| 6 AUG 2008 at 9:09pm |
MKBSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 241
Joined: 24 AUG 2006
Status : Offline | I really liked this game but (with all its problems) I don't know why :-?. I agree with loobiloo in that there are too many unanswered questions. The story continuity makes it seem like the author was making it up as he went along . . . forgetting early plot points and substituting new realities later. All the discussions and theories in other Lost Crown threads still leave me scratching my head. Even the author won't (can't?) explain it.
Fun game (second best game I've played this year) but does it deserve an A? I don't think so either.
I don't buy download-only games. Never have, never will........Mike
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| 6 AUG 2008 at 9:11pm |
Terry PenrodGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 6693
Joined: 16 OCT 2004
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | .
A lot of us here think the average scores for AGs is too high on niche sites and usually way too low on general gaming sites.
Reality is probably somewhere in between most of the time.
However, the text portion of (genuine / qualified) AG reviews is almost always more accurate and far more relevant than the typically childish rants we see from 3D action-game addicts who insist on inflicting their "opinions" about classic-style adventures on the world. Since 99% of them are literally incapable of solving the puzzles without a complete, step-by-step walkthrough including lots of pictures, who cares what they think? At least the JA reviewers actually PLAY the games and for the most part, can finish them with little or no help.
Cheers, Terry
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| 7 SEP 2008 at 2:23am |
DarleenIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 54
Joined: 19 SEP 2007
Status : Online | Hi, loobiloo
I really enjoyed this game immensely..
When a game brings tears to my eyes...That game is special for me..I am sorry the game didn't do something special for you..
///*_*\\\
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| 8 SEP 2008 at 7:10pm |
loobilooPrivate Detective
Posts : 598
Joined: 3 APR 2008
Location: UK
Status : Offline | Hi Darleen, I enjoyed the game immensely too once I'd got into it. I didn't mind many of the negative aspects mentioned such as the movement of the character & some of the voice acting & I loved the black & white effect with the splashes of color.
I know this game is an 'all-time great' for many players but not for me. It could have been if only the developer had clarified the plot because after investing 25 -30 hours in this game it just wasn't.
The story of any AG I play is very important to me so if I'm left at the end of a game with no idea as to what exactly that story was about & have been left in the dark about many aspects of the game plot then the game is an enormous let down as this game most definitley was! I know there is nothing to be gleaned from a replay as I feel I will find nothing new!
As I said in my original post, I do not mind an ambiguous, thought provoking ending but this game has plot holes galore that have generated a lot of theories on some of them. Nothing fits overall - the answer lies in the developers head who for some reason wants to keep it to himself - my theory being that there is no overall plot & there is no more to the game than what you see & that thought infuriates me!
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| 9 SEP 2008 at 9:27pm |
IviniaGuild Master
Posts : 4459
Joined: 7 JUN 2003
Location: US
Status : Offline | An adventure game that keeps you hooked and intrigued for 30+ hours of solid and you think it deserves to be in the average ranks? A game filled with such subtle nuances and possibilities in the storyline. ifferent strokes.
So what are these plot holes you speak of or are you really referring to loose ends that might not have been tied up to your satisfaction?
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| 10 SEP 2008 at 8:11pm |
loobilooPrivate Detective
Posts : 598
Joined: 3 APR 2008
Location: UK
Status : Offline | Hi Ivinia, I'm aware that many players of the game considered it a masterpiece & maybe it is & I'm just missing a lot!
Yes, I was kept hooked & intrigued for the most part & found many of the in-game quests satisfying i.e. laying ghosts to rest & finding the crown. But to me it just ended up as a sequence of tasks/quests that were not tied up in the conclusion. I was kept hooked to see where the story was going as I was expecting a great conclusion & it never came.
The ending for me was such a major let-down as no answers were provided at all! Okay, far too many loose ends weren't tied up to my satisfaction rather than perhaps there being plot holes. But please tell me about all these subtle nuances! As for possibilites in the storyline -when I finish a game I don't expect to have to 'keep adventuring' to work it out myself As you say 'different strokes'!
Incidentally, I may be wrong, but I would consider a rating of 7-8 above average - if all the loose ends had been tied up it would have been a 10!
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| 11 SEP 2008 at 3:03am |
DarleenIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 54
Joined: 19 SEP 2007
Status : Online | Hi, Again loobiloo
Sometimes the developer or writer actually does this on purpose..
Most likely they are anticipating a sequel to the first version of the game..
Its very frustrating.....As I have found this to be the case with the Runaway games...
Oh Well..
I always say...On to another game [img]http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/more/bigs/a084.gif[/img]
///*_*\\\
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| 19 SEP 2008 at 1:22pm |
Steve VSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 265
Joined: 16 MAR 2008
Status : Online | Originally Posted By Ivinia (9 SEP 2008 9:27pm)
An adventure game that keeps you hooked and intrigued for 30+ hours of solid and you think it deserves to be in the average ranks? A game filled with such subtle nuances and possibilities in the storyline. Different strokes.
So what are these plot holes you speak of or are you really referring to loose ends that might not have been tied up to your satisfaction?
I'll butt in here..
The main 'loose end' is that you never know why Danvers ended up in Saxton, or really why Mr Hadden wanted the Lost Crown to be found, or who he actually is.. We are also left in the dark as to whether the whole thing takes place in a 'real' environment or is an alternative universe created by Hadden.
There is no explanation for the timelines that are all out of kilter, the ages of the Ager brothers for instance, the postage date on the package that Hadden sends Danvers, Nanny Noah's house which is in a 1950's timewarp, the steam locomotive (which haven't been used in Britain for 40 years) etc, etc...
Even when you return the crown at the end of the game, there isn't really a sense of having 'finished' anything except that one quest. Now Mr Boakes is talking about making Darkfall 3, presumably that will NOT be a sequel to TLC so we are going to be left in the dark forever, most unsatisfying..
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| 19 SEP 2008 at 5:08pm |
| Deleted User | I've thought of getting this game myself. However, I put a big emphasis on the story also. If what Steve V mentions above is correct regarding all the loose ends, then I think I'll be passing on this one. I'll have to do some review research, for sure, if I change my mind.
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| 19 OCT 2008 at 2:48pm |
KarstenSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 347
Joined: 23 SEP 2006
Location: DK
Status : Offline | Personally, I like a story where all is not explained and not very bow is tied and every t is crosses. Leaves room for imagination and speculation, it does.
It seems that TLC could really be a game for me then, as I don't much care about finding out why mr. Danvers ended up in Saxton.
or why mr. Hadden wanted the crown to be found...
At any rate, these questions could well be in answered in the sequel...
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| 20 OCT 2008 at 5:33pm |
Steve VSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 265
Joined: 16 MAR 2008
Status : Online | Originally Posted By Karsten (19 OCT 2008 2:48pm)
Personally, I like a story where all is not explained and not very bow is tied and every t is crosses. Leaves room for imagination and speculation, it does.
It seems that TLC could really be a game for me then, as I don't much care about finding out why mr. Danvers ended up in Saxton.
or why mr. Hadden wanted the crown to be found...
At any rate, these questions could well be in answered in the sequel...
Don't you just feel empty and unfulfilled when you finish a game where so much is unexplained at the end? There are other loose ends that I didn't mention above but another major plot hole is that Spoiler Alertwhen Danvers takes the Crown 'bad' things start to happen so he puts it back..apparently Mr Hadden is so delighted by this that he offers Danvers a job on the spot, so was the whole thing just a test of Danvers' initiative or does Hadden know that removing the crown permanently is not a great idea? Was the whole thing set up to destroy the power of the Ager brothers spirits, in which case, as they are the guardians of the Crown why is Hadden pleased when Danvers gives it back? It just goes on and on..
Although it is satisfying to solve the sub quests around the main storyline the whole thing breaks down badly at the end, anyone looking for any kind of closure is just going round in circles here..
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| 25 SEP 2009 at 12:04am |
RaySorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 360
Joined: 21 OCT 2002
Location: US, CA
Status : Offline | Here's the problem: Adventure games have become such a niche genre, and so many of them are created in languages other than English and then HORRIBLY "localized," that as a reviewer if you're not careful you find yourself giving D grades to everything.
Most of the traditional point-and-click adventure games I play are simply not up to the level of the games that made me fall in love with the genre: games like Morpheus, Sanitarium, Gabriel Knight, The Feeble Files, Broken Sword, Full Throttle, Riven, Journeyman Project, The Quivering, Hell Gate, Shanara, Black Dahlia, Tex Murphy, etc.
But then, those games mostly had bigger budgets and were playing to a more general audience.
Every now and then we get a Syberia, or a Longest Journey. But for traditional point-and-click, these are lean times. Plenty of games, but lowered expectations.
SO when you're reviewing a game you're thinking about the genre in general. You want to encourage game developers, but be honest with readers at the same time. It's surprisingly tricky, and we get a lot of grief, whether people think we have ranked a game too generously or too harshly.
It's also tricky because I LIKE game developers, and I'm lucky enough to have met lots of them. I don't like to rain on anybody's parade.
There have been times when I have actually called the studio up to warn them, "Uh, you are not going to be happy with the review of ____ that is being posted today. I love ya, and better luck next time."
Don't tell Randy I said any of this!
Remember, procrastinate now. Don't put it off!!
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| 25 SEP 2009 at 11:53am |
ThaumaturgeJourneyman
Posts : 999
Joined: 11 MAY 2006
Status : Offline | Hmm... I'm not sure that I agree with you, Ray. Aside from my personal preference, I think, for reviewing a game without significant extraneous motivations, surely offering more open comment is a better way to show developers what could use further work? If one lessens the blows, might they not think that those elements are satisfactory, or don't call for significant further attention?
I'm not saying that one shouldn't praise where praise is due, or offer encouragement by mentioning, perhaps as an aside, any elements that show promise or one thinks are worth special mention; I'm rather saying that I'm not sure that I'm convinced that gentling a review is a positive thing for the genre.
MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
*ahem*
Sorry.
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| 26 SEP 2009 at 11:39am |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | Care to help this noob and tell her if the game is 1st person or 3rd?
Because I was running away like madly from this game thinking it was 1st person but now I went to the AG's Review and it says 3rd... :-?
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 26 SEP 2009 at 2:28pm |
IviniaGuild Master
Posts : 4459
Joined: 7 JUN 2003
Location: US
Status : Offline | It's third person mostly. When you use some of the gadgets it moves to 1st person view sort of. It's 95% 3rd person though.
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| 26 SEP 2009 at 3:38pm |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | ohh thanks Ivinia! guess you'll be seeing me posting in Lost Crown threads really soon
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 29 SEP 2009 at 5:36pm |
RaySorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 360
Joined: 21 OCT 2002
Location: US, CA
Status : Offline | Tham, I don't disagree with you; I'm just saying that it's tricky.
Remember, procrastinate now. Don't put it off!!
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| 5 OCT 2009 at 3:12pm |
| Deleted User | Originally Posted By Ray (25 SEP 2009 12:04am)
Here's the problem: Adventure games have become such a niche genre, and so many of them are created in languages other than English and then HORRIBLY "localized," that as a reviewer if you're not careful you find yourself giving D grades to everything.
{...} I don't like to rain on anybody's parade.
Um, this might not have anything to do with a certain Lux-Pain, might it, Ray? : Just curious... :-*
I mean,
Final Grade: Left off in the name of kindness
...kindness? Hehe :-X
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| 8 NOV 2009 at 3:33pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | I honestly can't remember whether it is totally 3rd person or if you have a choice.
I very much liked this game, but it has flaws (character movement, being one). IMO, if this game is in the upper tier of games, it is near the bottom of that list. B+ maybe.
On the other hand, a game like Culpa Innata's review on this site is just ridiculous to me. Then again--different strokes for different folks. Also, no game is perfect, so it's a matter of how much those imperfections spoil a game for you.
Making a review gentle (in other words: lying by withholding the truth) is counterproductive in the long run, because a mislead or cheated customer will never come back. Balanced, kind criticism is what's necessary -- not biased journalism.
_________________
Exercise your vision.
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| 27 NOV 2009 at 9:22pm |
MaumPrivate Detective
Posts : 593
Joined: 2 JUN 2007
Location: UK
Status : Offline | Inesrock I might join you! I find 1st person games VERY hard to get into (I tried one of the Dark Fall games a few years back and managed to be bored AND scared at the same time. Not an experience I'd care to try again)- that was the reason why I wasn't even looking at buying TLC.
Saying that I'm totally gripped by Outcry at the moment.
Currently playing: Dragon Age Origins, Dishonored, The Witcher, Fallout 3, Deponia
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| 1 DEC 2009 at 2:12pm |
Taurnil MithrandirJourneyman
Posts : 1093
Joined: 13 AUG 2006
Status : Online | I really liked the game but I also agree that at the end I had (and have!) too much questions which are unanswered. The problem is that a lot of adventure games nowadays follow this informal rule: Play, enjoy but when the game finishes lots of questions arise. Why? Can't figure it out yet myself!
....set the controls for the heart of the sun....
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| 19 JAN 2010 at 11:00pm |
JehaneSpace Cadet
Posts : 128
Joined: 15 MAY 2007
Status : Online | I loved The Lost Crown; when finishing it, I wanted to start right over, a thing that has never happened to me before. Also, I bought the game again - I played the German version first but decided that I also needed the English version. Also a thing I've never done before - buy the same game twice.
However, the ending also left me puzzled; too many questions were not answered. But I'm quite positive that the sequel will have some answers
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| 20 JAN 2010 at 3:44pm |
Taurnil MithrandirJourneyman
Posts : 1093
Joined: 13 AUG 2006
Status : Online | I hope so too!
....set the controls for the heart of the sun....
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| 20 JAN 2010 at 4:23pm |
MaumPrivate Detective
Posts : 593
Joined: 2 JUN 2007
Location: UK
Status : Offline | Me too!
I've just finished the game and am now feeling very.... lost.
Currently playing: Dragon Age Origins, Dishonored, The Witcher, Fallout 3, Deponia
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