My thoughts on the first minutes in the game

This game seems to be clearly made with the casual player in mind. For starters the 3d just plain sucks, the camera angle is off sometimes and the shaky camera gave me a dizzy feeling. Combining items is a pain, why stick them in those two fields, if you could just click one item and then the second you want to combine it with. And where the heck is the verb list? Combining and using item is all i can do?

It doesnt seem to matter what dialog option you choose, Guybrush says the predefined lines anyway. This sucks pretty badly, as weird dialog options have always been a feature of the MI Series. Heck, the Monkey 2 manual even stated that you should try out weird options to see what happens back then.

The characters i met in the first minutes also havent been very unique or memoirable, so i gotta ask what the big deal with those Telltale Guys is. Whats the praise all about?

[Sir_Brizz]

I really don't agree with your assessment at all. Well, except that I wish it was point and click.

You dont have to. As i said, those are only my impressions after the first minutes of gameplay. Anyway, id really wish guybrush would just spit out the dialog option of my choosing. This is a thing which always disturbed me, they kinda did similar things with their Sam and Max Episodes.

The gameplay just feels over simplified, i cant choose own dialog options at some times, i dont have a verb list to interact with objects (all i can do is look and combine), and so on. I will finish ep1 though so i can place a fair judgement on this

[HavocX]

Verb lists have been gone from adventure game for many years. Sure, they could have brought them back, but it is not like Telltale decided to suddenly take the genre in a drastic new direction.

I do agree that the combining is a bit annoying and that you should (almost always) be able say the option you choose. The lack of click-movement is my biggest complaint.

That said I *really* liked the game and look forward to the next part.

[Sir_Brizz]

Originally Posted by stoney1981

You dont have to. As i said, those are only my impressions after the first minutes of gameplay. Anyway, id really wish guybrush would just spit out the dialog option of my choosing. This is a thing which always disturbed me, they kinda did similar things with their Sam and Max Episodes.

The gameplay just feels over simplified, i cant choose own dialog options at some times, i dont have a verb list to interact with objects (all i can do is look and combine), and so on. I will finish ep1 though so i can place a fair judgement on this

Just as a sidenote, what you're describing also happens in Secret of Monkey Island and has been a Monkey Island tradition of sorts. If you've played 3 and 4, you'd have seen it at least a few times before.

Verb lists are just antiquated, imo. There is no reason to make you specifically say to pick something up, or use/give something on/to someone. Just silly.

[RonixEnclave]

What the heck? This game is point and click. You mean you want to move around by pointing and clicking? Give me a break..

[nautsch]

Originally Posted by stoney1981

It doesnt seem to matter what dialog option you choose, Guybrush says the predefined lines anyway. This sucks pretty badly, as weird dialog options have always been a feature of the MI Series. Heck, the Monkey 2 manual even stated that you should try out weird options to see what happens back then.

I had the same feeling, when I started the first part. It will go away. I don't know why it is like that in the beginning, but guybrush will say what you click in the later (15 minutes?) parts of the game most of the time.

I thought the first part was quite enjoyable.

Unfortunately I must say that part 2 was short, bland and simple compared to the first episode. There is only one really interesting puzzle and a single good visual pun during the entire episode.

[chEmicalbuRn]

it is made for the casual gamer. its not a hard core RPG like elder scrolls or Fallout 3. its just a fun, relaxing, puzzle game. just relax and enjoy it. if its not challenging enough for you just turn down the hints. im a pretty hard core gamer, but im enjoying this game a lot. just play it for what it is and have fun.

[backstepper]

Originally Posted by Sir_Brizz

I really don't agree with your assessment at all. Well, except that I wish it was point and click.

That and the Combination of items in the inventory. Guybrush should also say something if he is not able to combine it. My negativ points are the details and im not talking about the graphic but more small things would be nice(more comments and so on).

[CaptainDingo]

Totally disagree with the OP on the graphics. They look great. I'm not seeing what you're seeing, apparently.

As for verb lists being antiquated, that's not entirely true. Sure, sometimes an object only has one purpose, but in adventure games, people often try what doesn't work many times before they try what does work. When you get feedback on what doesn't work, it's pleasant.

Verb lists also offer much more interactivity with the environment, and experimentation. In the past, that experimentation led to more than one way to solve a puzzle, whereas nowadays, there's only one way.

However, OP should not be surprised; Telltale's engine hasn't housed a single adventure game thus far that utilizes a verb list or even multiple cursors. You probably should have known Monkey Island wouldn't be much different.

The inventory IS clunky though, yes. Placing two items into a designated spot is more than necessary as it is, but then having to click a + button and wait a couple seconds is taking it too far when in the past, we simply combined our items by picking up one and clicking on another.

But as someone else said... these are microscopic nitpicks about what is ultimately a very good adventure game. The dialogue is funny and the puzzles are creative. That's almost all you need, when you get right down to it.

As far as choosing a dialogue option and Guybrush saying something else... this has been used in the series many times before. It's not like everything he says is canned and only can be carried out in a linear fashion. The times he says the same line regardless of your choice is when there's only one thing to say and they offer you many ways to say it; I like to think of those particular options as things you want Guybrush to be thinking when he says something.

But to say all or even most of the dialogue is like that is objectively false. You can carry on conversations in any fashion you choose.

[d3vilsadvocate]

i agree with the thread opener

[in.meinem.turm.]

Originally Posted by d3vilsadvocate

Le Chuck's Revenge is still my favorite monkey game, and that's where the series should have come to an end, period.

I totally agree with you there.

PS: MI3 was also in Episodes. Just like every other Monkey Island game.

[sleepydragy]

Originally Posted by d3vilsadvocate

I'm afraid but the thread opener is right. This game has nothing in common with the Monkey Island games, it's downright ridiculous. I got nervous when I heard the game was gonna be released in episodes... I mean wtf???

dont understand you there? every monkey island game is in episodes

[kalirion]

Originally Posted by Sir_Brizz

Verb lists are just antiquated, imo. There is no reason to make you specifically say to pick something up, or use/give something on/to someone. Just silly.

Sure there is, it presents more of a challenge (some times different verbs would have different outcomes), and makes it harder to solve puzzles by brute force.