From my perspective permadeath only works in games like roguelikes where it is combined with randomness and other dynamic systems. In roguelikes permadeath keeps the tension high but a new life is tolerable to the player since it is frequently a whole new experience in random maps with a new class, etc.
Permadeath through a linear story is…garbage.
For some people, games are more than entertainment. They are a form of art, in which these kinds of “arbitrarily programmed fail states” can carry actual meaning and be part of the very experience. And I think that’s the intention behind that particular feature - the devs also see games as forms of art, this one in particular, so they’ll do that kind of thing to also convey meaning.
I’d also to mention this isn’t exactly all that new of a concept. Anyone playing the Crash remake? Same linear experience every time and most definitely perma death…Still a hoot. This probably has more cut scenes to sit through is the only real difference in structure here. I am in the “Approve” camp. Can’t wait until work is over so I can go home and spin it up.
EDIT: Dark Souls is nothing like perma death. removed for being a stupid reference…
I know, and these never seem to work on me. Anything from the decision tree in the Mass Effect 2 ending, to the deliberate obfuscation in Dark Souls designed to bring players together, to the true ending of NieR: Automata. When I look behind the curtain, I see an arbitrary restriction created by a software engineer to get some sort of unearned psychological reaction out of me.
I guess I appreciate the effort and it seems to work for some people, but games need to do better than that for me.
I was going to say Dark Souls but it’s not exactly the same at all. Dark Souls still has check points.
OTOH, it’s not like this behavior is common in gaming, so even if the idea may be questionable I’m interested in exploring that even more now in this one instance. It sounds like they’re trying to tie this into the psychological themes of the game so at least it’s not completely cheap. But maybe they should have been more explicit about this to potential buyers? I’m not sure. It’s sort of the same argument from a different perspective about trigger warnings and skippable scenes; the danger and discovery of the danger is part of the fundamental conception of the game’s narrative goal, so being 4th wall breaking explicit about the “feature” may have eroded some of the shock value.
Same cutscenes, same audio logs, same trivial walking through the same linear environments, same puzzles (?). It’s one thing to replay an old favorite, like reading an old book. It’s another to have the save wiped and have to dive right back in so you can see the ending.
I am a completionist, at least in the sense that it might nag at me, unless I’m satisfied by watching the ending on YouTube. So this may not apply to everyone.
Umm, spoiler alert, but this may not be quite what it seems.
They might have gotten too meta here. I’m sure it cost some sales. Probably best to leave this stuff to the Japanese experts in messing with saves.
I’m sure they did that willingly because they felt it was part of the message they’re trying to convey, and a crucial part of the art they are set on doing.
If anything, the fact that they will give up sales for artistic integrity only increases my respect for what they’re doing. And I’ll buy the game today to support that.
Interesting strategy. It certainly generated a lot of discussion and buzz.
However…
It probably cost them some initial sales from the people this angered.
For the people that were smitten by the concept and excited to play the game, they now know it was just a troll/ruse.
I guess this is gaming journalism in a post-Trump “fake news” world. Though the QT3 frontpage now suggests some aspect of it exists. Huh.
It was clarified that you have to die multiple times across the checkpoints for the penalty to kick in. Each checkpoint has a cap on the counted deaths, so if you die fifty times in one area, only the first 5 or 10 or whatever times count. Then, the next section of the game may only count the first 8 deaths, etc. When you hit the total allowed deaths in the game, then you have to start over.
He missed a thing like once, maybe twice, but then that thing got deleted by the game and it autosaved with said thing no longer existing.
That thing was required to progress.
Beat the first boss (I think I’ve been killed twice so far) on “auto” difficulty (whatever that means, but fights are tense).
So far I’m liking this a lot. It is a mix of the intensity of a walking simulator with some visceral combat (simple, but visceral enough). The story seems trivial so far (going to hell to revive your loved one) but it’s well delivered and there are certainly themes of survival-ship and madness that are pretty well conveyed (I’m liking the lead’s acting).
We’ll see how this progresses, but so far really pleased with it.
Got close to the ending before my controller battery gave up.
It’s a very intense game. Some gamey bits, but better integrated than most, and I’m not sure I buy the schizophrenia bit.
But it’s good and focused in an unusual way for something looking this good (which lately tends to be a little bit of everything).
So, apart from discussing reviews, bugs, and the ‘it will delete my games’ controversy, have anyone played it? Any opinions?
I haven’t played yet because I want to give this some serious dedication, and not only I’m having little gaming time due to Real Life, as what little time I have is mostly being spent on the more relaxed, chaotic fun of Agents of Mayhem. But this is next on my “to-play” list for sure.
Like I said above, I got really close to the end before I went traveling for holidays. I really liked what I played. Crappie story (like 99%of games anyway) but good delivery and an unusual sharp focus.
The ending might change my impressions, but so far I think it’s really worth it.
I only wish it was a little shorter. There’s some padding here and there to hit the 6-8 hours mark that I could do without.
Hi, Norma. I clicked on your link and entered my SSN and bank info but nobody has drained my accounts yet. Should I mail in a blood sample? Let me know if you have any more info to discuss with me, thanks.
I just beat the first boss, Surt, and am not sure if I am going to continue. It’s a really interesting experience, one of the better ‘walking simulators’ but not much of a game. I really don’t dig the sword fights and that’s really all the action there is so far. So it goes boring walking, stupid shitty environment match puzzles, ridiculous fights. Maybe it really just is not for me. I wanted to like it more than I do.
Why not play it for the experience then? Not in the mood? That’s what I would do, assuming I ever get around to playing it one day.