Keep Calm and Feel Emotions

[T'Generalissimo]

Fahrenheit was roughly one part brilliance to two parts nonsense

Wait, what are you using to measure that? I counted one part brilliance to ninety-nine parts nonsense.

 

[SlightlyEvil]

So the game is written like shit. Don't really see what's so "hateable" about it.

But then again, I'm the kind of person that never hates anything in general entertainment.

The problem is that the story is the main draw here. We're supposed to give the generally lackluster gameplay a pass because the story makes up for it. I'd be willing to accept that logic if only the story weren't, as established, shit.

 

[Kurt Cristal]

Little known fact, Quantic Dream DID production work for a film. An actual film. It was one of the first "digital backlot" films made, and it shows. This was back in 2004, the film is called "Immortal".


Yeah that's a pretty cool trailer! The movie is crap though. There so much nonsense you'd think David Cage had a hand in it himself. And if you decided you like the trailer and want to watch it.... I apologize in advance.

 

[2xDouble]

By all means, Cory and Grey, explain to us what it's really like to be a shut-in teenage girl with superpowers at a party full of (22-year-old) high school asshats you've never met before.

...while another bored teenager lazily narrates over it, damn half-assed let's play. Show them how it's done, Jesse Cox [http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=SPFx-KViPXIkGplpvoMdsdF2b7qbf31XEH&feature=player_detailpage&v=q3WU_4jGXZ4#t=449].

 

[oldtaku]

Well that's because the PS3 just doesn't have enough horsepower. The PS4 may finally allow him to achieve emotional connection with the audience!

http://www.edge-online.com/review/the-stanley-parable-review/ :

The Stanley Parable is brave. It's brave because it offers the freedom to define the parameters of your experience. It's brave because it's willing to explore the ways in which games manipulate players, and to extrapolate that point into a discussion of the way we are all manipulated by the structures of real life. It?s brave because it's willing to make fun of itself. Are you interested in game design? Play it. Did you enjoy Portal's sense of humour? Play it. Are you David Cage? Please, please play it

 

[Ruisu]

I think it might be one of those cases where it's hard to separate the artist from the art. David Cage generally acts like he's the savior of storytelling in games and usually sounds like he hates the medium.

Might be. I'm not saying I like the game though. Most of the time playing I was like "well, that is kind of boring", and then gave it back to the person who lend me it.

So the game is written like shit. Don't really see what's so "hateable" about it.

But then again, I'm the kind of person that never hates anything in general entertainment.

People tend to dislike shit. People tend to use "hate" to describe dislike. Believe it or not, hate doesn't have to involve "Hello, My Name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die" levels of vitriol to be used. Some people throw it around like candy, yes, but so what? In any case, there's plenty of reason to dislike a game whose primary focus is on the narrative if the narrative is shit.

Or is it hate for Cage himself? Well, there's plenty to dislike about pretentious assholes. Now, I know, "pretentious" gets thrown around a lot, but the guy is a shit writer/stroyteller who is so far up his own ass regarding his artistic vision you would think he was Scorsese, Kurosawa, Ford and Jackson rolled into one amazingly shiny package. But since I've established that dislike=hate, that's not really puzzling either.

Dislike is not the same as hate though. If you dislike something you will state it after trying it out and then leave it to have something you like.
When you hate something you'll actively listen and pay attention to things related to it and keep bringing back the "topic" about it, as if it revolts you.
For example, I hate people who say videogames are almost solely responsible for violence. It personaly annoys me, because it can also get in my way as a gamer. Whenever an article disproves such claims I will seek them out and share with people I know.

I dislike milk without chocolate. So I always have chocolate with my milk.

See? I'm not talking about the word itself, but about the level of "dislike" of something.

The again, the reason I think Grey hates the game(or cage) with passion may be because I see him bringing up the subject quite a few times in his twitter.

The problem is that the story is the main draw here. We're supposed to give the generally lackluster gameplay a pass because the story makes up for it. I'd be willing to accept that logic if only the story weren't, as established, shit.

Yeah, I'm not saying the game is good, just saying I don't see it as a "hateable" game.

Little known fact, Quantic Dream DID production work for a film. An actual film. It was one of the first "digital backlot" films made, and it shows. This was back in 2004, the film is called "Immortal".


Yeah that's a pretty cool trailer! The movie is crap though. There so much nonsense you'd think David Cage had a hand in it himself. And if you decided you like the trailer and want to watch it.... I apologize in advance.

OH I remember this movie. Kind of.
I don't actually remember any of it's plot, but it looked really cool.

 

[Lonewolfm16]

Other than the whole "young girl gets psychic powers" angle is Beyond Two Souls really that much like Carrie? I mean, I would think Chronicle was more like Carrie than Beyond Two Souls.

 

[oldtaku]

I'm really looking forward to what Cage can make for the PS4.

Whatever it is, it still won't have a fraction of the depth of something like Thomas Was Alone until he figures out that it's great writing and characters, not polygons, that lead to emotional connection.

Still, I'm really looking forward to it as well, though maybe not for the same reasons.

 

[Mister K]

And if ONLY someone persuaded him into making this story straight (i.e. without time jumps) it would have been a lot better.

I am watching a lets play of it, and one of the lets players (Woolie) said something about one particular scene ( I won't tell which) that stuck with me.
It was something like this (not direct quote): "See? This is what I am talking about! I FEEL emotions, but I have nothing to attach them to. I have no background for them, I don't know what led to this point. And that is why those feelings are lost."

Yeah, pretty much this.

 

[cricket chirps]

OKAY

Where is all this coming from?!
When Heavy Rain came out I heard mostly positive critic reviews and nothing but good will towards the game and fun times from my friends who had played it. I've watched two different full "lets plays" of Beyond from different people and both were entertaining and interesting to watch, there were no truly horrendous moments in either play through to make me think the game was as "career ruining" as a few people are making out to be lately.

Seriously, where is all this coming from?
Long in depth and preferably as impartial as possible explanations are welcomely invited to show me why this game, and apparently heavy rain, are suddenly being viewed as well...pieces of s#!* instead of rather different games that break out of the monotony we usually get.

 

[corronchilejano]

Other than the whole "young girl gets psychic powers" angle is Beyond Two Souls really that much like Carrie? I mean, I would think Chronicle was more like Carrie than Beyond Two Souls.

In the original carrie, she's having a good time and then is humiliated in front of her peers. She then locks them inside the ball room and proceeds to lash out at them, finally burning the place down (one of the ways the scene can end).

Here's the 1976 original version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOqBBf0Eqj8

There's no killing in this scene, but you have to admit it follows the same arc: Girls starts enjoying herself, is singled out, is then humiliated and proceeds to take revenge.

 

[PunkRex]

Those first two panels man, if those don't inspire some fan art I quit.

OT: Poor Cage, for a man so obsessed with emotions he has one of the blandest faces i've ever seen.

 

[The Wooster]

So the game is written like shit. Don't really see what's so "hateable" about it.

But then again, I'm the kind of person that never hates anything in general entertainment.

The writing is 90% of the game, and while I'm certainly not a great writer, Cage's utter disregard for the basics of the craft leaves me seething.

And if ONLY someone persuaded him into making this story straight (i.e. without time jumps) it would have been a lot better.

I am watching a lets play of it, and one of the lets players (Woolie) said something about one particular scene ( I won't tell which) that stuck with me.
It was something like this (not direct quote): "See? This is what I am talking about! I FEEL emotions, but I have nothing to attach them to. I have no background for them, I don't know what led to this point. And that is why those feelings are lost."

Yeah, pretty much this.

The game would be bad even if it had a linear narrative, but the time jumps push it into the terrible zone. At one point, you have to answer questions about Jodie's past, and the idea is that you can choose to cooperate or lie. The problem is, we haven't seen that part of Jodie's past yet, so we're essentially guessing. Very strange.

Fahrenheit was roughly one part brilliance to two parts nonsense

Wait, what are you using to measure that? I counted one part brilliance to ninety-nine parts nonsense.

The first third is fantastic. The second is okay. The third makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

OH I remember this movie. Kind of.
I don't actually remember any of it's plot, but it looked really cool.

Read the comic it's based on. It's a classic.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Just saw the video you linked, and yeah. That was a load of crap. Shame, because it could have been okay.

But, really? All the "mostly" nice kids just all go ape shit on her because her gift is a book?[sub]Not that that was the only dumb thing about it.[/sub]

Side note: if this kind of thing happens a lot with her, why in the hell did they let the party go on without a chaperone?

 

[Pyrian]

Hack writing = the pinnacle of videogame storytelling.

Well, comedies are the pinnacle of videogame storytelling. Other than, say, Portal, it's kind of a wasteland out there.

 

[Zenron]

This would have probably been more funny if I hadn't seen Grey make this joke on twitter the other day.

It was however, very... emotional.

But anyway, the writing of Quantic Dream games has never been their strong point. At times their games are really tense and exciting and for that I actually quite like them, but they have no idea how to structure a story or create complex characters.

Writing IS most of the game, but I can't help but find it incredibly engaging at times. I can't say I really know enough about game theory to tell you why though.

 

[Piorn]

I think Cage should work together with Raphael from the Stanley Parable Trailer, to make a game that is logical, but also has all emotions and freedom.

 

[kenu12345]

And here I am one of the people that liked the game. Oh well I'll just go sit in a corner

 

[MrBaskerville]

Hack writing = the pinnacle of videogame storytelling.

Well, comedies are the pinnacle of videogame storytelling. Other than, say, Portal, it's kind of a wasteland out there.

I agree that it's a wasteland, but i'd probably say Yakuza instead of Portal and i'd mention a couple of point'n click adventures (Broken Sword among others) but aside from that, it's pretty depressing.

 

[Voulan]

I'm watching a Let's Play on it by Two Best Friends.... holy crap....

Just, painful to watch. How can a game of this time, up to date graphics, with a better budget overall be worse then Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy, especially Indigo Prophecy?! I pretty much enjoyed Heavy Rain... despite the heavy flaws. Indigo Prophecy was just sad to watch. This game however, Beyond Two Souls is painful to watch and not only full of errors but also just lacking in everything.

David Cage, please... dude, just take your time and read some books. See how real writings done or at least try character development without-

A bunch of rape scenes involved, with time skipping, and never letting Jodie get a chance of being happy. Seriously, every part in her entire life is just crappy on her part. I'm surprised she's a functional human being after all this bullcrap. We can't get attached to a character if nothing good ever happens to them, with SO MANY problems with the way you go about the story.

And also having her teleport out of a car with no explination that just crashed into a wall. No, just, no!

I'm watching the same LP. I wouldn't be able to get through it if I didn't get to hear them rage through the whole thing. The inconsistencies and plot holes set my teeth on edge, but everything in your spoiler actually made me angry, which no other game has made me feel. Especially that stupid car scene you mentioned. But more so the apparently sexist ideas Cage gets with women, with those scenes you mention constantly reappearing. And that asshole boyfriend of hers that for some reason she went for, despite his ruining her life with Dafoe, treating her horribly, and how in reality he would be court marshalled for doing so. Women don't do that! And they especially don't strut around in their underwear in their massive apartments at every occasion. Cage is a walking stereotype generator that doesn't even put in an iota of common sense into his own writing. It's almost offensively bad.

It's so sad that the whole David Cage bingo thing actually works multiple times. Like, depressingly so.