Adventure Gamers - Forums

So, let’s examine if it is a good decision that we put a skip button that appear after 5 minutes your started the puzzle and that you can eventually use if you want to, instead of :

- go on the internet and find a video walkthrough (same as skipping)
- ask a save from someone else (same as skipping)
- stay there for an unknown amount of time in order that the solution will suddenly appear knowing that in your everyday’s life your time is limited

it seems pretty reasonable to offer this possibility to many players, puzzles have this particularity that they resonate differently with every individual, as opposed as the mono game mechanic (shooting for example) every puzzle is different and people are more or less “good” at some puzzles. some like text riddles, some hate them, some are good with mechanic and 3D puzzle, some less.

When we are doing focus test with 300 players for example, we can create a pattern of what is good or not in Navigation for example, all the players behave the same, more or less. about puzzles it’s less clear, while you can eliminate the easiest and hardest of the puzzles easily, the others puzzles works differently with different people.

The global perception of gaming changed in the last 10 years due to a deeper penetration inside the population. Many people came to gaming through Wii, DS, Iphone, browser based games, and their expectations are more “casual” than “hardcore” in term of difficulty, it doesn’t mean they are not good customers, but they will expect more fun and less frustration from their time spent on electronic entertainment compare to the hardcore but always decreasing chunk of Hardcore audience.

therefore, as much as we created the 2.5D camera in the remastered version of the Awakened, which is a global way to solve dizziness and navigation issues in our real time 3D games, we propose this possibility to skip if players wishes to do it, after a certain time. we do that in respect for players that pay their hard earn cash on our games, and should be able to finish our games and enjoy them to the beginning to the end.

And sorry for joking about the graphs of your respected friend, but erecting opinions as truths and pretending to be an expert about Frogwares while he is obviously not, led me to this, I promess I’ll be as funny as a politician next time he draw some graphs about us.

tsa - 23 September 2012 06:34 AM

That’s very harsh IMO Idrisguitar. You must also take into account that the target audience has changed. It’s not only the young people who have time and don’t mind spending hours each day who play adventure games anymore. Lots of people in their 40s also play AGs now; people who picked up the genre in their teens or twenties and are now still hooked, but don’t have the time to spend hours on a game every night anymore because they have a job and kids. I think being able to skip a puzzle after 5 minutes is a very good way of catering to that audience without making the game easier to play for the people who like hard puzzles. And if almost nobody can solve your puzzles because you made them too hard it’s a wise business decision to make the puzzles easier in the next game.

I guess it was,

But I stand by it. You don’t represent a game company, and come to your primary community and then make fun of a respected member for expressing opinions.

Seriously that totally ticked me off. Just be honest, fair and RESPECTFUL and I will give you a fair shot.

Wael, every word you have written in this thread rubs me the wrong way. definitely put off. so do consider that advice to get a proper customer representative for Frogwares.

I’m not looking to cause an argument, I have said my piece and stand by it.

I will leave this thread alone now.

Oscar - 23 September 2012 07:19 AM

It just doesn’t appeal to me, mainly because Holmes doesn’t have a ‘solve’ button available when he’s investigating a crime.

But it’s a game, Oscar. People play it to be entertained. I see your point though .

Just read the first formal 360 review, from JeuxVideo - 75 percent rating - not real encouraging, referring to the game overall as “wobbly”. Gave graphics only 55 percent. Used translator on this page - http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00017664-le-testament-de-sherlock-holmes-test.htm

why not this one 4/5

http://www.xboxygen.com/Tests/Tests-Xbox-360/Test-Le-Testament-de-Sherlock-Holmes

and for the graphics judge for yourself looking at the trailers and the gameplay movie you can find on youtube.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2012/09/14/the-testament-of-sherlock-holmes-developer-walkthrough

For your information the tester from Jeuxvideo.com spent 2 hours on the game on tuesday, I’m just puzzled how he can write a test after that, but he confirmed that he doesn’t have more time to afford for such games as the Q4 is pretty heavy with big releases and his editor in chief wouldn’t allow more time for the game…

You can read that in his review, it’s pretty clear that he doesn’t make any definite choice about anything, it’s like seeing 30 minutes of a suspense thriller in pieces.

Pity, my French is too bad to understand those reviews. I did get one thing though: dialogue without interaction, which one of the reviewers didn’t like much. LOL, I don’t like it when I get distracted during a dialogue or a movie in an AG because they’re usually essential for understanding how the game develops. Otherwise I’m OK with them.
Is someone playing the game for a review on this site already?

Thank you, Wael, for spotting that unfairly brief time the reviewer spent with the game. My French is very rusty, so I used Google translator, which is ragged and doesn’t pick up everything. We did watch the IGN video, at your suggestion, found it very encouraging, and do plan to get the 360 version. Appreciate very much your input and comments. Sylvia and Dave

I’m hours into playing this game & I think it’s wonderful as were the previous games from Frogwares! I prefer puzzles to be more on the difficult side than easy with the option to skip which the game does cater for.
As an avid AG fan that loves a good story orientated adventure it’s an additional treat if the graphics are up-to-date & Frogwares can do no better! I think it’s such a shame when a good AG turns up, after so much hard work from the developers, the nitpickers come out in force - me, I just love every game that comes out & think for every criticism that’s made pushes developers one step in the direction of the more lucrative mainstream or casual games market!

Thanks for your nice comments,

The reviewer didn’t treat us more badly than 90% of the other games, there are more and more games and they have simply less time to test them so they can have the test on day 1 (and generate traffic that generate revenue for them). It’s the case for many web sites, they are competing for audience, it’s just a business fact and as players you have to take any reviews with caution, and most of the players already do.

The reviewer wrote anyway that it’s Frogwares best game, and for us, it’s the best result, we are making progress, with every game, but it’s more visible with this one, and we have an adventure game playable by more people (not losing quality of the story or the game difficulty, I insist on that)

Players and web site reviewers that make constructive critics are pushing us forward to make better games.

I finished this after putting 11 hours into it (so only reviewing 2 hours of it would be kind of insane) and I loved it. The story is incredibly ambitious and they manage to pull it off perfectly, it’s pretty much one big tribute to the legacy of Holmes fiction and every element you’d want to see in an epic Holmes mystery shows up. The third character you get to briefly play as is going to be an unexpected treat for Holmes fans. I was also impressed that the ending doesn’t hold anything back, even offering some interesting twists on Holmes lore, and I can’t wait to see where Frogwares goes from here.

SamandMax - 23 September 2012 02:56 PM

I finished this after putting 11 hours into it (so only reviewing 2 hours of it would be kind of insane) and I loved it. The story is incredibly ambitious and they manage to pull it off perfectly, it’s pretty much one big tribute to the legacy of Holmes fiction and every element you’d want to see in an epic Holmes mystery shows up. The third character you get to briefly play as is going to be an unexpected treat for Holmes fans. I was also impressed that the ending doesn’t hold anything back, even offering some interesting twists on Holmes lore, and I can’t wait to see where Frogwares goes from here.

That’s great to hear! I’ll definitely buy it now .