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Over on YouTube I'm finishing up a playthrough of a horror adventure game called Prodigal. All that remains are my final thoughts on the game. Links to video(s) will be placed here when they are ready. What follows are the textual points I jotted down while going over the game in memory. A link to the AGS page and the official Prodigal website will be included with the video update.
Video Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUGO70mEPxA
AGS Page: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=644
Prodigal's Homepage: http://prodigal.aedmark.com/
Prodigal
POINTS OF CONSIDERATION
1.) The cabin, deep caverns, and Ulisigi Ela parts were the best while the entire middle section felt like a big time sink intended to keep the player busy for awhile. I would have loved to explore more of the cabin. From the outside it looks it should be a two-story structure.
The supernatural elements of the game were undoubtedly the best parts. Ulisigi Ela seemed entirely too short for a dimension that is supposed to stand guard for paradise. The fact that there was little in the way of supernatural occurences during the middle portion of the game did alot to weaken the narrative and shift the game's genre from horror to spy/espionage. I feel that if the game had gone the road of slipping through the ruins of that installation rather then trying to pass the Delmeza off as living would have made a stronger narrative. The point could have been masked by the Tsvsgino appearing and killing people.
2.) The Delmeza were probably best heard and not seen. The outfits seemed silly - particularly for people working in an underground, dark mining facility. They did not seem like they were an actual quasi-religious cult at all.
There also were no left-over echoes of their inhabiting the cabin. More structural damage and the ability to see just how run-down the place should be after being uninhabited for years would have helped the atmosphere. The ripped off bathroom door went along way to setting the intial tone - even more so than all the blood stains.
Bleeding alone doesn't do a whole lot. KNOWING that something ripped that door off of it's hinges and tossed it aside is a more visceral demonstration. I would have put in a close up of the door so the player could see the claw marks on it.
3.) Why oh why was Jacob running around making BBQ chicken? That really hurt the game's mood. It would have been more interesting if Jacob was trying to find the lost key to the portullis by tracking down the Delmeza who used to own it and is now hiding for fear of his comrades tossing him out to the Tsvsgino. Of course said man is already dead so what Jacob would have tracked down would be the memory of that terrified man in the tower. I know he currently serves as Mr. Exposition but that job could be shifted to reading books instead.
This brings me to the plastic bowl picked up in the cabin. There is no logical reason why Jacob should pick it up and he even admits as much. In fact it isn't even necessary. There are plenty of dishes in the kitchen.
4.) The Tsvsgino were pretty interesting creatures and the fact that no two were alike was a good choice. Why are they all bright blue though? It didn't take long to realize that no matter what Jacob couldn't die and that is a real shame. Those Tsvsgino shouldn't hold back. Mike may be able to influence them but if they are truly an integral part of Ulisigi Ela then their duty is to protect the portal and they should carry it out in ruthless, bloody fashion.
Tzing I can understand because it stands on a solid rock ledge while Jacob is on a flimsy wooden board. If it charged out the board would snap. Self preservation stays it's murderous intent in that case. However, the player should be allowed to do whatever stupid things they want to try with these demons - and get killed in horrible ways.
The Tsvsgino posing as a helpless maiden spoils the surprise prematurely because Jacob just walks to her and stands there like a dolt. Some dialogue would have helped make the human incarnation a bit more convincing. She could have asked for something to free her and claimed to be the missing girlfriend Raewyn even. It's not like Jacob ever met the woman. It also would have been nice if that Tsvsgino
randomly revived and killed Jacob on returning to the room. Randomness would make the room dangerous and nerve wracking without breaking the necessity to return to earlier rooms to gather items.
Nice nod to Shadowgate and classic fairy tales, however.
5.) The characters walk like they have two broken arms. Their wrists flex in an unnatural way. Movement in the arm should be anchored first to the shoulder blade then the elbow.
6.) Leaving some rooms is a pain because the door out is behind the camera and there is no visual indication of where it actually is. A visual marker would be greatly appreciated. This can be as simple as a pool of light added to the rendered image in post. The bubbling pool is a major offender in this category.
7.) The trap waiting to decapitate Jacob is visible upon entering the room and fairly obvious because of the color contrast. The fact that it is precisely where the player's eye will naturally drift to figure out where to go doesn't help conceal it. This could have been hidden behind a bit of architecture or a railing. The second trap, which is hidden in the ceiling, does a much better job in this regard. It is still visible but the dark shadows on the ceiling prevent the hole from standing out unless the player is actually looking for it.
More traps please!
8.) Removing the assorted notes from inventory or putting them in a separate GUI would have helped. Once read they really are just clutter. The very first note just poofs without any explanation. That's another potential source of freaking out Jacob that wasn't seized upon. They could burst into flame, dissolve into smoke, or simply not be there when he looks through his things next time.
9.) I can understand that damage possibly claimed the original staircase from the first to the second floor of
the cliff dwellings but why is there no ruin and why did no one amongst the Demelza think to install a ladder?
For that matter how in the world did they transport all the materials down to the dig site in the first place? We're talking not just heavy equipment but (literal) tons of steel, wiring, wood, and other construction materials necessary to build the stations. Where did all the rock they would have had to have dug away go?
10.) Why is there electricity underground? There is no sign of a generator anywhere and all the equipment still works perfectly after 30+ years when it would have broken down pretty quickly within the first without maintenance. Caves are not nice places to setup shop.
11.) What tribe of Native Americans did the World Walker's hail from? They have a generic vibe going - feathered headdress, adobe cliff houses, evilness, etc. Part of this could be chalked up to an unreliable narrator in the form of the old Delmeza.
12.) It appears that there are two "sides" to Ulisigi Ela: the dark, twisted side that emanates evil and the natural, pristine side seen at the very end. It is unclear what the difference between these is and if the dichotomy is natural to the dimension or is a result of the barrier erected by the World Walkers. The cell that forms the dividing line traps it's inhabitant and "keeps [them] alive but not comfortable." That isolation is liable to drive a person insane - which is what seems to have happened with Mike. He stated that the Key to Knowledge gives it's weilder immense influence (which is not defined) over Ulisigi Ela. Does this mean that the Key's holder can actually reshape that dark plane? I think that is likely. The radiating evil is the incarnation of all the suffering of the trapped.
Could there be more than one person trapped in that cell at a time? It is theoretically possible. It isn't even considered that the cell could work in reverse. No one ever thinks to try.
----------------
Now playing: Children of the Monkey Machine - Super Metroid Norfair (Frailty Awaiting) OC ReMix
via FoxyTunes
Video Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUGO70mEPxA
AGS Page: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=644
Prodigal's Homepage: http://prodigal.aedmark.com/
Prodigal
POINTS OF CONSIDERATION
1.) The cabin, deep caverns, and Ulisigi Ela parts were the best while the entire middle section felt like a big time sink intended to keep the player busy for awhile. I would have loved to explore more of the cabin. From the outside it looks it should be a two-story structure.
The supernatural elements of the game were undoubtedly the best parts. Ulisigi Ela seemed entirely too short for a dimension that is supposed to stand guard for paradise. The fact that there was little in the way of supernatural occurences during the middle portion of the game did alot to weaken the narrative and shift the game's genre from horror to spy/espionage. I feel that if the game had gone the road of slipping through the ruins of that installation rather then trying to pass the Delmeza off as living would have made a stronger narrative. The point could have been masked by the Tsvsgino appearing and killing people.
2.) The Delmeza were probably best heard and not seen. The outfits seemed silly - particularly for people working in an underground, dark mining facility. They did not seem like they were an actual quasi-religious cult at all.
There also were no left-over echoes of their inhabiting the cabin. More structural damage and the ability to see just how run-down the place should be after being uninhabited for years would have helped the atmosphere. The ripped off bathroom door went along way to setting the intial tone - even more so than all the blood stains.
Bleeding alone doesn't do a whole lot. KNOWING that something ripped that door off of it's hinges and tossed it aside is a more visceral demonstration. I would have put in a close up of the door so the player could see the claw marks on it.
3.) Why oh why was Jacob running around making BBQ chicken? That really hurt the game's mood. It would have been more interesting if Jacob was trying to find the lost key to the portullis by tracking down the Delmeza who used to own it and is now hiding for fear of his comrades tossing him out to the Tsvsgino. Of course said man is already dead so what Jacob would have tracked down would be the memory of that terrified man in the tower. I know he currently serves as Mr. Exposition but that job could be shifted to reading books instead.
This brings me to the plastic bowl picked up in the cabin. There is no logical reason why Jacob should pick it up and he even admits as much. In fact it isn't even necessary. There are plenty of dishes in the kitchen.
4.) The Tsvsgino were pretty interesting creatures and the fact that no two were alike was a good choice. Why are they all bright blue though? It didn't take long to realize that no matter what Jacob couldn't die and that is a real shame. Those Tsvsgino shouldn't hold back. Mike may be able to influence them but if they are truly an integral part of Ulisigi Ela then their duty is to protect the portal and they should carry it out in ruthless, bloody fashion.
Tzing I can understand because it stands on a solid rock ledge while Jacob is on a flimsy wooden board. If it charged out the board would snap. Self preservation stays it's murderous intent in that case. However, the player should be allowed to do whatever stupid things they want to try with these demons - and get killed in horrible ways.
The Tsvsgino posing as a helpless maiden spoils the surprise prematurely because Jacob just walks to her and stands there like a dolt. Some dialogue would have helped make the human incarnation a bit more convincing. She could have asked for something to free her and claimed to be the missing girlfriend Raewyn even. It's not like Jacob ever met the woman. It also would have been nice if that Tsvsgino
randomly revived and killed Jacob on returning to the room. Randomness would make the room dangerous and nerve wracking without breaking the necessity to return to earlier rooms to gather items.
Nice nod to Shadowgate and classic fairy tales, however.
5.) The characters walk like they have two broken arms. Their wrists flex in an unnatural way. Movement in the arm should be anchored first to the shoulder blade then the elbow.
6.) Leaving some rooms is a pain because the door out is behind the camera and there is no visual indication of where it actually is. A visual marker would be greatly appreciated. This can be as simple as a pool of light added to the rendered image in post. The bubbling pool is a major offender in this category.
7.) The trap waiting to decapitate Jacob is visible upon entering the room and fairly obvious because of the color contrast. The fact that it is precisely where the player's eye will naturally drift to figure out where to go doesn't help conceal it. This could have been hidden behind a bit of architecture or a railing. The second trap, which is hidden in the ceiling, does a much better job in this regard. It is still visible but the dark shadows on the ceiling prevent the hole from standing out unless the player is actually looking for it.
More traps please!
8.) Removing the assorted notes from inventory or putting them in a separate GUI would have helped. Once read they really are just clutter. The very first note just poofs without any explanation. That's another potential source of freaking out Jacob that wasn't seized upon. They could burst into flame, dissolve into smoke, or simply not be there when he looks through his things next time.
9.) I can understand that damage possibly claimed the original staircase from the first to the second floor of
the cliff dwellings but why is there no ruin and why did no one amongst the Demelza think to install a ladder?
For that matter how in the world did they transport all the materials down to the dig site in the first place? We're talking not just heavy equipment but (literal) tons of steel, wiring, wood, and other construction materials necessary to build the stations. Where did all the rock they would have had to have dug away go?
10.) Why is there electricity underground? There is no sign of a generator anywhere and all the equipment still works perfectly after 30+ years when it would have broken down pretty quickly within the first without maintenance. Caves are not nice places to setup shop.
11.) What tribe of Native Americans did the World Walker's hail from? They have a generic vibe going - feathered headdress, adobe cliff houses, evilness, etc. Part of this could be chalked up to an unreliable narrator in the form of the old Delmeza.
12.) It appears that there are two "sides" to Ulisigi Ela: the dark, twisted side that emanates evil and the natural, pristine side seen at the very end. It is unclear what the difference between these is and if the dichotomy is natural to the dimension or is a result of the barrier erected by the World Walkers. The cell that forms the dividing line traps it's inhabitant and "keeps [them] alive but not comfortable." That isolation is liable to drive a person insane - which is what seems to have happened with Mike. He stated that the Key to Knowledge gives it's weilder immense influence (which is not defined) over Ulisigi Ela. Does this mean that the Key's holder can actually reshape that dark plane? I think that is likely. The radiating evil is the incarnation of all the suffering of the trapped.
Could there be more than one person trapped in that cell at a time? It is theoretically possible. It isn't even considered that the cell could work in reverse. No one ever thinks to try.
----------------
Now playing: Children of the Monkey Machine - Super Metroid Norfair (Frailty Awaiting) OC ReMix
via FoxyTunes
