The Early ND Game Feel

captainscove:

mistermetropolis:

trapperdansneedle:

I just noticed something.

There’s a certain feel that the first 5 games have, that none have ever recaptured, and I think it might be due to this.

We don’t circumvent authority anymore.

In SCK, it’s very unclear what you’re allowed to do but you know you shouldn’t be doing a lot of things like going down to the boiler room, or breaking in to the teacher’s lounge.

In STFD, the studio didn’t hire you. Maddie did. You steal Maddie’s access code to get in at night, you use your plastic card to get in to places, you do a lot of things without asking because they’re going to say no but it’s the right thing to do because you solve the mystery. 

Both SCK and STFD feel like real circumstances that could happen. You aren’t just given the run of the place. They feel mature in that they aren’t completely right in what you’re doing. You know what you have to do, it’s right in the end, but you still have to ignore the rules in a way. It’s lesson that a lot of people should learn.

In MHM, you’re hired to do rennovation work. No one really catches on to what you’re doing but you’re doing something and you stop someone from destroying the house and stealing treasure.

In TRT, you’re just a normal hotel guest. You stop Lisa from stealing a historic diamond and probably french documents without Dexter’s permission. You steal his library key, you find the alarm code on your own, you get Hotchkiss’ help. You do the right thing but you ignore the rules, making Nancy a stronger figure in the end because when she doesn’t care about the rules, she does the right thing.

In FIN it really doesn’t matter because pretty much anyone could do anything considering the building being demolished.

But SSH is where the games feel like they’re supposed to be for kids instead of Teens and pre-teens.

In SSH, you have the whole run of the place. Franklin Rose GIVES you permission to do what you want.

In DOG, Sally gives you permission to do whatever you want.

In CAR, Paula Santos gives you the run of the park, and everyone there knows you’re a detective.

There’s not a lot to be said about DDI.

In SHA no one really knows what you’re doing but whenever you do do something sketchy, you obtain permission.

In CUR, no one really cares.

You see where I’m going with this? The games are way too positive. I miss games like STFD where you used your own moral compass instead of what people say and don’t say. I know the newer games SPY and MED have been going back to this, but I just wish every game was like it. Some maybe a little less intense than others, but going strictly by what’s right and wrong isn’t how you do things. It’s not what the people we see as heroes in history did, either.

You’re right. This is a good point. When I was 9 and SSH came out I didn’t really understand what Nancy was doing at the museum and when I saw the employees only door I was like “Oooh, a place to snoop!” and then she just walked right in and Henrik was expecting her in there. Haha

I get this, but I think the whole “I’m not supposed to be doing this but I feel like I have to do it” feel was brought back especially in DED, when you sneak into the lab, and distract Gray and Victor to snoop in their respective areas, and even when you team up with Ryan to check out the video logs and *someone* can see in real-time that you’ve messed with things you shouldn’t be touching.

If Nancy had just followed Victor’s guidelines and stayed out of the lab, the case never would have been solved.