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Aw Andrea, you really need to play Toonstruck and Grim Fandango. GF had better be in the top 10.
Haven't played any of those 10 titles but I have Zork Nemesis in box waiting to be played. It's not anything like... 11th Hour, I hope?

My problem with Dreamfall was that there were too many sneaking/stealth scenes. It became tiring and tedious to the point that it took away from the enjoyment for me. I liked most everything else about it, though.

BBP wrote:Aw Andrea, you really need to play Toonstruck and Grim Fandango.

I played GF a bit, but the control scheme was too cumbersome for my taste. On the other hand, I don't own Toonstruck but, since it's FMV, I'd be glad to play it!

It's sad is that a lot of these classic games are getting harder to come by (legally, that is - and even the illegal ones can be rare at times.) I really hope more of them find some life on the digital distribution sites like GOG and Steam. Even Grim Fandango seems to only exist as a specialty item these days - and that's one of those "milestone" games.

It's a shame that the GF interface holds some people back for some reason. Personally, I picked up on it instantly with barely a learning curve. It'd be cool to see a version of the game that had a mouse interface.

I'm sort of surprised that Dreamfall got on the list. The stealth and fighting sequences were awkward and clumsily programmed, and the adventuring had been reduced to walking to checkpoints, talking to people and solving door-unlocking puzzles. To me, it felt like they half-assed both the action and adventure genres at once. I'm also not a big fan of the ending, but then again, I loathe any open ending that doesn't come with a guaranteed sequel.

AndreaDraco wrote:I played GF a bit, but the control scheme was too cumbersome for my taste

I absolutely agree. I really tried to like it, but the control scheme pissed me off.

Maybe I'd be more open to it now that I've played some of TellTale's games, which have a similar interface. Well, all except JP, but that's barely even a game; it's more of a movie than anything else.

Datadog wrote:It's sad is that a lot of these classic games are getting harder to come by (legally, that is - and even the illegal ones can be rare at times.) I really hope more of them find some life on the digital distribution sites like GOG and Steam. Even Grim Fandango seems to only exist as a specialty item these days - and that's one of those "milestone" games.

Despite my less-than-warm feelings toward GF, I'd like to see it available on GOG and Steam. Yeah, I know GOG is DRM-free, but Steam still has greater exposure. At the very least, more people will see it, look up more info about it and then find it on GOG.

BTW... about finding the games legally and illegally, I've seen numerous abandonware sites link to GOG concerning games that're currently being sold. I know that abandonware is still illegal, whether or not a game is available, but it's nice to see some legitimate actions by those websites.

Datadog wrote:It's a shame that the GF interface holds some people back for some reason. Personally, I picked up on it instantly with barely a learning curve. It'd be cool to see a version of the game that had a mouse interface.

It was just too different, at least when it first came out. Most Adventure games were completely mouse-driven and then this new interface tossed it all out the window.

Datadog wrote:I'm sort of surprised that Dreamfall got on the list. The stealth and fighting sequences were awkward and clumsily programmed, and the adventuring had been reduced to walking to checkpoints, talking to people and solving door-unlocking puzzles. To me, it felt like they half-assed both the action and adventure genres at once.

From what Maia's told me, the action and stealth sequences weren't too bad. She also said that the puzzles were, for the most part, logical and real world solvable. In other words, no combining weird and completely unrelated objects, no stupid inventory puzzles, and no guess-what-I'm-thinking routines.

I think the action and stealth portions might've felt somewhat watered down because the "average" Adventure gamer has little experience with genres that involve action and stealth. Many of us here have been exposed to numerous genres, so we're probably a more well-rounded group.

If they tried to go the Splinter Cell route, it would've definitely been too difficult for many pure Adventure gamers. As is, I recall someone from the old WebX GK board who claimed Dreamfall's action and stealth sequences were too difficult for her and she had to watch the rest of the game on YouTube.

To change the interface of GF, you would probably have to remake the game from scratch. Hard telling what, if any of the old source remains.

The more "reputable" abandonware sites will link to the likes of GOG for games that they are selling rather than the abandonware site offering it themselves. Not only is it the right thing to do, it makes it safer for the abandonware site by not offering what the IP owner is currently trying to turn a profit. That said, I would be glad to help GOG setup more Sierra games, if they asked. They have used my resources and work without acknowledgment and I have been introduced to their development team by someone that should have carried some weight, but I have not heard from them.

I didn't find Dream Fall's combat hard, but it could have been implemented better. As I said before, I just got bored with all of the sneaking about.

AndreaDraco wrote:

BBP wrote:Aw Andrea, you really need to play Toonstruck and Grim Fandango.

I played GF a bit, but the control scheme was too cumbersome for my taste. On the other hand, I don't own Toonstruck but, since it's FMV, I'd be glad to play it!

GF is totally worth the learning curve! it took me a long time too as my sense of direction is pretty much non-existent, but the many jokes make it worthwile. Side note: Kay Kuter (Werner Huber in GK2) does a voice in GF.
Would you like to have my copy of Toonstruck? I know how hard it is to come by, but it's great fun to push Christopher Lloyd around and make him dance. Besides the Dutch mail could do with the customers.

Regarding Dreamfall, yes, the action and stealth sequences are nothing to write home about, but when you have one of the best story ever appeared in a game, regardless of the genre, and a cast of characters amongst the strongest you could possibly imagine, coupled with a wondrous atmosphere, does it really matter?

@ BBP: thanks for the offer, you are very kind. I will consider it, but I'm very busy in this period and I don't know if I would be able to play it. Anyway, thank you very much

Ah... Gabriel Knight 3 at spot 32. That to me means that GK1 and GK2 are both yet to come

I'm sorry, but L.A. Noire should not be on this list. The game was a major disappointment and was quite boring. This is the first I've heard of anyone REALLY liking it.

Oh, and if anyone hasn't played Amnesia: Dark Descent, you should. Very intense!

BBP wrote:

AndreaDraco wrote:

BBP wrote:Aw Andrea, you really need to play Toonstruck and Grim Fandango.

I played GF a bit, but the control scheme was too cumbersome for my taste. On the other hand, I don't own Toonstruck but, since it's FMV, I'd be glad to play it!

GF is totally worth the learning curve! it took me a long time too as my sense of direction is pretty much non-existent, but the many jokes make it worthwile. Side note: Kay Kuter (Werner Huber in GK2) does a voice in GF.

Too right! He plays the nautical-but-nice Dockmaster Velasco in GF! Kay also plays the Bartender, Griswold Goodsoup, in Monkey Island 3. I love Kay's gravelly, "heavy-serious" voice - I was so sorry when he passed away 8 years ago.

QuestCollector wrote:I'm sorry, but L.A. Noire should not be on this list. The game was a major disappointment and was quite boring. This is the first I've heard of anyone REALLY liking it.

Oh, and if anyone hasn't played Amnesia: Dark Descent, you should. Very intense!

I think L.A. Noire deserves to be on the list, if for no other reason, it's an important step in modern Adventure games. Critics mostly loved the game and that's probably even more important than what gamers themselves thought (although I've heard lots of positive feedback on it through Steam).

Why is it so important that critics liked it? Because Rockstar is a major publisher and that means what it does WILL get noticed by other major publishers. If other publishers see an Adventure game becoming a commercial hit, they might be willing to take more chances and increase their amount of money, time and manpower toward the Adventure genre.

I know L.A. Noire isn't a traditional Adventure by any means, it's certainly closer than many of those first-person single-screen-at-a-time puzzle games that were around for a while.

That said, I think L.A. Noire probably should've been positioned a little lower on the list.

As for Amnesia: Dark Descent, I've tried the demo and yeah, it's a very tense, spooky and overall atmospheric game. Virtually no character interaction, though, but the situation you find yourself in will definitely preoccupy you.

30-21 out!

This time around I've written about Under a Killing Moon and, of course, Quest for Glory IV!

YAY! Five, count 'em, FIVE classic adventures this time around... #28 (YES!), #27 (Heck yes!), #24, #23 (of course!) and #22.

Count this old adventure gamer thoroughly gratified. I wonder what number #1 will be... could it be QfG1?

20-11 out!

I contributed the write-up for number #16 and I reckon that many placements will stir a bit of a controversy this time