Yes, we kind of got that already. The moral question was whether you're supposed to feel pity towards the guy because he's just a clone or not, and we more or less unanimously decided that you indeed were.
6DAS Spoilers
#361
Posted 05 January 2008 - 12:54 PM
Yes, we kind of got that already. The moral question was whether you're supposed to feel pity towards the guy because he's just a clone or not, and we more or less unanimously decided that you indeed were.
#364
Posted 05 January 2008 - 08:23 PM
A Writing Guild For The Clinically Retarded
I am an honorary Crogerse.
#365
Posted 05 January 2008 - 09:08 PM
In my opinion, 6 Days A Sacrifice is not only the best game of the series, but the best point & click I have played for quite some time. The puzzles finally overcame the limited environment to be both tricky, yet not too tricky, and thus satisfying. No irritating puzzles like figuring out which date format the author was using, or having to change the way you work a series of buttons in a room you've been through several times so that a scripted event kicks off allowing you to advance. It wasn't that it was easier than the others, it was simply that the solutions to the puzzles made more sense.
It wasn't as scary as Trilby's Notes which I found to be genuinely unnerving at times, and probably had the weakest atmosphere, but it was the best in terms of pure gameplay which has been notably improved in the second half of this series. The lack of fear was odd though, especially given the main character's particularly vulnerable state which I don't think was played on enough... the lack of death was a mistake, the commentary mentions Prey but Prey sucked, so probably not a good source to draw inspiration from
However, the plot was like a brick wall and without the special edition commentary (and the suggestion that the normal edition ending stops with the explosion) I'd be totally lost. I know Yahtzee likes to keep things open to interpretation, but with the series being wrapped up I think a little more hand-holding was called for. I became a little concerned in Trilby's Notes when a simple haunting story exploded into something much more complex, but I have come to enjoy the Chzo mythos, I just think it needed introducing a game earlier to allow for expansion on the theme, and a satisfying wrap up. The Caretaker was a particularly unsatisfying element because he didn't seem to have any limits and just tided up everything whenever it was required, which while it makes sense from a perspective of his powers, isn't much fun. The sequence where you become him was, however, awesome.
I even liked Theo.
I found the ending (to the story, not the outro itself) a little disappointing because the big plan seemed so... meaningless. The Prince was replaced with The Prince Mk II, and we were given no real insight into the motivation behind this bar the "more powerful" theme, which didn't really thrill me much as an ending, especially that blue shockwave thing. Good old meaty physical violence has so much more of a kick to it than wussy plasma rifles or repelling fields and the like, I wanted to see some full on welder action! The Welder is a brilliant villan, as is The Tall Man, but then we get floaty guy with blue physic wave... woah, not so cool and scary. Physical is scary, even the little Japanese girls who kill from a distance have a very physical means of moving, often exaggerated. Anyway, the whole thing was a little too obtuse for my tastes.
Oh, and the love interest thing seemed to come out of left field, rather.
Still, the gameplay was superb and definitely the most well-rounded of the bunch. Enjoyed it more than I have the Sam & Max games thus far too. Hopefully we'll be seeing Yahtzee back in the world of adventure games again soon, because Art of Theft is not my thing (spoken as someone who enjoyed 1213).
Actually, I think that hits why 5DAS and TN are the best games in the series for atmosphere and story, because you're dealing with something new and unknown in both cases.
I certainly agree with this. The problem with expanding the story is that it significantly watered down John DeFoe who, from TN, was no longer imposing because of the knowledge you had.
#366
Posted 06 January 2008 - 07:14 PM
6 Days a Sacrifice was confusing, though. Some thoughts:
How the hell do you pronounce 'Chzo'?
Is the New Prince's weapon the same as Cabadath's? It sure looks very similar....
I wonder if Cabbie was replaced by the New Prince because Cabbie was no longer able to feel pain?
Does Chzo remind anyone else of the song 'King of Pain' by The Police?
What was the deal with Theo meeting a completely healed Theo, whom he killed, because he was actually the Prince? Wha?
Great games, though, and I really hope yahtzee keeps making 'em. Just a little convoluted. I actually read through all 25 pages of the Spoiler thread to try and make sense of everything. The only thing it got me was a huge headache and pieces of brain on my desk.
#367
Posted 06 January 2008 - 08:02 PM
- That one's open to interpretation. "Chuzzo" (or Ch'zo) is one way, but then again it could be a hard C (as in Cthulhu) so Kezo (K'zo) could also be correct. Personally I think the way you choose to read and pronounce it is a matter of personal taste.
- It is indeed the very same weapon. As well as looking nifty it is a symbol of office, of sorts; the New Prince's ownership of it reinforces the fact that Cabadath has been replaced. This is also why it is presented to us in such a dramatic manner (ie the New Prince striking the final blow with it).
- No, but good point! Good comparison I must admit. "Bright Eyes" by Blind Guardian and "Raining Blood" by Slayer are good matches too, in my opinion.
- Could be. Popular theory is that it was an intricate plot to test Cabadath's loyalty and punish a lack thereof; but this is a rather Machiavellian entity we're talking about and a near God of Pain no less, so for all we know our beloved Tall Man may have been killed off simply because he ate all of Chzo's favorite brownies. Only Yahtzee knows for sure.
- This sequence was a nightmare of Theo's, caused by The Caretaker (although whether he did it intentionally or not is up for grabs). It is also a hint as to what will happen to Theo; the injured or "current" Theo turns into the Prince and strangles his other identity - which is pretty much what happens when Theo becomes the New Prince and all traces of his former self and personality have been pretty much obliterated. Another hint is that "Theo DaCabe" is a loose anagram of "Cabadath" (there is an O and two E's left over, and the third A is missing).
Hope this was useful. The entire series rocks socks, so it's nice to help others bask in its gloriousness. Hail Yahtzee.
This post has been edited by Legion: 06 January 2008 - 08:05 PM
#369
Posted 07 January 2008 - 08:45 PM
Hail Yahtzee.
That last line reminded me of the ending of a prayer, haha.
*looks around*
Well, I found it funny.
Smashed up my integrity.
Smashed up what I believed in,
Smashed up what's left of me.
Smashed up my everything,
Smashed up all I thought was true,
'gonna smash myself to pieces,
I don't know what else to do.
#370
Posted 08 January 2008 - 06:15 AM
The ending looked somewhat forced, believe it or not. We had a huge build to just a big explosion, a lack of any important event, and some character we JUST knew do something "cool", and that's about it.
The gameplay was great. However, I do miss the challenge that, for example 5DAS had. This only took me one sit to finish, while 5DAS took me one whole day. (messed "birthday" with "birthDATE", :/ )
The characters... hurrm... not enough backstory to care about them, I guess. They were "good", but they have been better in the Chzo mythos.
Almost no scares, and the lack of "game over" really hurt.
Trilby clones???? Naaah...
In overall, I think it was a good AGS game, but lacked most of the things that made the other past 3 games so damn awesome. Still, it is a GOOD (if somewhat forced) ending to the series.
El Cernex
#371
Posted 08 January 2008 - 03:19 PM
I agree with the end being disappointing, in the end nothing of importance to YOU, the player, had happened, and more over the events of the four games became meaningless due to the nature of the ending.
This post has been edited by Quitch: 08 January 2008 - 03:20 PM
#372
Posted 08 January 2008 - 05:04 PM
Perhaps, but the thing here is that I like CHALLENGE, and besides some puzzles that showed some slight difficulty to solve (like the "review input" option on the camera on the cult's office and whatnot), the problem was that that the puzzles, fun or not, weren't difficult to solve.
Sure, some 5 Days and 6DAStranger were annoying, but, hey, they weren't IMPOSSIBLE. Perhaps some didn't made much sense, but they were much harder to solve.
El Cernex
#373
Posted 08 January 2008 - 05:36 PM
Sure, some 5 Days and 6DAStranger were annoying, but, hey, they weren't IMPOSSIBLE. Perhaps some didn't made much sense, but they were much harder to solve.
El Cernex
IMO, the difficult 5 and 7 Days puzzles weren't challenging, they were simply stupid. The welder airlock puzzle in 7 Days is one I especially hate because you specifically had to operate that door in a different way to the way you had been doing it THE REST OF THE GAME to make the event you knew HAD TO HAPPEN fire. It took me an age to solve, but it wasn't because it was hard, it was because it was right up there with Discworld's "Put the frog in the sleeping man's mouth to attract the hovering butterfly" puzzle.
The fact is there are only a small number of objects and locations in these games, and thus when the puzzles make sense that also makes them easyish to complete, especially when the element of combining inventory items, or even red herring items, has been removed from the game.
#374
Posted 08 January 2008 - 06:45 PM
Really??? I never had any trouble with it. Perhaps because I watched "Alien" one too many times???
Or maybe just damn luck (like the "hit the black possesed guy when you hide in the shadow" thing)???
El Cernex