spikespace
1997
A great companion piece to the movie, fantastic story, lots of interesting 'choices-that-matter', very evocative art design and music. Shame that the open world sometimes hampers gameplay - it can be unclear where to go and what to do next sometimes, and this is frustrating.
Not as strong as 'Myst'. The soundscape is cutting-edge, and allows for more sophisticated puzzles. The puzzle design is abstruse and the clues are disparate. Unlike the first game's five maps, 'Riven' is one big map, and so the gameplay is a bit less engaging as the scope of the puzzles is a bit overwhelming. The story isn't as involving or captivating as the first game either, and sometimes a bit confusing. Like fuck am I gonna read 30 pages of journals, not least with that shitty cursive handwriting.
2016
Masterfully builds tension. Ending didn't really pay off.
2019
A DOOM rip-off that succeeds because of its charm. Doomguy, Ranger, Duke Nukem and B.J. Blazkowicz have NOTHING on Caleb.
2014
Godawful writing and dialogue aside, the atmosphere, tension and fear which oozes from the masterful game design is unmatched.
Intelligent, thought-provoking, experimental, engaging. I put a lot of this down to Harlan Ellison's creative input into the game design as well as the story. A classic.
Great story and characters but the gameplay is shit
Can't believe I'm saying this but Telltale did it better!
This is the first game that used the immersive-storytelling potential of video games to its full advantage. You wake up in a fantastical world where trees are elevators and book pages are wormholes, and a history of murder, betrayal and tyranny awaits your discovery. There is no linear path - like the real world, you forge your own journey across the Ages. You make your own choices and have to trust your instinct. A wonderful, ground-breaking work of genius.
A brilliant, genuinely unsettling and disturbing piece of internet horror.
The game I dreamt of as a child. It's very buggy, particularly in the boss fight. If you are a fan of David-Tennant-era Who, the story should peak your interest with its twists and callbacks (though the major twist is a bit fan-fiction-y for my liking).
A fantastic experience for Doctor Who fans - using the sonic, walking into and flying the TARDIS, exploring an alien planet, Weeping Goddamn Angels!! - but there's not much here for anyone else.
It's also very difficult at times, and I got stuck in the last level and never completed it.
It's also very difficult at times, and I got stuck in the last level and never completed it.
Even harder than the first one!!! I had to use a walkthrough :(
Ground-breaking, funny, smart, charming... but dear God is it hard
1990
The gameplay was more fun than 'Monkey Island' 1 and 2 :O