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Gregg: What about Penumbra Requiem? Didja play it?
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Spike
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February 3, 2011 - 2:34 pm
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I started Requiem a couple of nights ago.  After a couple of hours trying to figure out how to get past the 1st area, I found the next section easy to traverse, then drowned trying to escape the "water room".  This sequel seems to be nothing more than a series of "escape the room" puzzles, and I'm not sure there is enough story there to make me want to continue.  Plus, the idea of death after death as I learn how to solve problems is wearing thin.  It's hard to become invested in a story when I replay and replay yet again, and again.  If there isn't much of a story, what's the point?  Just to finish out the series?  Nah. 

If you played Requiem, what did you think of it (I noticed you didn't do a review)?

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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geggis
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February 10, 2011 - 11:11 am
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Sorry for the late reply. No I didn't get round to playing it properly. I loaded it up to have a quick look but haven't touched it since. I noticed that it had a very dreary kind of Portal-esque vibe to it (this may explain the room-escape thing). How did you fare with Black Plague? *claps hands with anticipation*

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Spike
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February 10, 2011 - 3:04 pm
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Gregg B said:

 *claps hands with anticipation*


Looking back on it, neither Overture nor BP were hard games (and I love hard games).  Figuring out what to do, and with what, was easy.  What made the games difficult were the enemies.  Without the constant death by dog/spider/worm/infected/explosion/drowning/falling the games would have taken a fraction of the time I actually spent playing them.  I'm not a big fan of horror.  Not because of fear, but just the opposite.  I find most horror, in any genre, to be so unrealistic that I can't take it seriously, and therefore don't get scared. But these 2 games did get my heart racing on many occasions simply because of the constant rush to flee, or in some cases avoid, the enemies.  In effect, each of these attempts to avoid death were timed puzzles since I usually only had no more than 15-20 seconds to save myself.  That is the feature of these games that got my heart going.
 

Sounds like I didn't like these 2 games.  I think I did.  I'm usually sure of these things, but with these games I'm not.  I did look forward to playing them when I had time.  I thought about them when I wasn't playing.  And they are incredibly well-made games.  I didn't have a single problem with either of them technically, but I did think some of the physics manipulation, especially using hands, to be mushy and inexact.  But I think that's more about the game engine, or something, and not the talent and skill of the devs.  They did a great job with these, I guess they just aren't my kind of games.  Or something.  Usually when I am playing a game I'm enjoying I don't want it to end.  I was glad when I finished these games.  I think this all says more about me, and less about PO and BP, which really are good games.

So far in Requiem there have been no enemies or any other form of living creature.  With Overture and Black Plague I had some idea, from the beginning, what I was there to do.  At the end of BP it was my intention to blow the joint up, but that didn't happen.  I assume there was only the one ending, and in BP it wasn't the ending I wanted.  I don't know why I am in Requiem.  It IS dreary.  It IS a series of physics puzzles (which can be loads of fun – LOVED Portal, waiting for #2).  But WHY am I here?  This I don't know.  I also don't know if I will go back to Requiem.  My guess is that I will at some point, I'm just not in any hurry. 

After the first night playing Requiem, and 2 drownings, I went on

to other games – an adventure that that I started and finished, and a

second one that I started on Tuesday, and should finish within the next

few days.  After the kinds of games that I've been playing over the last 18 months, these adventure games are gentle, and kinda easy, but at least I am not being attacked every couple of minutes.  Now, if I'd just had a gun....

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Spike
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February 11, 2011 - 1:53 am
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It occurred to me that the game that gave me the biggest dose of fear, or "creep out",  was In Memoriam (released in the US as Missing).  I played this 6 or 7 years ago.  What most got to me were the emails that showed up in my actual email program at various points in the game.  Some came from people who were supposed to be trying to solve the crime on their own at the same time I was playing the game.  They were fictional of course.  Other emails came from the Phoenix, the bad guy in the game.  What was creepy about this was that it was as if the Phoenix was following my progress in real time.  He stepped out of the game and touched my real life.  I knew that the emails were generated by the game itself, but they addressed me by my chosen user name, and that made the emails seem almost real.  I kept email open while I was playing, and after either solving a particular puzzle, or finding a clue, "ding", there came an email.  I don't think the game would effect me the same way today, but then, it was a new take on the adventure game, and a somewhat unsettling one at that.  Oddly, as much as I liked this game, I didn't care for the 2 sequels.  I played the 1st sequel, and it was "ho-hum".  I installed but hardly touched the 2nd sequel before deleting it.  Too many years had passed, I think, and the novelty of the game format had worn off.

Jen liked the game.  Scout didn't.  You can read their joint review here.

I read about a game some years ago (can't remember the name) that really went for a feeling of reality by not only using emails, but also actual phone calls.  That could be even creepier.  And annoying.

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Steerpike
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February 11, 2011 - 9:00 am
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That game was.... dammit... I think EA was involved.

 

<pause for Wikipedia>

 

Majestic!

 

Yes, that's it. It performed poorly and EA shut it down, but I was intrigued by the idea. I love the David Fincher film The Game, with Michael Douglas, and this seems like a way to add some interest to an otherwise pointless life. I never got involved, though. If I recall, people could opt out of the 3am phone calls.

Life is the misery we endure between disappointments.

Scout
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February 11, 2011 - 12:19 pm
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I played Majestic for a while. When you signed on the game would assign you to a small group of other players and you were able to email back and forth via an in-game system. I think I only got a couple of phone calls, both which were recordings. It was fun to compare notes with other players, much like we do in Bollocks. I lost interest and then had a family emergency so I signed off and never did go back. I think there was an option to either get a phone call or a fax. I liked the idea of getting mysterious faxes. It was like finding hidden letters or maps, much more substantial than phone or email.  Unfortuantely, I didn't have a functioning fax machine.

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geggis
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February 11, 2011 - 12:28 pm
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Spike said: 

 

I was glad when I finished these games.


I felt the same but purely because of the intensity of them. The thing I loved most about Black Plague was just how unpredictable it was, the ending, the 'bad guy', the flashback/trippy bits, the Tuurngait 'tower' section, even the scrambling about trying to evade Clarence when he takes over that body ("Monkeeeey!").

You should have a look at these articles by Tom Jubert, the game's narrative designer and writer. Fascinating stuff.

I've gotta dash, but I'll try and get back on here asap!

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geggis
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February 14, 2011 - 8:35 am
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Overture and Black Plague both reminded me of Thief in that I felt like a trespasser, like I wasn't supposed to be there. Even so I was still rummaging through cupboards, drawers and in this case, computers to find out what was going on. I admire the fact that both games try to eschew stereotypical horror tropes, or at the very least give them some sort of twist. 'Zombies' with torches, not being able to look at enemies and being encouraged to run or hide, throwing inanimate objects at them to buy you time to escape if they find you. Black Plague is mechanically the better of the two games thanks to the dropped combat, but it's also the episode which lets the cat out of the bag and although I enjoyed the surprise I can't say I was that pleased with the direction the story took. I'm a big fan of the understated ending though -- that was a real breath of fresh air.

I think if Overture had had no combat to begin with it would have been the better game in my opinion. I was intrigued by the mystery of Philip's situation and as I descended deeper into the mines was filled with a growing sense of dread. I loved that. The ending to Overture really creeped me out as well -- what a horrible, horrible moment. I find it difficult to decide which one I prefer overall but I loved them both and ought to push-on into Requiem (I really like Penumbra's puzzles) and, if I've got the balls, play Amnesia.

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