![]() Honestly, the tie-in market hasn’t been the same since. They were essentially spin-offs, companions to successful properties that enhanced the original instead of just mimicking it as so many video game tie-ins had before. What was so remarkable about both adventures was how they matched the tone of their source material without telling stories we’ve already heard. “Tales” was a playful, sci-fi adventure built around the concept of storytelling and mythmaking, while “GoT” crafted its own story chronologically near the “Red Wedding” that shocked so many HBO viewers. The best of them are 2014’s “Tales From the Borderlands” and the same year’s “Game of Thrones,” set within the universe of the hit Gearbox game and George R.R. Since “The Walking Dead,” Telltale Games has not only released several new “seasons” of that show, including one currently on episode four called “The New Frontier,” but worked within other universes to create their own fascinating stories. Games are so often about fixing your mistakes, but Telltale makes you live with them, altering the story based on your decisions instead of you altering your behavior to make another attempt to “win.” I’ve played nearly every episode of every game they’ve released since 2012 and I’ve never restarted, even if I regretted a decision. To be honest, that was the most groundbreaking element of Telltale’s approach. And, of course, each episode included major decisions, like whether to save Character A or Character B-and the one you didn’t save never returned. Be more supportive to a fellow traveler against the horde and maybe they would be there for you when the undead broke down the walls. And the choices you made, even just in conversation, would impact the arc of the game. The episodes played out like motion comics-a moving version of a graphic novel-that would pause at regular intervals and allow you to form the conversation yourself by making one of four dialogue choices. Most important was the concept of authorship through character interactions. There would be no Mike and Shane in this tie-in, although the themes of survival and community were resonant, and Robert Kirkman, the original author served as an adviser. They took their template to another level with 2012’s “The Walking Dead,” a five-episode game that worked from the same source material as the AMC series but told its own story. Telltale Games was a relatively minor player in the ‘00s and early ‘10s, releasing games based on “ Back to the Future” and “ Jurassic Park” that had a loyal following, but not making critical waves like they eventually would as the current decade progressed. The point is that the words "video games" may not always mean what you think they mean. And then there’s the work being done over the last half-decade by the groundbreaking Telltale Games, including the only current video game iteration of “ Guardians of the Galaxy.” Finally, there’s a recent release from Giant Sparrow & Annapurna Interactive (yes, the same Annapurna headed by Megan Ellison that releases great films like “ Her”) called “What Remains of Edith Finch” that is a mini-masterpiece. ![]() Some of the more notable efforts include “Ico,” “Shadow of the Colossus,” “ Flower” and “Journey.” All must-plays. There have always been outliers, games that tried to break the mold and alter gamer expectations. Most games have succinct good guys (usually you) and bad guys (usually waves of them to kill). Most games are built on a trial-and-error template, in which death teaches you how to succeed (and this is the core argument of my theory that “ Edge of Tomorrow” is the best video game movie of all time). Most games are a journey from a starting point to a finish line, usually after defeating a final boss. Since their formative days, video games have come with relatively predictable expectations.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |