Game's too confusing?

[RayRay]

I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out what to do/where to go in this game. I am currently at Rubacava trying to get the stuff to get on the boat, but I needed a walkthrough for like 75% of the game so far and all of the solutions made me think "How the hell was I supposed to figure that out?"

Is this normal or am I just a stupid person? Did you guys beat it without any assistance? >:(

/vent

[Exion]

It was hell at first, but most of the clues you can pin together by talking to people (everybody) about -everything-, walking or running around looking at everything that seems out of the ordinary. I got sick of the game in Rubacavra, coz i could not figure out the pieces and there is a hole lot of running there. But as soon as you get through Rubacavra, its allmost smooth sailing :)

The game requires a lot of patience, i drew maps of the different places, looked at everything, picked up everything, tried to piece things together etc. so you have MUCH playtime with this game.

Walkthroughs are good, when you are really, REALLY stuck :)

[|$m0k!n|-Mr. 4HyDe-]

You are probably just a bit inexperienced with Adventure games of this kind and maybe you let your own decency get in the way of your game as well.

If you are lost you need to find yourself a guide, that is more of a helper than a spoiler. Walkthroughs that serve everything on a platter is really the bane of good experiences. Often you just need a nudge.

I think it's pretty easy, LucasArts Adventure games are usually a bit wacko, but pretty straightforward and non-lethal, but I've also been playing a lot of Adventure games. In the beginning of my Adventure Game experience in the early nineties I could spend days working out solutions.. Especially those games where you could die, had to combine different items and constantly backtrack your progress because you missed a vital clue or item, they were really tiring.

[mattgamer]

I played the whole games for the first time today with a walkthrough and some video solutions from Youtube. I found the game just as rewarding to experience it as a 12 hour film. I had the commentary option on and enjoyed that even as much as the story. Don't be afraid to let the walkthrough be your guide. I see it as a good friend sitting by me helping them through the game that I wouldn't have enough time to figure out puzzle by myself with. Enjoy it the way you would best see fit!

[Space Coward]

Of course you're stupid, shouldn't it be obvious that you're supposed to drop worm-shaped balloons of foam into the vents to make the machine explode then run down and lock the door?

No, you're not stupid. There's something I call "Sierra logic," it's a common crime in point-and-clicks that's especially present in this game. At least give the game a shot yourself, but don't feel too bad if you need a guide.

[3bdelilah]

I agree. I've been playing this for the first time and it's extremely tedious. They aren't good puzzles, nowhere near. They require you to try out every single possibility, whether it makes sense or not. A big shame, because I really like the wacky characters, atmosphere and sense of humour, but spending a lot of time trying to find the solutions to stupid "puzzles" breaks the pace, and ultimately having to look up quite a few of the "solutions" is very off-putting and demotivating.

I've been playing this for three hours and frankly, I'm not sure I'm going to play it much more than that. This is my first experience with the "traditional point-and-click adventure games" and this hasn't been a good first experience.

[vulcanjedi]

I played the original pretty far and just got the remake and don't remember much. Got stuck on something simple like a deadbolt for a few days :) I have to remember to slow down and just find the hotspots for all items on each screen. Have finished more lucasarts games than any other but all my time with Halo and Borderlands has taken it's toll :)

[Space Coward]

Originally posted by vulcanjedi:

I played the original pretty far and just got the remake and don't remember much. Got stuck on something simple like a deadbolt for a few days :) I have to remember to slow down and just find the hotspots for all items on each screen. Have finished more lucasarts games than any other but all my time with Halo and Borderlands has taken it's toll :)

I'll testify to that. Switching graphics is like a cheat code, the greenscreens won't change but models will pixellate.

[Șăranu MizaMare77777]

lol remember the days when u had to do it all alone and there was nobody on yt to help u becase there was no yt....

[SageX85]

Originally posted by 3bdelilah:

I agree. I've been playing this for the first time and it's extremely tedious. They aren't good puzzles, nowhere near. They require you to try out every single possibility, whether it makes sense or not. A big shame, because I really like the wacky characters, atmosphere and sense of humour, but spending a lot of time trying to find the solutions to stupid "puzzles" breaks the pace, and ultimately having to look up quite a few of the "solutions" is very off-putting and demotivating.

I've been playing this for three hours and frankly, I'm not sure I'm going to play it much more than that. This is my first experience with the "traditional point-and-click adventure games" and this hasn't been a good first experience.

Every point and click adventure i know is like this. So no matter what game you picked as your first experience, all the genre can be quite frustrating

[Space Coward]

Originally posted by SageX85:

Originally posted by 3bdelilah:

I agree. I've been playing this for the first time and it's extremely tedious. They aren't good puzzles, nowhere near. They require you to try out every single possibility, whether it makes sense or not. A big shame, because I really like the wacky characters, atmosphere and sense of humour, but spending a lot of time trying to find the solutions to stupid "puzzles" breaks the pace, and ultimately having to look up quite a few of the "solutions" is very off-putting and demotivating.

I've been playing this for three hours and frankly, I'm not sure I'm going to play it much more than that. This is my first experience with the "traditional point-and-click adventure games" and this hasn't been a good first experience.

Every point and click adventure i know is like this. So no matter what game you picked as your first experience, all the genre can be quite frustrating

Yes, but towards the end of Year 2 GF becomes especially aggressive with this.

There are many puzzles that are easy if you remember the story (for example, the rigged car in Year 4 Rubacava, Glottis' revival in Year 4... pretty much Year 4 in general other than the flower shop.

From what I've heard, Day of the Tentacle is much nicer about this, cluing you in on the solution in the story.

[metal_hamster]

It is funny to think that back when I was a kid (i do mean kid) these games were considered very easy. Now a whole generation of adult shaped children are crying because they find it too hard. Amazing how much hand holding there is in the modern world of gaming.

Grow up and do it without a walkthrough.

[Space Coward]

Originally posted by metal_hamster:

It is funny to think that back when I was a kid (i do mean kid) these games were considered very easy. Now a whole generation of adult shaped children are crying because they find it too hard. Amazing how much hand holding there is in the modern world of gaming.

Grow up and do it without a walkthrough.

Actually, several reviews of the time noted the absurdity of some of the puzzles.

[kris.saether]

I think there's really no need to get too hot-under-the-collar about whether someone should play with a walkthrough or not. I would always recommend a first playthrough with as little guidance as possible, as long as you have the patience and aren't drinking or something so that you can remember the clues. But that also comes with adventure-game experience, and some sort of masochistic love for the prize of getting it yourself, after how difficult it can be to make that one tiny little breakthrough you need in an open game with many options.

Myself, I played through Grim without a walkthrough back in the late 90's but ironically, because I sort-of knew what to do this time around, I ended up going to a walkthrough a couple of times in this Remastered version because I'd forgotten how to be thorough and search the game thoroughly. That's the essence of the adventure game, thoroughness, and that's also reflected in some pretty cool Achievements that this version includes (check out the Guides page, a couple of Easter Eggs I didn't know about allowed me to enjoy this game even more).

It really is a great adventure game, first of all to try to beat without a walkthrough, and then to just enjoy as a kind of interactive movie in subsequent playthroughs. Whichever way you choose to play it, I hope you just enjoy it like we all should! Looking forward now to Full Throttle Remastered.

[El Shabs]

I finished this game around 1998-1999 as a kid but I definitely remember using very very slow dial up internet (remember that awful screeching sound and the amazing download speeds) )and going to good old gamefaqs on quite a few occasions! It was never an easy game, but it's the story and humor that keeps people going

[MightyFox]

Originally posted by metal_hamster:

It is funny to think that back when I was a kid (i do mean kid) these games were considered very easy. Now a whole generation of adult shaped children are crying because they find it too hard. Amazing how much hand holding there is in the modern world of gaming.

Grow up and do it without a walkthrough.

Lol I don't know what games you were playing, but the Sierra games in particular were practically condemned. Try playing Kings Quest 5 without a walkthrough and see if you don't throw your computer out the window. Fact is, Sierra, (and potentially Lucas Arts) made its games the way it did just so it could sell guides and charge for the tip line. Grim Fandango isn't the worst offender by far, but there were a few places I actually got the answer to the puzzle but a poorly worded response or a negative reply from being a few pixels off made me think I had actually gotten it wrong, making me spend another hour or two hitting my head on the wall until I looked up a walkthrough. The cat track puzzle was especially frustrating. How are you supposed to know the cat in the lobby is the same cat in the race photo? Plus, as the printer has no labels, I had no idea I was punching in the race number in both slots when it wanted a week.

Its not all the fault of the developer of course, I personally put a lot of the problem on "lateral thinking" where an answer the developler thought was obvious, won't be obvious to someone with different expereneces. Having to try out everything with everything has always ruined these types of games for me, because it becomes less fun and more tedious. The New King's Quest Chapter 1 is probably one of the best adventure games I've played in the modern day. Different options for different paths, and puzzles that are wacky, but not unfair. If only they had done a better job on chapter 2.