...Let us leave the confusion and all this illusion behind / Like birds of a feather on a rainbow together we'll find....

And another game has been cast down from the Hall of Shame: Pack your bags Leisure Suit Larry 7 Love for Sail!. You're outta here!

Original image located here. Accessed 9th October 2015

I find some interesting parallels between Leisure Suit Larry 7 and Final Fantasy 7. Namely:

• Both are are the seventh installment of their respective franchises (well.....maybe not Larry). 
• Both came out at roughly the same time (Larry 7 in October 1996, FF7 in January 1997)
• Larry got a significant graphical upgrade with it's animation and art style. FF7 drummed up a lot of buzz with it's use of cinematics.
• Both games took a successful formula and added a whole of new features on top
• And both are largely regarded as being the pinnacle of the franchises

Of course, I'm only pointing out these parallels because I find it funny. Let's talk about Leisure Suit Larry 7:
Really, the mid-to-late nineties was a strange time for Adventure games. Generally it was a given that for the past decade the genre had gotten by on the notion that solid, and humorous, writing would overcome any technical limitations. However by this time, the technology had advanced to a point where it could match the writing on equal terms. So whilst we have games like Larry 7, Curse of Monkey Island, and excellent Grim Fandango, they arrived at a point where the genre was dying off. Still, one can't refute the satisfaction of seeing a genre end on a high note. And Larry 7 certainly belongs as one of best adventure games made.

When playing this game, one thing struck me is that this is game that, clearly, has been made with passion. It's as if Al Lowe and his team realized the tools they had at their disposal and put in all their effort to making the best game they could - and it shows considerably.
Firstly, the design of the game works a treat: It is easy to move around the ship setting and never once is it possible to die or end up in in an unwinnable situation - and coming from Sierra that's saying a lot. Secondly there's the graphics: The animation and art direction is superb and, for the first time, really fits the mood of the series. Thirdly the music is great: the midi music is finally ditched and in it's place are some really snappy jazz tunes. Fourthly the voice again keeps the pace set by the previous game and never once slips up. Larry is still pathetic, the narrator is still in scene-stealing form but credit must go to the hilarious Peg (seriously, she needs her own game). Fifthly, the humor is great: there are jokes that are laugh-out funny and there are various allusions to The Simpsons and Looney Tunes. And finally there are the additional features. Gimmicky I know but they had some amusement value.

In a way, perhaps it is fitting that this be the last Larry game that Al Lowe worked on. Larry 7 does everything so right, that it a followup may be near impossible to achieve. True there was that teaser at the end of the credits of Larry 7 but such a game has yet to emerge - even when Al has suggested he's still keen to make it happen. But if Larry 8 never shows, I'm not bothered. In fact, maybe it;s better that the series end at Larry 7 (of course, there are the bastardized sequels but we don't talk about them...)

So yeah Larry 7's reputation as the pinnacle of the series is justified and it's easily one of the best entrants in the adventure game genre. It's aged remarkably well and certainly worth a go.

Hasta la Vista baby!

Another game has been given the boot from my Hall of Shame: Grim Fandango!

As mentioned earlier, I was one of the lucky ones who managed to get this game through purchasing it from a store shelf. And once again this was one of those games that carried with it a huge amount of expectation: Best adventure game EVAH, the last great Adventure game LucasArts made, a flop that didn’t sell enough due to everyone else playing FPS shooters at the time. And once again this was a game that possessed enough mythical qualities that it threatened to overshadow the game itself.

So what did I think of it?
If anything it was a surprise.

It’s been established before that I’ve never latched onto the fifth generation/late nineties period of gaming. Having grown up with the previous generations, I found a lot to dislike about the then current generation: I thought the graphics looked hideous, the 3d worlds looked boring and restrictive and was puzzled as to how the actual gameplay would work. Of course in the years since, my view has softened and I’ve found much to enjoy from that period of gaming history – yet the issues I had at the time still resonate.
And it’s those issues that may have influenced my experience with Grim Fandango. And having spent last summer playing a lot of LucasArts adventures, the first impressions with Grim Fandango weren’t pretty. Some of the character models looked weird, the mouse interface was sorely missed, the use of the keyboard was problematic and the transitions from cutscene to gameplay were painfully obvious.

Nevertheless I pressed ahead and, as I went on, I found a lot to admire about Grim Fandango. True I may have issues with the gameplay but there was indeed strength within the story that the game wanted to tell. It’s kinda funny how people these days grumble about games being too much story and not enough game but this is one case where the story is more than enough to save whatever failings the gameplay may have (To the Moon anyone?).
One thing I really got out of the story is how it really feels like conveys the sense of time and how it really looks like it’s playing out across four years of a character’s life (ironic when the character in question is DEAD). It was fascinating to see Manny go through various careers and display a wide range of ambitions. Actually now I think of it, one really does get a sense of identity being conveyed throughout the game both in finding and utilization – that may have been intentional but personally I’d rather state the obvious than miss something by a country mile. And personally I’d rather have any game trying to say something to its audience any day of the week.
So yes, the story is indeed a strong one in Grim Fandango so what about the rest of it? I love the design and art direction throughout the game (the brief foray into the world of the living is a hoot). The various references to Casablanca are great and I will admit I even developed an attachment to Glotis. 
Is all of it enough for me to ignore the gameplay issues? Yes I think so.

Mind you, playing Grim Fandango with the hindsight that it’s the last shining moment of the adventure game genre does indeed present an interesting perspective. Indeed, one gets the idea that this was the final peak – it delivered on so many levels that there wasn’t really much left for the genre to say. Thus perhaps it wasn’t surprising that the adventure game more or less died in the wake of Grim Fandango – indeed nothing that has followed since has really reached the peaks LucasArts achieved (okay maybe Time Gentlemen Please but even that was commentary on the genre).
Still even if Grim Fandango was the end point for the adventure game genre it certainly was a grand way to bow out.

So yeah: Grim Fandango is awesome. It may not have been a big hit but to me playing it is akin to being admitted to a secret club where no one else knows of it and it’s all yours to enjoy.
And no one can take that away from you.

Join the DotTs

Hey: 12/12/12

Anyway, Simon the Sorcerer wasn't the only game I beat last weekend: Another game has been struck down from my Hall of Shame in the form of the adventuring classic Day of the Tentacle.

I mentioned earlier this week in that the graphic adventuring games have always been something that has constantly eluded me: In particular, the LucasArts games that have been held in constantly high regard during the nineties (and still do). So, in the name of tracking things down that may have escaped my notice first time around, I was fortunate enough to pick up several titles for a really cheap price. These titles were The Dig, Sam and Max Hit the Road, Grim Fandango and Curse of Monkey Island. As these titles are hard to track down nowadays you wouldn't think that I got these games, in 2006 may I add, for a really good price. And you certainly wouldn't think that I got these games at my local Post Office.
Yet it is only now that I've been able to finally get them working. Needless to say, as this is my first time encountering these games (with the exception of The Dig) it would be interesting to see how these games hold up. Plus, it is always reassuring to know that LucasArts made something that didn't have the Star Wars brand attached to it.

So about Day of the Tentacle. I was fortunate to pick this up online based around the understanding that it was one of, if not THE, finest game of it's genre. Looking back I feel compelled to agree: There is certainly a lot going for Day of the Tentacle: The graphics are nice to look at, the animation is great, there's a lot of hilarious jokes and some real inventive solutions to the many puzzles throughout this game. The time travel element is used to great effect and the voice acting, the first of it's kind may I add, is remarkably stellar. Throw in a surprisingly threatening villain and

All in all, there's not a lot I can add about Day of the Tentacle that hasn't already been said before. The game has endured the passage of time remarkably well and still looks great nineteen years on.
Guess it goes to show that, once again, if it's well regarded it's often for good reason.