toblix

Obduction: Rand Miller & Cyan Worlds Kickstarter

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I dearly want to plunk down money for this, but I am too poor.

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Hmm, I remember thinking that Myst looked like a pretty cool game way back when, but I never played it.

 

I guess that the worst that will happen is that a free game will show up in a year and a half.

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The myst games are well worth playing, they hold up quite well. (The first 3 games in particular, and Uru with a few caveats. Myst 4 and Myst 5 aren't as good, however.)

If you don't have any troubles getting Real Myst running, i think that's a pretty great way to experience the original game.

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If there's one game that needs Oculus Rift support, it's a game by Cyan. I can't wait to play this.

 

The myst games are well worth playing, they hold up quite well. (The first 3 games in particular, and Uru with a few caveats. Myst 4 and Myst 5 aren't as good, however.)

If you don't have any troubles getting Real Myst running, i think that's a pretty great way to experience the original game.

 

I'm actually not a huge fan of Myst 3. I really like the other games that studio developed (The Journeyman Project series) but the world in Myst 3 just wasn't that interesting to me. It might actually be my least favorite Myst game, not that it's bad.

 

I also think that if you're going to play Uru, you should actually download Myst Online instead. It's free, you can interact with other people, and it has the content that Cyan created for the game when it was on Gametap.

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Oh, I really really liked the Journeyman project games. I didn't realize that it was the same studio. That's cool at least.

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I always really liked 3, i think Presto did a great job with it. (It was their last game, wasn't it?)

 

Of the two games designed by developers outside of Cyan, i feel that 4 has way more problems. So many plot holes, all that terrible acting, and a lot of really random, arbitrary puzzles that have virtually no contextualization. 4's a remarkably beautiful game, but problematic in most other ways.

As for the Myst Online/Uru thing, i haven't spent any time with Myst Online myself, but i've heard it introduces a lot of bugs into some of the ages that don't exist in the offline version of the game. Uru/Myst Online does have some really great ages though, it's worth playing... Just maybe not as a first Myst game.

I think it's fair to say that Riven is the best Myst game though? Nobody would argue with that, right?

I'll also say, with Myst V being the last big game Cyan made, i have some small concerns in the back of my mind about Obduction. I know the game was very rushed through its development and built on a tight budget, but i don't think that completely excuses it just not being very good.

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Have they announced any general release window for the game?

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I think it's fair to say that Riven is the best Myst game though? Nobody would argue with that, right?

 

Having recently replayed Myst and Rven, I vote Myst 1. Riven felt like it had too many challenges which were about simply finding an interactable element of the environment, as opposed to putting brainpower towards solving a discrete puzzle. Those challenges aren't especially satisfying to succeed at, and they're downright miserable to get stuck on, because the element you're missing could be anywhere on the entire island.

 

I recently learned about this Kickstarter (somehow missed it when it came out), and I'm hoping they go more Myst than Riven for that very reason, has anyone that's been following the KS updates got any idea what sort of gameplay direction they're going?

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Obduction is out!

 

http://obduction.com/
 
Reception seems to be positive, which is most cool. I backed the Kickstarter, but I haven't played it yet. I played a lot of these games hotseat with a friend of mine, and we're trying to organize an evening to do just that with Obduction as well. So I'm in spoiler avoidance mode, but ridiculously excited!


Also, I really want Jake to play Obduction and talk about it on the show, even though it'll mean I can't listen to the episode for a few weeks.

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I watched a few minutes of the Giant Bomb Quick Look. Look really strong. No idea about the puzzles though.

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One of a few Kickstarters I backed a while ago that I don't remember why. I'm glad it's getting good reviews, maybe I'll try it out this weekend.

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Turns out the game is actually really good, or at least I really like it. It's kind of what I was hoping The Witness would be. The puzzles are a little easier and there's more variety to them plus there's an actual story. Plus it has FMV! The only issue I have with the game so far is that I wish it ran better on my machine and had shorter load times.

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(the witness has an actual story)

I haven't gotten far along at all in the game yet (still waiting for the Obduction game night), but I do love the Cyan's marriage of narrative, spaces and puzzles. I also initially expected The Witness to have a strong narrative. My first couple of hours with the game I wanted to play something closer to a Cyan game. The references to Myst, and Braid fooled me. Then I learned to stop worrying and love The Witness. But I am also very glad to have this thing too.

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(the witness has an actual story)

 

I guess the way I phrased it was wrong and kind of harsh but man, I really didn't care for it at all. I still liked The Witness but also found it disappointing at the same time.

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(the witness has an actual story)

 

Myst and The Witness share the both play with the theme of the world-builder. Myst tells the story of wizards creating world and becoming literally stuck in those worlds. The Witness "tells the story" of the player's constant agony to find the meaning of a game designers world.

 

I really apreciate The Witness as an essay. As far as I can tell any story implications are post-modern fourth wall deconstructions, exploring the implications of living inside the world of a game designers, and the struggle of game designers to achieve the right tone in their constructed worlds. Unless hmm have I missed the greater story?

 

Honestly I also projected a lot of The Talos Project's story into The Witness. 

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Actually I like the idea of The Witness being more of an essay than a story so I retract my statement!!!

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