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Thread: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

  1. #1
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    Default Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

    I was excited to get this going and I should have the first entry up by this weekend!

    So what is this?
    I decided, since I have played many games and am expanding my gaming in to different genres, that I would appreciate each genre for what it brings and make individual favourites lists based on that. These lists will happen when I've played the games I want to play in the genre (the JRPG one is going to take a long while, don't hold your breath). This will also allow me to customize the review style to what suits the genre. Scariness is important in the horror genre, for example, but maybe not so much in others. Note that games that fit in to more than one genre will be placed in only one list depending on which I feel it suits better personally.

    So which list is this?
    This will be my Adventure genre list, which will include point-and-click and interactive movie/walking sim types of games. The action-adventure style will be covered in a later list. These are generally more low key games, lighter on the action, and there's sometimes an element to puzzle solving. In other cases they can be "your choices matter!" type games or they might just focus on exploring while uncovering a narrative.

    How will the reviews for this genre be structured?

    I will cover what I think are the most important aspects: Story, environment, ambiance, and puzzles and choices if applicable. Gameplay will also be covered briefly.

    Will there be spoilers?

    Spoilers will be marked in spoiler tags so no worries if you haven't played the game. My hope is that some peeps can find some new games to try!

    So look forward to my list Coming Soon and enjoy! Also remember that all opinions are subjective yada yada

    Enjoy!

    #15 Abzu
    #14 Fran Bow
    #13 Doki Doki Universe
    #12 Life is Strange
    #11 Flower
    #10 Firewatch
    #9 The Wolf Among Us
    #8 Beyond Eyes
    #7 Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
    #6 Gone Home
    #5 Read Only Memories
    #4 To the Moon
    #3 Her Story
    #2 Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
    #1 The Walking Dead
    Last edited by Pumpkin; 02-23-2017 at 08:12 PM.

  2. #2
    Witch of Theatergoing Karifean's Avatar
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    Looking forward to it!

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    Trial by Wombat Bubba's Avatar
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    Oooh! "Point-and-click" has me excited! That's a genre that needs to make a comeback. So many great games...

    Broken Sword, Monkey Island, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Indiana Jones & The Fate of Atlantis, Day of the Tentacle, Simon the Sorcerer...

    WHY DID THEY STOP MAKING THEM?

  4. #4
    Feel the Bern Administrator Del Murder's Avatar
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  5. #5
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    #15 - Abzu


    Platform I played on: PS4
    Available platforms: Steam, PS4, Xbox One
    Developer: Giant Squid
    Publisher: 505 Games
    Length: 2-3 hours

    Story:
    Abzu places you in the swimming shoes of an unknown diver who wakes up in the middle of the ocean. From there, you must swim around, uncovering the mysteries that lie beneath the water. Why are you there? What are you supposed to do? I can't tell you without giving too much away!

    I did quite enjoy the story, although I found it eerily similar to Flower, which took away some of the impact. I liked how much was left up to the imagination and how much emotion was conveyed without any dialogue.

    Gameplay:
    Mostly swimming. You swim around the ocean and occasionally will run in to an interactable. In some cases this will release more creatures in to the sea, or activate a little companion for you, or give you a collectable. You can also use a sonar ability, useful when it's dark, and you can ride some of the ocean's creatures as well. There are also meditation statues that allow you to view the fish around you and follow them while they do their thing. The game's focus is very much on exploration and most sections will reflect that, with a few faster paced areas and some small scenes to activate in between areas.



    Environment:
    Abzu's environment is gorgeous if you're like me and love the water. You're exploring an underwater world and each section brings a new theme and colour scheme in to the picture. From the bright pinks to lush greens to the deep oranges and the dark blues, the world doesn't feel repetitive and boring but instead uses its world to great effect by demonstrating gorgeous scenes.



    Ambiance:
    Abzu is a relaxing game focused on exploration and discovery and the game does it well. The music is suited to the mood's they try and evoke and the colour scheme matches the section of the story you find yourself in. The light blue and bright pink areas convey the beauty of the ocean and the joy of exploration, whereas the dark blue shows the lonely depths as you move towards more uncertainty. Every aspect is carefully considered and well put together in order to shape a story and guide your emotions without the use of text or dialogue.

    Choices:

    None of note.

    Puzzles:
    Very minor puzzles. Sometimes you'll need to find a companion to help you through an area, or you'll need to find a switch to continue on. There are some collectables to find, but you simply have to be thorough in your searches and on the ball in the fast paced sections. Not a heavy thinker in terms of puzzles.



    Cons:
    -Very short
    -A little TOO similar to Flower
    -Not much in the way of puzzles or choices
    -Not much replay value unless you just want to spend some time relaxing under the water
    -The story might be a bit too vague for some

    Pros:
    -Gorgeous
    -Some great moments that don't need to rely on dialogue to evoke strong emotions
    -Exploration and discovery
    -Relaxing
    -Interesting
    -YOU GET TO EXPLORE THE FICTIONAL OCEAN

    Overall:
    It's only like $20 on the PSN and it's definitely worth it. While it might not have much replay value as far as story and branching paths, it's a great game for a calm afternoon if you just want to unwind. It's beautiful and a great demonstration of how setting, music, and the use of colour can help set the tone for a story. Also, if you're interested in fishies, it'll even give you some names of some water creatures in case you're curious!

    Rating:
    One big, beautiful beluga whale


    Last edited by Pumpkin; 02-11-2017 at 07:16 PM.

  6. #6

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    Abzu seems like a pretty interesting game. I've never played any games like that (including Flower) but it looks like a game I could just relax to.

    Thanks for including some images into your post. It definitely looks gorgeous.


    Pull my Devil Trigger!

  7. #7
    Trial by Wombat Bubba's Avatar
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    I swear I thought the review started by saying "you are a pair of swimming shoes" and I was immediately sold... only to be slightly disappointed when I realise this wasn't the case.

    It still looks like an interesting game though!

  8. #8
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    #14 - Fran Bow


    Platform I played on: Steam
    Available platforms: Steam, iOS, Android, gog
    Developer: Killmonday Games
    Length: 8-9 hours

    Story:
    Fran Bow is a game about the titular Fran after her parents are murdered and she is put in a mental hospital, separated from her best friend, her kitty Mr. Midnight. At the mental hospital, she is given medication which causes her to see horrific things. Fed up with the hospital, she plans her escape and goes on a journey to find her cat companion.

    The story is incredible strange. Are the things Fran is seeing real? Are they medication induced hallucinations? Is she just really crazy? The story was very off and quirky, but it was still interesting and the characters were very well written in my opinion. Just don't worry if you're left scratching your head as you play through this game.

    Gameplay:
    Fran Bow is a point-and-click where you... point and then click on things to interact with them. You will also combine items in your inventory to make different items. Fran will have a comment on most things you see and you can also talk to people as well. On top of that, Fran has her medication which, when taken, will allow her to view the world in a different way, which is necessary to solve some puzzles. Clicking on her medication again will undo the effect. There will also be mini-games between chapters, such as a frogger style game to give you something different to do as a break from the main game.



    Environment:
    The environments are as strange as the game, especially since they essentially have two layers (with medication and without). With medication, the environments usually become rather horrific with blood and corpses littering the scenes. The game does vary its locations a good bit and you'll have somewhere completely new to explore every chapter.

    Ambiance:

    This game is weird and creepy and it manages to fill every area with that feeling, even the ones that are brighter and happier. Just like Fran, you'll always be left with uncertainty at what exactly is going on as you try to escape the horrors, find your cat, and go home. Fran herself adds to the off feeling of the game in how she reacts to some odd or horrific things in a rather casual, off-handed manner that adds to the feeling of insanity that the game tries to express. The game seems to try too hard to be strange sometimes but they manage to pull everything together in a way that actually does make it strange and creepy.



    Choices:
    The majority of choices are simple dialogue options. Sometimes you need to say certain things to get vital clues or items you need for puzzle solving, and other times it simply changes a bit of dialogue.

    Puzzles:
    Fran Bow is filled with puzzles and the primary mechanic for a lot of the game is the use of your medication to enter the other layer of the environment. You'll need to constantly switch between the two states to solve puzzles, get clues, and progress the game. Later on, there will be a level in which you change the seasons to much of the same effect. You'll also need to combine items you find.



    Cons:
    -Disgusting and horrific imagery
    -Rather sad and stressful
    -Some areas feel too long
    -Some frustrating puzzles

    Pros:

    -Open to interpretation
    -Interesting characters
    -Great ambiance
    -Quirky

    Overall:
    Also an affordable game, Fran Bow might be for you if you like creepy games and point-and-click puzzle styles of games. It's not overly long and the variance in chapters means that if you find one section you don't like, you might like the next one. The characters are really good and the game did a great job of making me feel like part of the madness. Don't be surprised if all of your questions aren't answered by the end, but sometimes a story left open to interpretation is better than anything they could have written.

    Rating:

    One cute Mr. Midnight and a cat on a unicycle.


    Last edited by Pumpkin; 02-11-2017 at 07:17 PM.

  9. #9
    Depression Moon's Avatar
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    What kind of game is Ace Attorney?

  10. #10
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    Adventure/VN

  11. #11
    Radical Dreamer Fynn's Avatar
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    I liked Fran Bow a lot! I was immersed in it in a similar way that I used to in the past when adventure games were still somewhat mainstream. Made me really nostalgic for that time.

  12. #12
    Feel the Bern Administrator Del Murder's Avatar
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    I was intrigued by Abzu but didn't think it provided enough for me. Fran Bow seems right up my alley though.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bubba View Post
    Oooh! "Point-and-click" has me excited! That's a genre that needs to make a comeback. So many great games...

    Broken Sword, Monkey Island, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Indiana Jones & The Fate of Atlantis, Day of the Tentacle, Simon the Sorcerer...

    WHY DID THEY STOP MAKING THEM?
    They've made a small comeback on mobile platforms, but not of the quality of the old Sierra/Lucasarts days. Check out The Room series on mobile as it is pretty good. There are also the ones that are visual novel hybrids like Ace Attorney (already mentioned) and the Zero Escape series.

    Proud to be the Unofficial Secret Illegal Enforcer of Eyes on Final Fantasy!
    When I grow up, I want to go to Bovine Trump University! - Ralph Wiggum

  13. #13
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    #13 - Doki Doki Universe


    Platform I played on: PlayStation 3
    Available platforms:
    PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita (buying it on one gives you access to it on all three devices).
    Developer/Publisher: HumaNature Studios
    Length: 5-7 hours

    Story:
    In this game you play as a customizable robot named QT3 who, along with his red balloon friend, was accidentally left out in space. Wanting to reunite with his friend, QT3 is found by Alien Jeff (an alien named Jeff) who tells him his robot model is being discontinued for lacking humanity. Now QT3 must travel from planet to planet proving that he does indeed have and understand emotions.

    Gameplay:

    This is a rather lighthearted and simplistic game. QT3 travels to different planets, each of which deals with a different aspect of humanity. There, you must help the inhabitants solve their problems by summoning items, maybe giving them gifts or making them float in the air. You receive more items for completing these tasks, which can be used to solve more problems. You'll also unlock customization items for QT3, his trusty space steed, and the Home world. You can find presents hidden around and the NPC's will each have their own likes and dislikes which will affect their view of you. There are also simple psych tests you can take on asteroids that float around in space which will help the game build a profile for you.



    Environment:

    The aesthetic of the game is rather simplistic, almost mimicking a child's drawing. Each world has its own theme, such as medieval or haunted or city or winter, etc. This adds some variety in the environments and characters as well as what type of items you can unlock and uncover. The Home world can be customized as any theme you want once you've unlocked the items, or you can just make a mishmash of everything to suit your eclectic tastes.

    Ambiance:
    Another game that overall does this well. The childlike nature of the graphics helps convey the innocence of QT3 as he learns about humanity. Sure that sounds pretentious but that doesn't make it any less true! The whimsy of the characters and icons fits the lighthearted theme well, which really helps set the mood they're trying to establish. The music, on the other hand, is mostly forgettable with a few tracks that take away from the ambiance rather than add to it.



    Choices:
    The major choices here are how you respond to certain questions asked by NPCs. Also the many psych test asteroids around. These don't do much for the story but each answer helps built a for-fun psych profile of yourself if you're curious about how the game interprets your decisions.

    Puzzles:
    Not much here. There are some puzzles to solve in the way of figuring out how to help the NPCs, but they're very basic and easy to figure out. Great for kids beginning to learn puzzle solving techniques!



    Cons:

    -A bit too simplistic for a subject that could go very indepth and be very impactful
    -Have to pay extra to unlock all of the worlds and question asteroids
    -Choices and actions the player can take are limited
    -Can feel repetitive

    Pros:
    -Adorable and sweet
    -Fun to pick up and play for a bit here and there
    -Good for kids
    -Funny and entertaining

    Overall:
    The game is relatively affordable, even with the extras you have to buy for the complete game and it's great for a pick up and play style adventure title when you just want something to be happy about. It's not amazing or life changing, but it's memorable in it's own way for it's charm and quirkyness and if you like taking psych tests like I do then you're in for a treat. It almost brings you back to the wonder of being a child. While it can be a bit TOO simple it's still a very enjoyable experience.

    Rating:
    QT4 out of 5


    Last edited by Pumpkin; 02-11-2017 at 07:17 PM.

  14. #14
    Depression Moon's Avatar
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    That game looks weird.

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