I honestly don't understand how this game received so much praise back when it was released. I imagine it was probably because the graphics (for the time) were really cutting edge and the whole idea of a game being a playable movie was kind of a novelty.
That being said, a story-driven video game is supposed to, you know, actually have a good story, which this one most definitelly does not. Leaving all the problematic depictions and characterizations aside, you're still left with an uninspired, cookie cutter "thriller" with the kind of twist that makes the whole thing completelly fall apart and make no sense at all. I'm absolutelly convinced that, had this same story been released as a film or limited series, it would have been demolished by critics on account of how terrible and nonsensical it is. I guess that just shows how low game critics' standards for what defined a good story in a game used to be (still are?).
That being said, a story-driven video game is supposed to, you know, actually have a good story, which this one most definitelly does not. Leaving all the problematic depictions and characterizations aside, you're still left with an uninspired, cookie cutter "thriller" with the kind of twist that makes the whole thing completelly fall apart and make no sense at all. I'm absolutelly convinced that, had this same story been released as a film or limited series, it would have been demolished by critics on account of how terrible and nonsensical it is. I guess that just shows how low game critics' standards for what defined a good story in a game used to be (still are?).
Reviewed on Sep 13, 2022
7 Comments
@RedBackLoggd Hey, man! Sorry for taking so long to answer.
For me, the reason it's nonsensical comes mostly from the twist, which I really hated. I felt the whole story of the game, but especially the segments with Scott Shelby, had to bend backwards in order to "hide" the revelation of the killer's identity to such a degree that it made the actual reveal completelly unbelievable.
For me, the reason it's nonsensical comes mostly from the twist, which I really hated. I felt the whole story of the game, but especially the segments with Scott Shelby, had to bend backwards in order to "hide" the revelation of the killer's identity to such a degree that it made the actual reveal completelly unbelievable.
All good, we all got lives to live besides Backloggd haha
It's been a minute since I played the game, so you could very well be right, but IIRC it was actually well-done: how he was using the PI guise to eliminate all evidence from the victims, plus his motivation making complete sense (his actions not so much, but that's another debate).
It's been a minute since I played the game, so you could very well be right, but IIRC it was actually well-done: how he was using the PI guise to eliminate all evidence from the victims, plus his motivation making complete sense (his actions not so much, but that's another debate).
@RedBackLoggd True, haha!
It's also been a while since I've played the game, to be honest. But I think that it's not so much his motivations and what he's trying to achieve in his segment of the story that I had a problem with necessarily, as both of those elements are explained when it's revealed he's the killer.
It's more in the way the game frames him as a character throughout the story. It's trying so hard to make you not suspect him and, at the same time, cast some degree of suspicion on other characters, that it ends up making him look completelly innocent in the process. Shelby comes across as a well intentioned, super chill private detective trying to find a serial killer on the loose and help some people along the way.
One of the moments that illustrates this the most to me is the scene in which Shelby and Laurie are in the pawn shop and the owner gets murdered. The camera decides to focus on Laurie really intenselly all of a sudden while she stares at a music box and an old clock starts chiming for a few seconds. When the control is given back to the player, you go to the back of the store as Shelby, only to "discover" the guy's dead body. After the twist, we're supposed to believe that, in those few seconds while Laurie was staring at that music box, Shelby, a heavier middle aged guy who suffers from asthma, ran all the way to the back of the store, murdered the owner and then ran back exatcly to where he previously were without Laurie noticing a thing.
In case you wanna rewatch the scene I'm talking about, I found it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN3pj57KBvw&ab_channel=AddictiveGamer (Aproximatelly between 20:36 and 21:40).
It's also been a while since I've played the game, to be honest. But I think that it's not so much his motivations and what he's trying to achieve in his segment of the story that I had a problem with necessarily, as both of those elements are explained when it's revealed he's the killer.
It's more in the way the game frames him as a character throughout the story. It's trying so hard to make you not suspect him and, at the same time, cast some degree of suspicion on other characters, that it ends up making him look completelly innocent in the process. Shelby comes across as a well intentioned, super chill private detective trying to find a serial killer on the loose and help some people along the way.
One of the moments that illustrates this the most to me is the scene in which Shelby and Laurie are in the pawn shop and the owner gets murdered. The camera decides to focus on Laurie really intenselly all of a sudden while she stares at a music box and an old clock starts chiming for a few seconds. When the control is given back to the player, you go to the back of the store as Shelby, only to "discover" the guy's dead body. After the twist, we're supposed to believe that, in those few seconds while Laurie was staring at that music box, Shelby, a heavier middle aged guy who suffers from asthma, ran all the way to the back of the store, murdered the owner and then ran back exatcly to where he previously were without Laurie noticing a thing.
In case you wanna rewatch the scene I'm talking about, I found it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN3pj57KBvw&ab_channel=AddictiveGamer (Aproximatelly between 20:36 and 21:40).
Oh shit you're right. For some reason I thought this review was recent, but yeah you published it 1.5 years ago lol. I'm guessing you don't write much since this was on your first page?
So I'll give you that it's contrived with regards to Shelby having the capacity to effortlessly murder the dude without causing significant noise, but I actually think that scene can also work in the game's favor because, in retrospect, it doesn't make sense that the Origami Killer magically manifested in the shop without alerting either Shelby or Lauren. It's one of those things where you realize, looking back, that it had to have been Shelby.
But I understand where you're coming from. I'm curious what your thoughts are on the cut sci-fi/fantasy elements? There's a whole video explaining 'em, but one of the big ones was Ethan and Shelby having a psychic connection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FsYF9quOZE&
So I'll give you that it's contrived with regards to Shelby having the capacity to effortlessly murder the dude without causing significant noise, but I actually think that scene can also work in the game's favor because, in retrospect, it doesn't make sense that the Origami Killer magically manifested in the shop without alerting either Shelby or Lauren. It's one of those things where you realize, looking back, that it had to have been Shelby.
But I understand where you're coming from. I'm curious what your thoughts are on the cut sci-fi/fantasy elements? There's a whole video explaining 'em, but one of the big ones was Ethan and Shelby having a psychic connection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FsYF9quOZE&
@RedBackLoggd Unfortunatelly, I write a lot less than I wanted to! I even have drafts of reviews I started writing for other games and never finished. For example, I replayed the original God of War at the beginning of 2023 and have a draft of a review that it's almost complete. But I'm usually so busy with work during most of the day and on my free time I end up doing something else to relax and rest a bit, including playing other games I'll never be able to write reviews for despite wanting to, haha! I really like writing about the games I play, but end up not doing it so much because of the time it takes to actually write something that I feel is worthwile.
I had no ideia about these supernatural elements originally planned for the game! I definitelly think it would have improved the story and made some things make a lot more sense, seeing as another problem I have with it is those constant blackouts Ethan has. I always figured it was a lazy way for the player to suspect him and that it's never properly explained. Knowing now that they would have been explained by this psychic connection between Ethan and Shelby, I think it would actually have been an interesting element in the story. That being said, I don't think this would fix every problem I have with the game, haha
I had no ideia about these supernatural elements originally planned for the game! I definitelly think it would have improved the story and made some things make a lot more sense, seeing as another problem I have with it is those constant blackouts Ethan has. I always figured it was a lazy way for the player to suspect him and that it's never properly explained. Knowing now that they would have been explained by this psychic connection between Ethan and Shelby, I think it would actually have been an interesting element in the story. That being said, I don't think this would fix every problem I have with the game, haha
Yeah I hear you for sure. Do what makes you happy at the end of the day.
And yeah that's fair.
And yeah that's fair.
RedBackLoggd
27 days ago