Seems like the plot is more thematic and metaphorical. A rather quiet, shy and reserved person is conflicted about his lifestyle and relationships. He likes the woman he is with who wants a long-term vanilla relationship but he also likes to be promiscuous and to try things that aren't vanilla. He likes his pet rat, likes the five books he owns but it all feels a little shallow and flat. Seems to have a decent career, seems to work with some decent people too and even develops a long term, meaningful friendship (and a repressed erotic attraction) with a coworker but it's also flat, shallow and he has a hard time dealing with the shit heads at his corporate yuppie job. These conflicting feelings makes him feel crazy. He examines himself and his past closely. He comes to the conclusion that he's a bit of a freak and a weirdo, something to do with a traumatic childhood. In the end, he either has to stuff down the freak in him and accept the kinda shallow, mundane empty lifestyle that is, to some degree, an integral part of societal and cultural conformity. Or he can go back to the BDSM club, accept his inner alien freak aspect and stop trying so hard to conform with all the normies. The alien fist at the end of the repressive conformity ending (stays with the vanilla relationship girl) seems to signify that it hurts Curtis to repress the 'alien' in him, it takes a toll on his well being. Seems pretty obvious to me . Maybe I'm projecting alot of my own stuff onto this. That interpretation reflects my own life in some deep way. I've struggled with that conflict since I was a child and I do to this day. I know countless other people are like that too. Fight Club anyone? It seems like it is satirizing conformity
I can understand 100% how this game is not everyone's cup of tea and it can be frustrating and illogical but I think you have to appreciate the fact that it has aged very well and is very unique; there is no other game like it. Yes there are FMV games from the 90's and even from the 2010's but for the most part those FMV games are forgettable, have horrible resolution, convoluted or annoying characters and limited content whereas this game used established, even award winning actors, had quality special effects and a very intricate story which ranged from extremely realistic events (down to the mundane) to pure science fiction. I've been a fan of this game for over ten years and I still have not figured everything out. The only game in this category that can go toe to toe with this game is Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, which is arguably more appealing to a wider audience and has even far more content even though the main actors used are less highly regarded.
I don't understand how you find this game boring compared to Phantasmagoria 1... I don't mind the first game at all but there are hardly any characters to interact with and the whole gameplay is just so quiet, dense and convoluted. At least, A Puzzle of Flesh have more characters and is a bit more dynamic (the cheesy scenes at the S&M club automatically made into my top favourite scenes ever in adventure gaming history... The best part is the scene with some trio of guys bopping throughout the city!). It also take me a long time to play it (partially influenced by bad reviews everywhere) and I am glad I haven't listen to any of that. Calling this game cheesy! Of course it is! The whole 80's and 90's were cheesy! Get over it and embrace it.
Are We sure that David Lynch didn't have something to do with this Game? It seems just like something that He whould do since The Plot barely makes any sense at all
I remember when this game was release in 1996, it was very crazy and it took way more than 10 hours to do. There was no playthrough to help you out and even if you were wasting your time playing on the computer and the phone it was a great game at this time. You can't review a 25 years old game with your current knowledge, it doesn't make any sence.
Man I didnt mind this game I can sure tell its heavily influenced by Clive Barker. But the ending was a real shitter LOL . Remember thinking okay heres the climax then LOL
oh no, u sometimes have to do things before things happen. and the game came out before now so the graphics are not as good as graphs are now. unacceptable I say! adventure games are so unfun and boring and they should have known people playing the game 15 years after it came out would be bord
This game scared the absolute shit out of me as an 11 year old kid
I was 10 and I didn't play the game however my local game store had it on the shelf and I remember the box art to this day. it for sure mad an impact
Seems like the plot is more thematic and metaphorical. A rather quiet, shy and reserved person is conflicted about his lifestyle and relationships. He likes the woman he is with who wants a long-term vanilla relationship but he also likes to be promiscuous and to try things that aren't vanilla. He likes his pet rat, likes the five books he owns but it all feels a little shallow and flat. Seems to have a decent career, seems to work with some decent people too and even develops a long term, meaningful friendship (and a repressed erotic attraction) with a coworker but it's also flat, shallow and he has a hard time dealing with the shit heads at his corporate yuppie job. These conflicting feelings makes him feel crazy. He examines himself and his past closely. He comes to the conclusion that he's a bit of a freak and a weirdo, something to do with a traumatic childhood. In the end, he either has to stuff down the freak in him and accept the kinda shallow, mundane empty lifestyle that is, to some degree, an integral part of societal and cultural conformity. Or he can go back to the BDSM club, accept his inner alien freak aspect and stop trying so hard to conform with all the normies. The alien fist at the end of the repressive conformity ending (stays with the vanilla relationship girl) seems to signify that it hurts Curtis to repress the 'alien' in him, it takes a toll on his well being.
Seems pretty obvious to me . Maybe I'm projecting alot of my own stuff onto this. That interpretation reflects my own life in some deep way. I've struggled with that conflict since I was a child and I do to this day. I know countless other people are like that too. Fight Club anyone? It seems like it is satirizing conformity
More Sierra please!
As it happens, I'll be working on a bunch of Sierra videos this year, with the first one coming out within the next week or so!
Great Review
Thank you!
17:21 "They say love...is like a river..."
I can understand 100% how this game is not everyone's cup of tea and it can be frustrating and illogical but I think you have to appreciate the fact that it has aged very well and is very unique; there is no other game like it. Yes there are FMV games from the 90's and even from the 2010's but for the most part those FMV games are forgettable, have horrible resolution, convoluted or annoying characters and limited content whereas this game used established, even award winning actors, had quality special effects and a very intricate story which ranged from extremely realistic events (down to the mundane) to pure science fiction. I've been a fan of this game for over ten years and I still have not figured everything out. The only game in this category that can go toe to toe with this game is Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, which is arguably more appealing to a wider audience and has even far more content even though the main actors used are less highly regarded.
I'm a big fan of the Gabriel Knight series (1 and 2) also, and have been meaning to revisit those soon!
It feels very similar to the x-files game
I don't understand how you find this game boring compared to Phantasmagoria 1... I don't mind the first game at all but there are hardly any characters to interact with and the whole gameplay is just so quiet, dense and convoluted. At least, A Puzzle of Flesh have more characters and is a bit more dynamic (the cheesy scenes at the S&M club automatically made into my top favourite scenes ever in adventure gaming history... The best part is the scene with some trio of guys bopping throughout the city!). It also take me a long time to play it (partially influenced by bad reviews everywhere) and I am glad I haven't listen to any of that. Calling this game cheesy! Of course it is! The whole 80's and 90's were cheesy! Get over it and embrace it.
Ugh The whole part about The alternate Dimension and Alien part is just so confusing
Are We sure that David Lynch didn't have something to do with this Game? It seems just like something that He whould do since The Plot barely makes any sense at all
Such a good video!
I remember when this game was release in 1996, it was very crazy and it took way more than 10 hours to do. There was no playthrough to help you out and even if you were wasting your time playing on the computer and the phone it was a great game at this time. You can't review a 25 years old game with your current knowledge, it doesn't make any sence.
Man I didnt mind this game I can sure tell its heavily influenced by Clive Barker. But the ending was a real shitter LOL . Remember thinking okay heres the climax then LOL
oh no, u sometimes have to do things before things happen. and the game came out before now so the graphics are not as good as graphs are now. unacceptable I say! adventure games are so unfun and boring and they should have known people playing the game 15 years after it came out would be bord
I don't understand The Plot of this Game at all it's just so Confusing
This is not a review, it's just you describing the whole game, pointing all the same things everybody does when talking about it. Another clickbait.
The First Chapter was Extremely boring but The Other Chapters just get Weirder and Weirder