I wish they'd hurry up and send my email.
Still no email, but I used this and it sent me the Humble page with my key on it: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/keyresender
I wish they'd hurry up and send my email.
Still no email, but I used this and it sent me the Humble page with my key on it: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/keyresender
Yeah, I've learned to keep time on the Humble releases rather than rely on their e-mails. I've gotten notification days after I've started playing that a game is available.
James
So I didn't back this, but does the Steam pricetag get both parts of the game (that's what I came away with, reading the store description)? It's just part 1 next week, and part 2 whenever?
I'm curious to try it (especially since my backer funds on KS were never validated, meaning I was never 'in' on this project :/), but also conflicted. Outside Iron Brigade/Trenched, I can't remember a Double Fine game that I didn't have serious qualms with. Then again, they seem to be a much better team when making smaller games or adventure stuff like this. But also...there's that whole budget mismanagement nonsense to consider...say what you will in their defense, but it is mismanagement at the end of the day. It's almost as if Double Fine weren't used to that aspect of development, or that a publisher was always there in the past to keep them in line...?
Anyone who buys Part 1 gets Part 2 when it comes out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hero
No, it's alsmost as if they started without any pre-development work whatsoever. Which is exactly what it was. You can't itemize a budget if you don't even have a complete design doc. They just started people right to work without any of the normal prep being done, so of course they didn't really know exactly how it would play out.Quote:
It's almost as if Double Fine weren't used to that aspect of development, or that a publisher was always there in the past to keep them in line...?
You have to remember that when they set out to do this, the documentary was more the point than anything. When it blew up, the game itself became hugely important, but by then they were already committed to doing it backwards.
So I finished Act 1.
Honestly, it's wonderful. It's clever, well-written, and ends on a big plot point that has me excited for the second Act.
It's about 3 and a half hours long, but fairly large. The short length is because the puzzles are mostly very easy, although not necessarily simple or linear. It's probably a credit to the game's clear design, because I only got stuck a couple times and always unstuck myself on my own, despite there being no hint system. Both stories have a pretty large explorable area, and in terms of the number of screens, this game is already bigger than some of the old Lucas adventures.
In the end, it's still very much half a game, and I'm still eager to play the conclusion, but I'm very happy with the first half. If the second half is solid, it'll be the best adventure game I've played since Machinarium.
Yeah, I've only played about an hour, and it's an incredible game. The puzzles are easy, but it's still loads of fun poking and prodding along to the solution. Like the best adventure games, I already know I'm going to be replaying this in the future.
I will seek this out when it's inevitably Humble Bundled!
That seems a reasonable course of action, especially because it's still incomplete and ends on a killer cliffhanger. Waiting seems reasonable.
I will wait until forever.
I really like the world, characters, and story, but having not beaten the game yet, it feels more like a visual novel than adventure game. Do the puzzles turn into something that warrants the word "puzzle" at some point?
James
Is it like Full Throttle easy? Because that game was awesome but super easy.
I'm a backer, I guess I should try it...
At moments, certainly, but a lot of the solutions are pretty obvious throughout. It's not as linear and simplified as something like The Walking Dead, though. There's lots to explore and stuff that will take trying a few things, but nothing you'll really bang your head against the wall over.Quote:
Originally Posted by James
Yeah, Full Throttle easy. Not totally braindead, though. It had its moments where I got stumped and had to take a break or go play the other story, but I always figured it out without a walkthough. Which is as it should be, but those head-scratcher moments are sort of sparse.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mzo
This game has the most adorable airlock in history.
I got a few laughs from the teleporter and Shay's shrinking head. The voice acting in general has been fantastic so far.
The Overmother kinda bums me out.
I enjoy the bittersweetness of it all. It's super rare in videogames, where it either needs to be THE END OF THE WORLD, or super sappy happy technicolor playhouse.
I just beat this. I'm gonna be shit at work, but I couldn't pull away! This was pretty special. I saw some kind of time loop from a mile away. But not like THIS.
Pen Ward and Jack Black make for a good time!Quote:
Originally Posted by No One
Easier even. Like Babby's First Adventure Game easy. I breezed through it in two and a half hours without ever really getting stuck. I suppose you could argue that it's due to more logical/less abstract "puzzles", but I just don't think there was much going on in the way of problem solving. It's still very much worth playing, though. It's absolutely gorgeous, funny as hell and has a great cliffhanger ending. I don't regret backing it even a little.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mzo
Seems to me like when most adventure games are "tough" it's because they have random nonsensical shit going on with only the barest of passable implementation.
"I'll only tell you where to find the next destination if you properly sort my collection of cat magazines."
And to sort the collection you'll end up needing some tic-tacs, a whip, and cherry flavored anal lube.
You forgot the rubber chicken.
With a pulley in the middle.
Well yeah, why would one exist without it?
Is the rubber chicken with the pulley in the middle the platonic ideal of a difficult puzzle? Because that's the first thing I think about too. That and the time travel cross dressing of Space Quest 4.
I didn't have a problem with either of those. I think the cat hair mustache is still the best example of an obnoxiously obtuse adventure game puzzle.
Two words: Cat mustache.Quote:
Originally Posted by AaronChance
EDIT: What bVork said.
We don't talk about Blood of the Sacred in these here parts.
To solve one "puzzle" in Broken Age, you do need a talking knife, a canister of compressed air and a whipped cream gun.Quote:
Originally Posted by MechDeus
At Mzo's house this is known as "Tuesday".
Reviews for this seem to be overwhelmingly positive in the press. The general consensus is that it's wonderful but probably too easy. And the second half is supposed to be harder, so maybe that's not such a problem in the end.
There was no way this could live up to every single person's dreams, especially with the vaguest pitch of all time, but I think it's safe to say they didn't blow it at this point. This is probably good news for Kickstarter.
What will be interesting to see is how the other big adventures stack up this year. Broken Age sets a pretty high mark to beat, but Tesla Effect, Armikrog, and Dreamfall are shaping up to be strong contenders.
Honestly, I've decided to withhold all judgement until part 2 is complete. Criticizing part 1 is criticizing half a game, although griping about the controls being iPad-ified is fair.
I understand why people will do this, but blaming/crediting Kickstarter for Broken Age's quality is a really dumb thing to do.
James
Half a game they are selling for real money now.Quote:
Originally Posted by James
I am fine with criticizing anything people are charging for, this includes early access junk.
The thing is it's not early access, it's actually like Telltale and their episodic games only it's split into two parts instead of 5.
I'm fine with criticizing Telltale's crap too.
Walking Dead was incredible.
So don't buy it until part 2 is out? One price gets both parts.
James
This is totally not true. It's NOT episodic. You cannot play or buy Act 2 separately. It's also very obvious from Act 1 that Act 2 is not going to be a seperate thing; it'll include the areas from the first game, and there are inaccessible areas in the first that will open up in the second.Quote:
Originally Posted by bbobb
The completed game will be indistinguishable from a full length game. It's essentially just that they cut off the story at a certain point.
One out of twenty ain't bad?Quote:
Originally Posted by bbobb
Based on early posts in this thread, they ran out of money and released BA and are going to use the sales from the game to finish the game. And you wonder why Double Fine always seems to be teetering on the brink...
I don't believe you.Quote:
Originally Posted by bbobb
Believe me, it really is. Way better than the show. Wolf Among Us is pretty good so far as well. Telltale has definitely improved massively over the years.
Everything is better than the show.
Speaking of, I've been watching the show while playing Firefall. It's not the worst background noise with occasional screams I've ever half-watched, but I definitely wouldn't be able to stomach it if I had to pay full attention.
I guess that's a good bar of quality to be better than.
TWD was good
not a game though
Never go into marketing, Frog. "Episodic" sounds better than half finished, which is what you are describing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frogacuda
Pretty sure he wasn't saying otherwise.
Agents of Shield isn't.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diff-chan
I'll never know.Quote:
Originally Posted by bbobb
You are most fortunate in that.
A half-finished game sounds worse than an episodic one, but not as good as a finished game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yoshi
Right now this IS a half-finished game. But eventually it will be a single, finished game, not two episodes. That's what I'm saying. The release are "Broken Age Act 1" and then just "Broken Age."
Are games actually ever finished anymore?
I agree that episodic sucks more. You have these small gated areas that are separate in each episode. I really hate it.
If they had just called this the closed Beta for backers and that the full release was six months later I think the argument wouldn't be occurring. It's a damn near-finished product. It all looks very nice, by the way, but the layering effects go wonky sometimes. You can see it most clearly when a character's neck joint overlaps the head every so often. Or arm joints coming to the foreground as well.
Well technically it is a closed beta for backers. The Act 1 release isn't until the 28th. But for some reason the internet flipped their shot that Double Fine requested a review embargo so they just let people review the beta.
I'm not really a big fan of point and click adventures, but I gave this some backing because of Tim Schafer - and I'm glad I did. The voice acting is phenomenal and the writing is hilarious. I fucking lost it "Commander Sweetie" - it's such a cute bit, and so funny because of how it's executed.
Let's be honest - the real problem is that anything Tim Schafer touches gets a pass by critics because Tim Schafer and critics who fancy that games are "art" - meaning that they should be ashamed of being games in the first place and all gamey parts can be excused for the sake of story.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frogacuda
whereas if games were really being scrutinized as art, such critics would, I dunno, actually take into account the inherent strengths of the medium, rather than find the 'game' part of videogames to be the problem with videogames
That's not to say that Tim Schafer isn't good at what he does. He's a great writer and world builder. Brutal Legend & Psychonauts prove that. Yet those also prove that his games tend to be terrible at being games. My curiosity with Broken Age starts and stops with the writing, and I think the PC-style point-and-click adventures are the best place for Schafer. They tend to put story and humor above any all things gamey, which is what he's best at. However I won't for one second take any review of the game seriously - they already had their minds made up that this would be brilliant before it even came out.
The problem with the Broken Age reviews isn't that the game is art and gets a free pass, it's that they're happening at all. It's a 6-8 hour game that only half is available yet. It's too soon to say how good it is. I mean, I really love what I've seen so far, despite being easy and the controls being thoroughly iPad-ified. I wouldn't assign it a score, though.
James
If something is out, it can and should be critiqued. This is out.
Each Hobbit movie has gotten reviews, it's fair game. Don't people also review TV shows?
Forever this.Quote:
Originally Posted by YellerDog
Also: if you're asking for money, it's no longer 'unfinished' - they feel confident enough in selling you half the game at the full price now, so criticism shouldn't be a no-no.
Probably.Quote:
Originally Posted by MechDeus
But the decision that they had to review it NOW during the beta period and not after the game became available to the public is pretty questionable. They're going to sit there and detail the bugs in a private beta without ever pointing out in the review that they're playing pre-release beta code.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hero
Why does a 3 hour long single player adventure game need a beta?
To keep the suckers backers content a while longer
It doesn't, it's just a way of giving the backers the game a couple weeks earlier than they otherwise would.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diff-chan
So Double Fine is slowly releasing the documentary episodes to the public, in part to dispel what they feel are misconceptions about how the budget and schedule were mishandled. It's a very well produced series, although I wonder how many people making cracks at Double Fine are going to be interested in sitting through 20 episodes of this.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...RRb0igiI-WKk3D
So it's looking more and more like April 28 is the day on all platforms digital and retail.
This hardly has the hype it once did but I'm still excited.
I've been watching the dev videos as they go up. Like the soundtrack so much I bought it.
Finally out, for backers at least. Everyone else tomorrow. Can't believe it's been over 3 years since this all started.
Time to finally play this.
Yeah, if you had the restraint to avoid playing the first part, there seems to be little evidence that the game was ever split.
Finished the game. Clocked in at 9.5 hours, which is longer than Grim Fandango took me, so I don't think there will be any complaints about length.
Act 2 is a lot tougher, and the puzzles, while logical, take some real work, even making charts and notes, Myst-style. I think this easily stands up to the classic Tim Schafer adventure canon, and I like it better than Full Throttle.
That said, the ending is a little rushed. It's not totally clear why the Lorunan's need maidens. They tiptoe around spelling this out. Also, it's not really clear why the Lorunans stop shooting at them after the meltdown. And Vella never rescues the other maidens, nor are they seen afterward. But as a whole, it was a funny, charming adventure, one of the best in years.
RPS wasn't feeling it but I trust you more so I'm re-pumped
I don't know what RPS is on lately but they've been trashing every good adventure game that comes out. PC Gamer too.
For the most part reviews have been very positive though. If you like funny adventure games it's a slam dunk.
It didn't have any righteous cause attached to it that they could endlessly harp on about.
RPS is a shitty site. I've been saying it for years. It's unreadable.
On their front page: "Is Deus Ex Still The Best Game Ever? The Conclusion"
I don't think I'm ever going to agree with anything they have to say, based on that.
Their complaints about Broken Age was that like... it didn't explore how the game's events may have fractured the children's relationship with their parents, and that they don't show the mental scars from their journey and blah blah blah. It's a cartoon comedy ffs.
Fucking lol. I couldn't even make a joke funnier than the reality.
I got an email from YouTube saying that Mzo posted something on this game. I thought I unsubscribed to that feed. Well, time to fix that.
lol