Im only at the church at the moment, but so far the puzzles have been lackluster. I solved 2 just because I happened to hover my mouse over an object and the hand symbol appeared. I definitely dont like the lack of inventory, movable items, proper puzzles, etc. It makes no sense to me why these where removed, all it does is lessen the experience. Apart from this the tone of the game is spot on so far, very creepy atmosphere. Its just a shame there isnt the other good stuff to go along with it.
In my opinion, the puzzles were a little poor. Puzzles felt a little too obvious,
they weren't such brainers like the orginal amnesias were. But it doesn't mean i didn't enjoy the game. I still love it.
(09-10-2013, 09:19 PM)Alex Ros Wrote: [ -> ]I think I prefer these puzzles. Argument is that AMFP puzzles aren't usual game puzzles, but strict interactions with the virtual world and items. It doesn't feels anymore like you're playing a game and time has to solve a puzzle. Now you're just playing on and on and there's no dividation of gameplay types, everything is chained into one solid experience.
Huh, that made me think about the games puzzles in a new light.
I did enjoy how streamlined it was and it didn't feel like I was doing endless backtracking for some minuscule item I missed. But I wasn't conscious of that when I was playing, like I am now.
(09-10-2013, 09:19 PM)Alex Ros Wrote: [ -> ]I think I prefer these puzzles. Argument is that AMFP puzzles aren't usual game puzzles, but strict interactions with the virtual world and items. It doesn't feels anymore like you're playing a game and time has to solve a puzzle. Now you're just playing on and on and there's no dividation of gameplay types, everything is chained into one solid experience.
But a "puzzle" is supposed to be something that you have to think about and figure out. I never once in this game had to figure out anything nor felt at least a bit stuck or challenged (by the creatures a bit more but that's another story)
Then as if it wasn't obvious enough you get a note explaining you exactly what you have to do, which feels bordeline insulting.
Throwing a switch as instructed from a note is not a puzzle. It's just a narrative device. This is the main problem for me with this game (if compared to what comes before).
The dark descent was already a bit weak on this point, but much more satisfying.
The Penumbra series had way better puzzles and they were way more challenging and satisfying as I recall (which make "Black Plague" my favorite frictional game).
And they could probably have come up with decent puzzles even without the inventary.
The only real brainer here could be the plot (and trying to figure it all out, plus apparently I missed a few notes).
Haven't quite finished the game yet, but so far I like the style of the "puzzles", if one might call them that. Pretty much for the same reason Alex Ros stated: It doesn't feel like a game anymore, thus it doesn't make me think like I'm in a game.
Frequent and difficult puzzles are, in the end, a very artificial element, similar to combat or precision jumping. A mere obstacle that you have to overcome with skill or intelligence, simply there to give you something to do and keep you entertained.
Think about it - in real life situations, how often do you come across a real "puzzle"? Say, the lights go out and you figure that a fuse must have blown in the cellar. Do you have to solve some intricate riddle now? No, you go down there and simply replace the damn thing.
Maybe you have a brief search because you can't remember where you put the cellar key, but you certainly won't have to combine a ton of random objects, pick the door lock and solve a mathematical puzzle in the fusebox itself to make it work again.
Riddles like that traditionally belong in games, but we are at a point where some games dare to try different approaches. Dropping classic elements like riddles, skill challenges, health and ressource management in favour of telling a story and trying to make the player forget he's playing a game. Personally, I'm welcoming this new direction as an interesting experiment, even though I think that AMFP could have done quite a few things better in order to truly pull off what they were aiming for. (For example, removing the immersion-breaking inventory is pointless if I'm still spending half the game in the journal menu instead.)
(09-12-2013, 04:20 PM)Hirnwirbel Wrote: [ -> ]Haven't quite finished the game yet, but so far I like the style of the "puzzles", if one might call them that. Pretty much for the same reason Alex Ros stated: It doesn't feel like a game anymore, thus it doesn't make me think like I'm in a game.
Frequent and difficult puzzles are, in the end, a very artificial element, similar to combat or precision jumping. A mere obstacle that you have to overcome with skill or intelligence, simply there to give you something to do and keep you entertained.
Think about it - in real life situations, how often do you come across a real "puzzle"? Say, the lights go out and you figure that a fuse must have blown in the cellar. Do you have to solve some intricate riddle now? No, you go down there and simply replace the damn thing.
Maybe you have a brief search because you can't remember where you put the cellar key, but you certainly won't have to combine a ton of random objects, pick the door lock and solve a mathematical puzzle in the fusebox itself to make it work again.
Riddles like that traditionally belong in games, but we are at a point where some games dare to try different approaches. Dropping classic elements like riddles, skill challenges, health and ressource management in favour of telling a story and trying to make the player forget he's playing a game. Personally, I'm welcoming this new direction as an interesting experiment, even though I think that AMFP could have done quite a few things better in order to truly pull off what they were aiming for. (For example, removing the immersion-breaking inventory is pointless if I'm still spending half the game in the journal menu instead.)
Puzzles in Penumbra felt very remarkably natural in the narrative, not contrieved at all.
In my opinion they help with immersion, since you feel more involved in the progression of the story, and you have to thoroughly check every detail thus giving you little aspect of the universe you could have missed otherwise (for exemple going through a small journal to find a recipe).
(Also I definitely like adventure/puzzle games and they play along very well with engaging horror story and stealth in the FG games.)
There were no puzzles. Whenever you saw something to interact with, it was just a matter of finding the only place it would fit within usually five meters.
I felt like a monkey that had been given
one of these.
Am I the only one who thought the puzzle with the Compound X and the lock was way too similar to the acid and padlock from TDD?
The puzzles were "pick this up and bring it over here"