Are adventure games dead?
So I was having deep existential thoughts today about playing Maniac Mansion as a little kid and never getting anywhere because it was too hard for my small brain when I suddenly realized I haven't even heard of any similar games in a long time. Anyone else like those point and click puzzle solving games? E: Mostly looking for this, recommendations yo: Any favorites that have come out somewhat recently (like within the last ten years or so)?
Post edited by TheElf on
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There are also other studios like Wadjet Eye(http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/games/) that produce them.
They're a little uncommon but they do still exist. Most of them don't look anything like the old LucasArts or Sierra ones.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Quest_(2015_video_game)
Whether or not it actually comes out has yet to be seen of course (there has been a lot of talk since Mask of Eternity about reviving the series but apart from a lot of fan series nothing much has come of it)
As I see it, the computer gaming industry is reaching heights never even imagined 20 years ago. There are more great games coming out now than any one person can ever play. Yes the landscape is dominated by monolithic corporations churning out fairly generic dross for recreational gamers, and this is OK. Below that there are smaller developers catering to fringe markets, but those fringes are probably bigger than the entire gaming market 20 years ago. Below that, indie developers and even individuals have unprecedented access to markets through kickstarter, steam greenlight, etc.
Even if one of the larger software houses decided to do an 'Adventure game', odds are they would keep adding shiny stuff until it became something else entirely. My point is, your Adventure games are probably still out there, but they'll be fringe products without any media hype.
This means you'll have to read a couple hundred reviews of a mixed bag of indie games, most kinda buggy, many with great potential, and only some still getting bug fixes. On the plus side, part of the appeal of an indie product is the half-second loading time. Enjoy
There are others as well, as mentioned in some of the comments above. Machinarium, Deponia, Gods Will Be Watching, Stranded, Gomo, and The Book of Unwritten Tales are a few that come to mind. Some have more puzzles elements than others, and some have really odd storylines, but most are interesting.
http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/games.html
Kq3 free remake
http://www.infamous-adventures.com/kq3/
Okay, fine. That has nothing to do with this discussion, but I haven't quoted Minsc in a couple of days and I was feeling deprived.
Anyhoo, what typo_tilly said!
I prefer to think of the genre as being in a state of hibernation, occasionally waking up and delivering something before returning to its slumber.
Action adventure games are definately adventure games, but profoundly different than a puzzle-based game. Action games are like Wordfind puzzles, puzzle games are like crosswords.
The thing that puts obstacle on adventure-like genre is I think firstly the F2P problem. While games like Isolation or The New Order may still get attention , even Blizzard can still today open bottles of champagnes to enjoy a costly game sell-out success , I think that will not be the case for adventure genre that has lesser effort in visuals/audial , so even the little revenue they need to make , they can not. And if you're going to just hype up your adventure game with graphics ( well just forget about us 80's in gaming , we're not even in the edge area of target audience anymore , which you may make I would say here , rejections that a make-up heavy game cannot be an adventure game ) , you will still need to put some easy details to distract players , while from backchannels you can tell the story you want ; which will increase your costs , in the end making up a nothing-of-everything. As @LadyRhian once said in a post in Role Playing forum , which I agree in terms of artistic expression , you need to show more and tell less. Now , the people will demand they really really need to see more at this generation , at least , which they are looking for some integral effort here on visuals , and yes , I'm implying about the quality also. Because they will feel like cheated and you know that , if you are going to raise a game with Grim Fandango graphics today. In case of games like Kentucky ZA you can still make if you are not assertive , you also can see they are indie , and game companies don't like unassertive projects. It'll be a luck run for you , one jump , two jumps aaand... you're likely done. They all want Half-Lifes , Starcrafts , Marios and in terms of adventure gaming I think that might be the problem in needs a look at. Adventure games are like books , and who likes books anyway ? For most people it sounds like an assault , like an attempted breach to their freedom ; let me tell you , "to read 'your' story, 'your' tale, 'your' fantasy, 'your' interpretation..." from what I can tell... Amongst all the trash , I don't think they are wrong too. That's why , more sex appeal/colorless playthroughs/play&forget , which as I state again and for last time
Adventure games are no longer what giants play today. They are not forgotten , but crumbled and are left to the ants , if you get what I mean. Hail to the Queen if they can pull out something great , but I say just , "move-on , there's nothing to look here".
but what I say is "you're gonna get all kinds of blocks if you're not walking on the shoulders of giants" , as the world is getting higher and denser obstacles , even some giants are stumbling and tripping over today. And your will is going to be tested by each drill you're gonna make , which is a very good thing actually , it let me see that my own VG fantasies or sci-fi's were just fantasies and worthless for this amount of pressure. Reality and virtuality can not be compared , and even the most dreadful reality is valuable.
I don't like to state everytime that everything I express is "in my opinion". Even if I'm quoting someone it's still and always will be imo.
Excuse : Most relevant thread for it.
The Deponia Trilogy was simply hilarious, though I don't know how well the humor translates into other languages (for example, there are some cameos that most foreigners won't get. Though I heard that a lot of people dislike the game, because the protagonist is such a douche, depends on if you can work with that or not.
Runaway. The series had it's ups and downs but I had my fun with it. Fun fact, I actually played the first game without sound, because my speakers where defect :'D
Tales of Monkey Island from TellTale was awesome. The humor and tone was spot on, the characters, especially Morgan, where very likable and sometimes it even hit me right in the feels. Also, dayum was Guybrush handsome in this one :O
Sam & Max, also TellTale. I have mixed feelings about that one. Hit the Road was my very first game I ever *really* played as a kid and Steve Purcell is an idol of mine, so it obviously hits me right in the nostalgia. But some episodes where better than others and not all of the characters where interesting. They also did a lot of level recycling.
The Book of unwritten Tales. Iiii .... I actually liked this game, even though it's objectively speaking nothing but fanservice for nerds. To be fair, I think I was like 17 or 18 when I played it, so the teenager factor still tainted my perception.
Broken Age was beautiful and very refreshing but also sadly very short. Ever since Grim Fandango, Tim Schafer's games always where exelent and absolutely outstanding in certain aspects but always failed in others (Brütal Legend *sigh*). We have to wait for what the second part brings.
Edna Escapes (or whatever the English title is). I never finished that game, because my hard drive died halfway through and I was too lazy to replay it :I But till that point, it was very charming and the humor was so lovely evil.
Machinarium was adorable but some of the minigames where infuriating.
A new Beginning. That one was awfully preachy and in your face about it's message about protecting the environment and the female protagonist was terribly annoying. Wouldn't recommend it, unless you are into that kind of stuff.
Tony Tough. This one looks like it's from the 90s, but it's actually just made to look that way. The style and humor reminded me a lot of Day of the Tentacle, it was very wacky.
There are some more games, but I either didn't play them or not far enough to form an opinion on them.
Ceville, Simon the Sorcerer 4 to I don't know, Night of the Rabbit, Boatnicular, Randal's Monday, Bone, Homestar Runner, Wallace and Grommit, etc.
But if you mean elegant 2D point and click -like maniac mansion or loom- adventure game then I fear they are extinct. Although I play those using scummvm on phone, by the way.
It is sad to watch things gone I have loved.