Please Make Me! More Adventure Games Like Indigo Prophecy
By Jonathan on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 at 8:52 PM PST In Editorials, Gamer Life, Games Industry
I don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of Indigo Prophecy. It was a sleeper hit released on all platforms back in 2005, but really lacked the mass-market appeal to make it more than a critical success. But most that played the game realized it was something that is unfortunately rare these days: a good, original, and engaging, adventure game.
For many gamers in the early 90’s, the point-and-click adventure games were a primary source of great story-telling coupled with some truly head-scratching puzzles. As times changed though, so did the expectations of games in general; demanding more fast-paced action, and unfortunately causing the adventure genre to mostly fizzle out. But that’s exactly where Indigo Prophecy succeeded: by blending great story aspects with twitch-based gaming. In the midst of unraveling an intricate mystery, you’d be presented with various mini-games. Most of them simply required you to push a button in time with what was shown on-screen, but when that involved you dodging attacks from a supernatural assailant, the intensity of these was more than palpable. Besides which, your success or failure at these games could change how the whole story in general played out later on.
But the main attraction of the game was the intricate and constantly changing storyline. You began the game as the main character comes out of a trance, where he finds himself having no idea where he is and standing over the body of a man he has just murdered. Immediately, he has to clean up the crime scene as best as he can, comprising a five-minute process that can change the outcome of the whole story. From there, every decision you make influences how the rest of the story plays out. If you don’t clean up the crime scene well enough, you can be identified later, for example. What was interesting too was, besides playing a fugitive on the run, you also got to play as the detectives trying to catch him. It was interesting reversal of roles that allowed for even more opportunities. These gameplay elements carried on even in the parts where you were simply managing the character’s personal problems.
Basically, we need more adventure games like this. Right now most of the adventure game genre is comprised of murder mystery fare, with very little innovation since the early 90’s; with the exception of Sam and Max, who has also brought a few mini-games into the mix, not to mention some excellent writing. For a fan of the old adventure games though, Indigo Prophecy felt like a warm reminder that an old friend is still around and has a few tricks left up his sleeve. And while the game’s developer, Quantic Dream, has announced they are workign on new titles, I’d like to see more developers follow suit and show that the old adventure genre doesn’t have to be the same old formula every time.
I completely agree with you 100%. Indigo Prophecy was…no…IS a great game. I recently re-purchased it since I lost it during the move to my new place and I still love the game. One thing you touched on briefly was the role reversal aspect of the game where you play both the main character and the detectives trying to figure out who the murderer was. One thing that was brilliantly executed was when you as the main character would need to hide evidence. The screen would go black as the main character hides the evidence, so when you play as the detectives, you won’t know where the evidence is.
I’m happy that Quantic Dream is working on a new game exclusively for the PS3. I hope it has more success than Indigo Prophecy did so we can see more games from Quantic Dream.
If you loved this game you guys should checkout Dreamfall: The Longest Journey as well. Great story and character development, my girlfriend who even isn’t into gaming loved watching me play both of these because of the story.
I loved Indigo Prophecy! It’s on my “Top 5 Game” List that for sure
I hope the new game will stay ps3 exclusive and i m sure im gonna be the 1st in line to buy Heavly Rain
My Best Companie of all time:
)
-Quantic Dream
-Sony Comp Entertament St.Monica
-Ubisoft Montreal ( cus im im montreal lol
Yeah that game was the best man.
I might have to give this one a go… but its gonna have to go a looooong way to beat out Dreamfall as my favorite adventure game.
Look. Dreamfall wasn’t really an adventure game. Indigo Prophecy actually had choices that changed the outcome of the game, whereas Dreamfall was really more of an interactive fiction game. A fun one, but you can’t really compare the two.
My two cents. Can’t wait until the next Quantic Dream ADVENTURE game.
I don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of Indigo Prophecy. It was a sleeper hit released on all platforms back in 2005, but really lacked the mass-market appeal to make it more than a critical success. But most that played the game realized it was something that is unfortunately rare these days: a good, original, and engaging, adventure game.
For many gamers in the early 90’s, the point-and-click adventure games were a primary source of great story-telling coupled with some truly head-scratching puzzles. As times changed though, so did the expectations of games in general; demanding more fast-paced action, and unfortunately causing the adventure genre to mostly fizzle out. But that’s exactly where Indigo Prophecy succeeded: by blending great story aspects with twitch-based gaming. In the midst of unraveling an intricate mystery, you’d be presented with various mini-games. Most of them simply required you to push a button in time with what was shown on-screen, but when that involved you dodging attacks from a supernatural assailant, the intensity of these was more than palpable. Besides which, your success or failure at these games could change how the whole story in general played out later on.
But the main attraction of the game was the intricate and constantly changing storyline. You began the game as the main character comes out of a trance, where he finds himself having no idea where he is and standing over the body of a man he has just murdered. Immediately, he has to clean up the crime scene as best as he can, comprising a five-minute process that can change the outcome of the whole story. From there, every decision you make influences how the rest of the story plays out. If you don’t clean up the crime scene well enough, you can be identified later, for example. What was interesting too was, besides playing a fugitive on the run, you also got to play as the detectives trying to catch him. It was interesting reversal of roles that allowed for even more opportunities. These gameplay elements carried on even in the parts where you were simply managing the character’s personal problems.
Basically, we need more adventure games like this. Right now most of the adventure game genre is comprised of murder mystery fare, with very little innovation since the early 90’s; with the exception of Sam and Max, who has also brought a few mini-games into the mix, not to mention some excellent writing. For a fan of the old adventure games though, Indigo Prophecy felt like a warm reminder that an old friend is still around and has a few tricks left up his sleeve. And while the game’s developer, Quantic Dream, has announced they are workign on new titles, I’d like to see more developers follow suit and show that the old adventure genre doesn’t have to be the same old formula every time??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/
I don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of Indigo Prophecy. It was a sleeper hit released on all platforms back in 2005, but really lacked the mass-market appeal to make it more than a critical success. But most that played the game realized it was something that is unfortunately rare these days: a good, original, and engaging, adventure game.
For many gamers in the early 90’s, the point-and-click adventure games were a primary source of great story-telling coupled with some truly head-scratching puzzles. As times changed though, so did the expectations of games in general; demanding more fast-paced action, and unfortunately causing the adventure genre to mostly fizzle out. But that’s exactly where Indigo Prophecy succeeded: by blending great story aspects with twitch-based gaming. In the midst of unraveling an intricate mystery, you’d be presented with various mini-games. Most of them simply required you to push a button in time with what was shown on-screen, but when that involved you dodging attacks from a supernatural assailant, the intensity of these was more than palpable. Besides which, your success or failure at these games could change how the whole story in general played out later on.
But the main attraction of the game was the intricate and constantly changing storyline. You began the game as the main character comes out of a trance, where he finds himself having no idea where he is and standing over the body of a man he has just murdered. Immediately, he has to clean up the crime scene as best as he can, comprising a five-minute process that can change the outcome of the whole story. From there, every decision you make influences how the rest of the story plays out. If you don’t clean up the crime scene well enough, you can be identified later, for example. What was interesting too was, besides playing a fugitive on the run, you also got to play as the detectives trying to catch him. It was interesting reversal of roles that allowed for even more opportunities. These gameplay elements carried on even in the parts where you were simply managing the character’s personal problems.
Basically, we need more adventure games like this. Right now most of the adventure game genre is comprised of murder mystery fare, with very little innovation since the early 90’s; with the exception of Sam and Max, who has also brought a few mini-games into the mix, not to mention some excellent writing. For a fan of the old adventure games though, Indigo Prophecy felt like a warm reminder that an old friend is still around and has a few tricks left up his sleeve. And while the game’s developer, Quantic Dream, has announced they are workign on new titles, I’d like to see more developers follow suit and show that the old adventure genre doesn’t have to be the same old formula every time??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/
lol