Why it might be good:
- First of the ex-Sierra adventure game developer Kickstarters to be released
- First Leisure Suit Larry game for a long time that actually has Al Lowe involved in it
- Guaranteed to be a barrel of laughs with Al Lowe aboard.
- It's just a re-hash of the first Leisure Suit Larry 1 – so is it really worth buying a second time (or third even if you bought both the EGA and VGA versions?)
- Will the animations be up to scratch?
- Will the gameplay be able to convince a new generation of fans or will it only be old fogies (like me) buying into the nostalgia?
Release Date:
January 2013
WOW!!! What an honor!!! Thanks guys!!!
ReplyDelete-Paul
"It's just a re-hash of the first Leisure Suit Larry 1 – so is it really worth buying a second time (or third even if you bought both the EGA and VGA versions?)"
ReplyDeleteUh...you weren't paying close attention to the project's goings on, were you? There are new locations, people and other things too.
"Will the animations be up to scratch?"
Again, you've not seen the tests available to backers, have you? It's at the very least a trip back to LSL7 animation wise, or better!
"Will the gameplay be able to convince a new generation of fans or will it only be old fogies (like me) buying into the nostalgia?"
Yes, because nobody except the fans of the classic game bought Sam And Max [INSERT SEQUEL TITLE HERE] and Tales Of Monkey Island by Telltale Games, which left Telltale financially bankrupt and a laughable failure.
(Also, I was about 5 when Weekend At Bernie's and LSL1 came out. I still love the 80s comedy cheese of both. I suspect the same thing will happen to younger gamers. Not old enough then, old enough now and find the style quirky and fun.
Word of advice: Do a little more research before posting. It'll improve your articles.
Hi Certifiable,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting! Before I reply, let me emphasise that I too am a fan of oldschool Sierra adventure games and I think these Kickstarters are an excellent way of introducing the talents of these designers to a new generation. The fact that a few Sierra alumni Kickstarters have made the list is proof of that.
I must admit I have not scoured every single scrap of info but realistically, noone can be expected to do so if they are to review/analyse a wide variety of games. I *have* been reading the backer updates (since like you, I am a backer of the LSL: Reloaded project). Yes I have heard that there will be some extra locations, people, etc. but the basis of the game is the original Leisure Suit Larry.
I too have seen some videos showcasing the animation and while overall it's pretty good, Larry scratches his arse one too many times for my liking (i.e. the idle animation). Minor quibble? Sure. However anyone who says judging a game's art style, graphics or animations is an objective process, would be lying. Gliding as Larry walked was also another problem but I believe this was addressed in the updates so it shouldn't be a problem when the final product arrives.
Sure Telltale adventure games are popular, but it'd be interesting to see which ones i.e. is it the movie/TV IP such as the Walking Dead, Back to the Future, etc. that are generating the profits? Also Telltale have an episodic format to their games which makes it more palatable as it mimics the good ol' shareware models (i.e. try episode 1 and buy the latter episodes if you like it). This also brings me to anecdotal evidence concerning Monkey Island: the Special Edition. Choona (who also posts on this blog) and I thought the new version was a perfect way to introduce new fans to the Monkey Island games, having played the original ourselves. However, a mutual friend of ours ended up disappointed when playing it since he found the puzzles too abstract and non-sensical. In retrospect he does have a point. In my opinion, a lot of the current generation of gamers are just not used to point 'n' click adventures so the adoption by new players is what I was talking about. And don't underestimate how many existing point 'n' click adventure game fans there are out there ;).
Finally, with all the "might be bad" comments I did say "might be" because just like any game, the finished product tends to be more polished than the tidbits of information and video that developers show during game development. These are all potential problems but it doesn't mean they'll eventuate :).
Again thanks for posting and you have good advice when it comes to doing research before posting - so little reviewers and bloggers nowadays do. I try my best to research as much as I can when posting and sometimes I may miss a piece of information or two (hey I'm only human) but I like to think it's pretty rare :).
@ Paul. No worries Paul. We need more developers such as yourselves resurrecting good ol' fashioned quality gaming! I tip my hat to you and Replay Games!
ReplyDelete