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Wish in One Hand and ... Well, You Know How it Goes
By JA+ Staff
We all have that one adventure game that we dream will one day become reality. It is hard to believe that every conceivable scenario imaginable has not been converted into some sort of gaming experience during the past 18 years of computer gaming. We have enjoyed them all, from the outer limits of Space Quest to the wild, weird west of Freddie Pharkus and Dust, from the medieval dankness of Dragon Lore to the bleak futures of Blade Runner and Nightlong. But the truth is that the surface of originality has barely been scratched. Game developers, like Hollywood, rely heavily on sequels and safe projects. There are literally thousands of unmade adventure games that, for the moment, exist only in our vivid imaginations. I thought it would be fun to ask the staff of JA+ what games they would personally like to see released. The only stipulation to this game is that we cannot be lazy and ask for a Gabriel Knight 4 or a Leisure Suit Larry 8. Our choices must be original. Now ... on with the show!
The first thing I would like to do is break my own rule and ask for a Phantasmagoria III, IV, V, etc., yet not a series of sequels done by Roberta Williams--I would have liked to see this series turned into a modern-day computer version of The Twilight Zone or Tales from the Crypt. One or two new releases a year, each one written by a different horror author. Imagine Phantasmagoria III as written by Stephen King, or Phantasmagoria IV as written by Clive Barker. Maybe John Saul entering the field with his Blackstone Chronicles encouraged this idea, but deep down I know it will never see fruition.
Super heroes. For years I have been clamoring for, nay
shamelessly begging for, an adventure game centered around super heroes. Yet every
single time a new Spider-Man or Batman game is released, it is nothing
more than a juvenile, mindless fighting game. Stan Lee has created a universe
populated with unique, individual characters that, even though they are super-powered,
would rather use their brains than their brawn to solve a problem. I could literally
go on for pages about the possibilities, but in the words of Stan Lee, "'nuff
said!"
I have grown so weary of "empty landscape" adventures ... you know, the ones where you are the only living character ... an archaeologist figuring out about who (or what) has gone before. Sure, the scenery is often breathtaking and the puzzles are generally mind-bending, but it's so darn lonely out there.
I want a plot I can escape into, characters I can care about, and (heaven forbid) a bit of action and unpredictability. I want to participate rather than observe ... to game in a dynamic world rather than a static one. I want to play a game with heroes ... where good has the possibility of getting the upper hand and where intellect and creativity triumph over a quick trigger finger.
I want to solve an age-old mystery, find a lost treasure, or unravel a conspiracy. And I want to do this with a friend. You heard me ... a multi-player adventure. Not a massively multiplayer adventure ... just the option to include another gamer on my quest because sharing the experience is half the fun.
One concept I would love to see explored in an adventure game is one where the player doesn't control the main character. It's the player's job to guide or hinder the hero via the supporting characters. Sort of a virtual guardian angel. Let me explain. The hero walks into a bank and stands there. Players can click on and control any of the supporting characters like the tellers, guards, and manager. The puzzle comes from the fact that the player doesn't know why the hero is there. Maybe in an earlier scene you learned that the hero needed to get a loan. However, you may have no idea why the hero is there, and in the end, he may not even have everything he needs to get the loan. You may just have to tell the hero to go away. The one major pitfall of the concept is that a very passive hero is needed, and players may not enjoy the almost "sheep herding" style of game play. This does sound a lot like a god sim like the Sims and Creatures, but unlike those games, this would have a solid story line with a clear beginning and end.
Personally, I'm growing weary of a certain type of adventure game. That type would be nothing other than the scenic first-person point and click adventures. Those are nice, but I want some excitement! Suspense! Thrills! Interaction! Keep me up 'til 4 a.m. on the edge of my swivel chair! Bring in some more emotion, like in the movies: fear, love, horror, gaiety, etc. I'm not saying that some games haven't achieved that. Most of the "dark" games have brought in emotion to some degree, such as Gabriel Knight and Sanitarium. Many games, like Day of the Tentacle and the Monkey Island series, have succeeded in bringing in humor. However, after those are beaten, I play what's left, games like Timelapse or Myst. Though those games are certainly excellent, I feel like they're detached and indifferent. A game, in my opinion, should be more exciting than my everyday life. I'll buy a Broken Sword over a Beyond Time any day--but in the end, I'll eventually buy them all, since all adventure games, no matter what type, are worth buying.
To sum it all up: the more interactive the game is, the better!
I've always felt that the great untapped audience for PC adventure games is the mature adult (ages 30 or 35 and up). If you consider what the mature adult looks to for entertainment, you could conclude that it's movies (whether going to the theater or renting a tape). My impression is that movie makers (writers and producers) understand their target audience of mature adults very well, because there are always plenty of movies being made and released that can be identified with adventure or adult themes and they market them effectively.
Now, if you could convince movie makers to work in conjunction with developers of adventure games to produce a PC game version of adventure movies, then you could attract the same large mature adult audience who by the way, also, have more spending power than the teen "action game" group, to buy, play and enjoy adventure games.
So my suggestion/wish would be to look to the movies for inspiration and direction. Personally, I'd like to see adventure games based on John Grisham novels and Stephen King novels, as well as stories based on mystery, intrigue, science fiction, even soap operas.
I think that you have already picked up on my points with the ideas that you have previously captured (i.e., The Mummy, Wild, Wild West, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Indiana Jones, Blackstone Chronicles, etc.), but the mature adult audience remains virtually "untapped." Even if developers make "games we would like to see," the "we" needs to be reached and the audience expanded through effective and appropriate marketing and promotion. Why can't the PC game publishers learn from the movie distributors and go after the right audience?
Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but it's frustrating ...
There are two game possibilities that come to my mind right
away. For a start, I'd love to see a game that builds on the mythology of cultures
other than Greece and Rome. For example, the ancient tales from Mesopotamia or
China offer great possibilities in story, characterization, and graphics. Tie
this to unusual findings at a modern dig site, and we could have the grounds for
a fairly suspenseful plot.
More than anything, however, I want a very particular adventure based on Terry Pratchett's material. I can see the promo now (cue music that sounds remarkably like the theme to Xena): "In a time of ancient gods, wizards, and kings--a world in turmoil cried out for a hero. She was Esme, a mighty witch forged in the cold of the Ramtops. The power ... the practicality ... the hatpins. Her headology would change the world." In other words, I really, really need a game that features Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. And a hedgehog. There definitely has to be a hedgehog.
I would like to see a game where, in order to solve current puzzles, we have to travel back to old game locations. I think it would be such fun to revisit locations in games like Myst, Lighthouse, The Neverhood, etc. Why hasn't someone thought of this? Probably a huge hassle with copyright laws. Oh well ...
How about a game where the adventurer has to design, produce, and market an adventure game? This could be enlightening as well as fun. The end game could be a showdown between the game designer and the evil reviewer!
My first thoughts were stolen by Randy and Tom. I too would like some more games along the lines of Blackstone Chronicles but written by different authors, in particular, Clive Barker--anyone who has read his work should know why. In particular, a game based on the fantasy world he created in Imajica. Also, I think Ann Rice's Vampire Chronicles would transfer to an adventure game well. Imagine the deep character interaction as your vampire lives through the ages.
Away, since those ideas were stolen from me, I have few other ones. They again involve books. I would like to see some of the great classics come alive on my computer screen. How about a game based on Beowulf? This might make a better RPG than adventure, but think of the fun of going to kick Grendel's butt, go back to the great beer hall, eat and drink yourself silly, then go off the next day to kick Grendel's Mommy's butt! Great fun! I think Alice in Wonderland would be another great story to use in an adventure game and would make a game that kids could enjoy along with their parents. Or how about Moby Dick? With you cast in the role of Captain Ahab, you must pilot the Pequod through the high seas in search of that cunning great white whale. The stories for these games would be easy to acquire since due to their age they are not protected by copyright laws and are consider to be part of the public domain. Sadly, no publisher has ever used any of them. Sigh.
Pamela Anderson Lee
I would like to see games with a more intellectual bent. Everyone thinks Baywatch was just a flouncy, bouncy silicone fest, but let me tell you we really got into some deep stuff between takes. We enjoyed simulating intellectual diversions like the Name Game. You know, Pam, Pam, Bo Bam, Fe Fi Fo Fam ... David and I could play that for hours. If Josh Mandel would have put the Name Game in Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, it would have sold like hotcakes. [Legal notice: Pamela Anderson Lee did not really write this.]
In Conclusion
Well, that was certainly interesting. If there is a common thread that occurs in each "wish list," it would have to be that we all crave more and better plots and player interaction. But, as the title to this article says ...
You've let us bore you for the past 2,113 words, and now it's your turn! Just email your favorite Just Adventure staff member from the list above and let him/her know what you think would be a great adventure game. We will use the best suggestions for a future article, and, who knows, one of your ideas might be adopted by a publisher or developer visiting the site!