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Metroid Other M |OT| You're Not Supposed to Remember Him
- Thread starter Sadist
- Start date
I think another thing a lot of this Ridley encounter discussion hasn't taken into consideration is that Sakamoto seems to be treating this game almost like the "first time".
For instance,
Huh. I didn't know that. That might go a long way to explaining why I really like MGS but not the subsequent ones.
For instance,
Sakamoto doesn't seem concerned at all that large sections of Other M are almost word for word a retelling of the story in Fusion, except this time on the "big screen". It's exceedingly derivative of a game he already made, pretty much just adding in the MB stuff later on. He seems to be treating Other M almost like a remake, like a chance to do what he originally wanted to do with Fusion.
Other things suggest to me that he's giving considerably more weight to Other M than the 2D games, like how frozen Metroids no longer magically hover in mid air to be used as a stepping stone.
I get the impression that if he could go back and do the dramatic "You killed my parents in front of me" scene the same way in Super Metroid, or even in the original Metroid, he would. But technological limitations sorta prevented that.
I think he's treating Other M like it's Samus' first encounter since then for dramatic purposes. I'm not saying it works, or that it's a good idea, but I think in his own weird way he's trying to make the definitive version of Metroid with this game.
I just honestly don't think he looked at it like she's already faced Ridely half a dozen times and should be used to it by now, he was simply exploring the idea of how horrific it'd be to face your parent's murderer, timeline be damned.
Other things suggest to me that he's giving considerably more weight to Other M than the 2D games, like how frozen Metroids no longer magically hover in mid air to be used as a stepping stone.
I get the impression that if he could go back and do the dramatic "You killed my parents in front of me" scene the same way in Super Metroid, or even in the original Metroid, he would. But technological limitations sorta prevented that.
I think he's treating Other M like it's Samus' first encounter since then for dramatic purposes. I'm not saying it works, or that it's a good idea, but I think in his own weird way he's trying to make the definitive version of Metroid with this game.
I just honestly don't think he looked at it like she's already faced Ridely half a dozen times and should be used to it by now, he was simply exploring the idea of how horrific it'd be to face your parent's murderer, timeline be damned.
Ridley327 said:
Huh. I didn't know that. That might go a long way to explaining why I really like MGS but not the subsequent ones.
Fimbulvetr
Member
Leon S. Kennedy said:
What about people who think the story is bad but don't hate the game with a burning passion?
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
either get off your lazy ass and start naming names and dissecting points or stop postingLeon S. Kennedy said:
GrotesqueBeauty
Banned
I will say out of fairness to Sakamoto, as much as I disliked the majority of the cut scenes (and pretty much all the inner monologues), the scene
was pretty visually arresting, and the first time I actually saw the Dario Argento influence that Sakamoto once mentioned. Still, the writing for all the characters was balls.
at the climax with the abstract vignettes of MB
You know, I usually enjoy your insightful if a bit wordy posts (I'm a pretty wordy guy myself at times), but in this thread you've missed the mark entirely over and over again, baldly misconstruing and pigeonholing other people's opinions. It bums me out to see someone who is generally on point sink to those low levels of discourse.Kaijima said:
Shin Johnpv
Member
The people crying about "standards of quality" for a damn video game story are ridiculous. Even the best narrative in a video game is still a damn joke compared truly great pieces of literature.
So if you want you're great standard of narrative quality I suggest you stop looking for it in video games, put the controllers down and pick up something like Crime and Punishment. Which shits all over every story ever written for any video game ever.
The rest of us will go back to discussing the game with an open mind, with out acting like giant pompous d-bags.
So if you want you're great standard of narrative quality I suggest you stop looking for it in video games, put the controllers down and pick up something like Crime and Punishment. Which shits all over every story ever written for any video game ever.
The rest of us will go back to discussing the game with an open mind, with out acting like giant pompous d-bags.
Yes, I left the narrative standards outside the door. It would be fruitless to do otherwise, much like walking into Avatar and expecting Quentin Tarantino. This resulted in a story that didn't bother me, and an adoration for the other brilliant elements of the game.etiolate said:
And I can't believe you're still clinging to the thought that Samus was more than a robotic blank slate in early games, and that you believe that argument is capable of convincing anyone. I'm simply stunned.
thecouncil
Banned
Crunched said:
ugh. crunched, what youre not getting is that etiolate works with narratives as a profession. therefore, he is right when it comes to game stories. im gonna start listening to him from now on.
Off-topic, but regarding that Kirby's Epic Yarn screenshot...I can't think of anybody in Dreamland that even wears pants. How does Kirby already know what pants feel like?
But I digress...
Nobody's saying "the story is bad but I like it anyway." It's more a matter of "the story is bad but I'm willing to overlook that, because other parts of the game are enjoyable enough to be worth playing and I'd rather not eliminate 96% of all video games that might otherwise be fun due to only one dimension of a multi-dimensional experience."
But I digress...
Well, some people like the story, and that's their opinion. As for the rest, the point that you seem to be glossing over is that people are admitting that this game's story is bad, but the badness of said story is not such a glaring sin in their mind that it poisons the entirety of their gameplay experience. There are, after all, many more facets to a game than just the quality of its writing or voice performances.etiolate said:
Nobody's saying "the story is bad but I like it anyway." It's more a matter of "the story is bad but I'm willing to overlook that, because other parts of the game are enjoyable enough to be worth playing and I'd rather not eliminate 96% of all video games that might otherwise be fun due to only one dimension of a multi-dimensional experience."
Shin Johnpv said:
Sigh. Comparing media again ?
Like i said a trillion times, you cannot compare games to books, man. The greatest videogame plots come from the fact that the game itself uses its provided tools (tools you cant find anywhere else) to tell the story. Where the videogame should get an advantage is in the fact that it can tell a story in a way that no other media can. Sadly, yeah, most times they try to ripoff movies, but even then, the way you experience the whole thing is different than reading a book or seeing a movie.
Stop saying Videogame stories are bad by comparing it with other media, it is not a valid argument.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
I wish people would stop pedalling this nonsense. The best stories in games are the ones that are aware of their medium and play to the strengths of a video game and work BECAUSE they are a video game. Half-Life works because you play it. Super Metroid works because you discover it. Bioshock works because of the way you receive it.Shin Johnpv said:
Saying they wouldn't work as a piece of literature and therefore we should be okay with self-indulgent anime-styled story-telling is utter rubbish.
There are better options out there. Trying to sew on a thoroughly average anime on top of a video game will only create a boring Frankenstein in the majority of cases, unless you're thread is lined with the tears of newborn babies being inspired for the first time. We do not need to settle for this. Ok isn't good enough anymore, especially when it is unskippable.
MadOdorMachine
No additional functions
I'm not going to lie. I'll be a bit disappointed if they ditch what Team Ninja brought to the table. I love the refined action they introduced into the game. I just want to see them incorporate more exploration into the next one, make it a bit harder, and fix the controls and story. I really think they have a good foundation it just needs some fixin!Boney said:
Doorman said:
Well I did not enjoy the other parts of the game and I think the story structure had an impact on that. The need for linearity and the repetitive battles really started to get tiring. I could never take a break from this either, since the game would lock me out from going to old places so I couldn't avoid progressing according to the story. If I don't want to go through the lab section, what am I to do but turn off the game? There isn't really a way for me to do something entertaining for awhile. I am forced to go this direction because of the story.
GrotesqueBeauty
Banned
This argument misses the point and diverts attention from the real issue imo. No one expects Crime and Punishment level narratives from a video game, but there are games out there which take great advantage of the medium to deliver compelling stories in ways only possible through interactivity. There are plenty of cogent arguments against Other M's narrative solely in the context of a games in general, and more specifically as a Metroid title. Bu-bu-bu literature is better is not an excuse for sloppy storytelling in games.Shin Johnpv said:
edit: I see I was somewhat beaten to the point.
etiolate said:
True, but I think games have a long, long way to go. Even the games that are generally held up as having really good stories, that are played almost primarily for their stories (Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid) could only be generously considered cringe-worthy, featuring dialogue and voice acting far worse than the production values of a Saturday morning cartoon.
Even most Western-developed games have awful voice acting and dialogue, and are incredibly derivative of movies that were already made, but still somehow manage to lack even the dramatic subtlety and emotional impact of an Arnie movie.
Games are still at the technological fetish stage.
Like where silent movies were a hundred years ago. There are very few silent movies today that could be considered "art". They were curiosities, gimmicks. "Oh! Someone figured out a way to make it look like someone is fading away like a ghost!" And then finally "Oh! Someone figured out a way to get audio to sync to video! And now we have 'talkies'! Isn't this so amazing?!"
No it doesn't mean having standards is a bad thing, but it's a very unrealistic thing given the state of contemporary games.
MadOdorMachine said:
Yeah, i'd like a 50/50 mix of memorable tracks and creepy ambient music. More exploration, keep the sensemove and finishing moves/overblasts. Also keep cutscenes, cut voice acting down to a minimum (no long winded sequences, small conversations are nice).
GrotesqueBeauty
Banned
Excellent. I'm so much more used to making enemies in these threads. :lolSalsaShark said:
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
I'd prefer it if you'd name names or actually try and make a point. If you're talking about any of my posts in this thread, feel free to quote it and tell me why what I'm saying is wrong. I like chatting about these sorts of things, that's why I'm here.Kaijima said:
MadOdorMachine
No additional functions
I think that sums it up pretty nice. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way, but it's nice to hear others say it as well.Teknoman said:
Nessus said:
But some of us discussing this don't consider those good narratives since they don't really use the medium. This is about game narrative, ludo narrative, etc. Not cinematic plots. The whole baby metroid element of Other M was explained in Super Metroid via playing it. It accomplishes what the monologues and cinematics do in a much more fitting and rewarding way for a game player.
You can take notes and clues from a Buster Keaton or Chaplin flick, and I can understand the motives and desires of their main characters though they hardly speak a word. The same can be done with a game.
Ehhh. It's important to have them or else you're stuck in the muck forever.
I honestly feel blessed to be devoid of farce beliefs from the past that would cloud rational judgement, at least when it concerns Metroid.
I've adored almost every entry in the series post Metroid II. I even recognize and accept what Hunters tried to do instead of forcing the game into a category it doesn't belong in (it was nothing more than a multiplayer game). I can only imagine the profound sadness those that feel differently must be going through; that they, be it for rational or irrational (delusional) reasons, were unable to receive the unmitigated joy those of us that liked the games have experienced over the past decade.
I've adored almost every entry in the series post Metroid II. I even recognize and accept what Hunters tried to do instead of forcing the game into a category it doesn't belong in (it was nothing more than a multiplayer game). I can only imagine the profound sadness those that feel differently must be going through; that they, be it for rational or irrational (delusional) reasons, were unable to receive the unmitigated joy those of us that liked the games have experienced over the past decade.
Fimbulvetr
Member
etiolate said:
Both series also have blatant inconsistencies and logic problems you can see from a mile away.
So you didn't enjoy most of the game mechanics either. Not that we all didn't know that already. Could you at least admit that you might see where other people would enjoy some of the game's quick action, enough that they'd be willing to set aside a cliche video game story? Like I said, if not, then there really must not be very many games that you truly enjoy.etiolate said:
I also hope I'm not the only one that takes a sense of amusement out of seeing etiolate calling most people in the thread closed-minded when he's been largely unwilling to budge at all throughout this discussion, even on matters that largely boil down to personal opinion.
Fimbulvetr
Member
Crunched said:
GAF is horrendous when it comes to subtlety. You know that.