What do you think of walking simulators/narrative-focused adventures?

[fernewelten]

And since this topic is also about narrative-focused adventures. I think it's only fitting to bring up the format that Telltale games popularized. Which let's face it, are just 3D visual novels.

As far as I see, it was 3-D pulp fiction for the mass market. This kind of works as long as it is printed on really cheap pulp paper and as long as you avoid anything which would make expensive glossy high-quality paper a necessity. And originally, Telltale did exactly that. They were successful in the same way that the doctor and dime novels of the 1950s were successful. Then they started adding features that their pulp paper (game engine) couldn't sutain; thus they were forced to improve their pulp and switch to a better printing technology. And they promptly went bust on the added expenses.

That's the Telltale story in a nutshell, as I see it.

[Danvzare]

And since this topic is also about narrative-focused adventures. I think it's only fitting to bring up the format that Telltale games popularized. Which let's face it, are just 3D visual novels.

As far as I see, it was 3-D pulp fiction for the mass market. This kind of works as long as it is printed on really cheap pulp paper and as long as you avoid anything which would make expensive glossy high-quality paper a necessity. And originally, Telltale did exactly that. They were successful in the same way that the doctor and dime novels of the 1950s were successful. Then they started adding features that their pulp paper (game engine) couldn't sutain; thus they were forced to improve their pulp and switch to a better printing technology. And they promptly went bust on the added expenses.

That's the Telltale story in a nutshell, as I see it.

I couldn't agree more.

Although I think another perspective of the Telltale story, is that they got lucky with one game (The Walking Dead), and expected all future games to sell as well as that game. And so expanded their company to accommodate it. Long story short, that one lucky game was the exception in terms of profit, not the rule. And they couldn't sustain the expanded company.

Now I await for someone to respond with yet another perspective on the downfall of Telltale. 

[cat]

Sometimes puzzles can also be bad for a game. For example, many games in Life is Strange were forced on and bad.

Spoiler

For example, Chloe making me find bottles and shoot at them annoyed me so much, it was one reason why it was a pleasure to have her die at the end.

[close]

What I expect from a game is that I can actually do something.

Which is easy as soon as you are in a 3D environment where you can walk around freely and explore and interact with your environment.
But if gameplay is just one cutscene after each other, only interrupted by clicking through endless dialog, then it is not a game anymore. Then is doesn't even count as interactive fiction, because clicking away dialog lines is not more interaction than turning the page in a book.