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Mutation posted:2.) I don't know if I actually liked the "Subverting Player Expectations" element of the game. It seems like every "Citizen Kane: The Game" does this, and it always feels like it's a big dumb metajoke. Ho ho! It wasn't a horror game afterall! How clever! And yeah, maybe you can call it clever when it's something like Bioshock and all you're doing is shooting some mutant in a creative setting, but the story here feels above all that (and when in the back of your mind you're wondering if the game is going to drop the other shoe, it kinda detracts from it.)[/spoiler] Was this being marketed as a horror game or something? (I avoided all preview coverage/trailers.) They do mess a bit with you in the beginning with all of the ghost-related stuff, but once the game completely gains your trust you realize Gone Home would never pull anything that stupid. When I got to know Sam I realized all teenagers have a phase where they're obsessed with paranormal stuff, so I stopped taking any of it seriously. Then again, I'm seeing angry comments about the lack of a supernatural twist, so I guess some people were fooled until the end. Maybe the twist is that there is no twist? About the house itself: It's inherited, right? I saw one review complain about how this single family lives in preposterously huge mansion.
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Aug 18, 2013 03:45
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Useless Shotgun posted:The most convincing evidence for an affair is the matchbook hidden somewhere in Jan and Terry's bedroom that says something to the effect of "Meet you at 8 -Rick". Even still, it could have been just a night out at the bar with a friend. I actually really like that they were ambiguous if Rick and Jan had an affair. To me that was a realistic touch and it forces the player to mistrust the mother and never really figure out if the mistrust was correctly placed. I noticed a receipt from a beauty salon somewhere in the house for the day of/before the Earth, Wind, and Fire concert where she got her hair, nails, etc. done. I think she was hoping that something would have come out of it, at least.
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Aug 18, 2013 03:46
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The thing that made this house feel absolutely real to me is how cheap and annoying and flimsy all the furniture is.
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Aug 18, 2013 03:47
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bobservo posted:
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Aug 18, 2013 03:48
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bobservo posted:Was this being marketed as a horror game or something? Nope. The description was spooky-ish (There's no one home? Why is there no on home?) but the trailer was straight up exploring things with a riot grrrl soundtrack. So I guess it was only billed as horror if you're afraid of Corin Tucker and Allison Wolfe.
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Aug 18, 2013 03:51
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Accordion Man posted:Yeah, the dad inherited it from his uncle Oscar, that reviewer probably did the bare minimum of exploring because its not hard to find out. Okay, thought so. That's an extremely clever way to excuse the size of the place in light of the family's money problems.
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Aug 18, 2013 03:55
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bobservo posted:Okay, thought so. That's an extremely clever way to excuse the size of the place in light of the family's money problems. The fact that it's inherited from his Uncle is sort of important to the plot though, at least the Terry-Oscar plot. But I suppose they needed a big house for the game anyways.
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Aug 18, 2013 04:13
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As far as the house.. It feels like one of the more underdeveloped parts. We know it has history. A few small things can be pieced together from the prohibition era note, but not much. How old is the house? Who originally built it? Not Oscar since there was a mention of being born and dying there. Was it built all at once, weird passages and all, or were things added over time? Why did Oscar end up with the house and not his sister? On and on. I don't need all the answers, but a little more info would have gone a long way.
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Aug 18, 2013 04:27
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bobservo posted:
If it's the same review I'm thinking of, I don't think they were complaining. It was just part of the mystery that the review presented to the reader which the reader would have to play the game to find the answer to.
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Aug 18, 2013 04:46
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Sylpher posted:As far as the house.. They kind of explain the house's layout, it was used as part of a booze smuggling setup during prohabition. This is why it has the crazy wiring and all the secret passages.
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Aug 18, 2013 06:05
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Well, that was just amazing. I had no expectation really, and so everything that happened was a cool little surprise. As the story went on my reaction to light switches and doors gradually evolved. Initially I was throwing doors open and leaving all the lights on, then I started to worry that maybe someone would come home and find me rummaging through everyone's poo poo with all the lights blazing and I would feel like a jackass, then still later it was back to all the lights on, drawers open, doors left wide as I became increasingly worried about Sam. As the journal dates caught up with the present I started to wonder how long ago she had left, I wracked my brain to remember what the date on my luggage was (if it's even on there), and I started to think she might actually be up in the attic right now!. I lost track of all the corners I had intended to poke around in (and missed a ton of stuff about Oscar in the process) to run up there to see if maybe she was still hanging around and hadn't actually left yet. Of course, that's not the case at all, and I was pleasantly surprised by the last journal entries and at the same time worried about "my" little sister, and a little pissed at her because she's drat right she'll see me again.  I guess what I'm saying is that this game nailed it and played my emotions like a well-tuned violin and I really can't wait to go through it again to see the things that I missed. It also doesn't hurt that the mid-90's riot grrl movement was/is one of my favorite periods of music culture. Needed some Bikini Kill and maybe Huggy Bear though! I saw so many bathtubs that looked like the one in Sam's room, I about died when I realised what those ominous stains were.
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Aug 18, 2013 06:37
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On one hand, following the wake of Dear Esther is a beautiful collusion of level design and narrative to tell a story in subtle ways. On the other, it has several inconsistencies, can hardly be considered a game, and is /hardly/ worth the full $20. The house you get to explore seems daunting at first, but the journey through it is almost linear in the way it progresses, with certain doors locked as not-so-subtle progress inhibitors. I'm not sure what the need of the map and inventory are - maybe the devs just had a lack of faith in humanity to put two and two together. Combinations to various compartments were in obviously places progression-wise, but make no sense contextually and actually confused me on several occasions. The house is permeated with effectively placed, but woefully overused props and assets. Some props are used in certain "early" areas of the house, others hidden behind locked doors to make the obvious backstory more obvious I suppose. Otherwise they only serve to slip an inconsistency in their recipe for immersion. The atmosphere of the game seems conflicted in that it emanates the aura of a ghost story - and actually alludes to it in a few hints here and there - but no sense of paranormal other than creepy shading is ever apparent. It kept me guessing throughout the entire game whether or not it would veer off in that direction, and left me decidedly disappointed in the end because of this. There are a few tricks and references littered about that caught me off guard, and I have to give them credit where credit is due. For example, the first combination was the legendary weapon stash door code in UNATCO HQ of Deus Ex, and the elevator code in Human Revolution. Nice touch. Since the game's story revolves around a rebellious teenager, seeing a bathtub covered in red hair dye was pretty horrifying until I inspected further. Overall I'm sure this game is attracting all the tryhards who see something different and confuse "unique" with "good." loving hipsters. If you want brilliant, unconventional but perfectly executed narrative, check out Dear Esther. Far more meaningful than a teenager's broken heart with hint of father-son conflict. I'm sure this uncommon opinion will earn me a shitstorm for looking past emotions. Bring it on - see if I give a gently caress. Reacon fucked around with this message at 07:02 on Aug 18, 2013 |
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Aug 18, 2013 06:54
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Reacon posted:On one hand, following the wake of Dear Esther is a beautiful collusion of level design and narrative to tell a story in subtle ways. On the other, it has several inconsistencies, can hardly be considered a game, and is /hardly/ worth the full $20. You sound like a pretty tough guy. I don't want to mess with you.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:00
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give me ur address m8 i will fite you in real life
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Aug 18, 2013 07:01
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Reacon posted:I'm sure this uncommon opinion will earn me a shitstorm for looking past emotions. Bring it on - see if I give a gently caress. Pretty edgy dude. Want to chill, get high, and play some Halo w/me?
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Aug 18, 2013 07:01
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Oldstench posted:Pretty edgy dude. Want to chill, get high, and play some Halo w/me? Yeah bro, halo is hardcore.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:02
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Dude, shut up! He implied that he doesn't give a gently caress!!! Any response to him is automatically invalid!!!
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Aug 18, 2013 07:02
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Not to poop all over you Reacon but may I ask how old you are or general background? I'm curious if you're on the younger side to have that kind of view.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:03
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Uh 0451 was first seen in System Shock not Deus Ex and it's a reference to Farenheit 451 anyway noob
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Aug 18, 2013 07:04
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Cicadalek posted:Uh 0451 was first seen in System Shock not Deus Ex and it's a reference to Farenheit 451 anyway I don't give a gently caress - I thought I made that clear already. I'm posting just to make sure you realise I don't give one. EDIT: Not posting because I give a gently caress at all. EDIT2: Still not refreshing this page. gently caress y'all. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Aug 18, 2013 07:05
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I actually like Gone Home a lot more than Dear Esther. Esther wasn't bad, it was really pretty, but it did a feel a tad bit pretentious and overwrought over what essentially was another dude with a dead wife story. Gone Home had real likable characters and a more concise, emotionally resonant, and unique video game story so I actually got invested in it.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:06
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Reacon posted:I'm sure this uncommon opinion will earn me a shitstorm for looking past emotions. Bring it on - see if I give a gently caress. I'll agree with you on the overused assets. The sheer number of chequebooks these people have is overwhelming. But what made me enjoy it was the emotions. If I wasn't able to relate my life experiences and immerse myself into the game I likely would have felt cheated for spending 20 bucks on 90 minutes of game play.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:10
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Lord Windy posted:I'll agree with you on the overused assets. The sheer number of chequebooks these people have is overwhelming. I can understand and empathise with the characters of the story just as anyone can, but I cannot look past the fact that it could not be more generic in terms of basic plot. "Teenager runs away with love of her life" and "Father is disappointed with son" and "Family member has a drug problem" are well trodden ground.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:16
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Uhh, what family member has a drug problem? I don't remember anything about drugs in the game.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:28
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Reacon posted:On one hand, following the wake of Dear Esther is a beautiful collusion of level design and narrative to tell a story in subtle ways. On the other, it has several inconsistencies, can hardly be considered a game, and is /hardly/ worth the full $20. That's cool. Nobody has the same opinion, nor should they.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:31
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Reacon posted:I can understand and empathise with the characters of the story just as anyone can, but I cannot look past the fact that it could not be more generic in terms of basic plot. "Teenager runs away with love of her life" and "Father is disappointed with son" and "Family member has a drug problem" are well trodden ground. I didn't mean to say you were a robot and had no emotions, even just empathy wouldn't be enough for me to have enjoyed it. I said earlier in the thread that I was essentially Sam if our genders were reversed (my real name is even Samuel and I go by Sam). Sam's letters to Katie reminded a lot of what I went through my Highschool and early University days. My worries on coming out, and first loves and not knowing if they were gay as well, etc. My parents were very accepting of me being Gay, but I still had to leave nonetheless to find out who I was. I was more agreeing with you that if it didn't hit that exact spot, I probably wouldn't have liked it much either. I placed it in the 'good' rather than just 'unique' pile because it hit the mark exactly for me. If it couldn't do that for you, I would have rated it less than great as well.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:40
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Veotax posted:Uhh, what family member has a drug problem? I don't remember anything about drugs in the game. Oscar, the crazy uncle, had a morphine problem. Very depressed and referring to how his soul is unlikely to be saved. Then you see the morphine in his old safe along with a last letter to his sister. Probably took his own life.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:46
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Lord Windy posted:I'll agree with you on the overused assets. The sheer number of chequebooks these people have is overwhelming. House of the Three Ring Binders I know the game is laid out in a fairly linear way, but did anyone else not find any of the keys until the end? I made it downstairs by finding the secret passage from the guest room. From there I got into both the basement and the east wing and could have simply grabbed the attic key without having opened the locker or found the secret panels. All because I missed the reference map in the sewing room. I'm really glad for that button in the closet and that I happened to look up, otherwise I would've been completely confused and frustrated.
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Aug 18, 2013 07:52
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I'm missing just one journal entry - "Finding Lonnie" - can anyone give me a hint? Also never found the dad's porno stash.
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Aug 18, 2013 08:09
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Reacon posted:I can understand and empathise with the characters of the story just as anyone can, but I cannot look past the fact that it could not be more generic in terms of basic plot. "Teenager runs away with love of her life" and "Father is disappointed with son" and "Family member has a drug problem" are well trodden ground. Well yeah if you just gloss over 90% of the story and all of the nuance, then everything seems generic. "Basic plot" is by nature a very reductive point of comparison.
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Aug 18, 2013 08:21
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Sesquiculus posted:I'm missing just one journal entry - "Finding Lonnie" - can anyone give me a hint? Also never found the dad's porno stash. The second spoiler: Dad's stash is in the library, hidden at the bottom of a box of his old books.
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Aug 18, 2013 08:29
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Bought this game on a whim, since I love "feely" games. A lot of time it's just Lifetime Original Movie tripe. But sometimes... sometimes they get it right. E. Although one thing I never really found out: What was it that the previous owner did that was so bad? I found the letter in the safe between the walls that was mentioning forgiveness and being a wretch, but as far as I know he just had a pharmacy and a big house. VVVVV Cheers!... that's pretty brutal. CuddleCryptid fucked around with this message at 08:43 on Aug 18, 2013 |
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Aug 18, 2013 08:35
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DreamShipWrecked posted:Bought this game on a whim, since I love "feely" games. Answer is in this post: Cicadalek posted:Pretty good summary of the history between Terrence and Oscar here. Major spoilers obviously
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Aug 18, 2013 08:40
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DreamShipWrecked posted:A lot of time it's just Lifetime Original Movie tripe. But sometimes... sometimes they get it right. It was typical middle class domestic drama, which is fine, but it wasn't told in a way that made it worth revisiting, for me at least. I regret that this game did nothing for me, because I was looking forward to it after seeing the accolades. I understand the appeal and who this game is made for, or at least the people who'd be able to away more of an emotional experience from it, but I wish reviewers could be self-conscious enough to recognize that too and not go all 5/5 ;_; GOTY MUST PLAY OH U DINT CRY U SUM KINDA ROBOT????
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Aug 18, 2013 09:14
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I felt pretty nonplussed throughout the game, the feelings of fear or worry never really hitting me, I didn't know anyone in this game before I arrived at the house, how am I supposed to care that the house is empty if it was never really full in my mind at any stage? Also as far as the 'focus' of the story, the sister's lesbianism and elopement. (is that a word? gently caress it) it didn't really strike me as an emotionally appropriate or reasonable response. The family seemed genuinely loving and non dysfunctional, it seemed like the sister bailing out with a complete stranger who she has a teenage boner for was romanticized when in my mind that doesn't seem right at all. Although possibly I just don't understand because I'm not gay and don't live in America. Or that I didn't pick up on something key, or perhaps the sister is older than I thought... But yeah... This game simply primarily made me feel regret for the money I spent.
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Aug 18, 2013 09:18
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the gulper caper posted:It was typical middle class domestic drama, which is fine, but it wasn't told in a way that made it worth revisiting, for me at least. I regret that this game did nothing for me, because I was looking forward to it after seeing the accolades. I understand the appeal and who this game is made for, or at least the people who'd be able to away more of an emotional experience from it, but I wish reviewers could be self-conscious enough to recognize that too and not go all 5/5 ;_; GOTY MUST PLAY OH U DINT CRY U SUM KINDA ROBOT???? Reviewers don't give scores based on what someone else think. It's totally okay to not like the game, though. Sankis fucked around with this message at 09:21 on Aug 18, 2013 |
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Aug 18, 2013 09:19
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Just finished this and been crying for about a half hour since I finished it. gently caress.
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Aug 18, 2013 09:22
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So, uh Who else found the Pentagram with Oscar's photo and nametag under the main stairs? Is that connected to anything else, or just a darker part of the "ghost-hunting"/ouja-board-using that Lonnie/Sam did?
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Aug 18, 2013 09:43
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Everyone? The attic key is in there, you need to go under the stairs to complete the game. Sam and Lonnie were trying to 'put Oscar to rest' by exorcising his spirit from the house.
Veotax fucked around with this message at 11:00 on Aug 18, 2013 |
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Aug 18, 2013 09:56
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My impression was that the uncle was also gay, which would explain the extreme and long term level of ostracism from his family. He is meant to show the negatives of coming out and losing your place in your family and community. You learn about him (in the basement) before finding out that your sister has also been exposed to her parents and they too, seem to be unable to accept it.. This was a really amazing story game and I felt emotional playing it as I slowly worked out the situation. Think of this as more akin to buying a good book rather than buying a game.
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Aug 18, 2013 10:08
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