Keep Calm and Feel Emotions
- Thread starter The Wooster
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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.Pyrian said:Well, comedies are the pinnacle of videogame storytelling. Other than, say, Portal, it's kind of a wasteland out there.MrBaskerville said:Hack writing = the pinnacle of videogame storytelling.
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.Caramel Frappe said:
It's so sad that the whole David Cage bingo thing actually works multiple times. Like, depressingly so.
He's my new Molyneux.Maphysto said:
I haven't played this game yet, but I've played the others, and I completely relate with how they felt about Omikron and Fahrenheit, though I hated Heavy Rain less than most I think. David seems to have fallen into a pit of pretentiousness, which is a shame, since the technology is there to see visions like his early work, especially Omikron, really become something spectacular. I haven't given up on him yet, but he's not making it easy.
I think I got much more enjoyment out of this game by watching the Two Best Friends play it as opposed to actually buying it myself.
Sadly, he isn't the only one. Ever heard of Jennifer Hepler?Arslan Aladeen said:
Just because it's different doesn't mean it's good. These cinematic games could have been great, treading the fine line between games and movies. But their main point is the story, and if that is bad, then the whole game is bad. Honestly, until we get actually good writers in the industry, devs should just make games with good gameplay, and leave the story in a secondary plane. Most games (specially recent games) that have been praised for their story, I've personally found them at the level of fanfics, or worse.cricket chirps said:
OT: for once, I agree with Grey. I found that Heavy Rain was a very mediocre story; B:TS was just terrible, in many ways.
I've been watching Matt n Pat from Two Best Friends Play along with their friend Woolie play through the entire game and its been so good. Just constantly mocking the game and being angry at its stupidity and then the utter amazement when it seems to do something well and almost instantly fucks it up a moment later. David Cage just can't write or direct a proper story at all and so many of that games scenes are cringe-worthy bad.
I thought David Cage was ripping off Firestarter, but I suppose Carrie makes more sense in light of the remake which made the title character an up and coming Sith Lord.
Yes, I liked Heavy Rain, still kinda do. However, as a game it doesn't really work, but that's okay since it's all about telling a story interactiv- but the story has plot holes you could fly a stealth bomber through. It's almost Mass Effect-like how the reporter making it to where the boy is hidden leads to the shifty cop finding out where the dad is in the finale.
Yes, I liked Heavy Rain, still kinda do. However, as a game it doesn't really work, but that's okay since it's all about telling a story interactiv- but the story has plot holes you could fly a stealth bomber through. It's almost Mass Effect-like how the reporter making it to where the boy is hidden leads to the shifty cop finding out where the dad is in the finale.
This post will be a bit of a derail, but I feel it's an important one; namely, to point out the difference between story and storytelling.wAriot said:
A mediocre or even outright bad story can sometimes be saved if it's presented in a fresh or engaging way. I think this is where video games really have a chance to shine, as they can involve the player in the story in ways that a book, movie or tv show simply can't.
A good example of this would be Bastion. The plot is very simple: an undisclosed disaster hits a nation, killing nearly everyone, and the player character must hack and slash his way through what's left of the world so he and the other survivors can find a better life. Hardly Pulitzer material, obviously, but it's the way the story is presented, through constant narration of the player's actions and surroundings, that make it memorable. Another good example is Shadow of the Colossus' minimalistic style of exposition, where it simply shows a brief cutscene at the beginning of the game explaining what the protagonist's motivation is, and leaves the rest for the player to deduce or imagine on his own.
To bring this back on topic, Cage's works are a prime example of games which fail to provide either new or refreshing stories, or engaging storytelling. His writing style could best be described as "David Cage goes through his DVD collection and picks a few to be derivative of", and the presentation is essentially just a long cutscene that the player occasionally has to press buttons in.
So, while I feel that Cage's goals and hopes for the videogame industry are noble, he's done more to set the industry back than move it forward. Couple that with his arrogance and he becomes pretty much anathema to games in my eyes.
That name sort of sounds familiar. What's she worked on that I would know?wAriot said:
OT: Brilliant strip today, guys! And Erin in the fancy gown? Nice. More please.
i'd definitely add SpecOps: The Line to that list, as it genuinely accomplishes what Beyond seems to be failing so spectacularly to.MrBaskerville said: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.Pyrian said:Well, comedies are the pinnacle of videogame storytelling. Other than, say, Portal, it's kind of a wasteland out there.MrBaskerville said:Hack writing = the pinnacle of videogame storytelling.
Mr. Cage, the only emotion you've inspired from me is apathy. Give yourself a round of applause and then go sit in the corner.
I don't know, while I do agree that most games don't have stellar writing, I still think there are plenty of games that have pretty decent writing. Of course, that all comes down to subjectivity for the most part I suppose. What appeals to me in a story might not appeal to you.Pyrian said:Well, comedies are the pinnacle of videogame storytelling. Other than, say, Portal, it's kind of a wasteland out there.MrBaskerville said:Hack writing = the pinnacle of videogame storytelling.
That being said, from what I've seen in BTS so far via Two Best Friends, the writing and characterization are pretty bad.
Have you seen the whole story? Here are examples of things that all occupy the same game at once.Ruisu said:
Cartoonishly humble homeless people
James Bond style Evil underwater Chinese ghost doom base
Cliched teenage angst complete with goth/punk look
Multiple attempted rape scenes
Delivering a baby
Native American demon and rituals
Getting shot while possessed hurts except all the times it doesn't
Dating
Ellen Page dressed in a schoolgirl outfit listed as "sexy" (David Cage DX)
Multiple creepy shower scenes (Oh David DX)
A gang of people who film themselves beating up homeless people for youtube???
Evil government conspiracy
Sequil bait ending
The game is also choc a bloc with messy storytelling and contradictions.
In almost every thread about Cage/Quantic Dream, I've never seen anyone mention Omikron: The Nomad Soul, their first title. I haven't finished it myself, but I think it's closer to an actual "game" than any of their later releases. Sure it's still got the tank driving controls, but the story is mostly kinda neat. Plus, it's got David Bowie.