Did you play Snatcher before ROM?

[Alexx]

Hi There, I just stumbled across this game when I googled Snatcher, because I re-discovered japenese adventure games a.k.a. visual novels through the Phoenix Wright series (which is also awesome).

This game looks like it is a real love letter to Snatcher (the devs are not hiding it). The reviews are good and the LGBTQ-component is a plus.

I am just curious how many of the people who bought and played ROM also played Snatcher before? If yes, how does it compare? If not, how was the experience? Do you plan to play Snatcher too?

I read that the puzzles in ROM are not its strength. But then I remember the lackluster puzzles in Snatcher. The appeal of the game was totally different compared to western p&c-adventures. I will probably buy this game anyhow, but I was curious about other folks. These types of games don't enjoy a large popularity in western countries unfortunately.

[Alexx]

Thanks for your reply and your honest opinion. I was planning to play Policenauts as well.

What do you mean by propaganda?

[Alexx]

You seem like a reasonable and nice person, so I don't understand why you need to complain about the gay stuff. It gets really tired. According to 99,99% of all video games that are out there, homosexuality does not even exist. As a gay person myself I am used to that and do not complain. However, if there is a company that gives a game diversity (for once), then I welcome that and you speak of a marketing ploy and propaganda. That is really insulting. I am sure the game is banned in russia. Maybe you should move there if you don't already live there. I really don't understand the animosity towards feminism among gamers. You hate humanism too? Wolfenstein is leftist libtard propaganda too I assume. 2018.

[Mharr]

MidBoss studio are basically the game development wing of the Gaymer Expo organisers. They very openly exist to make games about them and theirs, which is why ROM is explicitly set in LGBTQ&F comic book future San-Fran. Somehow this is a massive shock to a few people.

[JohnnyTheWolf]

I played Snatcher on an emulator and at the time I really enjoyed it. Of course, as I grew up, I realised just how much of a creeper Hideo Kojima is and I found out how the American localisation of the game had to heavily tone down some of the particularly nasty stuff he had put in the game. As such, I am kind of reluctant to replay it, even though I still have fond memories of my first playthroughs and I really like the soundtrack too.

I got to play Policenauts thanks to the fan translation project, but alas, I did not enjoy it very much. I thought the first half was okay, but then the game really jumped the shark in the second half, with the antagonists turning into one-dimensional cartoon villains and the protagonist taking out freaking giant armoured suits with a tiny pistol.

All in all, I think Read-Only Memories is a worthy spiritual successor to Snatcher without the creepy, self-indulgent garbage that comes with Hideo Kojima. Also, the plot actually feels much more grounded and plausible, which is quite a feat for a game featuring literal furries. My only real gripe with the game is that it sticks a bit too close to the PC Engine's aesthetics and as such it can be a bit awkward to play at times.

[dnru]

I played snatcher not all that long before i saw ROM on Steam (though I seem to recall seeing an article on Kotaku around 2013-ish?)

I liked it though I'm really only familiar with the English translation on Sega CD

[Alexx]

I started Policenauts once but I was not very comfortable with the controls. It should be played with a mouse or a touchscreen I think. Snatcher had a different (albeit flawed) interface so it did not bother me that much. What I expect from ROM is a solid adventure in the style of a japanese visual novel. Many people seem to like it and I did not hear many complaints about the LGBTQ-themes (and maybe they were afraid to critizise them?). I also do not think that Snatcher is some sort of narrative masterpiece. It is cheesy as f*** with plotholes as big as the ocean. But that adds to the (guilty) pleasure. Policenauts might be a bit too much anime-ridiculousness.

I don't know anything about the developer. I am interested in "a game like Snatcher" first and foremost. The LGBTQ-component is a plus, but by no means the main attraction of the game. To be fair: I have not played the game so I can't argue about how the themes were handled.

What ticked me off was the term "propaganda", which is usually used in a political context. Some people still believe that being gay or trans is some sort of a choice. And with that believe comes the logical conclusion that "gay propaganda" exists to convince people to become gay (or whatever). Maybe you chose your words poorly, but how can a game with LGBTQ-themes be propaganda, other than propaganda for a tolerant world. If you think the game is preachy and ham-fisted, that is a fair ciriticism. Words matter. I know that in the "online world" it is currently hip and modern (and lucrative too) to bash SJWs and everything related.

I also knew about the sexist things that Kojima likes to put in his games. And I hate it too. Maybe I am a hypocrite for tolerating it in the case of snatcher. I thought the naked sniper woman (i saw it in a video) was much worse. BEWBS!

[Mharr]

The Death of the Author. If Orson Scott Card can write Speaker for the Dead, Kojima can certainly write a cool videogame plot even if you have to read around the 1950s grade sexist lunacy.

My experience of ROM as someone with no particular horse in the political race was a fun oldschool optimisitic SF story of the Clarke/Asimov breed, with various queer characters in a society that's stopped caring about that kind of thing to the point that detractors are reduced to soapboxing on street corners. None of the antagonistic characters are strawmen, they have solid backstories that explain their attitude, and valid objections to their world that the game does nothing to belittle. To me it was far more about exploring the ideas of machine intelligence and citizenship.

It's not utopian nonsense, there's plenty of dark and grit to season the general optimism, and I never felt railroaded into playing any particular personality. The police and authorities in general are competent and well intentioned, which makes a nice change from the Hollywood default. Really looking forward to MidBoss' next outing.

Regarding Duran:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/330820/discussions/0/2595630410177681768/#c2595630410180706086

tl;dr, it's the sort of game that triggers the snot out of children like that, so you'll probably love it! :D

[Alexx]

I see. I have been trolled. :-/

Thanks for your insights. Sounds good enough for me. Clarke vibes are a big plus.

[Alexx]

I use 360 controller and navigating the cursor in Policenauts was rather bad. I played the fan translation. Also I fear that Snatcher found the right sweet spot that Policenauts would not be able to repeat. Police Astronauts sounds like a stupid idea to be honest (unlike hunting replicants).

Space Adventure Cobra looks very similar to snatcher (gameplay wise). I might check it out. thanks for the tip. I am also trying to get my hands on the DS version of 999. And I also like Phoenix Wright. Playing these types of games on the 3DS is like how they were meant to be played and it is hard to go back using a controller.

I was talking about "Quiet", the naked Sniper. Embarrassing.

Regardings ROM, I think you got your points across, so no need to argue further.

[JohnnyTheWolf]

Disregard the troll. I mean, they even seem to have named themselves after a StarCraft character who does nothing but try to lie and deceive people.

[Mharr]

Ohh. I thought it was a mis-spelling of that fruit that smells like butts. Did it get quiet in here?

[Alexx]

That butt smell comment broke him. ;)

Anyway, is the demo the same version as the updated retail version?

[Mharr]

Gonna need dev input on that, but I think so? The demo seems to install to the exact same place as the full game, so I'm assuming it *is* the full game but limited to chapter one or whatever.

[JohnnyTheWolf]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Alexx:

I use 360 controller and navigating the cursor in Policenauts was rather bad. I played the fan translation. Also I fear that Snatcher found the right sweet spot that Policenauts would not be able to repeat. Police Astronauts sounds like a stupid idea to be honest (unlike hunting replicants).

How is a space city having its own police force stupid?

Honestly, I find being able to take down giant armoured suits with a tiny pistol far more egregious.

[Mharr]

A city colony having a police force is pretty much a given, but police astronauts sounds like EVA patrol cops, which doesn't quite sound necessary. If some criminals decide to hide out forever on a rock in hard vacuum somewhere, they've pretty much jailed themselves.

Ursprünglich geschrieben von JohnnyTheWolf:

Honestly, I find being able to take down giant armoured suits with a tiny pistol far more egregious.

Noisy Cricket?