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It's probably the better out of the recent Telltale games, if you ask me.
Which says something because I don't resonate that well with the actual Borderlands games.
Yeah, it's good. Of the three Telltale games I follow, I'd say it's the second best- or at least,my second favorite. Third being Game of Thrones and first being The Walking Dead. None of which I follow outside of these games (and outside of Borderlands, really don't care to). I'd recommend all of them, though; especially TWD. Telltale crafts a pretty powerful story with this one.
Whether they're the better of the games...I...couldn't say. Poker Nights 1 and 2 are hilarious, but I hear Secrets of Monkey Island, Sam and Max, and Back to the Future are all good. I take it you've played some Telltale, Poki?
Yeah, it's good. Of the three Telltale games I follow, I'd say it's the second best- or at least,my second favorite. Third being Game of Thrones and first being The Walking Dead. None of which I follow outside of these games (and outside of Borderlands, really don't care to). I'd recommend all of them, though; especially TWD. Telltale crafts a pretty powerful story with this one.
Oh yeah, Walking Dead. That one's sort of what started the current type of games they make (lots of at the same time), having become what many consider a modern classic, so I didn't even think of including that among their "recent" games. I don't really enjoy zombie-themed media, anyway.
Whether they're the better of the games...I...couldn't say. Poker Nights 1 and 2 are hilarious, but I hear Secrets of Monkey Island, Sam and Max, and Back to the Future are all good. I take it you've played some Telltale, Poki?
Oh yeah, Walking Dead. That one's sort of what started the current type of games they make (lots of at the same time), having become what many consider a modern classic, so I didn't even think of including that among their "recent" games. I don't really enjoy zombie-themed media, anyway.
Yeah, the choice based games of theirs are pretty much the only ones I follow. I'm sure the classic Adventure styled games like Sam & Max and Back to the Future are good, but the choice based ones are generally what I go for.
But it doesn't really matter if you like Zombies or not, really. I actually bought The Walking Dead for shits and gigs when I was buying a bundle for BttF, and as a result I got it. I didn't even really want it, but I played it and ended up really enjoying it- a lot more than I expected, considering it was The Walking Dead.
Wha- you monster. How can you even get invested in the games when the choices are being made for you? Hell, half the reason the games can get heavy is because they want you to feel the consequences of your actions, for better or for worse.
Heck, if I watched the LPs, I dunno if I'd think too highly of them, either.
Oh snapcrackers, I forgot about the Fables one. That was one was great.
I dunno, I don't think you actually miss out on that much. The way the games' stories are made, you can often guess what the choice you didn't pick leads to anyway, since the same key events will happen no matter what you do. And often I'll be just as interested in what the player thinks and what actions they make as I am in the game's own narrative. It's like another layer of intrigue.
I think my view on on it would be different if the games really did have massive choice impact instead of being really good at implying impact while actually just having scenes play out a bit different once in a while.
But basically I'm more interested in the idea of narrative mediums and how it plays out than actually playing them myself.
I used to play Talisman a long time ago. I think I have the digital version on Steam but I haven't used Steam in so long, I can't even remember anymore :P It's quite fun and relatively quick too!
I dunno, I don't think you actually miss out on that much. The way the games' stories are made, you can often guess what the choice you didn't pick leads to anyway, since the same key events will happen no matter what you do. And often I'll be just as interested in what the player thinks and what actions they make as I am in the game's own narrative. It's like another layer of intrigue.
I think my view on on it would be different if the games really did have massive choice impact instead of being really good at implying impact while actually just having scenes play out a bit different once in a while.
You know, it's funny that you mention all of this. Extra Credits did an episode on this and the Stanley Parable had an ending that fantastically lampshaded this idea. And honestly, I really think that part of the reason you think that way is because you aren't playing the games, especially if you watch multiple LPs.
The illusion of choice is basically at the core of what makes Telltale games engaging. And a lot of games work this way, largely because is very difficult and expensive. It's not impossible, but there's a reason games like Mass Effect, Telltale Games, and like rely on this. The illusion isn't meant to slyly trick the player, but rather, it's meant to make them feel as if their choice matters, and for all intents and purposes it does.
RAMBLING COMMENCE:
Spoiler:
Back when I played The Walking Dead, which I loved the hell out of, I went back and tried to stop something from happening, only to realize that my input at that moment had no effect. Searched it, found out that I was right. I was taken by a kind of...numbness, because the illusion had been revealed. But after realizing that hating the illusion was pretty unfair, I realized that that was kinda the point. My choice the second time didn't matter, because in the moment that I made the choice the first time, it was real. It had an impact because, from my perspective at that time, what I did mattered in the world I was playing in. That's the illusion of choice. Narrative choice, at least- the term actually encompasses a lot more than just storytelling.
If you're interested, give this a watch. It's one of my favorite endings for just how spot-on it is (and experience the game somehow, it's one of my favorites). Granted, I do see where you're coming from, it isn't like I disagree with you completely. If you like watching more than playing- hey, more power to you; after all, there's no wrong way to play a game. But I will say that watching an LP of Telltale instead of playing is effectively the same as watching a show, so the immersion has its limits since you're always aware that you have no control.
That said, I will say, the illusion of narrative choice is abused and misused by Telltale and Bioware. Eerily enough, they boast all of these choices but the ones that have actual consequence are fewer than the important decisions in Chrono Trigger and Deus Ex. From 1995 and 2000. It should be used to immerse the player, not trick them into thinking they're playing a game filled with meaningful choices where there are none.
Stanleys parable is one heck of an experience, played it together with a friend. We never even considered jumping out of a window.
There are definitely games I want to save until I play them myself. Journey, Brothers: aToTS, and Undertale are good examples. You could probably look at how these games convey their stories and make some connections to the current argument.
As for modern Telltale-style games, the gameplay idea, while being cool, doesn't really appeal to me. Simultaneously, the stories, which are built upon already franchises, do, so I approach them from that angle instead. The act of sitting down in front of a YouTube video with some drink and some eat and going along the ride is to me more attractive than going to steam, booting up a video game and continuously having to actively do pay attention to ques and make inputs as the story goes along. I do have a rather casual approach to gaming, which I suppose is one of the reasons I don't consider myself a "gamer". Playing a game by itself might in some cases feel like a chore or just superfluous. Or, more often, simply a rather large mind investment.
