One Chance...

[fulano]

I did a quick search to make sure I wasn't reposting anything, and then I just ran into this thread just a second before I started this one: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.249474-Why-do-we-feel-a-need-to-justify-video-games-as-art?page=2 . And I thought this would be a fine way of giving my input to it.

Originally I made this thread after I played the game. Here, check it out: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/555181

I've seen emotional, deep films, like Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, The Reader, malena, etc., and to me, they don't hold a candle to this this sorry ass flash game. They, oddly, didn't move me the way this thing did.

Games aren't by definition art, but they can be art at times, even if just a little bit. Especially to these generations of ours who grew up on them.

Hope you like this game, and please leave comments. I think the creator deserves at least some props.

Laters.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I don't care for it. It isn't a game about choices but rather a game that punishes curiosity. The way one wins (finds the cure) is by:

Spoiler

going to work at every opportunity

.

One can readily fail in this regard simply by trying to figure out their options.

 

[wulfy42]

It's been awhile but if I remember right you need to make another choice (then the one you mentioned in the spoiler) at least once to get the best ending. I didn't really find the game that enjoyable though because there was just....not enough choices really.

More choices and for that matter harder ones....would have made it more enjoyable.

It's a cool concept, especially if you only really play it once.....but I think it needs to be expanded on.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

Well, I found the cure. But now, I'm all alone with my daughter on the bench.

Was kinda sad coming home to a dead wife... and the music.

 

[tlozoot]

I'm going to necro this topic, rather than post one of my own. Perhaps we can get a bit more discussion going on here.

Just played the game myself. Quite an interesting little flash games. Slightly more introspective than a lot of games, and not being able to replay it, and having to live with how the one playthrough turned out, hammers it home quite nicely.

If you haven't played the game yet, then do. It took me under 15 minutes.

I only went into work 4/5 of the days, because I had an inclining that if I kept at it, I would find a cure. Of course, it was mostly too late, and everyone but my daughter and I had died, including my wife who committed suicide. That didn't bother me too much - I knew that by spending time with her and perhaps having her live the cure wouldn't have been found. It was a nice touch though. I guess the real question here would be: is the cure worth it? You end up neglecting your family and in the end it's just you two left alive, it seems.,

For a 15 minute game it's quite good. Could have done with emphasising the central choice though: work on a potentially hopeless cure vs. spend your last days with your loved ones.

 

[Nyaliva]

This was one of the most emotional and moving games I've ever played, I absolutely loved it. I have access to three different computers so I was able to get a few different endings. I found myself feeling like I was actually in the game, I nearly cried a number of times, I got a shock and felt like banging my fist on the bench when I got the "Jim" ending (those who've got it will understand) and it just captured me so fully in a way that no other game has. I really wish I could play through a few more times to see what emotional ending I still need to get. Loved every second of it.

 

[Tim Latshaw]

I don't care for it. It isn't a game about choices but rather a game that punishes curiosity. The way one wins (finds the cure) is by:

Spoiler

going to work at every opportunity

.

One can readily fail in this regard simply by trying to figure out their options.

Actually, I think that's the point. In most games, choices don't really matter because we always know we can play again and make different decisions if we want to, or the consequences of our choices are often broadcast so clearly that we have a pretty good idea what will happen. This game isn't like that, much like certain aspects of life.

I also thought it was interesting that you determined a "win" factor was in this game. None of the endings I've experienced or read made it feel like anything beneficial really happened. No matter what you do, there's never much hope.

 

[El Poncho]

If you decide not to work and stay home with the family you

Spoiler

Come across one of your colleagues who trys to stab you, if you defend he murders your family then hangs himself, I assume you die if you don't defend

edit: I did try work all the time first but this is more saddening I reckon.

Spoiler

The second time the women asks for some rumpy pumpy and you take it you go home and your wife takes Molly to her mums, is that a better ending because you don't have to see them die?

 

[Rednog]

Here's a summary of my general experience:
6 Days to save the world, I only have one chance.
Me: Hmm I wonder what is going to cause the end of the world, and I really hope this once chance thing isn't some stupid event that is easy to miss or some quicktime event.
Wake up, hmm not a bad place, could you some more decor, exploration time! Molly's room, sure why not, oh so I have a child...and she doesn't want to go to school... yea I'm going to leave now.
Hey a wife, not bad a little homely looking, hopefully I'm tapping the hot secretary at work.
Hey a newspaper, what?! I cured fucking cancer! HELL YEA. Who da man! Hey Molly you know what you don't have to go to school, papa is going to be a fucking millionaire!
....well nothing to interact with at home...guess I have to go to work.
>Some douche< Well if isn't the hero
Me: Damn right! *brushes shoulders*
Hey everyone in work is congratulating me, hey some chicks want to get out of here and celebrate, why not? We deserve a break, screw work.

Next day, 5 days left huh...I still haven't seen anything to indicate the end of the world, so whatever.
Why is there a discarded shirt on my floor, did no one bother to pick it up? The hell?
Nothing interesting at home, oh look the paper...Oh sweet mother of god curing cancer is what is going to end the world...seriously you had to rip off The Road...I swear to god if this ends up the same way where the wife offs herself and I end up traveling alone in the world with this kid I am going to be so pissed.
Hey look the banner is gone...I guess with the end of the world being announced removing that banner was a top priority.
Hmm there is a roof access? Might as well check it out in case I ever decide to jump later in this. Hey look some dude is there...oh and he jumped...huh, didn't really know him might as well get back to work--oh great the day ends because the dude jumped off the roof. Oh and I got to meet the president...I guess that dude jumping from the roof was a plus.

4 Days left. Might as well finally get to work and try to save the world.
Wife isn't getting out of bed, oh and look more shirts on the floor...seriously who is doing this? I'm clearly wearing a labcoat and a dark shirt, can't be me. Kid now wants to know why she can't go to school today. Good question!
Newspaper time, oh lovely so apparently my cure has magically turned into a virus...I want to know why and how. There was no mention before that my cure was a virus that cured cancer, but apparently now its a virus that kills cells. I really wish I would've spent more time in Soft Science 101 at Fun University...ah good old FU.
Anyways work....wow I finally got a day of work done...too bad it seems like I just stood there.

3 Days left. Wife still not getting out of bed, more shirts on the ground...screw her.
Another newspaper, people expected to die etc etc...wow I really hope I can go find a cure and that my colleagues have been hard at work and I can swoop in to save the day. Oh holy jesus how did everyone just appear outside my house when I bent over to pick up the paper?! They want me to go to work, that was the plan, I didn't think everyone needed to make a road trip to my house. Go to work, hey the hot co-worker wants to skip out on work...giggidy...oh yea we're doing it in the car. Finally! Hey look it's dark now, wow, I must've been a real stud to spend a whole day rocking that chick's boat. Oh look red coming out of the bathroom. *Knock Knock* Honey? Are in you there most likely dead or bleeding out? I really hope you picked up your fucking shirts off the bedroom floor before you decided to kill yourself. Oh and thanks for over filling the top to the point that when you bled out it would cover the bathroom floor and leak into the hallway. Whatever, I'm going to bed. Oh I can't guess I have to go look at her body, guess I should pretend like I was grief struck just in case the cops show up and think I killed her, I'll just kneel in her blood for a bit.

2 Days left.
Hey the kid was standing in my room when I was sleeping, not creepy at all. Guess I decided to ditch my lab coat. And the kid rides my back like a monkey, lovely. The kid wants to know where mommy is, guess I'll take the 5 foot walk to the bathroom and show her. Oh the body is gone but the blood is still all over the place, guess you came back as a zombie or something honey...still didn't clean up after yourself...
Paper: 50% dying yatta yatta. Oh look I can go to the park or work. Yea probably should get on with the work thing and find that cure.
Oh look everyone at work is dead. God knows why these people got up in the morning, got dressed, and came to work to kill themselves in the hallway. Oh well, it might be time to check out the roof and see if I can finally jump, oh wait the boss is somehow still alive, he reassures me he isn't going to jump and apparently I can't either. Oh well work, stood around again, kid played on the floor with a ball.

Today every thing dies, apparently I HAD my chance....no, no I did not. Well got up out of bed, kid monkeys on my back, I ditch her in the hallway with the corpses like a responsible parent and go into my lab, oh look I keel over and die. Well I guess dying alone was the way to go...and not you know dying with my kid, the corpses will look after her, or maybe my zombie wife will come along and take the kid.

 

[tlozoot]

This was one of the most emotional and moving games I've ever played, I absolutely loved it. I have access to three different computers so I was able to get a few different endings. I found myself feeling like I was actually in the game, I nearly cried a number of times, I got a shock and felt like banging my fist on the bench when I got the "Jim" ending (those who've got it will understand) and it just captured me so fully in a way that no other game has. I really wish I could play through a few more times to see what emotional ending I still need to get. Loved every second of it.

Your post was positive to the point where I suspect sarcasm, although I'm something of a cynic. =p

 

[King Kupofried]

I don't care for it, I played it a while ago.
I found nothing emotional or deep about it. None of the characters provoke any sort of empathy. My first play through I worked every day possible without problem, I felt no desire to do otherwise. This is bad as I am often very quick to get attached to characters.
Neither your wife or your daughter attempt to give you any reason to stay, very little dialog is used, which is not a bad thing, but none of it is used effectively. Take your daughters lines:

Spoiler

Day 1 "Do I really have to go to school?"
Day 2 "Mom is in the tub."
Day 3 "Why is there no school"

That's pretty much all you hear of her over half of the game. What about her inspires me to spend time with my family? No "I love you"? No "Play with me!"? No begging me not to go to work? All very minor lines that very easily could have added to the pull to wonder if it is worth ignoring my family to try and save the world? The game does nothing to make me actually care about what happens to anyone around me.
Then if you do spend time with your family, the reward is no better.

Spoiler

A still frame of your family just sitting. No expressions, doing nothing, just sitting. Nothing.

It's an interesting game, a nice break from the shooty or slashy type flash games, I would like to see more, but I don't think it deserves the praise it is getting. A few very minor changes could have made it a great deal better.

 

[Fujor]

I played this game the other week week and oddly I felt it was one of the purest story telling games i've played in a long time.

simple to the point of insulting it still manages to make you feel something for the characters and also conveys the sense of carnage simply by making you repeat the same task but changing the background.

very clever.

i got the park ending with his daughter.

 

[Nyaliva]

This was one of the most emotional and moving games I've ever played, I absolutely loved it. I have access to three different computers so I was able to get a few different endings. I found myself feeling like I was actually in the game, I nearly cried a number of times, I got a shock and felt like banging my fist on the bench when I got the "Jim" ending (those who've got it will understand) and it just captured me so fully in a way that no other game has. I really wish I could play through a few more times to see what emotional ending I still need to get. Loved every second of it.

Your post was positive to the point where I suspect sarcasm, although I'm something of a cynic. =p

No sarcasm, I'm absolutely serious. I love pixel-type games, mostly because they look retro but also because they tend to be the ones focused on a clear and excellent storyline filled with good drama and interesting plot developments. If you've played Looming or Endeavour you'd know what I'm on about. But again, a lot of the times it's done to look retro, as in Cat Astro Phi. Please don't ban me for advertising!

 

[Skoldpadda]

I don't know about the game, but it's a good Modest Mouse song.

 

[Vohn_exel]

Hilarious snip

Ah man, I love posts like this! Still, I might check this game out sometimes. Seems like it could be a good bit of fun.

 

[number2301]

God damn it I wanted to have a second run through and thought deleting my cookies would let me do that. Nope it doesn't. Can't quite figure out how he's done that.

 

[Jelly ^.^]

Words that have haunted me since the first time I played it:

"Today, every living cell on Earth will die.

You had one chance."

"Where's mommy, daddy?"

 

[Trolldor]

It would have worked were it not so pretentious and absurd.

Oh... then it wouldn't have been the game it was.