Why I will probably never replay this game. (SPOILERS)

[Cuzzx]

First: I love the game, but this was a real downer to sour my experience.

The tightrope and maze part was really, really stupid, but those are not the real issues I have.

So I finished the last case in the Homicide desk, bringing down the real BD murderer.
As it turns out you have been putting innocent people behind bars for most of the game up to that point.
I understand that this is a film noire inspired game, but the ♥♥♥♥tier job you have been doing up to that point on the homicide cases, the better off those falsely accused people will be when they go to court.
If this was not an interactive fiction, maybe I could appreciate the irony (I loved Name of the Rose), but this is a game (Then again, I think Mafia I and II managed to pull it off much better). It should not kick you in the nuts for doing what is expected of you properly! You have no real retrospective reason to try to be good on these cases!

[Huitzilopochtli]

Its film noir, supposed to be dramatic and bad.

[Cuzzx]

Escrito originalmente por TheBeatlesGuy:

Its film noir, supposed to be dramatic and bad.

As I said, I understand that, but this is also a game, and you get retrospectively kicked in the balls for doing it well. I don't think these two things mashed together well in this case. A game should never make you feel bad for doing it properly.

[Rockhead Gaz]

I honestly never felt the game punished the player, verbally or otherwise, for that turn in the plot. It's been a while since I've played through it, but I seem to recall that the whole business is more or less skipped over, other than a few lines of dialogue so as to avoid the situation becoming a massive plot-hole. In fact, the very fact that Phelps gets a promotion straight afterwards is, to me, the complete opposite of a retrospective kick in the balls.

The game doesn't really ever accuse Phelps or the player of doing a bad job, unless, of course, the player does do a bad job, but generally, good performance is appraised as such, regardless of any turns the story takes.

[Internet_Hero]

I couldn't even finish the game. I got bored on Arsonist. I'm re-downloading to try again (3rd time) maybe this time I'll be able to finish it, lol.

[xorntobebad]

I had the same issue with the game. I felt like I was being punisehd the whole game for doing the right thing. I was using the evidence and things didn't add up, but I was forced to put inocent people behind bars in order to progress the story. I realize I wasn't playing CSI: Los Angles, but still, I felt like I had less control over my choices.

[Cuzzx]

Escrito originalmente por Rockhead Gaz:

I honestly never felt the game punished the player, verbally or otherwise, for that turn in the plot. It's been a while since I've played through it, but I seem to recall that the whole business is more or less skipped over, other than a few lines of dialogue so as to avoid the situation becoming a massive plot-hole. In fact, the very fact that Phelps gets a promotion straight afterwards is, to me, the complete opposite of a retrospective kick in the balls.

Let me elaborate: Phelps wasn't punished, but as a gamer who was controlling some of his actions, I felt was. Now, if I wanted to replay cases to get a 5-star rating, all I could be thinking of would be "yeah, I am doing a STELLAR job in wrongfully accusing people. What a thrill!"
The game doesn't really ever accuse Phelps or the player of doing a bad job, unless, of course, the player does do a bad job, but generally, good performance is appraised as such, regardless of any turns the story takes.

The game doesn't really ever accuse Phelps or the player of doing a bad job, unless, of course, the player does do a bad job, but generally, good performance is appraised as such, regardless of any turns the story takes.

That's it. You are rewarded for putting innocent people behind bars! This is what bothers me. Good performance in this game as a detector just creates more misery for the world.

[ZaBug]

Escrito originalmente por Smudge Proof:

Escrito originalmente por Rockhead Gaz:

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That's it. You are rewarded for putting innocent people behind bars! This is what bothers me. .

That is the definition of Noir, It is a wrong turn in which good cop takes a fall, while the bad cops get away with it.

[Cuzzx]

Escrito originalmente por ZaBug:

Escrito originalmente por Smudge Proof:

That is the definition of Noir, It is a wrong turn in which good cop takes a fall, while the bad cops get away with it.

Yes, as I said I understand the Noir element of the game, I just don't think a game of all things should be doing this, and even expect me to replay for a five-star rating.

[yusupov]

things typically did add up. they just added up 'too well'. in a meta-sense you realize obviously these guys are being framed but theyre being framed so expertly youre left w/ no choice. all the evidence points to them & suggesting its all a huge frame-up (which phelps does, subtly, to his credit & to the credit of the realism of the game) when people are being caught virtually redhanded would make you sound like a nutjob. there is constant references to the dahlia throughout the chapter, its pretty clear whats going on. i thought it was very well done. yes, its a dark chapter, but..yeah, its noire.

[ShadowAngel]

It's really sad to see that games today have to make the player the shining ultimate hero who does only good things, always the right things and is perfect in every sense (with a ton of stupid achivements to brag), everything else won't be accepted anymore it seems...

The whole Story was great in my oppinion. First it was tied to a true case and made it's own story out of it and second it was an interesting experience, that there is a bad guy who finally isn't just a retarded joke but actually a huge threat, extremely intelligent and very bold. How he played with the LAPD was great, he made complete fools out of them (i guess in a way just like the real Black Dahlia Murder, after all, he was never caught)
Besides, it's just realistic. Think about how many innocent people end up in prison every year around the world. People coming out after decades behind bars when suddely, the true killer was found. It just makes sense, to include that in this game.

[Cuzzx]

Escrito originalmente por ShadowAngel:

It's really sad to see that games today have to make the player the shining ultimate hero who does only good things, always the right things and is perfect in every sense (with a ton of stupid achivements to brag), everything else won't be accepted anymore it seems...

I have listed two games in my original post where this is exactly not the case. I have also said I have greatly enjoyed the story of those two.
I do not have a problem with a grim story. I have a problem with this game's design philosophy. It expects you to excel at the cases, then tell you that you were actually messing it all up in a rather excellent five-star fashion.
The reward you get as a player is knowing that your choices the game expected you to make just made everything worse. This is my problem.

[yusupov]

i'm afraid i don't understand your point then. you can 'mess up' cases & get chewed out, even though you didn't 'mess up' at all, you just didn't do what the boss thought was right. you get lower star rating & everything. this happens in this chapter & the arson chapter as well.

to me the reward you get as a player is a very well done story. the whole chapter is filled w/ unease because you ARE doing the wrong thing but the guy is so clever, as a member of the LAPD, you have no choice but to follow procedure. it really takes advantage of the fact that phelps isnt a private eye as one might expect in a 1940s noir inspired title. he's a mere police officer/detective who has to follow orders & do whats expected of him by his superiors. agree w/ shadowangel.