You know people who don't like the game??
Do you know any people who do NOT like the new bttf-game?
for me its my brother. he never played an adventure game before bttf, he's more the guy thats into racing and flight simulator games and stuff.
but he really liked the bttf-trilogy, REALLY, he even bough a model car of the delorean (im jealous about that, i dont have one yet)
it was like: "hey, can you believe that, there's a good bttf-game coming and it will be an adventure game and the first episode will be free!!! Yeah!!!" and he was like "Okay. I dont care." and i was like "come on, its bttf, i know you like the movies, you will love the game, just like i will!"
i even bought it for him as a present after i found out the free ep won't be available till february.
then... the other day, i went to his place.... installed the game.... played it for about ten minutes... gave him advices what to do and stuff (cause as i said he never played an adventure game before)... and after those ten minutes.... "I don't feel like playing it anymore *yawn*". and i just thougt "WHAT THE FUCK?"
it made me very sad i have to say.... but hey.... if he doesnt like it... i cant do anything about it....
So, anyone of you made some similar experiences??
for me its my brother. he never played an adventure game before bttf, he's more the guy thats into racing and flight simulator games and stuff.
but he really liked the bttf-trilogy, REALLY, he even bough a model car of the delorean (im jealous about that, i dont have one yet)
it was like: "hey, can you believe that, there's a good bttf-game coming and it will be an adventure game and the first episode will be free!!! Yeah!!!" and he was like "Okay. I dont care." and i was like "come on, its bttf, i know you like the movies, you will love the game, just like i will!"
i even bought it for him as a present after i found out the free ep won't be available till february.
then... the other day, i went to his place.... installed the game.... played it for about ten minutes... gave him advices what to do and stuff (cause as i said he never played an adventure game before)... and after those ten minutes.... "I don't feel like playing it anymore *yawn*". and i just thougt "WHAT THE FUCK?"
it made me very sad i have to say.... but hey.... if he doesnt like it... i cant do anything about it....
So, anyone of you made some similar experiences??
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well, for me it was too easy as well i have to admit, but anyway it was a great experience for me to "live" a completely new bttf-story, i really enjoyed it.
i kind of forgive telltale for making it that easy, (and i also hope this was really just for "introducing non-adventure gamers to the genre") just for experiencing a new part, a new plot in the bttf-universe
even if it was very easy, thats the first telltale episode i played a second time. but as i said im just a too big fan of bttf, i guess?
As for my friends, yeah they are also big BTTF fans. I really dont know anyone that isn't a big BTTF fan. Its just an iconic American film series. I will openly admit they did a good job making it feel like BTTF. I just couldn't get past the super simple game play. I play adventure games for the challenge they provide, not to just whittle away a few hours on mindless content.
Also, the first episode was pretty much the story equivalent of the beginning of BTTFII, where the 2015 segment sets up the problems that play out over the rest of that movie and BTTFIII. Similarly, Episode 1 sets up a lot of problems and situations that will play out over the next 4 episodes, and I would imagine that time travel puzzles will play a part in there somewhere. Having to avoid yourself from episode 1 is going to be a part of episode 2, so they're already on the right path.
I thought the story aspect was ok. I probably would have enjoyed it more had it been more difficult. The super simple game play simply effected the entire game for me, even the story aspect. I think they did a good job making it feel like BTTF and I thought the voice acting was well done, especially Marty and especially considering it wasn't really Michael J. Fox. The fact that they were able to find someone that can mimic his voice so well was a huge plus in my book. Again I just couldng get past the super simple game play.
I certainly hope your right in regards to what will take place in future episodes. There is still plenty of time to salvage this game. The question isn't whether or not they can, its whether or not they will. Given the number of disappointed people, I would hope they would see that the proper thing to do at this point is make a game for adventure gamers. Its the only path to take if your looking to make the best game possible. If they are looking to make as much money as possible then it will never live up to the potential this series had in this genre.
At this point I am extremely skeptical that we will actually see such a game but this is certainly a case where I would be more than happy to be proven wrong. Time will tell.
The first episode of every series is consistently the easiest one and is usually meant to introduce the gameplay mechanics.
However, the difference between Sam & Max or Monkey Island and Back to the Future is that while the first two made their mark in the adventure gaming world in the 90's, it's Back to the Future's first foray into the genre and the majority of the Back to the Future "player pool" will probably consist mostly of adventure gaming novices.
Therefore, Telltale had to make their introductory episode easier than usual, risking the wrath of more experienced adventure gamers, but welcoming a potentially huge new audience who may use Back to the Future as a stepping stone to other adventure games.
I understand your skepticism regarding the evolution of the series, but I'm positive that the difficulty will increase starting with the next episode (probably not to the level you're hoping for right away, but there will still be three episodes left!) and this first episode will be regarded as the long demo it was probably always meant to be (which would explain the lower price compared to other Telltale series).
Don't give up on Telltale just yet.
I mean, everything seems forced, there are way too many "random things that happen at the right time", and other stuff that just are horrible to imagine in the movies, like GPS tracking through time Einstein, and no one caring about the Delorean, the whole Edna as a old woman thingy was also kinda off. Then, "Marty goes back to the past and meets a fatherly figure when he was a teenager", wow, talk about "déjà vu" ...
It's cool but, I seriously was expecting MUCH more story, puzzles, and content (through dialogs ...) than what we got.
Also, the fact that most of the places are not visible nor are the NPCs in those areas is kinda irritating, as I don't feel like I'm walking through hill valley, but through an unfinished game ... (I know it's episodic but for god's sake, that ruins the immersion for me if I have to forgive some flaws because of that ...)
Some scenes are just wrong. And look pretty bad (like the rocket drill / jail thingy), or the chase sequence ... (not at the end though, this one looks great).
Maybe that's because the whole thing was "too easy" (or too short), lacking puzzles / had too many non "realistic" ones ... I don't know.
I don't think I expected too much out of it... I mean we're not in the 2000s ...
I loved Tales of Monkey Island, and I know the first episode had several problems, but it was still really enjoyable !
Though I really want to see the next episode, but I'm really disappointed so far and the "hype" is almost gone
This is an important issue you raise. The more we feel we solved a puzzle, the more emotional investment we have in the story and the character. Remember how in the BTTF movie, the people on the photo slowly disappeared and Marty had to play guitar for his life? There was a real sense of danger and risk, a thrilling rollercoaster ride. If you want to make a game true to the heart of BTTF, you need to have some real sense of danger, risk taking, and challenges, as opposed to a completely safe world that runs semi-automated (and sometimes feels a bit like a ghost world, due to the lack of background people; it sometimes doesn't feel like you're placed in history... because there's no one around). I think it's great that adventure games gave up on the whole "dying" thing (because saving is not fun), but that doesn't mean we can't have the sense of imminent danger and real challenges. Imagine how cool the story can be with real challenges to overcome...
In BBTF tale 1, the closest I was to this emotional investment were probably the lab scene, which was a cool challenge especially because I'm no native speaker, I had to turn on subtitles for that one. The other scene which could have been great was the car ride... the setting and the animated background was simply a fantastic mood and gave a great feel of imminent danger (the car is driving somewhere, time is pressing, things are happening, you are part of an evolving plot, you need to act now!), and this would have been a super memorable and terrific puzzle if it would've been just a bit harder.
Let's wait for episode 2, don't give up!
Though he's an assnugget in a way, he mostly plays CoD which is pretty rubbish.
I can understand what the reviewer is saying and I agree with some of their points, especially the criticism of it as an adventure game, but I enjoyed the story so much I barely cared.
The only thing I found properly annoying was the controls. Every time the camera changed angles, Marty would run off in the wrong direction. Hopefully that's something they'll address.
I wonder if there's a way Telltale could increase the pace of their games. I thought the first scene particularly was really well done, the way you could choose another line of dialogue while Doc was talking was something new.
I think that's an excellent point.
Without removing the element of choice, you could have a notebook with a list of 'discovered' places that you can get to by clicking on the name.
Hated that review so much. The guy hates telltale, so why make him review this game?
I loved the game, and everyone I know who played it at least liked it. Many easy puzzles and (sometimes) controls were the only problems in my eyes.
As somebody said in the comments, if a reviewer hated every Uwe Boll movie should they not review the next Uwe Boll movie? Uwe Boll movies aren't good. You shouldn't cherry-pick reviewers based on who will give something a good (or bad) review.
But you SHOULD choose someone who will give it a fair review on its own merits. Enough of the complaints in that review were directed at Telltale in general, not at the game itself, that it sometimes came off like his opinion was being shaped by his prejudices and not his actual experience playing the game. If I read a review of Uwe Boll's Alone in the Dark, I want to know what was wrong with THIS Uwe Boll movie, not a negative review based on the reviewer's dislike for House of the Dead and Bloodrayne.
But he still had reasonable objections, so it's not like it was a completely invalid review.
You want a pick a reviewer who will be fair. If they have any strong feelings, good or bad, toward a company's games they shouldn't review the next. Pick someone who's never played a Telltale game for the most fair review.
- The town feels like a ghost town (too little cars, people, birds, etc.)
- There doesn't seem to be any risk involved (no, Marty shouldn't die everywhere, but there can still be things that feel risky and tense)
- The controls are often annoying
- The pace is slow (possibly in connection with above)
And to add some points of myself:
- Perhaps because everything is voice-acted and thus perhaps costly to produce, it seems the dialogues are lacking some random funny in-depth off-branching
- Often the surroundings are visually very non-interactive -- how many things can you visually change in the world? If there's almost nothing you can touch and change and handle and open etc., and actually see that, then it feels even more like a "ghost town".
- Some of the puzzles in some games I played seem slighty arbitrary, not superb (arbitrary as in: you don't how "their right solution" makes much more sense than the solutions you tried yourself, and some barriers seem completely artifical... the Monkey Island tale 2 put-something-in-the-treasure-chest is an example, as it is a puzzle which doesn't make much sense visually as it doesn't sufficiently differentiate "their right solution" to your solutions)
Should going from one place to another be completely cut? I don't know how, but TellTale should definitely make it less annoying to wander around. Just cutting the wandering around would probably make the puzzles even easier (you wouldn't even know where to go to) so maybe there's a smarter approach to avoid running around in 3D and hitting lamp posts in your way.
I love what TellTale is trying to do and I wish them good luck, as always, and hope they listen to feebdack (are they ever responding to criticism in the forum?).
I read the review and I actually agree with most of his points, as much as it pained me. Especially the thought about the fact that there is no risk. That's an element in adventure games the NEEDS to be revived. And BTTF was a prime candidate for such a game mechanic. It's kinda sad, really. Telltale is still fairly young, considering, and they're already stuck in the rut of "what makes a Telltale game".
That's not all he said though. He said there were no funny parts, the writing was bad, and it doesn't feel like Back to the Future. Do you agree with all of that?
He also said the supporting cast, 'for the most part', was uninteresting. Who was the supporting cast? Edna, and a bunch of goons that work for Tannen. Edna was interesting, and the goons are not supposed to be interesting — they're goons. Marty's grandfather too, I guess, but we haven't really gotten to know him yet. Ep.2 is about him and Marty's grandmother.
Also, the Telltale game controls never bothered me, I like them.
The problem I have with the review is that it reads like its negative for the sake of being negative. He can't deny the good voice acting, so he admits that. But every other single thing about the game is bad according to him.
Personally, I agreed with pretty much everything he said. Some bits of writing were ok - specifically Marty and Doc's dialogue (although even many of their lines were kind of weak). But hardly anything actually made me laugh - there were maybe one or two gags that even raised a smile for me.
As for the supporting cast, I thought Edna was an awful and just irritating character in both time periods, in terms of voice, writing and story development. Biff was kind of wooden and the "generic bad guy" whereas in the films he had a lot more depth. So yeah it seems like the only characters they bothered to work on properly were Marty and Doc.
...And, I'm speaking here as someone who is usually a fan of Telltale games. So really I'm amazed that the reviewer was so gracious in his opinions, if he usually doesn't like Telltale!
By the way, I can't stand the controls, but that's kind of obvious since I've been complaining about them since Tales of Monkey Island. No, I still haven't got used to them, because they're the wrong controls for an adventure game - unless you're playing with a gamepad, which I'm not. I realise a lot of people are happy with WASD or a gamepad but I've read tonnes of opinions and reviews which slam the controls so obviously they are not to everyone's taste. Yet Telltale refuse to acknowledge this view by just bringing back point and click - they spout a load of rubbish about it being mathematically impossible to do for certain scenes, but right now I'm not getting into a discussion about exactly why that excuse is misguided and essentially wrong!
If you have the choice between optimal gamer experience or having cinematic scenes...go for gamer experience.
In fact the current controls don't work for camera changes anyway..so telltale should get rid of those and give us real controls back.
And as the control scheme sucks for PC and tablets therereally should be be a way to play without direct control.
Oh and a version for Android tablets would be nice too..because really who in their right mind pays twice as much just so his tablet can start with an i and gets tons of restrictions what software he can use by an evil company?
Nope, I don't agree with all of that. I think it did feel like Back to the Future, with some minus points for lack of feeling that "risk" and speed. In fact one thing TellTale needs to watch out is to not create copies of the old stuff too much because of fan pressure, but to explore new routes a story like Back to the Future can be taken to. To give an example, the latest Indiana Jones movie
Thanks, you covered some of the reasons! I have many, many more which is why I'm not going to write what would end up as a whole essay lamenting the death of point and click. But I agree 100% with your post and that first reason is by far the most important. Essentially, I'm not paying Telltale for a movie ... I just want to play games ... so why on earth are they trying to feed us movie-like experiences?
So, who remembers Alone in the Dark? It was the mother of all "3D cinematic camera angles" style games, and was universally reknowned for being incredibly awkward to control. It came out in 1992 and yet nearly 20 years later some developers have still not learned from that mistake.
Ah well... I doubt this discussion will change anything
I'm playing Tex Murphy: Overseer at the moment. It's interesting because it's sort of an FMV game, but the FMVs and dialogue don't bother me as they often do in newer adventure games. Exploration is done in a Doom-like first-person 3D...it's kinda clunky, but also kinda fun. Maybe that true 3D exploration makes up for the more cinematic parts.
No real idea what my point is here...
It won't. Some people will like the game, some people won't.
My biggest gripes would be the controls and certain textures. Mouse movement is horrible IMO, WASD works far better, but still could use some work (can't run with keyboard? And when turning corners/scenes its a little funky) but after playing through again they feel fine.
Textures could have used some more work, mainly buildings and far background (sky/2d objects) especially when talking to Doc in jail, seeing his ultra high resolution texture model standing next to the ultra low brick building and the background of his cell looks horrible imo.
Otherwise I'm liking it so far, and hopefully will love it as more episodes come out.
Ah, I see, thanks.
I know that's not in line with the topic, but, hey!
I know people who've grown tired of it because it's shown so much on TV, but I've never known anyone to actually HATE the movie. :eek:
I agree with numbers 1 and 3. Yeah, the town felt empty, and this is largely caused by how it's one big area, and yeah, the controls are kind of annoying, a little bit moreso than your average Telltale game, though I can't quite put my finger on why.
Also, there are some annoying "invisible walls" in the park area, which might be necessary, but are still annoying.
I disagree with number 2 because it never bothered me at all, and I thought that the pacing was fine.
Anyway, I came here to post this comment someone posted on a BTTF Ep1 Let's Play on Youtube:
Yeah, Telltale, EXPLAIN THAT!!
Also, I don't mind the controls. Sure, it's not as good as the traditional point-and-click, and it can get very annoying at times, but I managed to get used to it way back in the Wallace and Gromit days because Telltale's games don't really require fast reflexes or crazy techniques and stuff. If I'm playing an action game, then, yes, I may complain more about the awkward controls, but in a Telltale game, I can cope with it.