Keepsake

[Jasede]

Any of you played this? Opinions? I heard it has beautiful music and nice backgrounds and a fine atmosphere - exactly what I need. How true is this? Is it worth playing?

The reviews on meta-critic and stuff are very mixed, but you can't trust the public; and I remember, from two video game mags when I still read those, that the game got rather good ratings in Germany.

 

[avatar_58]

The only reviews or opinions worth noting are adventure game websites, since everyone else doesn't seem to know WHAT an adventure is anymore.

I only really ever visit adventuregamers to get opinions (not just reviews, but the user comments in the forums). Meta-critic is pointless because it lists places like IGN and Gamespot, which wouldn't known a good adventure if it bit them on the ass.

http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,628

(In fact one of them said that new Sherlock Holmes game is "The way adventures should be" because you know, they are the authority)

 

[Jasede]

Thanks. I noticed that, about the reviews, though. Scratched has terrible, terrible reviews but it's a great adventure with wonderful atmosphere, for example.

Thanks again!

Edit: also, adventurers seem a lot less dead than RPGs...

 

[mirrorshades]

Reviewed well on Moby Games: http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/keepsake

 

[Julio]

Adventure games ARE a lot less dead than CRPG's; they're orders of magnitude easier to make, cheaper to develop and its audience is easier to please.

 

[avatar_58]

its audience is easier to please.

Not really. Join a few forums and see what the response to some of these so called adventures are. Not everyone swallows what they are given, hence the poor sales on some of them.

Also I don't agree on the RPG comment. At least RPGs still have a few good epics, some of which still have the core gameplay attached (NWN2 for example, is the same as a classic rpg). Adventure games today are neutered for modern gamers to enjoy. No puzzles and boring plots are common place.

To find good adventure games these days you have to put some effort into searching, somtimes even stepping in some deep shit (Syberia was a particularly deep puddle for me, almost gave up on the genre).

Sam & Max do give me hope though. It's coming back. I really hope Gray Matter lands and is the kind of work Jane's noted for.

 

[ghostdog]

Adventure games ARE dead IMO. The last 4-5 years I've seen only mediocre and bad titles. Almost all games that have been hyped by adventuregamers and justadventures to be the next best thing are mediocre to say the least. If you try and compare them to adventures from the nineties , they just plain suck. There are at least 50 titles from the nineties that are way better than (almost) everything that got published after 2000.

Only the underground scene is strong. Many recent underground games are way better than the commercial. I suppose that if you've played all the good old ones and some of the best freeware you can turn your attention to the new ones , but only to find most of them sub-par. And yes Sam&Max is the only exeption.

Nevertheless, Keepsake seems interesting. This one , along with Culpa Innata are in my list.

 

[Julio]

I couldn't finish Culpa Innata, it just made me want to re-play TLJ again.

 

[fastpunk]

Well this game certainly looks great; might be worth a try... I really need some immersive, relaxing adventure game to balance out the brain-splitting Homeworld.

 

[onemananadhisdroid]

Adventure games ARE dead IMO.

Adventure ain't dead. Genre is.

There are at least 50 titles from the nineties that are way better than (almost) everything that got published after 2000.

The 90s brought us some milestones of PC gaming such as Day Of The Tentacle or Monkey Island. Regardless of perceived genre or anything. No kidding though: With all those countless "me, too" games and carbon copy cookie-cutter formulaic clones that followed after the success of Monkey Island and its ilk, I'd estimate that less than one out of ten 90s adventure games™ is anything to write home about.

 

[avatar_58]

With all those countless "me, too" games and carbon copy cookie-cutter formulaic clones that followed after the success of Monkey Island and its ilk, I'd estimate that less than one out of ten 90s adventure games™ is anything to write home about.

Except Sierra had success even before anyone knew who Guybrush was. One in Ten? Thats not right. Least not from someone who loves the genre. I mean to me most of the games that Lucasarts and Sierra released were gold, with a few stinkers in between. A lot more than we get these days anyway.

However theres still good adventures to be found, you just need to know where to look.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

Adventure games ARE dead IMO. The last 4-5 years I've seen only mediocre and bad titles. Almost all games that have been hyped by adventuregamers and justadventures to be the next best thing are mediocre to say the least. If you try and compare them to adventures from the nineties , they just plain suck. There are at least 50 titles from the nineties that are way better than (almost) everything that got published after 2000.

Only the underground scene is strong. Many recent underground games are way better than the commercial. I suppose that if you've played all the good old ones and some of the best freeware you can turn your attention to the new ones , but only to find most of them sub-par. And yes Sam&Max is the only exeption.

Nevertheless, Keepsake seems interesting. This one , along with Culpa Innata are in my list.

Urgh. Ever played Ankh 1,2,3 http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/ankh-series or Jack Keane http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/jack-keane or even Everlight http://www.the-games-company.com/en/games/pc/everlight/?

You Sir, are mistaken.

 

[Jasede]

Ankh is good? Brennus, answer quickly.

Adventures, like dungeon-crawlers and platformers, are my first genre I ever played, so I love them.

This reminds me, I have not played Day of the Tentacle in 13 years. This must be remedied.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

Ankh is good? Brennus, answer quickly.

Adventures, like dungeon-crawlers and platformers, are my first genre I ever played, so I love them.

This reminds me, I have not played Day of the Tentacle in 13 years. This must be remedied.

Me and my brother liked the game very much, although I can't say anything about the English version. Ankh 2 is much more like a data disk than an entirely new game and I haven't played Ankh 3 yet. The German press writes it is above the quality of Jack Keane that I found absolutly hilarious.

 

[Longshanks]

Great, another young female in the main role, and set in a magic school no less. :wink:
What happened to the old staple of a cynical/sarcastic main character?
Oh well, at least it looks good.

I've just finished playing "The Last Express", its now one of my favourite Adventures. So, anyone looking for an Adventure, forget Keepsake and get a hold of it. It's not new, made in 1997, so most of you have likely either played or at least heard of it.


I've grown wary of most adventure exclusive review sites. They almost invariably overrate decent games (Culpa Innata, TLJ), as long as they tell a long-winded story with some kind of mystery, no matter how obvious or poorly executed, and stick to traditional gameplay.

Anyway, most of what I've typed here is probably bullshit (except my "The Last Express" recommendation). I haven't played many modern Adventures (last 5 years), just happens that most have had a young female lead (about to play another in "Still Life"), been overly wordy and serious with a teenage-fiction quality story, lacking in gameplay, and following a tired gaming formula.

 

[Boleskine]

 

[Don Peste]

On sale 75% off.

 

[abnaxus]

IIRC this game was p. fun when you were at the bottom level of the academy (roughly half the game), but became a chore once you reach the higher levels. Still some p. neat puzzles.

 

[abnaxus]

Tried replaying Steam version but there's a game breaking bug when you try to grow the magic tree ~2-3 hours in.

Apparently starting over from the beginning may fix it.

Shame, the game was alright.

 

[Maxie]

I've actually had to start again because the game crashed on Linux, thankfully cloud saves were compatible with Windows as well - hopefully no game breaking stuff ahead of me (there was a weird graphical glitch in the machine room section with the dial puzzle replacing the world map lol)

 

[Maxie]

WOW traversing the academy is super tedious it really resembles Syberia at its dumbest

like what fucking purpose does it serve to go to the kitchen, realize there is no cauldron in the kitchen (!), go down that fucking kitchen shaft AGAIN to put the wine cellar cauldron (which is there just because it's there) up the stairs (which requires even more screen hopping to operate the lift), then take it to the kitchen?

Zak puts it very well: "I can't believe we can't find a stupid cauldron!"

 

[Maxie]

IIRC this game was p. fun when you were at the bottom level of the academy (roughly half the game), but became a chore once you reach the higher levels. Still some p. neat puzzles.

oh boy you were correct the upper part of the academy is draining me dry with how dreary and disrespectful it is with your time

 

[Maxie]

I may or may not be reaching the finale, turned Zak into a miniature dragon

 

[Maxie]

Amazingly enough, the after-credits scene is only available if you're playing the game in French, otherwise the game crashes.

 

[Alienman]

I gave up thanks to the slow movement. Searching the academy for things to click to progress just takes to god damn long. And I'm usually patient.