania

Banned
Anyone having issues with interacting with things? I have to aim off to the side to interact with things, pointing at them directly doesn't work. This is with both a controller and M&K.
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
Gilgamesh said:
Pretty short but I really liked it so I don't feel too bad about buying it. I got chills during the ending, so there's that.

Oculus Rift would take this game to entirely new level.


If I could go back, I'd probably tell myself to wait for a sale.
Click to expand...

Same here, most definitely. I enjoyed my time with it but had I known how long it would have taken, I'd wait. $20 for 88 minutes is tough to justify in some cases.

If you're not concerned about cost though, go for it.
 
A

AJ_Wings

Member
Finished it. Very, very sweet game.

This is "environmental storytelling" at its core taken to its most logical extreme. And it works sooo well.

Good thing
they let you continue exploring the house after reaching the ending
. Very interested to see more little bits and pieces I missed the first time.
 
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