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Monkey Island Logic (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)

Y Cymro CollY Cymro Coll
edited August 2009 in Tales of Monkey Island
Hello!

Like the title suggests, I'd like to poll opinion on the leaps of logic used in Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, the MI series and in adventure games in general. Do you find it frustrating/confusing/boring? Or do you delight in its mentality?

I, for one, love it - the puzzles in Narwhal really make use of the environment, rewarding the player for indulging your inquisitive nature. Everything (almost) has a use, though not readily apparent, and once it clicks, it makes me feel that much cleverer.

So, how do you guys feel about it?

Comments

  • TookiGuyTookiGuy
    edited August 2009
    To be completely honest, I found it to be just a little too easy. Most probably because I've played SO many adventure games since the previous games. BTW, I never seem the get that feeling of cleverness so many people talk about (from even the most DIFFICULT advenchies). I did feel it with Braid though.
  • Astro GnocciAstro Gnocci
    edited August 2009
    TookiGuy wrote: »
    To be completely honest, I found it to be just a little too easy. Most probably because I've played SO many adventure games since the previous games. BTW, I never seem the get that feeling of cleverness so many people talk about (from even the most DIFFICULT advenchies). I did feel it with Braid though.

    I rarely do as well. But that's mostly because i'm a pussy and run for a walkthrough way too early, so i actually rather feel dumb for not having tried hard enough most of the time :eek:
  • Jace TaranJace Taran
    edited August 2009
    Astro Gnocci wrote: »
    I rarely do as well. But that's mostly because i'm a pussy and run for a walkthrough way too early, so i actually rather feel dumb for not having tried hard enough most of the time :eek:

    I tend to do alright without walkthroughs generally, but it all goes downill the minute I use one. Once I crack and run to a walkthrough, it puts me in an impatient mood where I keep running to a walkthrough like every ten minutes, even if it's not that hard of a puzzle.

    For instance, I played through most of Sam and Max Season 1 without ever going to a walkthrough. It wasn't until Episode Six, Bright Side of the Moon, that I used one. Once I did, I was using a walkthrough constantly until the episode was finished. Unfortunately, the impatient mood has stuck a little, because I recently started playing Season 2, and I had to use a walkthrough to finish Episodes One and Two :eek:

    For me, using a walkthrough gets me addicted to walkthroughs for a while. I kind of hate that, because it's not as much fun.
  • Astro GnocciAstro Gnocci
    edited August 2009
    For me, using a walkthrough gets me addicted to walkthroughs for a while. I kind of hate that, because it's not as much fun.

    Well yeah, that's most of the trouble. I can keep up the fight for a while but it just all gets downhill as soon as i crack.
    Not having too much trouble on the telltale games, tho, as they're easy and mostly, my lame ole comp is too slow to let let me Alt-Tab in and out of the game everytime i want to ;)
  • tmesistmesis
    edited August 2009
    I think you're right to use the term "leaps of logic". Narwhal is a little different because it is much easier than its predecessors: there are far fewer ways to go wrong, e.g. using 'push' instead of 'pull' or 'look at' instead of 'open'.

    Games like the first couple of MIs put me in mind of cryptic crosswords: tricky but doable if you know how; you get a real sense of achievement; and as long as the clue or puzzle is well conceived you'll end up with the opinion that there could only have been one true answer or resolution all along and this was it.

    But none of it is logical. Like cryptic crosswords, adventure games rely on their own set of rules that are arbitrary but internally consistent. IMO it would be extremely difficult to complete MI2 these days with walkthroughs readily available without having played other easier adventure games to get you in the mind frame for it. MI2 = Times crossword. MI = Grauniad. MI3 = Telegraph. Tales = quick crossword. All four = awesome, depending on your mood. :D
  • hplikelikehplikelike
    edited August 2009
    My advantage is I've got a bro who catches stuff I don't and vice versa
  • plrichardplrichard
    edited August 2009
    Astro Gnocci wrote: »
    I rarely do as well. But that's mostly because i'm a pussy and run for a walkthrough way too early, so i actually rather feel dumb for not having tried hard enough most of the time :eek:

    I use walkthroughs only when I'm really stuck, and I'm not too bad about continuing to use them. While I'm actually fairly quick to run to them to get me though one early puzzle, I usually am determined to use it as little as possible. Except for on The Dig...I just wanted to finish that one.
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