Let the Right One In and Play Videogames!
- Thread starter tendo82
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There is much agreement, especially with the bit about STALKER. Goodness that game was atmospheric.
Also, Let the Right One In is fantastic and you should all go see it. Yes, you, all you other people on this page.
Also, Let the Right One In is fantastic and you should all go see it. Yes, you, all you other people on this page.
Yes! That's what I think whenever I hear the argument about games comparing with other media, or to use the cliché, "gaming's Citizen Kane." Some people, especially outside observers such as film theorists, insist on judging games by their cinematic qualities (including story elements, characters and so on) instead of their interactive qualities. It's no wonder few game designers spare the time to make their great game into a great movie, but many games have a few cinematic qualities that, if combined, would be the equivalent of a classic movie.tendo82 said:
Weird. I also saw Let the Right One In on Sunday.
And I loved it. The final sequence with the swimming pool was genuinely shocking, in a way no cheap quick-cut could even compare. Definitely one of the best vampire movies I've seen.
I totally agree that LTROI could not work as a game. The pace is too deliberate, the shots too controlled, the action too subtle for any game to capture. Interesting to see some of the similarities to other games, though.
One aspect I think games could definitely improve is the camera. Ever since games went 3D, developers have struggled with the in-game camera, and movies like Let the Right One In are great examples of how important framing is to create a certain mood. I'd love to see a game developer take more liberties with the in-game camera and try to do something different with it.
And I loved it. The final sequence with the swimming pool was genuinely shocking, in a way no cheap quick-cut could even compare. Definitely one of the best vampire movies I've seen.
I totally agree that LTROI could not work as a game. The pace is too deliberate, the shots too controlled, the action too subtle for any game to capture. Interesting to see some of the similarities to other games, though.
One aspect I think games could definitely improve is the camera. Ever since games went 3D, developers have struggled with the in-game camera, and movies like Let the Right One In are great examples of how important framing is to create a certain mood. I'd love to see a game developer take more liberties with the in-game camera and try to do something different with it.
Interestingly, although I prefer the film to the book, it misses an awful lot of what makes the book so much more intelligent: particularly Eli's backstory. There's one hint in the film of something to do with this, but really it's completely passed over.
On the positive side, they also pass over some of the utter tripe that appears towards the end of the novel.
On the negative side, they seem to have recruited Puss in Boots from Shrek II to play the part of one of the computer generated cats.
Not that any of that is to do with video games...
On the positive side, they also pass over some of the utter tripe that appears towards the end of the novel.
On the negative side, they seem to have recruited Puss in Boots from Shrek II to play the part of one of the computer generated cats.
Not that any of that is to do with video games...
Spot on! Very good observations and I couldn?t agree more. Particularly with regard to S.T.A.L.K.E.R., which still continues to catch me like a fly in amber (certainly not good for survival, though). The first thunderstorm had me standing there for a good five minutes straight. I love games that can sweep me away like that.
It's certainly a fantastic film, one of the best I've seen in the past few months. But yeah, you make a very good point on games and movies being fundamentally different media, despite the similarities they share. There are plenty of games out there that can move you and make an impact, just like some of the best examples of cinema -- but games don't have to follow the same rules or the same paths to get there.
Interestingly enough, I'd say the game that gave me the closest thing to the experience I had with Let The Right One In, was another recent release; Tale of Tales' The Path. It's an immersive, unsettling and not particularly fun experience, but there are elements and imagery in there that really stays with you. And it's the fact that it's not exactly what we've come to expect from a game, but it's nonetheless an interactive experience, that makes it all the more poignant, IMO.
Interestingly enough, I'd say the game that gave me the closest thing to the experience I had with Let The Right One In, was another recent release; Tale of Tales' The Path. It's an immersive, unsettling and not particularly fun experience, but there are elements and imagery in there that really stays with you. And it's the fact that it's not exactly what we've come to expect from a game, but it's nonetheless an interactive experience, that makes it all the more poignant, IMO.
