Quick Look: Shadowgate

There is some real aggravating stuff in this game, but I suppose that's just par for the course in a Shadowgate game.

Also, I really wish the graphics weren't so sloppy :( Thankfully, they got rid of that retro graphics mode they showed in the last QL - that just looked terrible.

I'm still enjoying it though.

"A guy talking to scull from that Shakespeare thing"... Jeez, Dan.

I'm sure if Dan were to write that out, he'd probably at least spell 'skull' correctly :P

A million times more entertaining than that QL EX.

A pall is a covering. Specifically a covering on a casket, but it's come to mean any kind of foreboding veil on something.

So there's something to think about when watching old Undertaker matches, Jeff and Dan.

It's a sad thing that your adventures have ended here!!

The skull is referencing Hamlet and it's name was Yorick. Hamlet holds it in his hand and gives the famous speech that begins, "Alas, Poor Yorick, I knew him, Horatio [...]."

@frogdawg: 4000 internet points to you, sir, for not misquoting the line. It's one of those ones that a lot of people think they know, but they actually have it slightly wrong. Even Brad says "He knows Shadowgate well," which is referencing the most common misquote.

@jeff ...but Pasta of Puppets is the best album they ever released.

This really makes me wish for some kind of remake of Horrorsoft's Elvira: Mistress of the Dark games.

Some real good Hamlet shit.

Also: if I had a penny for every time Brad said "You should really look up X" after/before describing X as a terrible thing that you'd never want to see, I'd be a goddamn millionaire.

Jeff's stupid mushroom friend voice is growing on me.

Boy...sure is a dry summer.

nothing's good about Mr. Bones

I literally let out an incredulous "fuck you" to nobody but my computer screen.

Mr. Bones is one of the best Sega Saturn games.

I really wonder what adventure games Brad has played if he thinks the use stuff on stuff in this is more robust in this.

I wonder what difficulty Brad is playing on because things are playing out differently than they did for me. In the room flooded with sewer water I am unable to go through the hatch in the ceiling because something is blocking the way. And in the room where he put out the brazier with the water when I tried doing the same thing the water sizzled but the flame did not go out.

Jeff is a god damn voice actor. :D

Eat it

The Body Farm is a fascinating place. There's at least a couple decent documentaries about it that show exactly what is being taught/researched there in unflinching detail. That means discussing and recording exactly how and why a body decays the way it does. Outside of certain disciplines of criminology and biology, a lot of people probably never consider their own decay.

The truth is in most environments, decay starts virtually the moment death occurs. At that point it's just happening on a microscopic level. You are dealing with the cessation of the previously ongoing cycle of cell division, repair, and natural apoptosis, alongside chemical processes due to cells rupturing and infiltration of gases.

It's also easy to forget that flies are animals, and laying eggs on decomposing organic matter is a major aspect of most flies' life cycle. They have evolved into highly specialized creatures that thrive in just about all environments on Earth, and use chemoreception to sense the gaseous products of decay from a considerable distance. The result of this is, flies unavoidably arrive at a newly-dead body very shortly following death. Perhaps disturbingly shortly. When these eggs soon hatch the larvae become a crucial part of the process as they consume flesh and excrete waste containing microbes that also contribute to decay. It's all just a cascade from there.

It's not a pretty process, it's probably too grim for most to really inspect or meditate on, but it can be humbling or even positive for some to consider. "Memento Mori" used to be a common motif in popular art and writing, in which one considers their own death in order to make the most out of life. I like it.

If I heard Jeff do his Dumb Mushroom voice all day I'm pretty positive I would die from laughter.

I'm down for a Call of Duty Jeff Voice Elemental DLC.

Brad's factoids always make me wonder how he spends he weekends.

The real Shadowgate starts here.

I'm gonna get this asap.

Murray from Monkey Island is by far the best talking skull in anything ever

"How can you walk around without a brain?"

Either Murray or Morte from planescape: torment, easy.

Wait, they got rid of the pixelated graphics filter? I thought that was really neat. :( So does that mean that the 8-bit grim reaper isn't in the game anymore either?

Shadowgate featuring "Brad Shoemaker's Science Minute"

Boy that skull is a absolutely terrible hint system. Every room should have him say 'I DUNNO MAN CLICK ON SHIT'

There's also a really unfortunate time limit that really kinda drains some of the fun I would get out of experimenting with these puzzles on my own.

Mr. Bones talk...

In this exhibit, Dan goes from knowing nothing about Mr. Bones to loving it in under a minute:

From the Elite Quick Look:

"Hardpoints? Why not just say guns?"

From this Quick Look:

"What's a wraith?"

"Think that's a... ghost."

"Then why not just call it a ghost?"

Dan Ryckert must hate dictionaries.

Brad should just do a one-man show "Surfin' With Brad" where he takes us on a narrated adventure of his macabre whims and curiosities.

Man, the playful ice creature voice, fantastic.

Not my genre, but appreciated the quick look.

Looks fun for those that enjoy the point and the click.

Thanks, guys.

@delta_ass: Someone needs to do a most ignorant man in the world Photoshop of Dan

@sil3n7 said:

It's always weird to me when people say this because I'm constantly buying new games all year round.

uh...Triple A games?

I love the crap out of this game even when I'm frustratingly stuck. Just reminds me of the old times before I memorized the original game's full solution.

Plus the art is so damn pretty.

@sil3n7 said:

Nope, everything else! If you're only buying triple A games, I don't know why you're only complaining about the lack of releases now, or here on this video.

Really tired of the terrible indie game of the day quick look, that's why.

@sil3n7 said:

nothing shallow about this viewpoint at all... i'd rather take ten of these quicklooks of actually interesting games that try to shake things up than another Assassin's Creed, etc.

The original Shadowgate might be my fave adventure game of all time. Its either that, or one of the Kings Quest games. And I'm honestly not all that into adventure games. I couldn't even get through any of Telltale's stuff. I'll have to pick this one up for sure - it seems to be getting pretty good reviews.

If that was the threat I would agree. But AAA games can vary, New Order was to me such a game. I am even considering the Metro Reduxes in time. Witcher 3 I am also thinking about.

But I am going to try Shadow gate. Get out of my narrow gaming furrow. I also got the Fall and have been playing other indie titles. They are proving most definetly a good thing.

I bought this game and got to about where the quick look ends and just have no idea where I'm supposed to go.

Dictionaries? Why not just say word books?