Comments on: Keeping Up With Ken Levine

By: ShaunCG

ShaunCG — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:54:24 +0000

You know how there are kids who listen to music, like it, dance it and get into it, but then there’s that weird kid in the back of the classroom who’ll be writing all the Nirvana lyrics on his notebook?

It strikes me that, at least so far as this analogy is concerned, the former are the kids who will buy and listen to music, go to shows and so on, but the latter is the one who will go on to form his own band.

Whether the same extends into games development I don’t know, but looking at the legions of enthusiastic mod projects and indie developers out there I’d wager ‘yes’.

(No other comments, still mulling this all over.)

By: Alaric

Alaric — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:19:04 +0000

Alec, please never mention the “id, ego and the superego” again. =) There are no such things. Freud invented them based on no scientific data whatsoever and had been completely discredited since. Why they still linger in the pop culture is unknown.

Thank you, that was my rant for the day. =)

By: Dean

Dean — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:56:20 +0000

Awesome piece, really brings everything into sharp perspective.
There is of course one big problem with the idea of catering to those who want to immerse themselves furthur in the plot, at least in the way Bioshock implemented it, in that the tapes that provided the backstory for gamers more concerned with story than mindless shooting, were hidden away and used as a reward for doing extra mindless shooting.

I really, really didn’t enjoy the combat in Bioshock, I just found it dull and boring. But the setting was incredible and the concepts it dealt with great, the backstory fascinating. But the only way to get all that backstory was to painstakingly explore every single nook and crevice, there’s no option of rushing along the critical path just to see the next part of the story. For me it was the case of the more story I wanted to see, the more god-awful shooting I had to endure.

By: Dorian Cornelius Jasper

Dorian Cornelius Jasper — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:47:08 +0000

Newt:

That’s actually an apt analogy, by my reckoning.

Now, to eat some raw ginger to cleanse the palate of any notions of George Lucas anywhere near my Shock memories.

And my sinuses, too, the bastards.

By: newt

newt — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:55:37 +0000

I think the relationship between original Shock and #2 is a bit like the relationship between Star Wars and Empire. SS1 broke new grounds but its core was still a standard cyberpunk fare (brilliantly executed, no arguing there). Irrational took that to a different plane of existence and set up a conflict that goes beyond genre boundaries and the traditional “hero vs villain” concept. To me, the result felt much more complex storytelling-wise.

By: Jiki

Jiki — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:37:07 +0000

Aww, kitties. <3

Meh, Bioshock was damn fun, but at times it awfully felt like a dumbed down SS2. The tapes might be a good idea to please all those 3 types of gamers, but the tape-thingy is getting kinda old already. SS2 had it, Bioshock had it, even Doom3 had it and it really isn’t the most interesting way to tell a story (mind me, I aint in the first group and am seriously interested in the story so maybe that’s why I’d like to get it in a more entertaining way). If he wants to continue pleasing everybody, then he should make up a new way to tell his story which only those who care notice.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:57:47 +0000

Wait.. I try to pretend Halo 2 never happened “story” wise.. (haven’t played 3 and probably never will).

By: Ben Abraham

Ben Abraham — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:43:00 +0000

I didn’t like the tapes in Bio. I couldn’t understand what they were saying most of the time, as someone else was usually trying to impart story information to me at the same time. Add to that fact that I found I actually needed to turn the music down to hear what *anyone* said in Bioshock left me feeling a little bit… well, disappointed in the whole presentation.

System Shock 2 has still not been beaten out for top spot in my favorite SP game of all time. Halo 2 is close (forget #3 – try to pretend it never happened, storywise) but not quite.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:11:20 +0000

anyone played penumbra black plague yet?

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:09:57 +0000

i don’t really understand the problem with the tapes. i think it’s just a way of delivering narrative that people aren’t used to. But i think it adds slower, more engrossing moments to the game, where you visualise for yourself the word you’ve found yourself in.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:32:22 +0000

But it was such an obviously false statement to anyone who has played both I didn’t see a point in elaborating.

And to couterpoint newt: Yes.

I love them both to bits, but the overall atmosphere in the first just feels more compelling to me, plus the many were a bit meh. The variety of objectives in the first were better too:

“Ah ha! Foiled your laser plot!”

“O rly?”

“Fine, now I’ve stopped you from spreading nasty virii around!”

“O rly?”

etc.

The constant mentions then run-ins with Diego are a nice touch as well.

By: The_B

The_B — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:30:49 +0000

There’s no limit?

(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)