The Great FMV Game Renaissance of 2015

[KingPK]

https://youtu.be/p6SJdnjmioc

https://youtu.be/WVi4IQ4j1lw

I bought both of these games after watching these videos. Who knew that in 2015 we'd see games like this? Her Story is more of a really interesting form of interactive storytelling (although I stupidly spoiled the big twist for myself before playing) and Contradiction is a great throwback to those hammy 90s FMV games like Phantasmagoria, but I still kinda want to know how the story unfolds (I haven't played Contradiction yet, just watched the video).

 

[BorneAgain]

While the first trend of FMV title was doomed to die off eventually, I'm convinced the (ironically largely still photograph) Plumbers Don't Wear Ties game probably hastened it via showing exactly how awful the genre could get.

 

[KingPK]

The inspector you play as in Contradiction is my favorite character of 2015.

 

[muzzington]

Tesla Effect from last year is pretty good, I wish they had the same tech when they made the original Tex Murphy games.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Wasn't there a Sega CD FMV that was based around Rob Schneider trying to kung fu in Jamaica?

 

[Jingus]

FMV always had potential, going right back to the original Dragon's Lair arcade game in 1983 (making the genre WAY older than many younger gamers realize). But I think it was pretty much killed off by all the media controversy that Night Trap managed to blunder into. Anyone who was around back then remembers how much of a shitstorm was hurled at that game by panicking moral watchdogs. Viewed today, the game is utterly harmless; a collection of barely-PG13 vignettes which look more like a Troma movie edited for content on USA Up All Night than anything else. But at the time, having photo-realistic footage (no matter how pixelated) of mutated thugs killing a bunch of women in negligees was something that kicked Won't Someone Please Think Of The Children types into full frothing overdrive.

Mortal Kombat was also caught up in the same controversy. But 1.Night Trap looked a hell of a lot more realistic, and 2.Mortal Kombat actually had millions of fans who would stick up for it, unlike pretty much any game which was mostly an exclusive for the poorly-sold Sega CD system (it was also released for PC and 3D0, but nobody cared because PC gaming was its own totally-ignored subbasement of gamer-dom, and then also 3D0 nuff said). It's especially weird because the murderers are the VILLAINS of Night Trap; they're the only violent things in the game and you're supposed to be peacefully stopping them (unlike MK, Doom, Lethal Enforcers, and pretty much every other game that got caught up in the Great Pixel Panic Of '94 and featured hyper-violent protagonists under the gamer's control) but that's one aspect of the game which all the tabloid news shows conveniently left out in their fear-mongering reports.

Also, one more thing: too many FMV games sucked. Aside from the laughably horrible video quality, their gameplay all too often boiled down to "press the button to not die". And really, are those godawful Timed Event sequences anyone's favorite part of the modern Resident Evil franchise?

 

[fazzle]

Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within is the *only* FMV game (especially from that era) that I can say is legitimately good. There are plenty of FMV games that are enjoyable due to how bad they are, but that's not really the same thing.

 

[vivisectvi]

No thanks.

 

[KingPK]

I just played Contradiction for like 4 hours. Cheesy acting doesn't always = bad game you know.

The actor that played Ryan Rand favorited my Tweet about the game, so fuck all of you.

 

[fazzle]

Yeah I put in like 2 1/2 hours into Contradiction today as well. It's a cheesy good time, and it will undoubtedly get cheesier and better when it inevitably takes a dark turn.

 

[KingPK]

I powered through Contradiction in two sittings, which is something I rarely do with games anymore. It does a good job moving the story along with few lulls and it just has this great charm about it that kept me interested. All the actors know exactly what tone they are shooting for and they nail it. Especially the guys that play the Rands and Jenks.

 

[fazzle]

Just beat it myself. The ending was just so underwhelming.

Spoiler

I wanted to have everyone come together at the town hall for a meeting at the end when the murderer would eventually melt down but instead it was just so....tame. Seriously why did they never use the town hall?!

Edit: I just had Ryan respond to one of my tweets so I've got you beat on that now PK!

Edit 2: AND I got Emma to favorite multiple tweets of mine and follow me. Look for me in the sequel!

 

[fazzle]

Actually it appears that the entire cast is pretty awesome on twitter. Been going back and forth with them all day.

 

[KingPK]

I also put some more time into Her Story.

That story goes to some fucked up places. That's all I'll say. And this is another game where the acting (all one woman) completely nails the tone.