Than you for the link to the review Becky - I agree with it whole heartedly! Particularly on the pointless task of collecting flowers, objects & unlocking secret rooms which didn't seem to add to the game! I gave it a good shot but got so bored!
I've read comments on other forums from players who thought it was fantastic but sorry to be so rude but what are they on? What springs to mind with this game is 'Limbo of the Lost' i.e. developer(s) who had good ideas but couldn't see them through

I suspect that revealing the gamer's expectations for what a game should be like is a significant part of what the developers were trying to do. I don't think I'd compare The Path to Limbo of the Lost, since what those developers were doing was illegal.

I think the developers got what effects they wanted and the affect on gamers that they wanted with The Path. I don't think they wanted it to be an adventure game, at least in the sense in which we all think of adventure games.

Doing something controversial was the point.

Hi Becky, if the point of The Path was to be controversial & not play as a conventional game why include pointless 'collecting' tasks more allied to those you might have in a casual game as mentioned in the review? In my mind it was a cheap gimmick thrown in to either 'add interest', or to prolong the painful experience of wandering around which became nearly as boring as watching paint dry. I don't like damning any 'game' but for me The Path offered neither a good gaming experience, or a good 'art' one for very long. Yes, there seems to be lots of people who like it but are they gamers? If the developers wanted to promote more of an 'arty' experience then the potential was there to make it far more interesting - personally I think the game sold because of it's controversial theme which will always attract attention even when the content is lacking!

The reason I compared it to Limbo of the Lost is that I felt both developers had good ideas but neither saw them through - in the case of LOTL they resorted to illegal means (as you mentioned) to realise their game & in the case of TP the idea, graphics & mechanics were wonderful but there was not much substance! (If that makes sense - it probably doesn't ) The developers might have achieved what they set out to do but they had the potential to do it a lot better instead of relying on just the controversial nature & cheap tricks!

N.B. I think I compared the games because I felt cheated by both for different reasons.

I hear you. I'm not a great appreciator of controversy for the sake of itself, myself. Though contemporary art does seem to use that as a fairly frequent theme.

The Path (from what I could tell) sold well on Steam -- that's a fairly hardcore gaming audience. My impression was that the publicity generated, for an Indie effort, was huge.

How far should developers go to generate publicity? That may have been part of what was going on with the The Path.

I think it's difficult to know why The Path sold well on Steam & other outlets - whether it was because of the theme or the promise of a different gaming experience. I'm glad that I tried it as it had artwork & effects that I'm sure other developers might kill for! I'm sure they along with the controversial theme contribute to it's popularity with some & it wouldn't surprise me if it gains cult status!

I'm quite open minded about controversial themes as long they are not portrayed in a gratuitious way which I can't accuse The Path of (so there may be a lot of disappointed downloadees of the game!) The game itself is not offensive just the concept for many people. But many like myself will find it a pointless & tedious experience within the first hour (although I did play for much longer than that out of curiousity)!

I'm curious about this game. Sound unusual. Don't know who issued it.

Reenie -- you can find out more at the website here.

I played part of it, I suppose it must have been a demo because I sure wouldn't have paid for The Path. 'About as much fun as watching paint dry' is a good description and when you finally latch on to what seems to be happening...'distasteful' is a mild way of putting my reaction to it. I might recommend it to someone I didn't like.

Gil.

looney,
I'm taking pity on you and posting a reply. You've been laughing so long you must be out of breath by now.

Gil.

Thanks Traveler, boy am I tired now.

Now she is going to get tired waving.

And long may she rave wave!

Gil.

You guys are too funny! Now I'm gonna dance

Well, I know you're going to be doing it like Ginger, backwards and in high heels, so be careful and stay on the path. Or do I mean off The Path? No, if you're in it, you have to be on it to be safe....I think. Arrgh!

Gil.