hmmm maybe there was a map that you find which shows you the three panels. iirc it was in the secret passage on the second floor.
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Gone Home |OT| I ain't afraid of no ghost!
- Thread starter Sober
- Start date
Reposting because I'd really like to be able to play this game but I can't.
Having some trouble. This is basically what I'm seeing when I start the game:
Anyone else had this problem/aware of a solution? (there is at least one other person with this problem on the steam forums.)
Having some trouble. This is basically what I'm seeing when I start the game:
I can see some lights, and a couple interactive things like the door or the duck, but other than those I've got no textures on anything, just black. I've messed with the graphics settings and verified the game files, still no luck.
Anyone else had this problem/aware of a solution? (there is at least one other person with this problem on the steam forums.)
Cymbal Head
Banned
It's a moot point now. I went back through with the "doors unlocked" option turned on to see what I missed.
Remachinate
Member
I hate that I'm one of those people.
The following is going to be an unpopular opinion, so let me preface this by saying that I greatly respect Steve Gaynor and the rest of the team at Fullbright. I thought they did a fantastic job on BioShock 2 and Gone Home is just as impressive from a perspective of narrative technique. The environment is constructed masterfully for purposes of developing the mystery and pacing of the story, and allowing for multiple layers of significance.
But the story just didn't click for me. It doesn't help that
the game hooks you by suggesting there's something wrong with what you've come home to, and then anticlimaxes by revealing that everyone's just fine and away. But aside from the misleading setup, the larger issue is that the arcs of the characters just aren't interesting. What does it mean for me that Terry eventually found success in his niche writing or that Janice found her way back to recommitting to her marriage? I can empathize with all their situations, but they didn't resonate with or impact me.
Maybe the problem is that they were largely passive in the way their lives were transformed. Sam's was directed by Lonnie, Janice's by Rick, and Terry's by the bookshop. Narrative happened to these people, rather than them actively making their own narrative, and this passivity doesn't make for compelling characters.
Maybe the problem is that they were largely passive in the way their lives were transformed. Sam's was directed by Lonnie, Janice's by Rick, and Terry's by the bookshop. Narrative happened to these people, rather than them actively making their own narrative, and this passivity doesn't make for compelling characters.
It's one of those situations where I really wanted to like the story, but I could only wonder what meaning I was supposed to take from it. Maybe it's supposed to be emotionally revelatory, and I'm just stunted in that regard, but in the end, what did I gain from spending the time to learn the truth?
Cymbal Head
Banned
RockPaperShotgun has just posted A Tale of Two Dads, which I think is a very nice examination of Terry.
TheLegendOfMart
Banned
I am a big girls blouse and can't play anything remotely scary, is this a horror game, does it have anything scary in it?
I watched GB Quick Look and it made me uneasy, but I wanna play it....
I watched GB Quick Look and it made me uneasy, but I wanna play it....
Cymbal Head
Banned
Unless you're afraid of the dark, you don't have anything to worry about.
Cymbal Head
Banned
The only two games that have made me really break down in tears have been The Walking Dead and To the Moon (the latter at multiple points). This and Dear Esther both brought me to the edge, though.
Is it weird that after finishing this, I have a strong desire to fire up Dear Esther?
Is it weird that after finishing this, I have a strong desire to fire up Dear Esther?
I have no idea how you thought that's what the game was leading up to.
The Oscar's ghost stuff was obviously just childish games played by two teenage girls. If you've ever been a kid playing "Bloody Mary" that's exactly what it was. I can see thinking she had killed herself (although personally I didn't even consider it until I read some people saying it in this thread), but "ruined the game"? Seriously?
Played this last night. Took 3 hours.
It's fantastic. Play it. Here's an Edge review (9): http://www.edge-online.com/review/gone-home-review/
It's fantastic. Play it. Here's an Edge review (9): http://www.edge-online.com/review/gone-home-review/
SuperSonic1305
Member
Man, are you guys speedrunning this or skipping all the notes or something? I'm still 5 hours in and still in the
basement
Steam says 2 hours played for me and I checked every nook and cranny and read every word. Might have missed a couple of things of course.
Cymbal Head
Banned
I played for 2.5-3 hours and I know for a fact there are things that I missed.
I'm sure I'll be giving it another go before too long.
I have to say that the part of this game that most brought home its humanity were, oddly, the interaction prompts.
Things like that really go a long way toward demonstrating that even though this is an unfamiliar house, it's still filled with people Kate knows and with whom she has a history.
I'm sure I'll be giving it another go before too long.
I have to say that the part of this game that most brought home its humanity were, oddly, the interaction prompts.
"Oh barf," upon finding a condom wrapper in the parents' drawer, or "It's Steggy."
OnlyWonderBoy
Neo Member
I'm glad someone else appreciated that as well hahaha.
Wok
Member
There is a funny writing in each cassette container, things like "it is good to go home" and "don't look here". I don't remember the wording, but it is relaxing during the playthrough.
Finished - probably just shy of 2 hours.
Dear Esther is the closest touchpoint that I've played, but in many ways they're very, very different.
Dear Esther made me feel completely alienated and unwanted, but at no stage in Gone Home (other than perhaps the very start) did I feel that. I don't buy the criticism that the game set you up for something supernatural, quite the opposite in fact,
It's much less oppressive than Dear Esther as well.
Saying that - I'm a little disappointed in myself for missing some things: (Real spoilers)
All in all this was excellent, and I don't regret a single penny I spent on it. THIS is what I want to be playing - not some manshoot. THIS is interesting and given that there's so much that I missed, stuff that is absolutely essential to the story, is a testament to how well designed it is. Everything makes sense, nothing is out of place.
Play it, broaden your horizons.
Edit
What moments were making you guys get so emotional? Maybe it didn't resonate with me, or maybe I missed it.
Dear Esther is the closest touchpoint that I've played, but in many ways they're very, very different.
Dear Esther made me feel completely alienated and unwanted, but at no stage in Gone Home (other than perhaps the very start) did I feel that. I don't buy the criticism that the game set you up for something supernatural, quite the opposite in fact,
finding the ouija board just as you did the board games quickly put that to bed.
It's much less oppressive than Dear Esther as well.
Saying that - I'm a little disappointed in myself for missing some things: (Real spoilers)
I followed the Mum's potential infidelity but missed Rick's wedding invitation, though I saw her acceptance of a new job just as that, was there any specific inference that it was to move away to avoid Rick?
I missed the Uncle's letter. In fact that whole line about his potential abuse of the father was completely lost on me? Is there anything in the house to suggest that it was abuse?
I missed the Uncle's letter. In fact that whole line about his potential abuse of the father was completely lost on me? Is there anything in the house to suggest that it was abuse?
All in all this was excellent, and I don't regret a single penny I spent on it. THIS is what I want to be playing - not some manshoot. THIS is interesting and given that there's so much that I missed, stuff that is absolutely essential to the story, is a testament to how well designed it is. Everything makes sense, nothing is out of place.
Play it, broaden your horizons.
Edit
What moments were making you guys get so emotional? Maybe it didn't resonate with me, or maybe I missed it.
TheTylerRob
Member
Sam's voice overs were all killing me near the end. A mix of sadness and nostalgia for teenage years.
the journal entry in which sam talked about going to lonnie's concert and running outside to cry was pretty touching
i didn't get super sad at any point though because the main storyline was about puppy love that probably wouldn't last long-term anyway. maybe i'm old and bitter now but i have trouble feeling too bad for teenager problems when i know that it's all relatively minor stuff that will seem almost laughable to them a few years later. whatever, still good writing that made me sympathize with her.
i didn't get super sad at any point though because the main storyline was about puppy love that probably wouldn't last long-term anyway. maybe i'm old and bitter now but i have trouble feeling too bad for teenager problems when i know that it's all relatively minor stuff that will seem almost laughable to them a few years later. whatever, still good writing that made me sympathize with her.
N
Noray
Unconfirmed Member
For me it was the music and the intensely raw feelings Sam put down in her journal, half-remembered from my own adolescence. This game doesn't patronize those feelings and that age period, but celebrates and sympathizes with it. And the voice acting was really, really good. It was just kind of heartbreaking in spots. Like how teenagers feel their love is the realest thing in the entire world, it got that across, and the ache of their separation and rejection of Sam's parents. Especially the line "They didn't even respect me enough to believe" really struck a chord. It just felt so real thanks to all the little details the game dots around all over the place.
As for the abuse thing: http://clockworkworlds.com/post/58411117679/the-transgression-you-can-do-better
As for the abuse thing: http://clockworkworlds.com/post/58411117679/the-transgression-you-can-do-better
Beat it a couple hours ago. Here are my thoughts.
- Glad to see more exploration/experimental games on Steam.
- Too much reading, not enough gameplay elements. The lack of varied gameplay elements didn't make me dislike the game, but it created a lack of pacing that made me take a large amount of breaks while playing the game.
- I saw almost every story development coming a mile away, which is somewhat unfortunate.
- The thunder sounds could have been so much better.
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- Too expensive. It's about double the cost of a movie of equal length.
All in all, just another Halo clone.
- Glad to see more exploration/experimental games on Steam.
- Too much reading, not enough gameplay elements. The lack of varied gameplay elements didn't make me dislike the game, but it created a lack of pacing that made me take a large amount of breaks while playing the game.
- I saw almost every story development coming a mile away, which is somewhat unfortunate.
- The thunder sounds could have been so much better.
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Glad to see more LGBT content in gaming.
- Too expensive. It's about double the cost of a movie of equal length.
All in all, just another Halo clone.
ShockingAlberto
Member
Finished it
I probably felt every possible emotion in that game
I probably felt every possible emotion in that game
Thanks so much for linking me to that article - I picked up all the little bits but that's so, so well realised and executed.
SuperSonic1305
Member
Finished it in 6 hours. Boggles my mind that nearly everyone else finished in 2 or less. I searched under the beds and sofas, opened every cabinet, looked at all the made up food brands, pictures, etc.
loganclaws
Plane Escape Torment
$20 for 3 hours? Yikes.
This is the one thing holding me away from getting this >_< I wanna play it real bad, but it would've been a much easier sell at $10, instead of $20...
SlasherJPC
Banned
Well I didn't try to rush the game myself personally. I was exploring, reading, etc. I will admit towards the end moments I was moving at a faster pace but I was surprised to see it say 55 minutes on steam. Though yes, for the price, alot of people might be pushed away. Though the experience is well worth it.
It's definitely a game everyone should experience and I won't try to argue to throw in the 20$ for that small amount of time. If you need to make a dollars/hour evaluation of it, then maybe wait until a sale or something. But if you know what you are getting into then it is definitely worth the money.
OnlyWonderBoy
Neo Member
Different strokes man.
I searched the first couple rooms really intently but it didn't feel natural. I thought about what I would do in that situation and I would be more interested in the macro search rather than the micro search. It felt really gamey to search every last little thing. At least for me.
Ditto. I didn't read every document from cover to cover but moreso read to get the gyst as to get to the bottom of what the hell happened - something I would do in real life.
Finished it about half an hour ago. I was hesitant to even get it in the first place because of the price and the fact it looked like Dear Esther (which I never want to have to deal with again) but I really do think this is a wonderful game. It's so well crafted and affecting that it feels silly to even think about something like length. I'm beyond impressed.
WyndhamPrice
Member
It's a very affecting experience. I'd highly recommend it.
petethepanda
Member
Did anybody go back in immediately after the credits?
The feels, guys.
I played the final journal back a few times and walked around the house, turning off all the lights and closing the doors, and finally returned to Sam's room. I know that it probably sounds obnoxious, but I just felt compelled to do so. The house felt entirely different.
I listened to the journal one last time and quit to desktop.
I listened to the journal one last time and quit to desktop.
The feels, guys.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
The attention to detail, the simplicity of it, contributed greatly to my emotional resonance with the family. I'm not American so I'm sure there's some cultural nuances that didn't hit me, but being born in 87 the game's setting of growing up in the 90s resonated so well with me. It's not necessarily the diaries or audio logs or anything like that. It's the Christmas lights and paper Santa in an outside cupboard. The self recorded VHS tapes with two different movies. The books on home life, magazines, and so on scattered around the environment.
The house was built in such a way that it seemed very much lived in by a very real family, one that I was alarmingly familiar with, toeing nostalgia. Even though it's not my family and my family is very different, I felt there was a family there that wasn't all that far removed from my own as people.
This is a tough one. Loved it, but. I have a few buts, actually.
Still recommended, but afraid I'm on the side of people let down by what this experience ultimately becomes.
Still recommended, but afraid I'm on the side of people let down by what this experience ultimately becomes.
Sorry, but it does retroactively ruin the tension to find out you had nothing to be tense about in the first place. No, I wasn't expecting a body, but I did expect to find someone tied up at least. Otherwise, the game is all bark and no bite.
Happened to me. For some reason the brightness was all the way to the left on the slider. Easy fix, but totally weird how that is a default for some people.
With exploring these realistic environments and environmental storytelling the game actually reminds me of...SWAT 4. No kidding.
I feel the game is better for not stooping to such obvious tropes and staying grounded, even if there clearly is some misdirection in that direction at first.
MaritalWheat
Member
Along those lines, I also felt pressed at certain points - there were moments when I was genuinely concerned based on the things I was uncovering, and felt the need to figure out what the hell was going on. I also felt uncomfortable in many spaces...like the character, it was my first time in this house, and like I would in real life, a lot of areas I was NOT inclined to hang out in. For an exploration game, I though they made some really interesting attempts at pacing through narrative exposition and environmental design.
I can see that. I do respect that side of it, from a certain point of view.
But what we got from grounded, we lost without having any consequence. In retrospect the experience becomes more pedestrian than exciting.
WhereAreMahDragonz
Banned
I saw this on Steam and I'm definitely interested, but is it scary? I just don't like things popping out at me in my games.
It's intriguing, mysterious, sometimes haunting maybe? but not *scary.*