Thank you James for providing aspiring designers, like myself, recommendations of games to play and explaining what information the experience will provide us. This series is definitely helped become a better game designer. Thank you and keep up the good work!
+Gumba Masta to some degree Adventure games can be seen as RPGs without a combat system, so some overlap is to be expected. where it gets really silly is when Action Adventures are made with RPG Maker: store.steampowered.com/app/351640/?l=english don't get me wrong, the game is awesome! but you have to wonder if gamemaker would have been a better choice for this game.
Unravel secrets within secrets as you puzzle your way through Stray Cat Crossing, which #JamesRecommends! Buy Stray Cat Crossing: bit.ly/1GAxecu Platform: Windows
+Extra Credits In the last three hours, I watched this video, bought the game and played it to its end. Never have I been so grateful of a recommendation. This is an incredibly powerful mix of horror game atmosphere and tear-jerking story, in just three hours I got a new favorite. Also, I really believe this game illustrates all the positive artistic things you guys always say this industry can be. Thank you and thank fridge games.
A really good game within a game is another horror game called Nanashi No Game. It's a hybrid of JRPG and a First-Person adventure game, with a story like The Ring where you find a haunted Nintendo DS. It may not be entirely what James was talking about, but I'd recommend it.
I know this is an old video, and probably no one will ever read this... BUT, I saw this video a long time ago, around the time it originally came out and tried Stray Cat Crosing. Today, on a whim, I watched the trailer again, as I often do, and jump back to this video on a random youtube recommendation after the trailer. Andthen I heard James talk about a game that, this time, is close and very familiar to me. And it hit me. I've played this game twice, maybe thrice? And I've also made a couple people play it too (cudos to the team for including a Spanish version, I could've not shared this with as many loved ones if they hadn't). Regardless of however many times I went through the experience, there was always something deep in the back of my mind, in my heart, really, that I couldn't shake off. I struggle to explain in any capacity what makes this game so special to me, other than the quality of the music, the beauty of its metaphors, and more than anything the tugging emotion with which it manages to merge horror with charm in a way that comes closer, but isn't quite the same to the little spirit creatures in Princess Mononoke. But even those words were never enough, I always felt they fell short, they lacked something. And forever, I would attribute it to the imperfection that is language as a tool of communicating complex, abstract internalized thoughts, and simply say "there's no way other to describe it, than simple 'art'." But listening to James compare the play to the overcoming of trauma, explain some of the metaphors of the game both explicitly and implicitly, something struck me like lightning. The reason I think this game is so wonderful, despite its shortcomings, despite the fact that, in paper, it shouldn't be this special, is twofold: One the one hand, the devs seem to very much know the subject matter of the themes of the game in a very personal level, and I would even wager that this game is their way to cope with them in a certain way, very much a form of communication of emotions that we know as "art." While on the other, in big part due to the nature of its subject matter and the devs loving conveyance, the game presents itself and its contents, its subject, to you in a manner that affords you first and foremost in an unsettling or horrifying way, then proceeds to treat that atmosphere with a care and gentleness that I cold only compare to that of a mother. It's a gentle type of horror, a caring type of creepiness, that the game manages not simply to merge two different art styles in a way similar to the previous describe Mononoke example, but rather, exudes them in a way that is part of its nature. This game is both sad and beautiful in style. Sad because it portrays its subject as such, beautiful because it treats it with kindness, almost like a friend or, redundantly, a mother saying "trauma is a hard thing to deal with, something painful. But it's ok. It's ok that you deal with it, it will help you move on. You will be ok." All of this, being, of course, in addition to the way it treats the metaphors, but I feel that's already been said, so I'll finish with this: If anyone ever reads this, thank you. I don't actually think anyone ever will, but the very act of putting the words down helps me understand my thoughts and feelings.
+MajkaSrajka His name's in the credits. Which might mean that they won't be able to do an episode on it, because then James would look like he's advertising a product he's had a hand in. :/
Interesting. So they used RPG Maker? I usually see people take these engines and just add in their own character artwork or something and leave everything else uinchanged. This seems like a major overhaul, something I didn't even know you could do.
Glad to see this game get some attention. I played it a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Also to anyone concerned about the length the game is only £2/$3 so I think it's priced appropriately.
When he says play within a game it reminds me of Costume Quest. Their are many parts of that game that very much make it appear like that this is a collection of kids playing at fantasy, and not a real magical world they get teleported to. And while some scenes leave that up to question..other scenes make it pretty clear they just have really powerful fantasy worlds they have constructed. It never really fully answers the question at any point.
+rotom9199 Yes. Undertale has gotten plenty of attention, but it's been almost exclusively fanatical and hype-centric. I would love to see someone like James or Sunder or Satchbag or.....someone really knowledgeable about the subtle intricacies of game design discuss this one, because it's so unique in the way it builds every aspect of itself around the story it's trying to tell - never putting mechanics or level design or ANYTHING else above the theme and the experience it tries to create.And also how it makes choice matter - not through complex, interweaving dialog trees that took years to map out, but by giving each of your actions truly impactful consequences that stick with you long after the game is finished. And yet they keep this from getting out of control by a) having a very solid split in morality choices, and b) having "levels" of the game segregated with specific points where your past actions are addressed, keeping the choice system's complexity from spiraling out of control, while still maintaining a powerful effect on the player.
Game with in a game? Have you played Knights of Pen and Paper? You play as a group of table top role players (including the DM) playing an RPG. You get to pick what DM you have and what snacks as well as both the players and their class and they all work differently. Very well done game.
1:19 stray cat crossing is a game. it is a game. and im talking about stray cat crossing here. it is a game for its time and place. it fits right in there. and stray cat crossing most certainly is that. but sometimes theres a game. sometimes theres a game. aw well, i lost my train of thought here but awh hell ive introduced it enough.
There have been some incredible games made that combine RPG Maker with truly novel scripts. My main issue with that engine is the resolution and display capability, which developers have very little control over. If I boot up a game and can't easily make it full screen without any black bars, I quit out, uninstall, and play something else. I'm sure you could tweak things in nVidia control panel etc, to make them work, but there are so many great games to play I can't be bothered.
Yessss I was waiting for this game! I love the art style and the story. Your take on the play is very interesting. Thank you for this video :) p.s the coffin room before the theater gave me chills
I think Dangan Ronpa 2 actually used the "game within a game" conceit pretty well. I can think of other games that had games within them, like No More Heroes or OFF, but DR2 is the only one where it's used in any way like the Hamlet example described in the video.
Whatever happened to side quest. I know allot of your videos got lost or corrupted, but do you plan on starting it again. It was probably my favorite series.
I'm glad someone else in the comments mentioned FF6 as an example of a play within a play I very much so enjoy the James Reccomends series would hate to see it go away
+ZeroTheHeartlessKing Undertale utilizes many of the principles discussed in past episodes. Because of this, I think I am not out to line in saying for many, the characters are amazingly vivid and the world is entrancing. :)
I really don't get why RPG Maker isn't ported to different platforms. Isn't part of the appeal of using engines that you do your game once and have it available on multiple platforms at the same time? Why is this thing Windows-only?
It kinda reminds me of the Visual novel Little Busters though little buster takes good few days work of playing to get to end and even more if your not using a guide. Sadly I don't like horror
I did not enjoy the repetitiveness of this game. I personally feel the metaphor in the play scene is bull, if anything it's an excuse for the devs to elongate the game length. The art and music were amazing, it's just that numb repetition is not for me.
"...plays like an old Lucas Art Adventure Game." I'll just stop the video right there é_è As much as I love the universes, the funny lines and overall great sense of humor of these games, the gameplay is sooooo slow and boring I just can't go back and play it again. From the few picture that I see, it looks beautiful and nicely grotesque, but I can't concentrate on the VN/P&C nature of the narration and gameplay.
I like James' , I like his ideas heck also like his way of speaking but his chin hair annoys the living crap out of my for some reason.. I mean I've seen beards before.. dun think ill of them.. so yeah.,. nothing against beards per se.. just James' beard in particular.
hey I just learned something that made me loose Alot of respect for you. I am talking about how you slandered Totalbiscuit and I wondered if you ever officially appolagized for doing so? if not then I am afraid that this will be the last video of yours that I will ever watch on pure principle
Hi, i just wanted to know whats your opinion on 0AD, its a free to play game made in the same manner of Age of Empires classics, currently its in open alpha stages and its planned to be completely free of charge when finished, and gameplay wise it is very unique play0ad.com/
Thank you James for providing aspiring designers, like myself, recommendations of games to play and explaining what information the experience will provide us. This series is definitely helped become a better game designer. Thank you and keep up the good work!
A Adventure game made with RPG maker, a RPG made with game maker... I see a patern developing here.
+Gumba Masta to some degree Adventure games can be seen as RPGs without a combat system, so some overlap is to be expected. where it gets really silly is when Action Adventures are made with RPG Maker:
store.steampowered.com/app/351640/?l=english
don't get me wrong, the game is awesome! but you have to wonder if gamemaker would have been a better choice for this game.
Unravel secrets within secrets as you puzzle your way through Stray Cat Crossing, which #JamesRecommends!
Buy Stray Cat Crossing: bit.ly/1GAxecu
Platform: Windows
+Extra Credits In the last three hours, I watched this video, bought the game and played it to its end. Never have I been so grateful of a recommendation.
This is an incredibly powerful mix of horror game atmosphere and tear-jerking story, in just three hours I got a new favorite.
Also, I really believe this game illustrates all the positive artistic things you guys always say this industry can be. Thank you and thank fridge games.
A really good game within a game is another horror game called Nanashi No Game. It's a hybrid of JRPG and a First-Person adventure game, with a story like The Ring where you find a haunted Nintendo DS. It may not be entirely what James was talking about, but I'd recommend it.
U guys need to talk about The Begginers Guide. Büdde Dangö
+TheDrMashup It's all story and narrative so talking about it spoils it and ppl get upset. A lose/lose proposition.
CyrusBluebird Well thats true, but they could handle that problem by putting a big fat spoilers-warning up.
I know this is an old video, and probably no one will ever read this... BUT, I saw this video a long time ago, around the time it originally came out and tried Stray Cat Crosing. Today, on a whim, I watched the trailer again, as I often do, and jump back to this video on a random youtube recommendation after the trailer. Andthen I heard James talk about a game that, this time, is close and very familiar to me. And it hit me.
I've played this game twice, maybe thrice? And I've also made a couple people play it too (cudos to the team for including a Spanish version, I could've not shared this with as many loved ones if they hadn't). Regardless of however many times I went through the experience, there was always something deep in the back of my mind, in my heart, really, that I couldn't shake off.
I struggle to explain in any capacity what makes this game so special to me, other than the quality of the music, the beauty of its metaphors, and more than anything the tugging emotion with which it manages to merge horror with charm in a way that comes closer, but isn't quite the same to the little spirit creatures in Princess Mononoke. But even those words were never enough, I always felt they fell short, they lacked something. And forever, I would attribute it to the imperfection that is language as a tool of communicating complex, abstract internalized thoughts, and simply say "there's no way other to describe it, than simple 'art'."
But listening to James compare the play to the overcoming of trauma, explain some of the metaphors of the game both explicitly and implicitly, something struck me like lightning. The reason I think this game is so wonderful, despite its shortcomings, despite the fact that, in paper, it shouldn't be this special, is twofold: One the one hand, the devs seem to very much know the subject matter of the themes of the game in a very personal level, and I would even wager that this game is their way to cope with them in a certain way, very much a form of communication of emotions that we know as "art." While on the other, in big part due to the nature of its subject matter and the devs loving conveyance, the game presents itself and its contents, its subject, to you in a manner that affords you first and foremost in an unsettling or horrifying way, then proceeds to treat that atmosphere with a care and gentleness that I cold only compare to that of a mother. It's a gentle type of horror, a caring type of creepiness, that the game manages not simply to merge two different art styles in a way similar to the previous describe Mononoke example, but rather, exudes them in a way that is part of its nature. This game is both sad and beautiful in style. Sad because it portrays its subject as such, beautiful because it treats it with kindness, almost like a friend or, redundantly, a mother saying "trauma is a hard thing to deal with, something painful. But it's ok. It's ok that you deal with it, it will help you move on. You will be ok."
All of this, being, of course, in addition to the way it treats the metaphors, but I feel that's already been said, so I'll finish with this: If anyone ever reads this, thank you. I don't actually think anyone ever will, but the very act of putting the words down helps me understand my thoughts and feelings.
beautifully written hope your well during the pandemic
if you see this have a nice day
The Beginners Guide please. :)
This show is spoiler free.
+MajkaSrajka His name's in the credits.
Which might mean that they won't be able to do an episode on it, because then James would look like he's advertising a product he's had a hand in. :/
Played A game years ago called The Witch's house that was free and made in RPG maker with a horror theme...
Yes that was one of the certainly famous youtube rpg maker games.
Interesting. So they used RPG Maker? I usually see people take these engines and just add in their own character artwork or something and leave everything else uinchanged. This seems like a major overhaul, something I didn't even know you could do.
It's funny how the best RPG maker games aren't really RPG's.
I always like it when James puts these videos up. I find the games when I play them interesting and insightful. thanks James!
Glad to see this game get some attention. I played it a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Also to anyone concerned about the length the game is only £2/$3 so I think it's priced appropriately.
When he says play within a game it reminds me of Costume Quest. Their are many parts of that game that very much make it appear like that this is a collection of kids playing at fantasy, and not a real magical world they get teleported to. And while some scenes leave that up to question..other scenes make it pretty clear they just have really powerful fantasy worlds they have constructed. It never really fully answers the question at any point.
I want to know you opinion on Undertale
I would second this.
+DjangoAsura i third this but at the same time do we need another person to sing its praises?
rotom9199
Not, but i want to see how a design see the morality and gameplay choices of the game
+Gutemberg Camilo Yes :D I fourth this
+rotom9199 Yes. Undertale has gotten plenty of attention, but it's been almost exclusively fanatical and hype-centric. I would love to see someone like James or Sunder or Satchbag or.....someone really knowledgeable about the subtle intricacies of game design discuss this one, because it's so unique in the way it builds every aspect of itself around the story it's trying to tell - never putting mechanics or level design or ANYTHING else above the theme and the experience it tries to create.And also how it makes choice matter - not through complex, interweaving dialog trees that took years to map out, but by giving each of your actions truly impactful consequences that stick with you long after the game is finished. And yet they keep this from getting out of control by a) having a very solid split in morality choices, and b) having "levels" of the game segregated with specific points where your past actions are addressed, keeping the choice system's complexity from spiraling out of control, while still maintaining a powerful effect on the player.
Game with in a game? Have you played Knights of Pen and Paper? You play as a group of table top role players (including the DM) playing an RPG. You get to pick what DM you have and what snacks as well as both the players and their class and they all work differently. Very well done game.
I freakin' need the song that plays during this video! Anybody knows the title?
That sounds really awesome... but I'm not sure about the horror element...
**tug of war commences**
1:19 stray cat crossing is a game. it is a game. and im talking about stray cat crossing here. it is a game for its time and place. it fits right in there. and stray cat crossing most certainly is that. but sometimes theres a game. sometimes theres a game. aw well, i lost my train of thought here but awh hell ive introduced it enough.
There have been some incredible games made that combine RPG Maker with truly novel scripts. My main issue with that engine is the resolution and display capability, which developers have very little control over. If I boot up a game and can't easily make it full screen without any black bars, I quit out, uninstall, and play something else. I'm sure you could tweak things in nVidia control panel etc, to make them work, but there are so many great games to play I can't be bothered.
I do love me some RPG-maker games. Ib and Off are my current favorites. I'll definitely be checking this out though.
Yessss I was waiting for this game! I love the art style and the story. Your take on the play is very interesting. Thank you for this video :)
p.s the coffin room before the theater gave me chills
I think Dangan Ronpa 2 actually used the "game within a game" conceit pretty well. I can think of other games that had games within them, like No More Heroes or OFF, but DR2 is the only one where it's used in any way like the Hamlet example described in the video.
Your descriptions of the play in the end reminds me of the time I spend (struggling) though Life is Strange. My I should check this one at some point.
Sounds interesting. I'm always looking for a new indie title to try. Would you consider doing one of these on Undertale?
I miss these, So many good games. Is there somewhere I can keep up with the Games the James recommends?
Whatever happened to side quest. I know allot of your videos got lost or corrupted, but do you plan on starting it again. It was probably my favorite series.
I second this guys comment, please comment more on dark souls.
These camera angles are getting weirder every Friday! xD
I'm glad someone else in the comments mentioned FF6 as an example of a play within a play I very much so enjoy the James Reccomends series would hate to see it go away
Please talk about The Beginner's Guide sometime. I'm interested to hear opinions on that.
This show is more focused on lesser known gems of game design. Not triple A budget titles or full releases.
+jim gordon I didnt think it was triple A
Mrcrow300not literally, but it has the popularity of it, and needs no introduction, or recommendation for that matter.
bought the game right when the video was done. usually, when james finds a game moving, i do as well - so this can only be a good decision :3
It's been awhile since we got those "extra info" bits in the video.
Have they been permanently removed..?
Witch's House was cool
Play within game? FFVI!!! I loved the Opera House.
Did he ever explain this weird angle?
please give a look at the game "undertale" (it's on steam) it is stupid fun ^^
+ZeroTheHeartlessKing Undertale utilizes many of the principles discussed in past episodes. Because of this, I think I am not out to line in saying for many, the characters are amazingly vivid and the world is entrancing. :)
Aren't the .hack// games within games? I never played heh
Hey Dan, could you cover LISA: The Painful RPG?
I really don't get why RPG Maker isn't ported to different platforms. Isn't part of the appeal of using engines that you do your game once and have it available on multiple platforms at the same time? Why is this thing Windows-only?
I read "Adventure in Sexual Horror".
You're welcome.
It kinda reminds me of the Visual novel Little Busters though little buster takes good few days work of playing to get to end and even more if your not using a guide. Sadly I don't like horror
When's freaking Undertale?!
I did not enjoy the repetitiveness of this game. I personally feel the metaphor in the play scene is bull, if anything it's an excuse for the devs to elongate the game length. The art and music were amazing, it's just that numb repetition is not for me.
My God, those are the ugliest curtains I've seen in my entire life!
There, I just had to say it.
"...plays like an old Lucas Art Adventure Game." I'll just stop the video right there é_è As much as I love the universes, the funny lines and overall great sense of humor of these games, the gameplay is sooooo slow and boring I just can't go back and play it again. From the few picture that I see, it looks beautiful and nicely grotesque, but I can't concentrate on the VN/P&C nature of the narration and gameplay.
Talk about UNDERTALE!!!!
I like James' , I like his ideas heck also like his way of speaking but his chin hair annoys the living crap out of my for some reason.. I mean I've seen beards before.. dun think ill of them.. so yeah.,. nothing against beards per se.. just James' beard in particular.
2 HR!!!!! no my buy game
james its time for you to shave and get a new haircut.
space rangers
hey I just learned something that made me loose Alot of respect for you. I am talking about how you slandered Totalbiscuit and I wondered if you ever officially appolagized for doing so? if not then I am afraid that this will be the last video of yours that I will ever watch on pure principle
Hi, i just wanted to know whats your opinion on 0AD, its a free to play game made in the same manner of Age of Empires classics, currently its in open alpha stages and its planned to be completely free of charge when finished, and gameplay wise it is very unique
play0ad.com/
You just need to no be on camera for many reasons... just don't do it to your self
first