Photopia isn't strictly an adventure game, but more of an interactive story, or series of intertwining stories. However, just because a game isn’t interested in what is traditionally thought of as gameplay doesn’t mean that it isn’t utilizing the medium’s specific attributes to its advantage. Also, the whole game flows so naturally as a story that it could lead an outside observer to think that the work might be better off as a short story. There are few puzzles, and they don’t require much stress on the brain cells. I don't think any other work of art has ever affected me to the extent that Photopia has.Īs a text adventure, Photopia is a pared down example of such. Events in Photopia hurtle towards their inescapable fate, and the jigsaw puzzle timeline provides occasional flashes of what that conclusion might be, and that sense of foreboding, created by glimpses of understanding as the plot slowly unravels, only intensifies as the game progresses. The core of its emotional impact is its ability to turn this expectation of interaction in a traditional video-game narrative on its head, and use the LACK of interaction as a narrative form in itself. It is historically important both as a work of interactive fiction and as a game, for its numerous technical innovations, and for its minimalist interactive component that makes it such a great example of a “limiting case game.” Whether Photopia succeeds on the affective level is open for debate, but my opinion and your opinion notwithstanding, the fact that it clearly does succeed with so many people is a strong testament to Adam Cadre’s ability to innovate and impact all in the same breath. In my mind, though, the game does, without a doubt, deserve to be hallowed to some degree. Not your usual adventure game, but if you look for some originality and ingenuity you’ve come to the right place.ĭoes Photopia deserve to be so hallowed as it is? Quantitatively, that question may be hard to tackle. In summary, this game is like an interactive story nestled inside another. the overall layout of the story appears to be a complex weave, where you travel along the thread as it makes its way in one direction, turns around and comes back, crossing the previous parts of the weave and then continues. I have cried each of the three times I have played through Photopia it is that darn powerful. You will understand, as I did, the emotional impact that a story can have. This was a deliberate deception on the part of the real author, carried out with the permission of the real Opal O'Donnell.)Ībout twenty minutes in, when the series of seemingly disconnected and unordered scenes snaps into place and you understand what is happening, every emotional bone you possess will tingle sharply, and your pounding heart will carry you through to the inevitable conclusion of the story. (NB: The first release of this game credits Opal O'Donnell as the author. A monochrome version is also provided for those who feel differently. Although I normally dislike such things, I agree that it works in this case. The author intended this game to be played with colored text. This is probably the most successful example I've seen of interactivity at the service of fiction, rather than vice versa. But the story is intriguing enough, and well-written enough, and moving enough, that this seems a small quibble. My only complaint is that it isn't terribly interactive - indeed, you're practically driven through it on tracks, and any actions that you don't take tend to be rendered unnecessary. Very story-driven, with menu-based conversations and virtually no puzzle content. Sweet and sad, and complex enough that you may need to go through it twice in order to fully understand how all the fragments fit together. Scenes from a handful of ordinary lives alternate with chapters of a child's colorful science-fantasy.
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