Inside (Gaming)
by Cody Miller 
, Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Monday, February 20, 2017, 07:53 (2612 days ago)
Took a break from The Witness to clear my mind and come back fresh. You know how sometimes after you step away and come back, solutions just fly out of you? Yeah. The plant growing compound has me stumped for the time being.
So I tried Inside.
Aesthetically it is superior to Limbo, but man is the game much less complex! I thought Limbo was pretty simple, but it blew Inside out of the water in terms of puzzle and platforming complexity. It's a huge regression. Playing Inside is pretty mind numbing.
Also like Limbo the control is sluggish, as there are too many animations that take too long for things like turning around, climbing onto things, etc.
Not worth a second play. So far Johnathan Blow seems to be one of the only 'indie' developers who can make a decent game.
Not worth a second play.
Heh, I've probably played it through at least five times (and the ending sequence even more). The puzzles aren't hard, I agree, but I enjoy playing it.
Inside
by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Tuesday, February 21, 2017, 01:40 (2611 days ago) @ Kermit
Let's not forget that there's a puzzle that completely shits on the laws of physics, allowing you to violate the conservation of energy. The seesaw with the minecart with two zombies in it.
I mean, technically Portal does that with basically every puzzle, but it's justified in world.
Let's not forget that there's a puzzle that completely shits on the laws of physics, allowing you to violate the conservation of energy. The seesaw with the minecart with two zombies in it.
That's the only puzzle I got stuck on for a brief spell, because the solution makes absolutely no sense. That's poor design, in my opinion.
I can look at Inside and appreciate its detail and artistry. I can also do that and still think it's not a particularly good game. As you said, holding right and solving the occasional simple puzzle, and all too many repetitive, tedious puzzles just isn't fun.
I happened to really enjoy Firewatch. I think it was brilliant. It told a neat story, and I do think that it benefited greatly from being a video game. It conveyed a sense of being present in that place, in that situation, that a movie just wouldn't. I think the simple interactive text opening set a tone that really hung over the rest of the game in a brilliant way. In any case, I think it's miles better than Inside--it's not even close.
Inside
One of the Games with Gold on X1 a few months ago was Pneuma. It's a first person puzzler that was pretty fun. I think I beat it in about 5 casual hours, broken up over multiple sessions.
The puzzles weren't hard but they were clever. Not quite portal clever but similar. I don't know what it costs right now, but if it's $7 or less, worth the price for a relaxing night in with a beer. My wife sat in some and enjoyed working things out with me.
I see it less as a puzzle game, and more of an experience
by kidtsunami , Atlanta, GA, Monday, February 20, 2017, 14:14 (2611 days ago) @ Cody Miller
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Exactly.
by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Monday, February 20, 2017, 15:08 (2611 days ago) @ Kermit
But, like Firewatch, if the experience of watching someone play is only slightly different than actually playing, why is it a video game and not an animated film?
But, like Firewatch, if the experience of watching someone play is only slightly different than actually playing, why is it a video game and not an animated film?
They both would make good animated films (INSIDE in particular, and I suspect the creators of both would take that a compliment), but giving the player experiencing either game a sense of (at least moment-to-moment) agency offers a different experience than a film would. I'm not going to try to unpack how or why--I don't see the point. I know you don't like games that you view as easy--the implication of your argument is that they shouldn't try to be games.
I think you have an extremely narrow definition of what games should be and especially what constitutes good games. I have zero interest in trying to change your mind.
Exactly.
by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Monday, February 20, 2017, 17:04 (2611 days ago) @ Kermit
edited by Cody Miller, Monday, February 20, 2017, 17:11
I don't have anything against easy games. Life is Strange was very easy, but it was still wonderful.
It is all about agency as you say. I want agency when I play. This could be selecting a response that changes something in a game like Life is Strange or Beyond Two Souls, just as it can mean being asked to make decisions to keep myself alive in a first person shooter.
I felt little agency when playing Inside beyond holding right, and occasionally being asked to go through the motions of solving a puzzle for which the solution was immediately obvious. I want my input to seem important rather than just a formality.
I don't have anything against easy games. Life is Strange was very easy, but it was still wonderful.
It is all about agency. I want agency when I play. This could be selecting a response that changes something in a game like Life is Strange or Beyond Two Souls, just as it can mean being asked to make decisions that keep me alive in a first person shooter.
I felt little agency when playing Inside beyond holding right, and occasionally being asked to go through the motions of solving a puzzle for which the solution was immediately obvious.
All hail your big brain, Cody. Many weren't IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS to me. Regardless, I controlled the character and his movements, I experienced failures--both these things made for a different experience than a film would have given me--especially in that one of the ideas of the game is that the character is being controlled much like he controls others.
Exactly.
by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Monday, February 20, 2017, 17:19 (2611 days ago) @ Kermit
I don't have anything against easy games. Life is Strange was very easy, but it was still wonderful.
It is all about agency. I want agency when I play. This could be selecting a response that changes something in a game like Life is Strange or Beyond Two Souls, just as it can mean being asked to make decisions that keep me alive in a first person shooter.
I felt little agency when playing Inside beyond holding right, and occasionally being asked to go through the motions of solving a puzzle for which the solution was immediately obvious.
All hail your big brain, Cody. Many weren't IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS to me. Regardless, I controlled the character and his movements, I experienced failures--both these things made for a different experience than a film would have given me--especially in that one of the ideas of the game is that the character is being controlled much like he controls others.
This is why it's okay to like a game I don't, and why it might be good for you and not for me. I personally felt like I was going through the motions the whole time. If you were challenged, then that is great.
I am kind of doubting my big brain through. Looking online it seems the time people beat the witness is around 20 hours. I've been at it longer and haven't finished. Either I am dumb, or else everybody else is using hints.
I don't have anything against easy games. Life is Strange was very easy, but it was still wonderful.
It is all about agency. I want agency when I play. This could be selecting a response that changes something in a game like Life is Strange or Beyond Two Souls, just as it can mean being asked to make decisions that keep me alive in a first person shooter.
I felt little agency when playing Inside beyond holding right, and occasionally being asked to go through the motions of solving a puzzle for which the solution was immediately obvious.
All hail your big brain, Cody. Many weren't IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS to me. Regardless, I controlled the character and his movements, I experienced failures--both these things made for a different experience than a film would have given me--especially in that one of the ideas of the game is that the character is being controlled much like he controls others.
This is why it's okay to like a game I don't, and why it might be good for you and not for me. I personally felt like I was going through the motions the whole time. If you were challenged, then that is great.I am kind of doubting my big brain through. Looking online it seems the time people beat the witness is around 20 hours. I've been at it longer and haven't finished. Either I am dumb, or else everybody else is using hints.
Maybe that bigness is relative. I gave up on The Witness (at least for now, although what you described about the patch has renewed my interest). In truth time is my main limiting factor not playing a game these days. Still haven't played the new Deus Ex or Dishonored--about the latter, any progress?
Exactly.
by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Monday, February 20, 2017, 17:27 (2611 days ago) @ Kermit
Dishonored is next after The Witness.
What did you think of Titanfall 2's campaign?
by Korny , Dalton, Ga. US. Earth, Sol System, Monday, February 20, 2017, 18:26 (2611 days ago) @ Cody Miller
Saw you playing it a few times.
I had quite a few gripes about the campaign myself, but it was definitely one of the better game campaigns that I've played in a while.
What did you think of Titanfall 2's campaign?
by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Monday, February 20, 2017, 19:42 (2611 days ago) @ Korny
Saw you playing it a few times.
I had quite a few gripes about the campaign myself, but it was definitely one of the better game campaigns that I've played in a while.
It was great.
It depends on how you measure "beating" The Witness. There are multiple points in which one could declare they have finished that game. I doubt that 20 hours is long enough to do any but the first of them (activating enough lasers to see an ending of the game).
Because watching someone dance is different from dancing
by kidtsunami , Atlanta, GA, Monday, February 20, 2017, 18:51 (2611 days ago) @ Cody Miller
Even if you do the exact same steps.
I love love love games that have tons of agency, I still can't wait for you to play Dishonored 1 & 2. That doesn't mean that I can't appreciate an extremely tailored experience. If every game was as "on the wire" as Inside/Limbo, I'd be really upset. However that is simply not the case.
I'm more upset at the games that claim agency and end up forcing me into the same rote combos/motions.