Maybe Valve should hire TellTale to make Episode 3...I kid, I kid.
Only if they get the Freeman's Mind guy to play Gordon.
Half-Life dead, HL2: Episode Three story posted online
- Thread starter F. King Daniel
- Start date
Only if they get the Freeman's Mind guy to play Gordon.
Adventure games these days are much more "on rails" than they used to be. Personally I can't say I overly miss the old "point and click everywhere on the screen in the hopes of finding something interesting/solving a puzzle" style of adventure games. Today, they are more like interactive movies, which is obviously a format that lends itself to episodes.
I think that particular style is heavily influenced by Japanese visual novels, which are conceptually similar: stories are told in a mostly linear format with specific decision points or other mechanics that let you affect the course of the game.
A lot of it is probably a reality of current video game production realities. To do a complex and thorough point-and-click game with AAA production values would be prohibitively expensive and likely cost more than such games ever recoup. Keeping a simpler, more linear format lets money be spent building the essential parts of the game and ensuring those are up to par, rather than providing a large world to explore, full of things to do.
Yep, very true. I've thought a lot about all that. They're still being made, but are much more a niche now, and I think that when good ones come along, they tend to be very appreciated. Mostly made by indie devs these days.
Japanese visual novels came to mind when I first started hearing about TellTalle's "new" format. While I don't begrudge them for their change in direction, it's just not what I personally look for in a game. But you're right, that it's probably a production reality. From their standpoint, it's a natural progression for the genre to take. Kind of a win-win in the sense that they still get to tell stories while reducing their costs. Though they do a lot more licensed games now, so part of me wonders just how much of that cost is saved when working with major licenses.
Japanese visual novels came to mind when I first started hearing about TellTalle's "new" format. While I don't begrudge them for their change in direction, it's just not what I personally look for in a game. But you're right, that it's probably a production reality. From their standpoint, it's a natural progression for the genre to take. Kind of a win-win in the sense that they still get to tell stories while reducing their costs. Though they do a lot more licensed games now, so part of me wonders just how much of that cost is saved when working with major licenses.
Lots of AGI-style games are still made but I notice they are, as you say, a niche. Usually passion projects of one person or a very small team and sold for less than $10. That is probably about all the market for such games can sustain.
Semantics, I know, but I'd say a much bigger influence from TWD onwards has been the conversation system of Bioware style RPGs mixed with QTE's.
From what little I've seen of them, those Japanese visual novels appear to be less like RPGs and more like extremely wordy 'choose your own adventure' books, which depend less on true character roleplaying and logic and more on trial and error. In both instances there's typically only one path through the decision tree, so the only way to get through it is rote memorising all the "correct" choices. It's like a blind maze where every wrong turn equals instant death.
While Telltale games are still very linear, outside of failing a QTE action there's often no "wrong" path. Indeed, even failing a QTE isn't a guaranteed failstate as it is sometime's incorporated into the narrative.
From what little I've seen of them, those Japanese visual novels appear to be less like RPGs and more like extremely wordy 'choose your own adventure' books, which depend less on true character roleplaying and logic and more on trial and error. In both instances there's typically only one path through the decision tree, so the only way to get through it is rote memorising all the "correct" choices. It's like a blind maze where every wrong turn equals instant death.
While Telltale games are still very linear, outside of failing a QTE action there's often no "wrong" path. Indeed, even failing a QTE isn't a guaranteed failstate as it is sometime's incorporated into the narrative.
Yeah, true. Although I'm often impressed by what they've managed to do as some have become some really great games.and many of them keep pushing the envelope. Some of my favourites are from Wadjet Eye. Some have started out with fan-made remakes such AGD Interactive with King's Quest 1, 2 & 3, and gone on to become fullblown indie devs making original games.
I would love to see an "alien archaeological discovery" game in the realm of Half-Life. You're an archaeological astronaut, searching for certain artifacts from several allegedly extinct alien species. Some of those artifacts are ancient technology with some of it rumored to be far more advanced than what Black Mesa had even developed. It would require puzzle solving beyond simply "point and click everywhere." And occasionally, you'd wake up something hostile (either hibernating in the vicinity, or from afar arriving in a spaceship after picking up a triggered homing signal) that would have to be dealt with using all kinds of technology, some brought along and others discovered along the way. You'd have the opportunity to pilot mining machines, land roving vehicles, shuttle craft, EVA suits, and interstellar starships. And there would be loads of factual information provided along with the imagined. Perhaps even educational info about the star systems in Earth's vicinity.
The original developers of Half-Life could probably make something really amazing from this concept.
The original developers of Half-Life could probably make something really amazing from this concept.
The Dig 
Oh... you mean in the HL world... yeah, I can see it. Sort of like where did these Xen come from?
Oh... you mean in the HL world... yeah, I can see it. Sort of like where did these Xen come from?
I don't get why they are still hanging onto the IP if they don't want to do anything with it.
Sell the damn IP to someone to make something proper out of it.
Sell the damn IP to someone to make something proper out of it.
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