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Episode 4/Full Season Feedback & Thoughts

Started by KatieHal, September 19, 2013, 06:46:59 PM

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viperswhip

Well, I don't know why I took so long to get it, but I picked up Ep4 this weekend. I replayed all the episodes and am quite happy overall. I will replay them again at some point in the future.

Episode 4 did feel a little rushed in places, but it was probably supposed to, didn't this whole series take place over 3 or 4 days? heh

I didn't experience any bugs, but while I do appreciate the credits, I don't love alt tabbing and closing the game in that way to escape.

I felt Cordelia was sufficiently developed, as opposed to some people here. The Kiss also caught me off guard though because I didn't really see it coming, or that Cordelia leaned in that direction at all. I even went back to read her case files and didn't see any evidence there either. Even if it was just a special relationship with Erica I didn't feel there were any indicators. But it was a small thing.

The need to learn Rose's power wasn't too well developed. I suppose it was all to set up later adventures with Psions. I do like Rose. I get why were shuffled along here from scene to scene, but I miss having some more control over the case such as when we could choose where to drive.

You did improve the walking animation quite a bit, but it's still a ways from being nice looking  :)

Maybe it's the engine. I am also being spoiled by so many other games and it is hard to keep those experiences separate. The mouths moving when people are talking...uhh, I mean, I know it's a comic book style, but you do have the mouths sometimes moving, sometimes not, and it distracts me.

Anyway, I definitely enjoy checking out Season 2 if it ever comes.

ShardofTruth

I just played through all four episodes and had a blast. What an absolutely stunning series with an really enganging story, excellent voice acting and some of the most clever puzzles I've seen in a adventure game in years.

I admit, I was not really interested in this game at first, even though I really like TSL, because I am not really a fan of crime-solving games. But the direction (dialogues, dramatization, cutscenes, soundtrack etc.) this game takes is such a major improvement over TSL, I should have never doubted you.

That being said the last episode felt like a dragged-out finale almost all the time, there was almost nothing new to learn here just a lot of action sequences after one another. I think the trust-building part between Cordelia and Erica was a good idea, but the execution could have been better, more like Episode 3 so to speak.

Also, before the end of Episode 3 I had a completely different impression on what Cordelia's original plan might be:
[spoiler]I thought with the exchange of thoughts/memories from the past to the present between Erica and Cordelia, Cordelia might have realized that she could use Erica to find a way to save her brother, to understand the connections before she realized them after it was too late. To do this Cordelia would have to push Erica on the path that would enable Erica to find all these secrets on her own and communitcate them back into the past, warning her of the things to come.
I know that one of the main themes of the series is that the future often can't be changed but in the end I didn't like the idea that she killed these people (and hurted Sully badly) just to get Erica's attention. Everytime she was talking and explaining herself she didn't really sound like the revenge-obsessed person that would do such horrible things against her conscience.[/spoiler]

In the end I'm satisfied with how all things turned out and I liked that you could choose to influence it a bit in one way or another.

KatieHal

Thanks for the feedback, Shard & viper! I'm glad you both enjoyed the game! We are definitely planning on a Season 2 at some point, we'd love to tell more tales about Erica. :)

Yeah, Cordelia is definitely a little messed up--though in the end, the point was she learned that the future CAN be changed, if you choose differently. She was obsessed with the idea that Erica needed to be the one to kill Keith, but in the end, well...she realized it could be different.

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

PCM

#43
Quote from: exegete on September 20, 2013, 08:42:56 AM
I didn't understand the kiss at all.  (Was that even referred to again?  There just didn't seem to be any foundation for it.  This isn't some kind of straight gamer prejudice - I'm gay, and it seemed totally out of place.  Bizarre.)

Well, I don't know if I'm right or not, but this was my perception about what you say:
To me, it was quite "implied" in Cordelia's diary her feelings towards Erica. If you can, try to read again her thoughts about Sully and why she felt the need to make him and her suffer. She also said she didn't like seeing them together. He was not considered to be her next victim until she saw him with Erica.
That's why I think Cordelia had feelings towards her. Might be wrong, though lol.

-------------------------------------

Just finished the game today I have to say I loved it. Especially the first two chapters. They were more about investigation, I really felt I was part of the story. The immersion was awesome. And what a way to start the second chapter, wow! loved it.
I didn't like as much the last two, as they are more direct, there's no freedom, no locations to go to, more emphasis in the powers than the actual murders... but I quite understand it was the way to end the story.

I've experienced some bugs too, but I don't wanna waste time about that. I came here to talk about the story of the game and some doubts I have  :D.

So I can get the reason behind killing Davis and the serial killers (to make "justice" and guide Erica to kill her brother) but if her real reason was to "force" Erica to kill him, why did she killed him in the end? why did she caught Erica's attention throughout the entire game then? lol. I don't know, the ending kinda "ruins" the big plan she had in the beginning and all the cold murders she comitted. The conversation Erica has with her to stop her from killing Mc Adams was a bit cheesy. I mean, so many years after him and it takes just 3 phrases to change her mind (I mean, a real serial killer like her). I know you can change that cutscene if you want but I just kinda felt the final chapter was a bit rushed. I really was hoping to hear the inner thoughts of Cordelia, explain the reason why she did what she did, how did she planned all we've seen. How she was transformed into a monster (in the end aiding Erica, she almost looks innocent.)

But overall, great work guys, the first two chapters kept me really intrigued. Since "Still Life", never played a game so good about serial killers. I just hope Erica keeps investigating murders, don't like the idea of her being the "new" Rose and quitting the FBI  :P

KatieHal

Thanks PCM! And welcome to the forums :)

Actually, Cordelia's decision there isn't solely affected by Erica's dialogue choices in that scene. Their relationship is affected by things in the cabin as well, so it's a little more of a long-term affect that Erica is having on her.

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

CriticalDamage

WOW! It's been a while! I've been busy with a lot of different stuff so i was left behind after The Oracle  :P So, I played everything again and finished ep.4 (don't think even for a second that i didn't want to play the last ep. or that i had lost my interest!!! please!  :rofl: i loved this game from the very first second of it and I still do!  :D)
Anyway, this is what i think! (since this is for feedback and thoughts, SPOILER ALERT, but not really lol)

I've been looking at some comments and, even if it's true that some things maybe could use a better explanation (i've seen ideas about showing how Cordelia decided to follow this path of vengeance, how she captured everyone, how did Keith learned about the psions and what they could do, etc), i do think that everything was explained in previous instalments through evidence that you find, clues and using our own intuition or (totally intended) cognition, and that showing that sort of thing (nice, yes..) would have been explaining the, more or less, obvious! (A little insulting in my opinion!  :rofl:).The pace of the last ep. was very nice! I do believe that there's the same sense of urgency that you can feel in the previous episodes and that's not only cool, but hard to achieve! kudos to you, guys!
Now, about the ending itself. It's a shame! Cordelia was as important as Erica for the game (and not because of what she becomes later, but from the very first second of the 1st episode) IMO. Those were great characters but also a GREAT duo and, knowing that there's a second season somewhere (AWESOME NEWS!),  it would have been super to have them working together (keeping in mind were Erica seems to be heading) and, overall and without thinking too much about it (and now that i'm doing it, it makes even more sense if you really think about it  :rofl:) those two had more potential (as partners/romantic couple) than Sully o_O the relationship with Sully does feel a little..dull, maybe..pointless..hollow..not real...i don't know, but the girls had a WHOLE other level than that (not just because of the connection as psions but as elements of the story, also as individuals and so on) and it would have been more interesting too if the ending have had those things in mind and the future, given the outcome.  :-\ So yes, Erica/Cordelia FTW! lol
Apart from that aspect, the end of McCoy was hadled in a great way! Bittersweat, but great!  8)

PS: sorry for the english. I gave it my best shot! xd