Zero Punctuation: The Cave

[Dalisclock]

My first thought after playing it was I can't wait to see the zero punctuation review of this! I've played through 2 times (haven't done the twins) and I think I will wait a few months before doing the 3rd time. There are a few good moments and the puzzles are nice the first time, speaking as someone who doesn't do much puzzle gaming. Totally agree that more characters should talk! I would love to see some DLC that adds alternative puzzles for the fixed set so I dont' have to do that freakin' "deserted island" again.

I'm really hoping that Double Fine listens and adds another character or two to round out the third playthrough.

Also, the desert island part would have been much more satisfying if you could just bludgeon Herman the Hermit(once he jumps in your boat) and dump him into the ocean......or throw his dog into the water in front of him and watch him swim out to get him. Really, considering the people you're dealing with, I'm surprised this wasn't an option. I mean, what's a little annoying hermit murder after starting WWIII or some time traveling genocide?

 

[Dalisclock]

My first thought after playing it was I can't wait to see the zero punctuation review of this! I've played through 2 times (haven't done the twins) and I think I will wait a few months before doing the 3rd time. There are a few good moments and the puzzles are nice the first time, speaking as someone who doesn't do much puzzle gaming. Totally agree that more characters should talk! I would love to see some DLC that adds alternative puzzles for the fixed set so I dont' have to do that freakin' "deserted island" again.

I'm really hoping that Double Fine listens and adds another character or two to round out the third playthrough.

Also, the desert island part would have been much more satisfying if you could just bludgeon Herman the Hermit(once he jumps in your boat) and dump him into the ocean......or throw his dog into the water in front of him and watch him swim out to get him. Really, considering the people you're dealing with, I'm surprised this wasn't an option. I mean, what's a little annoying hermit murder after starting WWIII or some time traveling genocide?

 

[Dalisclock]

I don't know if I appreciate the ending thing revealed/spoiled for me, even though technically I hadn't really given thought to playing The Cave yet. Adventures aren't exactly my thing.

It's not really a spoiler. This game is much more about the journey then the destination and the destination really isn't anything to write home about.

 

[Dalisclock]

I really hate those guide dang it situations in video games where you have to have psychic powers to get the good ending.

I think it was supposed to be more a matter of thinking outside the box then pyshic powers. Yeah, no one told you had to give the objects back, but the narration by the cave in the bad endings says they could have learned lessons and they didn't, implying you missed something. And really, it was the chase for that most desired thing that caused them to do such horrible things, so by abandoning that object, it signifies the character showing remorse for their sins or showing that no, the ends do not justify the means.

Or to quote another game that kind of covered a lot of the same ground(in a much grimmer way) "None of this had to happen. All you had to do was walk away"

 

[quantumsaint]

I really like this game and just finished my fourth playthrough. If you like LucasArts point 'n clicks or Double Fine games you will probably like this game. My problem with The Cave is that there are some collision and framerate issues that really should have been hammered out before launch. I did experience some wonky jumping like Yahtzee pointed out, but then I downloaded it on XBLA and had a much better time with it. I hope (as someone else pointed out) they add another two characters. But 7 characters...7 sins...kind of fits as is.

 

[daxterx2005]

10 seconds? Damn, thats a long time.

 

[head desk tricycle]

"Are they trying to ensure good reviews through Stockholm Syndrome?"
This could be said of pretty much every adventure game ever made.
Also, that doesn't sound like it has anything to do with the Allegory of the Cave at all.

 

[sinterklaas]

Regarding stalactites, here's a way to remember: Stalagmites have an M in them, just like pyramids which they sort of look like. And pyramids are on the ground; so the ones with the M are on the ground, too. That leaves stalactites for the ceiling.

Holding a handstand all day takes might, hanging requires holding on tight.

Stalactites tumble, while stalagmites are mounted to the floor.

Stalactites go on the ceiling, while stalagmites go on the ground.

Once, when I was still a little human, a great man (the tour guide of an underground cave system) told me the following piece of wisdom: "Stalactites hang because titties hang.".

 

[MetalMagpie]

Regarding stalactites, here's a way to remember: Stalagmites have an M in them, just like pyramids which they sort of look like. And pyramids are on the ground; so the ones with the M are on the ground, too. That leaves stalactites for the ceiling.

I've always remembered it as: Stalactites sounds like it has the word "tights" in it. So Stalactites are the ones that are the correct way up to wear a pair of tights. Stalagmites are the other ones.

 

[MetalMagpie]

So all all I've learned in this thread is people have terrible ways of remembering stalactites versus stalagmites. Stalactites have a C for Ceiling, Stalagmites are G for ground. Tada.

However, that relies on being able to remember how to correctly spell the two words.

My brain is unfortunately retarded in that regard (stalagmites, stalacmites, stalagtites and stalactites all become interchangeable very easily) so I get on better if I rely on the "tights" sound in one of them to get me started.

 

[Airon]

Loved it!

Just when you thought there wasn't enough wank in the world.

 

[Ashcrexl]

Wait a sec, Yahtzee. You had to play the game six times to see all the endings?

Okay, seven characters, with 2 endings each. Let's call the characters ABCDEFG and their endings either or

So, if you can see three endings per playthrough, you can get the of six characters ABCDEF in two playthroughs.

For your third, you can get G to finish them off, but then you move onto the endings. For your third, you can do G A B

For your fourth, the of CDE.

Then your fifth, and you only have two left, F and G ! And only one wasted repeat ending.

That's only five playthroughs with only one extraneous ending! You've been wasting your time!

 

[Will Turner]

This way helps me: tights always come down

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

Yes, I put my dildo in my "velvet-lined dildo case" too. What? Why is everybody looking at me funny?

It wouldn't happen to look like this, would it? They're for real, but rather expensive.

Spoiler

As far as the game goes, it's a shame it keeps getting such mixed reviews from everyone. I had been looking forward to it, but it doesn't sound worth rushing out to play until I make some serious progress on my enormous backlog.

 

[fieryshadowcard]

Regarding stalactites, here's a way to remember: Stalagmites have an M in them, just like pyramids which they sort of look like. And pyramids are on the ground; so the ones with the M are on the ground, too. That leaves stalactites for the ceiling.

Too unnecessarily complicated. Try this:

Stalagmites take the "g" from "ground." Stalactites take the "c" from "ceiling."

 

[xdiesp]

Stalactites are named so by what they do. Stalactites drop water, while stalagmites are the dropped ones.

 

[MrBaskerville]

After playing the demo i was surprised how unfunny it was, the comedic timing in the intro is completely off and just plain awkward. Not really sure i want to play more of this game, it just didn´t do anything for me, except dissapoint, Ron Gilbert used to be good at comedy :/.

 

[Darth_Payn]

So from what I watched in this video, not every LucasArts-style-adventure game made by former LucasArts adventure game programmers is a guaranteed winner. Or was it because Tim Schafer wasn't involved?
And by Yahtzee's logic, he could have had sex at least 5 times during the end credits!

 

[Yahtzee Croshaw]

I'm honestly very disappointed with the Cave. I love every adventure Ron Gilbert did at LucasArts, so my expectations were fairly high and I was ready to ignore the mixed reviews the game gets, but honestly: The Cave is just a pain to play because it relies so much on backtracking it's just ridiculous.

Thanks to only being able to carry one item at a time you have to go through the same corridors several times over and over and over and over again to the point it's really pissing me off. Together with the worst controls for running and jumping I've seen in a professional game mainly consisting of exactly that, it's simply no fun to play.
The biggest problem with that is that the few good jokes that are in the game, IMO, can't really fight the bad mood I have thanks to traversing the same god damn bit for the umpteenth time.

I played it through once and I'm going to finish it another time to see at least the majority of content, but overall, I'd say the Metacritic average of 69 according to Steam is fairly accurate, almost generous. I'm definitely not going to play the game a third time just to see one new level.
IMO, the Cave is, simply put, the absolute king of backtracking and repetition.

 

[Saika Renegade]

I can't help the feeling of 'The Lost Vikings did it better' that I get from watching gameplay and this review. It's interesting from a design standpoint, but it feels like it spreads its humor too thin to really achieve the same degree of silly charm and memorability the way the Lost Vikings did.