I got into these folks through their bedroom cover of the Replacements "Kids Don't Follow" on Youtube, and I've watched a ton of them since then. Very cool stuff. Is this going to be video only, or can it be added to the premium podcast feed?
My girlfriend and I have played 9 of the 10 included mysteries in this game and have not "beat" one of them yet, despite being so certain of our conclusions at times. We have pages and pages of notes. I'd love to see what you guys have written down. It's so difficult. Would love to see a video of a GBeast attempt some time.
Also, Her Story is stunning and one of the best co-op games that Erin and I have ever played together, but you're right that it's not really comparable in terms of what it asks of the player.
Man what an interesting review, very happy this was here for me to read after my playthrough.
Wreden explains that over the next hour and a half or so, he’s going to lead you through a bunch of Source Engine maps, unfinished prototypes, and experimental games developed by his friend Coda--who is probably (maybe?) fictional.
In a weirdly petty way, this makes or breaks the game for me. If this is all just an apology to a talented, creative, and maybe troubled level designer: boooo. But if this is entirely his own imagination and narrative -- a million out of ten. GOAT out of GOTY.
If it's real, then it's not an apology at all, it's an incredibly gross exploitation of someone's work that isn't Wreden's. And the game seems to understand that, which is what makes me think it is in fact Not Real.
The end part of the game where Coda asks Wreden to quit adding lamps to his games makes me question this though. I mean, if he is, either IRL or in the narrative fiction of the game, altering the games that Coda created, is that any different than what most independent developers do with Source? Is Coda not just altering games like Counterstrike to create his own vision? Wreden kind of explains it as being where all game development comes from is using ideas, or restrictions, that other people have come up with to frame your game within? How is Wreden altering Coda's games to make his own product any different, or any more exploitative than Coda using Valve's designers' work to create his own? Maybe I'm not explaining this properly, but if there is some underlying theme regarding the nature of game development being based upon building your own ideas upon other peoples, then maybe, if this is a true story of sorts it could still be seen as an apology and a great tribute to the artist who Wreden based his game development career on. Kind of expressing the idea that Wreden cut his chops making Coda's games playable, or maybe it's all made up and I'm way overthinking this whole "building upon the work of others" them.
I did just finish the game and I'm really still collecting my thoughts. I feel like I could keep typing forever and eventually I might understand it all.
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