2D Adventures - NOT DEAD
Dear Telltale,
I hope the Double-Fine / Kickstarter success has maybe given you some idea of the amount of old-school 2D fans out there. I personally was sick of hearing that the 2D adventure genre was dead. "Surely," thought I, "these companies can't believe that 3D adventures are better than a good storyline and 2D backgrounds and sprites filled with charm?" Grim Fandango as an exception (well, that was more of a 2D game actually), I kind of half-heartedly enjoyed the 3D Sam & Max games, but part of the overall charm of the earlier 2D Sam & Max game was Steven Purcell and co's deft line.
Instead of people getting sick of hearing it, like "ohhh, ANOTHER old-school 2D fan that says 2D is better than 3D" I'm so very glad someone has sat up and listened.
Whilst I don't think 2D graphics makes a game - I think your current offering of Sam & Max and Monkey Island games could have done way better given 2D graphics, lovingly hand-painted. It seemed as though the humour was there, but I'll be blatant in saying that the charm is often lost amongst slightly dull 3D graphics. I've played quite a few of the series, but the extra dimension - totally unnecessary and I'd say detrimental.
3D needn't be the future, and with any luck, this recent development with Double-Fine will make it a little clearer that pandering to the old-schoolers might be beneficial instead of trying to steal a part of the market-share of the younger generation that are beset with 3D shooters. They're not the only video-game consumers.
That's my little rant. I had high hopes for the early Telltale games and I had wild fantasies about awesome character animation sprites and beautiful hand-painted backgrounds.
It ain't just nostalgia. I think the medium works better in a flat side-scroller.
Rant over.
I hope the Double-Fine / Kickstarter success has maybe given you some idea of the amount of old-school 2D fans out there. I personally was sick of hearing that the 2D adventure genre was dead. "Surely," thought I, "these companies can't believe that 3D adventures are better than a good storyline and 2D backgrounds and sprites filled with charm?" Grim Fandango as an exception (well, that was more of a 2D game actually), I kind of half-heartedly enjoyed the 3D Sam & Max games, but part of the overall charm of the earlier 2D Sam & Max game was Steven Purcell and co's deft line.
Instead of people getting sick of hearing it, like "ohhh, ANOTHER old-school 2D fan that says 2D is better than 3D" I'm so very glad someone has sat up and listened.
Whilst I don't think 2D graphics makes a game - I think your current offering of Sam & Max and Monkey Island games could have done way better given 2D graphics, lovingly hand-painted. It seemed as though the humour was there, but I'll be blatant in saying that the charm is often lost amongst slightly dull 3D graphics. I've played quite a few of the series, but the extra dimension - totally unnecessary and I'd say detrimental.
3D needn't be the future, and with any luck, this recent development with Double-Fine will make it a little clearer that pandering to the old-schoolers might be beneficial instead of trying to steal a part of the market-share of the younger generation that are beset with 3D shooters. They're not the only video-game consumers.
That's my little rant. I had high hopes for the early Telltale games and I had wild fantasies about awesome character animation sprites and beautiful hand-painted backgrounds.
It ain't just nostalgia. I think the medium works better in a flat side-scroller.
Rant over.
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Comments
And then before then it was "lovingly hand pixilated".
Times change. I don't mind 3D and WASD and all that jazz. Personally, I would prefer to see new styles and formats with games in both than go back and stagnate in games of the past. I've got those games and love them, but I'd like to see something new and different. Like...hand painted 3D models that use P&C interface with dramatic angles!
Its just harder to make great looking animated 2D games, (without an artist that is), than it is with 3D games.
(Plus you know, 2D can be pretty limiting gameplay wise, since, you know it only traditionally on 2 dimensions (not counting 2.5D or Pseudo 3D games here), as apposed to 3D's 3)
Especially sprite work. I'll give SNK Playmore a lot of applause that they have to do so much high-detail spritework, (I personally find spriting A LOT of hard work!).