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| 22 DEC 2005 at 2:49am | |
IviniaGuild Master  Posts : 4459 Joined: 7 JUN 2003 Location: US Status : Offline | For those of you who saw my member review of the first Delaware St. John game, it was pretty apparent that I wasn't happy with it. There are few games that stand out as memorable experiences that you can look back fondly on and remember the details. The developers first game, Inherent Evil, is one such game. Because of this, I had high hopes for Delaware St. John and frankly, they weren't met with the first one of the series. Using the same floorplan in The Curse of Midnight Manor that was used in Inherent Evil was disappointing. You really couldn't help but compare the two because of this. It was the equivalent of how the Star Wars fans felt when George Lucas took their favorite iconic villian - Darth Vader - and turned it all into a case of teenage angst. Time heals all wounds though, so despite my displeasure with TCOMM, after playing the demo for The Town with No Name I decided to give it another shot - and I'm glad I did. First off, you immediately realize that there is a bit more to discover here. Instead of having two chapters that take place separately in the same location, you now have two unique and different places to explore in each. A definite plus. This greatly reduces the redundant feeling that plagued the first game of the series. You can also walk around outside a bit which again makes the gaming environment feel larger. The concept is the same as the first - freeing the restless spirits from where they are trapped. However, in TTWNT, there seemed to be a bit more character development which made them more interesting to deal with. They are also brought to the forefront of the game. I couldn't help but feel that TCOMM was too focused on the main story that will flow throughout the series in a way that felt like it had nothing to do with the matter at hand. Again, it was nice to see hints of the main storyline woven into TTWNN, yet the focus was clearly on the current situation, yet the link to the main theme was clear. The tidbits to the main storyline of the series that we get in TTWNN really tied things together and the plot definitely thickened making the third installment that much more desirable. Graphically, it is also a step up from the first of the series. The pastel drawn spirits are gone an have been replaced with 3d characters that blend in with the game much better and make things that much creepier. I can't help but be constantly reminded of the Nancy Drew games with DSJ. The similarities are uncanny, and can best be described as Nancy Drew: Paranormal Investigator. While finishing up TTWNN today, a friend stopped over and looked at the screen and asked if I was playing Nancy Drew. I hate to make that comparison but if its any consolation, the ND releases seem to be on a downward spiral lately while DSJ is definitely headed in the better direction. The environments are quite interesting to explore and the occasional floor creak will have you looking over your shoulder. Puzzle-wise the game is primarily inventory based but you never seem to exceed more than 5 or 6 items at a time. They are pretty straight-forward and easy to solve, yet they all fit logically into the game and the situations. I never felt like I was dealing with a brain throbbing illogical puzzle that was there just to increase the playing time. Again, they fit and made sense. The interface is the same slideshow affair with directional arrows and the com unit that you use to communicate with Kelly. It's simple and it works. I only hope that in future installments we get to use it more for some ghost sleuthing. I did take some pictures of a few ghosts, but it didn't seem to have anything to do with the story - just the opportunity to use the camera. I wish you could play back some of the recordings and pull up the pictures you took. Considering its all just still images in the game, it doesn't seem like it would take to much to add this feature. A simple log file of the IDs of the images you used the camera on would seem fairly straight-forward. The node positions are well done as well. They are well positioned and you can move about quite quickly from one area to another. There were a few locations I wish I could have visited such as the attic and front balcony on the third floor. I think the most frustrating part of the game has to be dealing with locked doors making the game quite linear. There are quite a few of them in the second chapter. Hearing, "It's locked..." tends to get a bit on the nerves after the 30th time. I can only hope that the next game gets away from this a bit and make more areas accessible for exploration. Playing time, the game is a bit short at around 4 hours for me. I think it fits snugly in the category of a diversionary adventure game - one that you play between larger more complicated ones to relax a bit and enjoy without the taxing the mind too much. I would highly recommend it for teens / young adults as well. Is it great? No, but it is pretty solid and enjoyable. I think if there were a few more open areas to explore and some more to do it could lengthen the game time in an good way as long as they add to the story and fit. For example learning a bit more history about the buildings. If this game is any indication of how the DSJ series will pan out with added improvements along the way, then Bryan Weigele has turned me from a disgruntled fan into a true believer. On a JA ranking scale - a solid B
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| 24 DEC 2005 at 5:02am | |
AndromusGuild Master Posts : 5538 Joined: 6 NOV 2002 Status : Offline | Very interesting review! I'm afraid I'm still at the skeptic stage myself regarding this series. I've played the demo of the first game, love the premise, but I have major issues with the episodic concept that make me reluctant to invest time and/or money into something like this. But you seem to have been in a similar position and have warmed up to the series. Maybe I'll have to give the first episode a try at least.
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| 24 DEC 2005 at 10:07am | |
IviniaGuild MasterPosts : 4459 Joined: 7 JUN 2003 Location: US Status : Offline | Thanks Andromus! I was starting to think not many people read these things! I have a user review of the first one as well, and it wasn't very nice I must confess. I think the second one is much better, but I know how you feel about starting at the beginning. It's like reading volume two of a trilogy, it just feels like you walked into the middle of something. In this case, I think episode two does a commendable job of standing on its own. It ties some of the main theme in, but I don't think you miss much if you missed the first game. For me though, I always have to start from the beginning...kind of like reading the Hobbit before you read Lord of the Rings. : Again, don't expect some really difficult puzzles, but I did find it to be a fun diversion, pretty creepy, and I look forward to the next one.
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| 25 DEC 2005 at 4:25am | |
AndromusGuild MasterPosts : 5538 Joined: 6 NOV 2002 Status : Offline | Yep, I have to play games in order as well. Wouldn't dream of playing this second episode first, even if it is a better game than the first one. I like to see how games develop as a particular series progresses. Reading The Hobbit before The Lord of the Rings.....a good example! Most people being introduced to the books through the movies probably didn't bother with The Hobbit, you can read through The Lord of the Rings easily enough without having reading The Hobbit, but it adds color, and you get to see the story progress from quaint oral style fairy tale to epic high fantasy.
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| 14 JAN 2006 at 5:31pm | |
colpetSchattenjger  Posts : 1630 Joined: 12 APR 2003 Status : Offline | |
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