Quick Look: Epistory - Typing Chronicles

I can't type well or fast without looking at the keyboard, and even then I'm not that speedy. It's a bit of a shame 'cause some of these typing games seem really fun in concept to me, I just feel like I'd have to put so much work in before I'd get good enough to enjoy them rather than be frustrated by them. It's not something I'm willing to do at the moment.

I'd love it if there was a game like this, with good voice recognition, where I could just try to say all the words really fast though.

I love when the guys work together, color blindness won't stop Vinny!

@burton_radons: I think most people just don't even think about it. It's not a super tough problem to solve, but for Unity or Epic I think it just doesn't cross their mind as a desired feature. Maybe someone should bring it up to them at PAX this week or at E3 next month. Seems like the type of feature that you could add in without a huge amount of trouble if there was enough demand, but I know for a fact that until I joined this site the issue never even occurred to me. I have a feeling it is less of a conscious choice not to include it and more that no one designing the engine UI is colorblind and no one mentioned including some sort of automatic filter or toggle to them and so they just didn't include it.

I know, for example, that for EA games using Frostbyte there is what I believe to be a universal filter that switches certain UI colors for those who are colorblind. I'm not certain, but due to the fact that it is included in every game using the engine in a nearly identical format, I would have to assume there is a tag or toggle you can apply to different colors when you are designing the UI that marks them as possible colorblind issues and then you can apply a universal filter to all elements with that tag. At least, if I was DICE that is how I would do it. Doesn't solve in game objects being wrongly colored, but at least in theory the same set of tools could be used on textures featuring certain colors. Hell with all the modern PBR and global illumination stuff you might even be able to take into account things like shadows, reflections, and other material based elements of the scene when determining when to add a color filter to objects or textures.

I'm a bit past where they are in the quick look and the ice puzzles have been the only part of the game like that so far. It's also not nearly as bad if you're not using WASD, which I honestly had no idea you could use until I watched this video. The game only tells you about the JF placement which is where i keep my hands anyways for a typing game. The whole game is designed diagonally so it works out.

Ma-vys B'Kon

Hot Pink Motorcycle Enterprise.

That is all.

That shot sound is from something else and I can't think what and it's driving me nuts!

Is there a resurgence of typing games between this and typefighter?!

Mario teaches typing is still the best!

He is still just a father.

Can I rebind the movement keys in this game, because I'm really tempted to get this game and bind them to HJKL

Are typing games the new Minecraft now?

Is Ed Boon going to show up with a Mortal Keyboard game soon?

Damn I would never have thought colorblindness would make that hard. I naturally assumed you could distinguish shining pink and dim dark blue. Just goes to show game devs really needs at least one colorblind person in QA. Beautiful game otherwise, though I have no interest in typing games.

I am really colorblind, but I can't really believe Vinny wasn't messing with them on that puzzle.

@thomascro: There are many different kinds of colorblindness mate. Vinny's not having a laugh here

I wouldn't have thought it possible, but I'm seriously considering buying two typing games in a row now.

Also colorblindness is still a threat.

Moist.

This one is kinda neat actually

This is a quiet video, but I normally have GB videos turned down in the player to like 15% and my computer's volume down at like 25%. Usually, GB videos are plenty loud.

Typing master Vinny Caravella. Art style of this game is superb.

For a typing game, the puzzles seem to mostly involve typing variations on WASD.

Any idea on the length of this game? Wondering if it's worth the price.

@ohnooh: The default (and recommended control scheme) that Vinny is not using _does_ control from the isometric perspective.

E: up-left

F: down-left

J: down-right

I: up-right

It's actually really well-implemented and intuitive. Both rights are on the right hand, both lefts are on the left hand, both ups are on the top row, and both downs are on the home row. Those puzzles are nowhere near as finnicky when you're not using WASD. And if you use the recommended and want to move straight right it's IJ together just like Vinny was trying to go up-right by pressing WD together.

@jacksukeru: Apparently this game has adaptive difficulty, so if you're typing slowly it will scale the difficulty down for you so you can progress.

Anyone have any idea how playable this is on a Dvorak / Programmer's Dvorak keyboard layout?

EDIT: Should have waited to finish watching. Surely if there's "a million keyboards in here, one's [Vinny's] never even heard of" they've covered Dvorak.

Vinny on this ice puzzle is killing me, he's such a good subtle troll.

lol the ice puzzle

Just finished this game. I'm not sure I followed the narrative that well, but it was beautiful and fun with just the right amount of difficulty. Thanks for turning me on to it, Vinny!

Posting two-and-a-half years after release (but a short time after a Steam sale) to report that, no, the EFIJ control scheme never becomes intuitive, even when paired with WASD, and that though the game is fun overall, isometric ice puzzles that require precise movement are a spectacularly bad idea.

I got the game in the said sale as well and just had my first encounter with those ice puzzles and boy howdy they are hot garbage.

@the_atomic_dumpling: Hey, I'm not the only one who checks for a Quick Look after getting a new game! Yeah, I understand the designers wanted a different type of challenge to break up the exploration and battles, but this choice really doesn't play to the game's strengths.

I gave this game a shot a few months back. I dug the general exploration, but the further they get into gimmicks, the less fun it became. The ice puzzles were just horrendous, and the electricity dungeon is tedious as hell. Tying opening gates and using teleporters to typing out a word makes getting around a supermassive slog. Beautoful style and the way they tell the story is super interesting but it became unfun as heck to play.