Some of the guys behind THE 7TH GUEST and THE 11TH HOUR go full 'interactive movie' and make an FMV erotic thriller. It turns out about as well as you would think.
The story is about three things: dealing with the loss of a child, psychotherapy, and sex, but let's be clear, it's really just that last one. The writing and presentation go far out of their way to try to class it up, but it's very obvious that they just wanted to make the "first" "adult" video game. It's overwhelmingly horny, but in a desperate, lame, middle-aged-guy-who-drives-a-red-convertible sort of way. So, needless to say, not 'erotic' in the fucking least.
Both the plot and the interactive bits (with certain scenes and the ending being changeable based on exploration, reading optional documents, and your answers to dumb psychological quizzes) hinge upon each of the major characters' motivations being ambiguous for most of the story, with their (variable) true intentions being revealed only at the end. The problem with this is that, with the exception of a hopefully well-paid John Hurt (who literally cannot help but lend some gravitas), none of the no-name actors in the other roles have anywhere near the chops necessary to carry that balancing act off, and the result is wild shifts in characterization and gaping plot holes if you end up following certain paths. Credit is due with regards to the endings - there are some pretty different outcomes possible, and they all work on paper, but many just feel wrong with the rest of the game, given that the awkward performances are either clearly leading in one direction for 95% of the thing, or are just schizophrenic and nonsensical the whole time. The writers bit off way more than the performers and the director could chew.
Tedium and pretention covering up dull game design ideas, pedestrian psychoanalysis, and cringey, basic-ass sexual fixations.
The story is about three things: dealing with the loss of a child, psychotherapy, and sex, but let's be clear, it's really just that last one. The writing and presentation go far out of their way to try to class it up, but it's very obvious that they just wanted to make the "first" "adult" video game. It's overwhelmingly horny, but in a desperate, lame, middle-aged-guy-who-drives-a-red-convertible sort of way. So, needless to say, not 'erotic' in the fucking least.
Both the plot and the interactive bits (with certain scenes and the ending being changeable based on exploration, reading optional documents, and your answers to dumb psychological quizzes) hinge upon each of the major characters' motivations being ambiguous for most of the story, with their (variable) true intentions being revealed only at the end. The problem with this is that, with the exception of a hopefully well-paid John Hurt (who literally cannot help but lend some gravitas), none of the no-name actors in the other roles have anywhere near the chops necessary to carry that balancing act off, and the result is wild shifts in characterization and gaping plot holes if you end up following certain paths. Credit is due with regards to the endings - there are some pretty different outcomes possible, and they all work on paper, but many just feel wrong with the rest of the game, given that the awkward performances are either clearly leading in one direction for 95% of the thing, or are just schizophrenic and nonsensical the whole time. The writers bit off way more than the performers and the director could chew.
Tedium and pretention covering up dull game design ideas, pedestrian psychoanalysis, and cringey, basic-ass sexual fixations.
Snigglegros
2 years ago