2D or Not 2D: That Is the Question

By Sean Siberio

Adventure games are a story-driven product. The adventure game (unbeknownst
to most Myst clone makers) is not just a bunch of pretty pictures
with puzzles. It has to have something behind it, some underlying purpose.
Ask any adventure fan what’s the most important factor in an adventure
game, and you’re guaranteed to be told that it’s all about story.

Graphics, too, have played an important role in adventure games since
the advent of King’s Quest and Maniac Mansion. They help
immerse us in the game world. But from looking at discussions between
most adventure gamers, you would think graphics have top billing in the
genre, not story. This is especially true now, with 3D graphics finally
finding their way into the adventure genre.

3D graphics have become the hot topic of discussion of adventure gamers
everywhere. Battle lines have already been drawn, and already people do
not approve of the format, even though they haven’t even seen more than
one or two games that use the new technology. People complain of adventure
games becoming action fests with jumping puzzles and (gasp!) fighting
sequences.

But are 3D graphics really that bad? Are they really the harbinger of
doom for tried-and-true adventure games that people accuse them of being?
Of course not! 3D graphics are nothing but another medium in which to
deliver adventure games.

If anything, 3D graphics can finally combine the atmosphere of 2D graphic
adventures with the interaction of good old text adventures. No longer
would adventure games be limited to canned animations, nor would they
be limited to full interaction that can only be presented through text.
With the advent of 3D graphics and “smart” animation, we can
do things that even the developers didn’t think their own games could
do.

So before you jump on the anti-3D bandwagon, look at what 3D can bring
to the table for the adventure genre. The benefits are enormous. Fully
interactive worlds are the future of adventure games, and 3D is going
to take us there.