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Silent Hill: Shattered Memories - |OT| of Not Your Father's Silent Hill

Kevtones

Member
Your post is a little vague Shidoshi...


Sorry if I'm lazy and don't want to go wading through this thread but:


What is a mess about this game? The gameplay is a minimal distraction that's meant to get you from A to B while you go further down the rabbit hole. The only point of contention I can see are the chase sequences that are quite brief, forgiving, and in my opinion well executed. Otherwise, you've got great controls and nicely implemented puzzles with great usage of the Wii remote


If anything, I can see the lack of gameplay irking some people but considering the shitty gameplay that's been omnipresent throughout the series I think SM's pulled back approach is a great one.
 

mollipen

Member
I Push Fat Kids said:
Sorry if I'm lazy and don't want to go wading through this thread but:

What is a mess about this game?

Well, I've gone into this at length before, but briefly off the top of my head:

* Linear town
* Near lack of quality exploration
* No scares when outside of nightmare mode
* Lack of quality puzzles. A few were totally brilliant, but there weren't nearly enough of them, especially considering the lack of anything else to do gameplay-wise in the non-nightmare portions of the game.
* Spectacularly terrible nightmare section
* The even more terrible idea to have players have to avoid monsters by shaking the crap out of the device that is also controlling their camera
* Oh, and I'm not sure I'm a fan of the pacing. *laughs* But it's been too long ago that I played the game to speak for sure on that part.

"The gameplay is a minimal distract" is what I consider to be a huge fucking problem. I'm not watching a movie, I'm playing a game. Video game's can't be shitty video games and tell us that's okay because the storyline is awesome.

I also take exception to the idea that the entire SH series has had "shitty gameplay".
 

Domstercool

Member
Just booted this up today and I have to say I'm fully enjoying it. The atmosphere it puts you through is incredible. Even when you aren't in nightmare mode and are exploring the town, there's something about the mysteriousness and music when put together gets your body ready for something.

It's not jump scary, it's more of a suspense or a feeling of something watching you, even though there isn't.

Those phonecalls too, some are just weird. Just got to the Gym in High School, thumbs up so far :)
 

Kevtones

Member
I'll share some thoughts/interpretation after listening to shidoshi's podcast with Mr. Haske (Cursed Mountain props!). I should mention that I think you're wrong Shidoshi and it comes down to a fundamental problem with the way you're looking at the game. It's odd because you occasionally said things that made it seem like you get Silent Hill but then you'd try and relate it to SM only to be changing the idea you'd just established. You even go onto say 'it would be a great game if it weren't called Silent Hill' and I find that preposterous. It came off to me like you had a sense of entitlement to what you want and expect the game to be.

Also, your example of Mass Effect II having both a good story/gameplay doesn't fit. Games don't have to great gameplay and this should be evident by the success of SHII. Its gameplay is comprised of checking 2319 locked doors for possible success while simultaneously fighting against clunky controls and neat-looking enemies (oh and a terrible inventory system). It's almost perfunctory and I think SM is a step in the right direction because it gets less in the way. Hell, SM doesn't even have an inventory.


That said:

- Why does it have to be scary? The games in this series are most successful when they treat Silent Hill less like a town and more like a concept (that concept being a personal hell). Does a personal hell have to be boo-scary or does it need to be intimate?
I'd wager that the grief Cheryl experiences in losing her father and spending her life looking to fill that void is far more troubling than a couple rabid dogs.

- Why does there have to be exploration?
Each location you visit represents an outlet or a place that Cheryl remembers. These locations are places or times in her life where the lack of her father figure led her astray. The absence of Harry in her life caused her to do these things and they're being dredged up during the session with the psychiatrist (who is trying to help her sift her issues in regards to Harry). In essence, each of these places is a memory in itself. The exploration you're doing isn't in the geometry of the levels it's in confines of Cheryl's head.


I'll reiterate:

The entire game is one long psychiatry session. The reason the nightmare sections are sudden and obvious are because they represent the build of Cheryl's mood. Notice how the actual therapy questions/sessions almost always occur after the end of each nightmare? They're the build of her angst in dealing with the (lack of) memories of her father and the fact that she can't let them go. The fact the therapy sessions occur after this is because the therapist is interjecting because he can see the progress occurring in his patient.

Everything that Harry is in the game is Cheryl's memory. Every action you take is an extension of Cheryl and her need to know/understand her father.

The monsters that chase you represent Cheryl's inability to let go. Notice how they latch onto Harry and don't really do anything besides weigh him down? Notice that they gradually take the shape of a woman throughout the course of the game representing the growth of Cheryl and their proximity to the now (the places you go to in the game progress later and later in the life of Cheryl).


YAY
 
I Push Fat Kids said:
I'll share some thoughts/interpretation after listening to shidoshi's podcast with Mr. Haske (Cursed Mountain props!). I should mention that I think you're wrong Shidoshi and it comes down to a fundamental problem with the way you're looking at the game. It's odd because you occasionally said things that made it seem like you get Silent Hill but then you'd try and relate it to SM only to be changing the idea you'd just established. You even go onto say 'it would be a great game if it weren't called Silent Hill' and I find that preposterous. It came off to me like you had a sense of entitlement to what you want and expect the game to be.

Also, your example of Mass Effect II having both a good story/gameplay doesn't fit. Games don't have to great gameplay and this should be evident by the success of SHII. Its gameplay is comprised of checking 2319 locked doors for possible success while simultaneously fighting against clunky controls and neat-looking enemies (oh and a terrible inventory system). It's almost perfunctory and I think SM is a step in the right direction because it gets less in the way. Hell, SM doesn't even have an inventory.


That said:

- Why does it have to be scary? The games in this series are most successful when they treat Silent Hill less like a town and more like a concept (that concept being a personal hell). Does a personal hell have to be boo-scary or does it need to be intimate?
I'd wager that the grief Cheryl experiences in losing her father and spending her life looking to fill that void is far more troubling than a couple rabid dogs.

- Why does there have to be exploration?
Each location you visit represents an outlet or a place that Cheryl remembers. These locations are places or times in her life where the lack of her father figure led her astray. The absence of Harry in her life caused her to do these things and they're being dredged up during the session with the psychiatrist (who is trying to help her sift her issues in regards to Harry). In essence, each of these places is a memory in itself. The exploration you're doing isn't in the geometry of the levels it's in confines of Cheryl's head.


I'll reiterate:

The entire game is one long psychiatry session. The reason the nightmare sections are sudden and obvious are because they represent the build of Cheryl's mood. Notice how the actual therapy questions/sessions almost always occur after the end of each nightmare? They're the build of her angst in dealing with the (lack of) memories of her father and the fact that she can't let them go. The fact the therapy sessions occur after this is because the therapist is interjecting because he can see the progress occurring in his patient.

Everything that Harry is in the game is Cheryl's memory. Every action you take is an extension of Cheryl and her need to know/understand her father.

The monsters that chase you represent Cheryl's inability to let go. Notice how they latch onto Harry and don't really do anything besides weigh him down? Notice that they gradually take the shape of a woman throughout the course of the game representing the growth of Cheryl and their proximity to the now (the places you go to in the game progress later and later in the life of Cheryl).


YAY

I've postulated about that before. That the areas you visit are chronological to Cheryl's life after Harry died. For the most part this seems to be true.

The beginning area where you see her on the swingset as a child just after Harry died, wishing for him to come back.

Then her trip to the forest.

Then her time in High School.

Then the events after High School, culminating in the murder of Malcolm. All chronological.

The time where it seems to detour is when Cheryl thinks about her last happy memory with her father, at the amusement park. Then Cheryl is pretty much at realization, so the next destination is the light house so she can let him go.

In the end this all makes sense, as it's what the psych would have her do in her recollections. So it's pretty smart of Climax to do it like this.

So you see Cheryl gradually break down in her depression, and the events that helped lead to it.

I'd also like to thank Shidoshi for sticking around in this thread to defend his stance. Not many people do that. Most people bail when they're outnumbered.
 
I don't know that I care to consider Shattered Memories as a traditional video game and I've made that stance clear in other threads.

I am not going to say it is better than regular games, but what it does is refreshing to me, and I think it does it well. It appeals to me in a way that a game like, say, Eternal Darkness did not. Or older Silent Hills failed to do.

I am fine with everyone not accepting that view as proper, that games should only be based around how fun they are to the player. That's fine. But I'm hoping with the sales of Heavy Rain that companies will be emboldened to make more games like Shattered Memories.

I'd rather this new opportunity for games that don't have to focus on gameplay to be enjoyable get time to grow rather than being snuffed out just as it emerges.
 

cvxfreak

Member
I just bought the Japanese PSP version yesterday for ¥1480 (~$16USD) brand new.

Already have the Wii version, but hey, why not.
 
cvxfreak said:
I just bought the Japanese PSP version yesterday for ¥1480 (~$16USD) brand new.

Already have the Wii version, but hey, why not.

What's it like?

I honestly hadn't payed any attention to this thread as for some reason I thought the game was rubbish. It seems that a lot of people really like it though so I'm wondering whether to get the PS2 or PSP version.
 

cvxfreak

Member
Baloonatic said:
What's it like?

I honestly hadn't payed any attention to this thread as for some reason I thought the game was rubbish. It seems that a lot of people really like it though so I'm wondering whether to get the PS2 or PSP version.

I can't find my Memory Stick so I didn't try it yet.

I imagine it's the worst version of all three, but at least it's portable.
 
I'll be getting the PSP version once the price drops to $15. I'd get it now, but I can't justify $30 for a really short portable game that I may or may not like.
 

Amalthea

Banned
ShockingAlberto said:
I don't know that I care to consider Shattered Memories as a traditional video game and I've made that stance clear in other threads.

We could call it the first western visual-novel. ;)
 
shidoshi said:
Well, I've gone into this at length before, but briefly off the top of my head:

* Linear town
* Near lack of quality exploration
* No scares when outside of nightmare mode
* Lack of quality puzzles. A few were totally brilliant, but there weren't nearly enough of them, especially considering the lack of anything else to do gameplay-wise in the non-nightmare portions of the game.
* Spectacularly terrible nightmare section
* The even more terrible idea to have players have to avoid monsters by shaking the crap out of the device that is also controlling their camera
* Oh, and I'm not sure I'm a fan of the pacing. *laughs* But it's been too long ago that I played the game to speak for sure on that part.

"The gameplay is a minimal distract" is what I consider to be a huge fucking problem. I'm not watching a movie, I'm playing a game. Video game's can't be shitty video games and tell us that's okay because the storyline is awesome.

I also take exception to the idea that the entire SH series has had "shitty gameplay".

What i don't understand is your concept of gameplay. "Gameplay" is my experience of playing the game, not how the game is supposed to be played if it would have been played by the game itself. So gameplay is not somehting that's on disc, a set of rules and tools there to be pointed at, and judged (they are "game mechanics") - it's the result of me playing the game, so SH's gameplay is THE GAME + ME.
If you find a game boring or frustrating, then there's a good chance that the bad ingredient ruining the dish is you, not the game. Like in a relationship, so sometimes could be both's fault too.
According to this premise, SH gameplay was great for me, as i loved how i got slightly lost in the frozen woods, how i got reassured by an opened diner late at night where i just had a moody chat with an ambiguous character. I did that, and the game was there for me. The fact that it didn't work right for you explains that in fact, a very peculiar kind of person is required for this SH.

It's more like you didn't click with it, rather then "THEY produced a huge fucking problem". If everything in the game makes sense, it's well thought, and the tools work withouth faults, then it's just the last ingredient, you, that is not "compatible" with the system - which is super-fine to me, normal.

Let me make an example: you're handed a girl's diary and you read it. Your point of view is like you're complaining about a lack of entertainment judging by your standards, while not only the content in it is staggeringly provoking, but that it's not really there to entertain you, it's just there because that's what it just is.
"Puzzles" in the game are there to reflect cheryl's life and make sense compared to the whole, even the fact that they are in the form of a puzzle makes sense (they are like an equivalent of metaphors in speech), they're not really there as a once-per-hour mind fix for the gamer that will serve the purpose of making you say "there! cracked! i'm so smart!" (well, not actually - but here, it was secondary. The diary is not made for others, this is made for a public.). And because a puzzle needs someone to be solved, a door needs someone to be opened, this plot and events needs a player to be raised to completion, to exist fully and to make sense, this could only be done in videogame form - you're not playing a movie, this is a videogame, and what a videogame this is.

Then, IMHO i think that it's great if not everything in a game is made to give us a single superficial sensation of pleasure, to satisfy in every single act, but a wide specter of sensations, and some of them are what we usually perceive as ones we can't really control and that don't makes us smile. In doing this, this SH is a champion, because everyhitng in it makes sense to the whole, even me and my actions, something coming from outside of the game, made sense in the game.


For example: a curiosity of mine. Don't you guys think that the pub opened late at night was one of the most memorable experiences in a videogame? That alone was worth the money for me. :lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55WVEqHuEcg <--- CAREFUL, SPOILERS

I thought it was PURE genius. It's like if the bartender is the game, and the father is a whiny gamer asking for his expectations. The father costantly asks for something he's loking for, his only objective, but no one can give him that they are just what they are and they have just what they have, and he's all preoccupied and panicks, and shouts "i'm looking for this, where is it!!!", and she just is "hey i don't know, i hope you'll find it out there, i'm doing my job, sorry. Want me call someone for you? Hey look your phone is ringing, pick it up. Are you sure you're going to be safe all alone out there?", looking at you like you're a fool and a baby scared to go out there without a breadcrumb mechanic like in fable 2 or Dead Space :lol
 

Domstercool

Member
Just finished it. Ending was nice if a little short :) Very enjoyable though and I really hope Climax get to do a sequel or something and improve on the nightmare bits a tad more.
 
One of the things that makes Shattered Memories amazing is how the interactive choices affect the storyline, along with the reasons why they do so. It's something that can only be done in a video game, it can't be done in a movie. It is specifically because of these interactive elements that Shattered Memories works, yet they are not traditional "gameplay" elements with a score/winning/losing etc. That's part of what makes it interesting as well, people can complain about a lack of "gameplay" yet the whole thing centers on the interaction that is only really possible in a video game.
 
Finally finished this game today on my brand new Black Wii. :D

I have to say, I am touched. The title doesn't hit 9 material on an overall basis, but on the basis of playing like an interactive film, it is probably a 10. The motion control segments are well utilized and well varied, and make general sense. The flashlight could have been 10x creepier if the game gave reason to the average user to use it properly (such as having unscheduled threats appear more often than during the action sequences).

However, the creators of this title put some great thought into the overall package. I'm sincerely glad I played through this title to the end, it is a real treat and was well worth the $50. What the team did with this title is the beginning of motion's future as a legitimate concept in deep games, just as Super Mario Galaxy was. Good job guys!
 

Kevtones

Member
Great to see more and more people picking up this game :D



voodoopanda - I totally agree. What's also amazing is just how varied these decisions are and the fact they're not always explicit.
 
cvxfreak said:
I just bought the Japanese PSP version yesterday for ¥1480 (~$16USD) brand new.

Already have the Wii version, but hey, why not.

When did this game release in Japan? And did it chart on release?

Edit - I mean the Wii version.
 
GregLombardi said:
Finally finished this game today on my brand new Black Wii. :D

I have to say, I am touched. The title doesn't hit 9 material on an overall basis, but on the basis of playing like an interactive film, it is probably a 10. The motion control segments are well utilized and well varied, and make general sense. The flashlight could have been 10x creepier if the game gave reason to the average user to use it properly (such as having unscheduled threats appear more often than during the action sequences).

However, the creators of this title put some great thought into the overall package. I'm sincerely glad I played through this title to the end, it is a real treat and was well worth the $50. What the team did with this title is the beginning of motion's future as a legitimate concept in deep games, just as Super Mario Galaxy was. Good job guys!

Glad you like it. Now spread the word :)
 

NewBrof

Member
I am totally frustrated by the game (unfortunately). I was in the nightmare forrest level yesterday for hours... that effing saw mill... It took me ages to find the right exits. It would not be that terrible if there were less monsters or more torches. I died a lot. And there was no reward for getting through that section of the game at all. There is not much to do in those nightmare sections, I got bored and frustrated at the same time. I hate mazes. It reminded me of that LOST game, I stopped playing after I had to go through the maze cave too many times... Now I am in the school and I think I will not play the nightmare level ... replayability is low, because I don't want to go back to that forrest ever, ever anymore... does anyone know if Alan Wake is similar? I was looking forward to AW, but now I am not sure. If there is a forrest maze, I will go crazy.

(first I liked the forrest, but when it turned to a nightmare it turned REALLY into a nightmare for me...)
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Did I mention how much I love seeing this thread pop up on the front page again and again? Because if I didn't, know that I do love it. I love it a lot.
 

NewBrof

Member
And don't feel bad. I died about 20 times the first time in the school nightmare. I couldn't figure out where the fuck to go. (wasn't following the hints, had flashlight on, etc).

ok, that's it. Th school level seems worse. Btw. the map is almost useless during nightmare, because it does not zoom into the building (effing saw mill).

Checking this thread, there are some spatial geniusses here who can navigate samey looking buildings, but many players were frustrated... that's a fact. If you die 5 times, they should make the AI less aggressive or less monsters or something (the game is profiling you, it should adjust)...
 

Celine

Member
SlipperySlope said:
When did this game release in Japan? And did it chart on release?

Edit - I mean the Wii version.
I think it sold less than 10K.


NewBrof said:
I am totally frustrated by the game (unfortunately). I was in the nightmare forrest level yesterday for hours... that effing saw mill... It took me ages to find the right exits. It would not be that terrible if there were less monsters or more torches. I died a lot. And there was no reward for getting through that section of the game at all. There is not much to do in those nightmare sections, I got bored and frustrated at the same time. I hate mazes. It reminded me of that LOST game, I stopped playing after I had to go through the maze cave too many times... Now I am in the school and I think I will not play the nightmare level ... replayability is low, because I don't want to go back to that forrest ever, ever anymore... does anyone know if Alan Wake is similar? I was looking forward to AW, but now I am not sure. If there is a forrest maze, I will go crazy.

(first I liked the forrest, but when it turned to a nightmare it turned REALLY into a nightmare for me...)
I said earlier that the forest was the hardest part for me however you should learn how the chase sequences work with it.
The game pick up steam from the school onward.

If you have problem to know where to go, try remember the door you entered before and choose the other one ( usually there aren't more than 2 ways ).
Also use the map, in zoom mode the gameplay freeze so monster won't catch you ( left dpad + A ).

During the sequences use the flashlight only if necessary,
keep run what ever happens,
push the monster in the opposite direction he try to catch you,
use the flare wisely only when really is needed,
when a monster is closely behind you watch behind with the dpad to get a little bust .
Even if you are badly hurt and Harry run slowly keep surviving after a while he regains all his fitness.
 

NewBrof

Member
If you have problem to know where to go, try remember the door you entered before and choose the other one ( usually there aren't more than 2 ways ).
Also use the map, in zoom mode the gameplay freeze so monster won't catch you ( left dpad + A ).

During the sequences use the flashlight only if necessary,
keep run what ever happens,
push the monster in the opposite direction he try to catch you,
use the flare wisely only when really is needed,
when a monster is closely behind you watch behind with the dpad to get a little bust .
Even if you are badly hurt and Harry run slowly keep surviving after a while he regains all his fitness.

yes, thanks, most of it I learned the hard way :) ...I stayed up until 2 AM to finish the forrest...
 

Mesijs

Member
Timekiller said:
What i don't understand is your concept of gameplay. "Gameplay" is my experience of playing the game, not how the game is supposed to be played if it would have been played by the game itself. So gameplay is not somehting that's on disc, a set of rules and tools there to be pointed at, and judged (they are "game mechanics") - it's the result of me playing the game, so SH's gameplay is THE GAME + ME.
If you find a game boring or frustrating, then there's a good chance that the bad ingredient ruining the dish is you, not the game. Like in a relationship, so sometimes could be both's fault too.

THIS exactly is why so many gamers and reviewers failed to appreciate the game. Well said. They kind of noticed that Shattered Memories did not contain a lot of their checklisted gameplay mechanics so they 'could' not like the game if even their feeling maybe said they liked ti.

To me, this is a very dumb way to judge a game. Just like people criticized Uncharted for the lack of challenge in the platforming sections, as if platform sections should ALWAYS, AS A RULE have a certain difficulty and are automatically bad if they don't: bullshit. And so, when a game is set in a town, exploration IS NOT automatically mandatory.

And that's why Shattered Memories is one of the best games this gen.
 

Aeana

Member
So I tried this game back when it came out and I was too much of a wimp to get very far. I want to try it again, though! Question, however: do enemies only exist in the frozen parts, or can you run into them anywhere like in the other SH games? I realize the answer to this might "ruin" some of the intensity of the game, but... that's kind of what I'm going for. :eek:
 

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Aeana said:
So I tried this game back when it came out and I was too much of a wimp to get very far. I want to try it again, though! Question, however: do enemies only exist in the frozen parts, or can you run into them anywhere like in the other SH games? I realize the answer to this might "ruin" some of the intensity of the game, but... that's kind of what I'm going for. :eek:

They are only in the 'nightmare' parts.
 
Mesijs said:
THIS exactly is why so many gamers and reviewers failed to appreciate the game. Well said. They kind of noticed that Shattered Memories did not contain a lot of their checklisted gameplay mechanics so they 'could' not like the game if even their feeling maybe said they liked ti.

To me, this is a very dumb way to judge a game. Just like people criticized Uncharted for the lack of challenge in the platforming sections, as if platform sections should ALWAYS, AS A RULE have a certain difficulty and are automatically bad if they don't: bullshit. And so, when a game is set in a town, exploration IS NOT automatically mandatory.

And that's why Shattered Memories is one of the best games this gen.

Let me say something more about this: i was hired to write for the biggest videogame webzine in my country, and guess what, i quit voluntarily after 5 months out of frustration - TWO editors out of 50, me and another guy, had this concept nailed, the others were just geeks that went like "hey this game sucks, i can't find the exit, gameplay is 5/10 to me now!" while i was "hey i can't find the exit, i need to concentrate on the details, NOW i feel lost, the game's succeded in giving me that sense of hopeless desperation! Frustration and panic come with a positive function, and create a bond with a frustrated and panicked father. Chapeau!".

Geeks that continuosly got what they were reviewing under the wrong light, had no theoretical tools at all to understand what they had on their hands. This happens when the industry usually hires common nerd gamers instead of people that that do their homework right, that they are prepared for it. Funny thing is: in a review, it was prohibited to talk about your experience with the game, but they wanted us to talk about "gameplay". It was an unsolvable contraddiction that made our role COMPLETELY useless to me. That's why this game didn't run for GAME OF THE YEAR, only hollywoodesque stuff can be game of the year if the judges are a bunch of happygolucky loud people that fall for easy going, spectacular stuff and don't get complex designs or want to admit that usually it's them ruining their game experience. Mature games don't need an adult gamer, but a matured human being.

Give a harley Davidson to a whiny kid with a running nose and a star wars hat. He's gonna go like this "Harley what? Going where, i don't really want to go anywhere, i just enjoy my small world! Hey, my feet can't reach the pedals! This thing sucks!" :lol

ps.

Silly me i'd say. The only website i ever read is Gamasutra, and i naively tried to inject some of that in that webzine that, actually, only exists as a flyer disguised as a webzine.

--------------

What i don't get is: why the new silent hill was handed over to yet another team? This game would rocket sky-high on a more powerful hardware. A ps3 sequel with Move support would definetly give this design a kick.
 

scitek

Member
Does anyone know if Climax has an email address I can contact them with? Their website only has a snail mail address and phone numbers, which are international for me.
 

NewBrof

Member
ok, I give up. I am in the school, it is day, no nightmare and I have to go to the gym, but can't find the way. I run in circles, the art room has a locked door... this game takes too much time ... I will watch the remaining on youtube... it is from beginning to end just a game where you run in a maze... for hours, and there is not enough interesting stuff, atmosphere. It feels pretty empty. I rented it for 7 days, now is day 3, I'll send it back... I don't get it.

Sometime, there is a game you play, where you get lost, you try and find your way, Ok, you wasted time by backtracking. But this game is asking too much. I am just running from one maze to the next, ... I read many of the comments by people who love the game, but I don't get it why it does not bother to run a maze for hours and hours...
 
NewBrof said:
ok, I give up. I am in the school, it is day, no nightmare and I have to go to the gym, but can't find the way. I run in circles, the art room has a locked door... this game takes too much time ... I will watch the remaining on youtube... it is from beginning to end just a game where you run in a maze... for hours, and there is not enough interesting stuff, atmosphere. It feels pretty empty. I rented it for 7 days, now is day 3, I'll send it back... I don't get it.

Sometime, there is a game you play, where you get lost, you try and find your way, Ok, you wasted time by backtracking. But this game is asking too much. I am just running from one maze to the next, ... I read many of the comments by people who love the game, but I don't get it why it does not bother to run a maze for hours and hours...

There are no real "mazes" in this game outside of a few nightmares. The game is actually very linear. If you tell us more exactly where you're at, we can tell you where to go. I have no idea where you're at from the information given.

Edit - Or you can just use YouTube to get passed your section since you're lost, than continue like normal? Simply watching the whole game on YouTube just takes away from the experience.
 

Celine

Member
NewBrof said:
ok, I give up. I am in the school, it is day, no nightmare and I have to go to the gym, but can't find the way. I run in circles, the art room has a locked door... this game takes too much time ... I will watch the remaining on youtube... it is from beginning to end just a game where you run in a maze... for hours, and there is not enough interesting stuff, atmosphere. It feels pretty empty. I rented it for 7 days, now is day 3, I'll send it back... I don't get it.

Sometime, there is a game you play, where you get lost, you try and find your way, Ok, you wasted time by backtracking. But this game is asking too much. I am just running from one maze to the next, ... I read many of the comments by people who love the game, but I don't get it why it does not bother to run a maze for hours and hours...
This game DOESN'T take too much time.
My first playthrough lasted about 7 hour ( I completed it in one session ).
Are you inside the art room ?
I heard it has a pretty cool puzzle.
I've got the astronomy room so I can't help you with that ( the door inside those rooms is unlocked by resolving the puzzle).
There is something wrong if you find the game too hard.
The game overall is quite easy.
 

Diebuster

Member
NewBrof said:
ok, I give up. I am in the school, it is day, no nightmare and I have to go to the gym, but can't find the way. I run in circles, the art room has a locked door... this game takes too much time ... I will watch the remaining on youtube... it is from beginning to end just a game where you run in a maze... for hours, and there is not enough interesting stuff, atmosphere. It feels pretty empty. I rented it for 7 days, now is day 3, I'll send it back... I don't get it.

Sometime, there is a game you play, where you get lost, you try and find your way, Ok, you wasted time by backtracking. But this game is asking too much. I am just running from one maze to the next, ... I read many of the comments by people who love the game, but I don't get it why it does not bother to run a maze for hours and hours...

It's a very, very short game so you may as well complete it. If the art room is locked, that means you already completed a puzzle in another room. After you exit the room with the puzzle you completed, it should be a linear path to the gym.
The code for the gym door is in one of the lockers nearby.
 
Celine said:
This game DON'T take too much time.
My first playthrough lasted about 7 hour ( I completed it in one session ).
Are you inside the art room ?
I heard it has a pretty cool puzzle.
I've got the astronomy room so I can't help you with that ( the door inside those rooms is unlocked by resolving the puzzle).
There is something wrong if you find the game too hard.
The game overall is quite easy.

Oh, THAT art room. If you cannot enter the art room, than that means you need to solve the astronomy room puzzle. This section you can only do one or the other. Art or astronomy. It seems you're on astronomy.

Anyway, to solve the astronomy puzzle
you turn on the stars, then rotate the globe until you see the big dipper. When you see it, you flip a switch in the room to see the phone number to call to open the door to exit the astronomy room.

Or, you can just call the number, which is:
555-2327

Also, if you can't locate the astronomy room, it's just across from the art room. Other side of the hall, right next to it.

Edit - So yeah, even though you were lost, you were right near where you were supposed to be. The game really picks up after the school.
 

seady

Member
This game is just not willing to drop in price.
Most games released around that period, even the triple A budget ones already dropped.
 
seady said:
This game is just not willing to drop in price.
Most games released around that period, even the triple A budget ones already dropped.

I was curious about that too. I wondered if Konami simply producing the game, and just waited for existing stock to just deplete and then forget about it, or if they were still doing shipments.

Gamestop.com's website was out of stock on this game for about 3-4 weeks, but this item (Wii Version), just got back in stock this week. I was occasionally checking on it to see if it'd ever get replenished.

My guess is Konami is still receiving orders for the game, and since the initial shipment was so small, there was no huge stock left on shelves, thus no price drop. Just a guess on my part.

Edit - There's a chance this game will never get a price drop. Inventories are low. Why price drop? Many of Nintendo's games have been on the shelves for years without a price drop.
 

NewBrof

Member
There is something wrong if you find the game too hard.
The game overall is quite easy.

yeah, my spatial senses seem to be broken :)

it took me more than a full hour to complete the forest nightmare. The saw mill drove me crazy... The art room was open, but the exit door in the art room was locked. I could not solve the puzzle in the art room (swan puzzle)... this game is too hard (for me) Everything takes me 3-5 times as long... and I play a lot of games... I played Myst to completion, I think I am getting too old for this stuff :))
 
NewBrof said:
yeah, my spatial senses seem to be broken :)

it took me more than a full hour to complete the forest nightmare. The saw mill drove me crazy... The art room was open, but the exit door in the art room was locked. I could not solve the puzzle in the art room (swan puzzle)... this game is too hard (for me) Everything takes me 3-5 times as long... and I play a lot of games... I played Myst to completion, I think I am getting too old for this stuff :))

That puzzle is the toughest in the entire game.
You have to arrange the swans so the shadow shows the phone number. It's hard.

Frankly, just call the number.

Its
555-8465

Edit - I had to GameFAQs my way past this puzzle myself.
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
I tried looking up that puzzle online but nobody could really help me. I eventually got it set up, but the thing is even if you figure it out it's hard to line everything up just like the game wants.
 
Andrex said:
I tried looking up that puzzle online but nobody could really help me. I eventually got it set up, but the thing is even if you figure it out it's hard to line everything up just like the game wants.

Yeah, it's so different than any other puzzle in the game. Really difficult.
 

Aeana

Member
Armed with the knowledge that enemies are only in the nightmare parts, I started a new game a while ago and I've gotten way further than last time. I just
met Lisa and went to her apartment, then did the psychology thing with the figures and guilt
. I really like the game, especially how things seem to change based on my actions. Story is very interesting, as well. I like the way the ghosts/echoes give you more of an insight into the actual people from the town. The nightmares are tense, but I've been doing okay getting through them. Hopefully I'll be all right for the rest of the game!
 
Aeana said:
Armed with the knowledge that enemies are only in the nightmare parts, I started a new game a while ago and I've gotten way further than last time. I just
met Lisa and went to her apartment, then did the psychology thing with the figures and guilt
. I really like the game, especially how things seem to change based on my actions. Story is very interesting, as well. I like the way the ghosts/echoes give you more of an insight into the actual people from the town. The nightmares are tense, but I've been doing okay getting through them. Hopefully I'll be all right for the rest of the game!

Good you gave the game a 2nd chance. Let us know when you beat it.
 
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