Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Platform: Microsoft Windows
Introduction
You probably saw this game coming if you are a GoT and/or Telltale Games fan – an episodic fantasy adventure based on the bestselling books and TV adaptation, developed by one of the most well-known, and perhaps most popular, adventure game developers. This review will cover all of the episodes released to date, and will be updated as new episodes are released.
Visuals
The characters and their animations are on par for a Telltale game, particularly Cersei and Tyrion, who are impeccably rendered and animated. Sadly, the environments and backgrounds are somewhat marred by a sort of weird, blurry filter which makes it look as though you’re viewing them through a warped mirror. The opening sequence is cleverly and slickly done.
Audio
The music is nothing particularly memorable, but is always thematically appropriate to the environments and on-screen events. All of the voice acting is excellently done, especially that of Cersei, Tyrion and Margaery.
Plot
The game’s plot follows the path of House Forrester and their interactions with some of the major players in the Game of Thrones world. It does a good job of providing the intrigue and shocking moments that Game of Thrones is known for, although choices made don’t always seem to result in any significant plot changes. Some of the game’s original characters seem to mirror those in the show in and the books, perhaps too blatantly, e.g. Lady Elissa Forrester and Catelyn Stark. This makes the game sometimes seem as though it is copycatting the show and book’s characters and plot, rather than attempting to present more unique character archetypes and plot developments. The plot’s pacing does pick up by the time Episode 4 rolls around, though, and new insights on existing characters and events from the books and show reveal themselves through the course of the later episodes.
Gameplay
The gameplay and interface are pretty Telltale standard fare: simple environmental interaction and dialogue sprinkled with Quick Time Events. I would have liked to have seen more nuance, even if it was just in the form of using your in-game inventory for puzzles. It doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of seeing where the story leads, though.
WAIT FOR A SALE - even if you're a diehard Game of Thrones fan.
Tuesday 30 June 2015
Monday 29 June 2015
The Most Fabulous Games Ever
Gay and LGBT themes have existed in games for at least twenty or so years. So, to celebrate marriage equality winning in America, I thought I'd compile a Top 5 of the most fabulous (i.e. gay/trans friendly) games of all time!
No. 5: Persona 2: Innocent Sin - gives you the option of actually declaring your love for another guy, PLUS the other characters are super supportive!
No. 4: Dragon Age: Origins - includes various characters who can be romanced by the someone of the same gender, including my personal husbando, Alistair. <3 <3
No. 3: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 - includes a guy who is at the very least bi-curious and also loves knitting and crafting, plus a girl who indulges in crossdressing. Oh, and a crossdressing competition. I present Marilyn Monroe (Drag Version Deluxe)!
No. 2: Jade Empire - not only does this have two bi characters and one gay character, it also lets you have a ménage à trois with them, ooh la la!
No. 1: Dys4ia - takes the top position because it is a deeply personal autobiographical interactive experience based on Anna Anthropy's struggles with transitioning to another gender. You owe it to yourself to play through this game, if only to develop a deeper sense of empathy with transgender people and the issues they face.
No. 5: Persona 2: Innocent Sin - gives you the option of actually declaring your love for another guy, PLUS the other characters are super supportive!
No. 4: Dragon Age: Origins - includes various characters who can be romanced by the someone of the same gender, including my personal husbando, Alistair. <3 <3
No. 3: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 - includes a guy who is at the very least bi-curious and also loves knitting and crafting, plus a girl who indulges in crossdressing. Oh, and a crossdressing competition. I present Marilyn Monroe (Drag Version Deluxe)!
No. 2: Jade Empire - not only does this have two bi characters and one gay character, it also lets you have a ménage à trois with them, ooh la la!
No. 1: Dys4ia - takes the top position because it is a deeply personal autobiographical interactive experience based on Anna Anthropy's struggles with transitioning to another gender. You owe it to yourself to play through this game, if only to develop a deeper sense of empathy with transgender people and the issues they face.
Wednesday 10 June 2015
Burning My Dread
POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 3 PORTABLE
Having just finished my second playthrough of Persona 3 Portable, I was prompted to think about my life - what I dread and what I hope for.
Having just finished my second playthrough of Persona 3 Portable, I was prompted to think about my life - what I dread and what I hope for.
I dread many things: death, the afterlife, being alone forever, hurting and alienating the people I love, never reviving my dreams, never feeling any genuine joy or happiness ever again...
But I realised one thing: those fears are only as real as I make them. If I don't give them credence or believe in them, they cease to exist. Of course, the issues are there. But why should I live in fear?
I remember that one pivotal scene, amongst many others, in P3P, where Mitsuru Kirijo's father dies abruptly and without much buildup. The sheer emotion contained in that scene, especially coming from someone as seeming reserved and aloof as Mitsuru, is just overwhelming. I still cry when I think about it sometimes. But Mitsuru is a great example of how strong the will to live can be - to me, she's more than just a video game character, she is almost like a living, breathing person and if there was one cameo I would love to see in future Persona instalments, it would be her.
I only have one thing left to say: I will burn my dread.
Wednesday 3 June 2015
Summer Sale on Now at GOG.com
GOG.com is holding a 2015 DRM-Free Summer Sale. The LucasArts bundle is especially good, as it contains seven classic adventure games. Click here for more details.
To The Moon - Quality Over Quantity
So many games these days are expected to deliver dozens or even hundreds of hours of gameplay. It's expected, sometimes even demanded by many gamers, a lot of whom profess themselves to be "hardcore gamers". There's nothing necessarily wrong with a lengthy experience, as long as its filled with worthwhile content and it's well paced.
However, there's also space for much shorter, and perhaps more poignant, games. Games that deliver a hefty emotional payload and multiple memorable moments. To The Moon is one of those games.
The gentle, twinkling opening theme eased me into the opening minutes, and soon I got to acquaint myself with the two protagonists, Dr Eva Rosalene and Dr Neil Watts. Their near-constant barbs and jabs at each other helped leaven the sometimes heavy emotional atmosphere of the story, even if they sometimes acted outlandishly. Ultimately, they stick with each other because of their shared determination to help an old man fulfil his wish of going to the moon (sort of). They remain loyal to each other because of their work relationship and their friendship, despite fighting along the way to their end goal.
As for the main story, it basically requires guiding the two protagonists backwards through the memories of the old man, Johnny, in order to find a way of fulfilling his dying wish. The things they find in those memories are extremely personal, sometimes disturbing, and often very moving. They end up seeing things they wish they hadn't, and having to make compromises they would rather not.
It's all worth it in the end, though. The final scene left a warm glow inside me, along with the enchanting twinkling of the piano and soaring vibrations of the violin. Many hard truths about the characters and about life were revealed in the game: being different is lonely, being ordinary can feel stifling and boring, sometimes sacrifices must be made for the sake of the ones you love, or for the sake of your passions. But some beautiful revelations were also offered: the importance of having family near you, appreciating the people who make you who and what you are, exercising compassion and empathy for all living beings, especially those who are different or are struggling inside.
To fail to be moved by anything the game showed me would have required a cold, barren heart. But move me it did, and left me with bittersweet feelings of melancholy, nostalgia, and hope.
You can buy To The Moon here.
However, there's also space for much shorter, and perhaps more poignant, games. Games that deliver a hefty emotional payload and multiple memorable moments. To The Moon is one of those games.
The gentle, twinkling opening theme eased me into the opening minutes, and soon I got to acquaint myself with the two protagonists, Dr Eva Rosalene and Dr Neil Watts. Their near-constant barbs and jabs at each other helped leaven the sometimes heavy emotional atmosphere of the story, even if they sometimes acted outlandishly. Ultimately, they stick with each other because of their shared determination to help an old man fulfil his wish of going to the moon (sort of). They remain loyal to each other because of their work relationship and their friendship, despite fighting along the way to their end goal.
As for the main story, it basically requires guiding the two protagonists backwards through the memories of the old man, Johnny, in order to find a way of fulfilling his dying wish. The things they find in those memories are extremely personal, sometimes disturbing, and often very moving. They end up seeing things they wish they hadn't, and having to make compromises they would rather not.
It's all worth it in the end, though. The final scene left a warm glow inside me, along with the enchanting twinkling of the piano and soaring vibrations of the violin. Many hard truths about the characters and about life were revealed in the game: being different is lonely, being ordinary can feel stifling and boring, sometimes sacrifices must be made for the sake of the ones you love, or for the sake of your passions. But some beautiful revelations were also offered: the importance of having family near you, appreciating the people who make you who and what you are, exercising compassion and empathy for all living beings, especially those who are different or are struggling inside.
To fail to be moved by anything the game showed me would have required a cold, barren heart. But move me it did, and left me with bittersweet feelings of melancholy, nostalgia, and hope.
You can buy To The Moon here.
Tuesday 2 June 2015
How Broken Sword Started Me Off On A Lifetime Adventure
Please note that this post may contain some minor spoilers for the original version of Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars.
I remember seeing Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars bundled together with a host of other free games on discs, although I only had eyes for Broken Sword. This was round about 1996, when my dad had just gotten a new PC.
I didn't know what to expect when I popped the disc into the PC's
disc drive. All I knew was that the imagery on the Broken Sword discs looked intriguing and full of exciting promise. That promise was fulfilled.
The very first scene in which I took control of George Stobbart, the game's protagonist, is burned into my memory. The lush backdrop of the city of Paris, with leaves blowing across the screen, and minor but wonderful details like post boxes, litter, and atmospheric sounds, together with some enchanting background music... All combined into an intoxicating mix that drove me forward to the conclusion of the game's plot.
The blend of humour and tension in the game's story is just right, and has not been matched by many other games, or even by any of the other Broken Sword games (not that they're not worth playing!). The game gives George and Nico (a French journalist who he meets fairly early on) more than enough space to breathe and play off each other, from exchanging gentle barbs, to helping each other through tense, explosive situations. I came to develop a genuine affection for both of them - for George's smart-ass, improvisational antics, and for Nico's sharp brain and sharper tongue. Even many of the side characters, such as Duane Henderson, are endearing in their own right, and have become recurring characters in the other Broken Sword titles.
The sweet satisfaction at the ending credits, made sweeter by the rousing music that accompanied it, still lingers. It makes me want to adventure onwards to other worthwhile tales, to meet memorable characters, and to explore new locations riddled with mystery and history.
Note: One unfortunate caveat is that the original version may be difficult or impossible to find, at least through legal means. GOG.com is one of the storefronts that sells the Director's Cut, which is obviously better than not having access to the game at all, although people who have played the original may feel that the Director's Cut has compromised too much on the visuals and some story elements. I would still recommend it, though, for anyone looking for an old-fashioned adventure game that feels like playing inside an interactive animated movie. You can purchase the game at the GOG.com store page for Broken Sword: Director's Cut.
I remember seeing Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars bundled together with a host of other free games on discs, although I only had eyes for Broken Sword. This was round about 1996, when my dad had just gotten a new PC.
I didn't know what to expect when I popped the disc into the PC's
disc drive. All I knew was that the imagery on the Broken Sword discs looked intriguing and full of exciting promise. That promise was fulfilled.The very first scene in which I took control of George Stobbart, the game's protagonist, is burned into my memory. The lush backdrop of the city of Paris, with leaves blowing across the screen, and minor but wonderful details like post boxes, litter, and atmospheric sounds, together with some enchanting background music... All combined into an intoxicating mix that drove me forward to the conclusion of the game's plot.
The blend of humour and tension in the game's story is just right, and has not been matched by many other games, or even by any of the other Broken Sword games (not that they're not worth playing!). The game gives George and Nico (a French journalist who he meets fairly early on) more than enough space to breathe and play off each other, from exchanging gentle barbs, to helping each other through tense, explosive situations. I came to develop a genuine affection for both of them - for George's smart-ass, improvisational antics, and for Nico's sharp brain and sharper tongue. Even many of the side characters, such as Duane Henderson, are endearing in their own right, and have become recurring characters in the other Broken Sword titles.
The sweet satisfaction at the ending credits, made sweeter by the rousing music that accompanied it, still lingers. It makes me want to adventure onwards to other worthwhile tales, to meet memorable characters, and to explore new locations riddled with mystery and history.
Note: One unfortunate caveat is that the original version may be difficult or impossible to find, at least through legal means. GOG.com is one of the storefronts that sells the Director's Cut, which is obviously better than not having access to the game at all, although people who have played the original may feel that the Director's Cut has compromised too much on the visuals and some story elements. I would still recommend it, though, for anyone looking for an old-fashioned adventure game that feels like playing inside an interactive animated movie. You can purchase the game at the GOG.com store page for Broken Sword: Director's Cut.
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