Can a game without gameplay possibly be one of the best created?

I may well have just played one of the most emotionally impacting games of my gaming career. And amazingly it may well have been the least interactive too. Featuring no driving, shooting, climbing, jumping or actually much gameplay at all. What it did have however made me blub more than the screaming child on my bus who was denied a lolly.

In my last post I mentioned that I had decided to delve the depths of Steam for their Summer Sale. Among my haul was the indie game To The Moon, although the term game is applied loosely. Despite being created using the RPG maker  To The Moon isn't your traditional role playing game. Instead it is more of a basic point and click adventure game, with a major focus on story.

And what a story it is! Not often can a story evoke much emotion. No not because I am heartless or unfeeling, but because as a Creative Writing student I have been taught to scrutinise events and recognise calling signs for plot points. This has turned me into a somewhat jaded person, and even films have to go an extra mile to impress me (I am a self-confessed story snob).

I will happily admit that I felt tears welling in my eyes as I played To The Moon. A reason behind this may be down to the topic on hand. You play as two scientists (Eva and Neil) who work for Sigmund corp, a futuristic company that specialises in creating memories. The two scientists arrive at a large house to alter the memories of Johnny, and implant his dying wish, to go to the moon. To implant this memory Eva and Neil must travel through Johnny's life and find out why he wants to travel to the moon so that you can make the memory stronger.

As you traverse his timeline you find out about his marriage to River. At first everything seems fine, and Johnny appears to be an attentive husband to a wife that's weirdly distant. As you progress you find the reason as to why they seem strained despite having a strong connection. The story really is heartfelt and is very human, which is why it provoked such a strong reaction from me. I won't go into anymore detail or risk spoiling it.

The graphics won't stun you, but the story certainly will.

One of the greatest strengths of To The Moon  is the beautiful soundtrack. The opening title screen has a unique piano score that signals the touching story to come. Another great song comes courtesy of Laura Shingara, whon many people will know for the song There's a Zombie on Your Lawn from Plants Vs. Zombies. This song, Everything is Alright, is completely different and reflects the emotional roller-coaster you will have experienced at the moment it is played.  

I can't say that I enjoyed playing To The Moon. But that is because there is very little gameplay about it. Each level is spent wandering around a specific scene in Johnny's memories interacting with a number of objects. Once the amount of objects have been clicked on a simple tile-based puzzle is revealed. This lack of gameplay leaves it in a weird place, not enough action  to be considered a game and too much for it to be a interactive comic. Yet what it did have ensured I kept clicking with intrigue even after the credits rolled. 

I really couldn't get enough by the end, and the plot wormed its way around my brain for days later. To The Moon is my new frisbee to throw at the face of anyone who ever says that video games don't contain smart stories.

Steam Summer Sale Hangover

I consider myself a gamer. I play video games, keep up to date with the industry and have even attended video games conferences like Eurogamer. Yet I have never purchased anything from the Steam Summer Sale. Something many people regard as a staple activity of any gamer.

Steam Summer Sales are famous, or rather infamous, for a vacuum for any gamer’s wallet. Many people sink their hard earned cash (or their parents) in the gamer equivalent of impulse buying. It’s easy to do after all most of the sale prices only last for 24 hours and then they are lost, replaced by the next day’s offers. And when you factor in the flash deals that happen twice daily you have a recipe for a very expensive disaster.

This year’s Steam sale began on the 11^th June and for once I have taken part.

Steam has been tempting me for a while now. I am a late comer to the party mainly due to my inexperience at PC gaming. But the cheaper price tags and selection of Indie games has finally drawn me in. Although considering the sale’s reputation it has for panic buying this is perhaps a bad thing.

But I am glad to sale that I have been good (so far), and only bought games that I have had my eye on for a while. Here is a round-up of my purchases and my initial thoughts.

Outlast is a recent horror game from Red Barrels studio. You play as investigative journalist as he traverses an asylum looking for a news scoop about patient abuse. Unfortunately, by the time you have arrived the inmates have escaped and now chase you down the corridors. It has become known as Youtube Lets Play fodder. Horror games are the go-to game when it comes to making reaction play-through videos. Plenty of jump scares to overact to and gain viewers.

I have played an initial half hour and I am so far impressed. There is real tension as you walk the halls and the camcorder mechanic is a great idea. In areas devoid of light you must use the camcorders night vision function to find your way. Of course this severely restricts your view and causes everything to have a greenish tinge. It is a lot like playing a video game version of Rec. or Cloverfield.

Outlast reminds me a lot of the last generation horror game F.E.A.R. Not just because of the horror theme, but the controls feel very similar. You can open doors hesitantly, listening for the sound of inmates before entering and have the ability to lean left and right to peer around corners. The main difference is that Outlast lacks guns and hordes of soldiers to fire at, all you have is a camera and you must hide to survive.

So far I am rather impressed by Outlast, even if it does try cheap jump-scare tactics at times.

My second purchase is To The Moon, an indie game I have had my eye on for a while now. This one is more of a puzzle-based point and click with a heavy focus on story.

Many people have remarked how powerful the story is in this game and mentioned that it can be a tear-jerker. I haven’t got very far yet, but have arrived at the bedside of a dying man to fulfil his last wish: To go to the moon. However I can tell I am going to love the game and I am already in love with the soundtrack, a hauntingly beautiful piano score.

I have also purchased Prison Architect, a management game where you build and regulate a prison; including budget and facilities. I have yet to play this, but tried it at EGX and found it to be quite fun. Also the fact that I have recently got into watching Orange is the New Black helps, if I can name the characters I may just re-enact season one; although I will fire Mendez ASAP.

Darkest Dungeon was a must buy as another game. It is an RPG (Role Playing Game) where you must look after your party’s mental health, as well as the usual physical health, peaked my interest long ago. After each mission you have to look out for tell-tale signs of depression, jealousy and even PTSD which may be detrimental to your characters. The mental effects of adventuring are often overlooked in games, so I can’t wait to play.

Lastly I need some help from seasoned Steam gamers for a game that I am having issues with. I bought Grimm Fandango a while back long before the sale. Hearing great things about this classic I couldn’t wait until a sale to play it. Unfortunately upon starting I am greeted by an error about Open GL and it won’t play. Any help is much appreciated.

I hope everyone is enjoying the sale as I am, and that you aren’t going too over budget. Let me know your purchases below in the comments.