Tex- UAKM

Hi fellow Boomers,
I just finished playing (for the umpteenth time), "Under A Killing Moon". A great plot, and a wonderful ending.Of course, I had the help of a GB walkthrough, so it went very smoothly.
This game is a prime example of what an adventure game SHOULD be, but aside from Syberia 3, which I have not yet purchased, they are not the same as they used to be (in my not so humble opinion). I'd love to hear some input on this very topic from my GB friends, which should be interesting to all of us. BTW, I have the original boxed version of UAKW, but I now have the GOG version, which ran flawlessly. Next GOG purchase: "The Pandora Directive", another of my many original boxed games.
HAPPY GAMING!
Sandy

While I do think that some good adventure games are still being made, I agree with you that a lot of them aren't what they used to be. Coincidentally, I am replaying Under a Killing Moon right now and it's just so darn good: plot, puzzles, humor, great entertainment.

I've been a gamer for a very long time (since 1982) and I do think that the 1990s saw the pinnacle of great adventure gaming; there were so many amazing adventure games released during that decade.

Although I've not been playing Adventure games quite as long as you, Marian, [ ] I definitely agree that the cream of the graphical crop were the releases of the 1990s

Plus I feel the type of game now being classed as "Adventure" is somewhat different ....

"Hybrids Abound" !!

Hi Mad,
I guess that's the point I was trying to make. I thank you for clarifying that. I guess that's why I choose, these days, to replay my old favorites instead of all this new "stuff" that's being released as "adventure" games, no offense to the developers, of course. "I'm just an old fashioned type of guy". LOL
Sandy

Now I am going to have to go and replay this game, again.....Thanks Sanford

I am so glad that you are enjoying my favorite game of all times. I Love Tex Murphy

I have fond memories of UAKM. I think most of the bigger companies have either abandoned traditional adventure games or are going in a different direction - TellTale Games, for example, started off with Sam & Max, Tales of Monkey Island and Wallace & Gromit, all traditional style games (albeit S&M had no inventory and ToMI had an awful movement interface), then Back to the Future leaned a little more to the casual side of gaming, Jurassic Park went into QTE and TWD explored branching narratives. Not saying there isn't merit to the games mentioned, just that they've veered away from the traditional point and click adventure format. This is really what Mad was saying about hybrid games - they are simply more commercially viable, or at least seen to be, in today's game market.

On the other hand indie devs, both freeware and commercial, continue to embrace the traditional genre. Sometimes it's taken to new places, yes, but essentially the basic format from the games we loved in the 90s is retained. Wadjet Eye Games are of course the most famous of the modern indie adventure game publishers but there are more, Screen 7 for example, and many others releasing their games independently.

I'd suggest hanging around the AGS forums - or at least checking out the latest AGS game releases (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/) - if you have a hankering for the traditional P&Cs, although I have to say that some games are very short and others are different formats too (since AGS is a very versatile tool and can be used for many different game styles).

Some very good (and free!) AGS games that hark back to the classic Sierra / LucasArts are:

A Tale of Two Kingdoms - http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/905/
Both "Apprentice" games - http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/570/
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/435/
The Journey Down (you might want to play this even if you've played the commercial versions!) - http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1344/
Professor Neely and the Death Ray of Doom - http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1386/
Decisions of the Elders - http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1525/
Space Quest II VGA - http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1518/
Space Quest: Incinerations - http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1522/

To mention just a few!

Hope you have fun with some / all of the above if you try them!

Plenty of games to look forward to of course... Tardigraves, Lamplight City, Captain Disaster... (sorry couldn't resist a bit of self-promotion! :D)

Thank you for that list, CaptainD. I will look into the ones that I have not played.

I'm with you sanford. Not played UAKM myself, Secret of Monkey Island was my first experience and I've been hooked ever since. There are very few new games in the style now. Long awaited sequels like Silence, Lost Horizon 2 (I haven't even bothered with Syberia 3 after reading the reviews) have been VERY disappointing. I really don't want QTEs or anything which requires dexterity. Nor do I want to use a controller or WASD. I just want to Point and Click!!!!
Although I've quite enjoyed games like Heaven's Hope and Anna's Quest it's been a while since I felt excited about a game. The Deponia series was brilliant and of course the Broken Sword series.
I've been banging on about this for ages and it looks like I shall be continuing to do so for the foreseeable future!!! LOL! I guess we're just too small an audience for anyone to bother with now. No one seems to want to go back to the good old days of the 90s. (I am looking forward to the final part of The Journey Down tho.)

BTW what has happened to Daedalic's website? There used to be a list of existing and upcoming games but it doesn't seem to be there now.

YOu can click on individual games you are interested in on the lower right under development. You can also view the latest news under the press heading on the top, but the info can all be found here if its adventure.

Ana

"I guess we're just too small an audience for anyone to bother with now. No one seems to want to go back to the good old days of the 90s."

lynthorpe .... Have you looked at Thimbleweed Park ??

That's definitely a 90s style game and very good it is, too !!

Of course, with Ron Gilbert (of Monkey Island fame) being a contributor to its development, how could it not be

YOu can click on individual games you are interested in on the lower right under development. You can also view the latest news under the press heading on the top, but the info can all be found here if its adventure.

Ana [/quote]

Thanks Ana, I did see that. There used to be a drop down menu which showed everything. It's not the same!!!!

Mad, I have played some of the "old style" games and there are a few of those around. What is lacking is the simple interface of those old games but with higher spec graphics of the 21st century. The BoUT trilogy are a case in point. Probably THE best series I've ever played.

This is probably easier to maintain for them.

Ana

lynthorpe,
Lately, I have been replaying ONLY my old 90's games, such as TEX, Broken Sword stuff, etc. It looks like you and I have the same "taste" in our gaming experiences. Right now, I'm back to re-playing the old Kings Quest games, including TSL. HAPPY GAMING!
Sandy