Here are the timestamps for every game in this video: 00:00 Intro and what is FMV? 1:29 Ranking explanation 2:37 The 7th Guest 3:40 Are You Afraid of the Dark 4:34 At Dead of Night 6:01 Bandersnatch (Black Mirror) 7:02 The Beast Within 8:02 Bloodshore 10:06 The Bunker 11:00 Cibele 11:55 Conspiracies 12:50 Contradiction! Spot the liar 13:40 Corpse Killer 14:51 Dark Nights with Poe and Munro 15:59 Deathtrap Dungeon 17:06 Double Switch 18:37 Erica 19:14 Fahrenheit 20:02 Fox Hunt 21:27 Ground Zero: Texas 23:00 Her Story 24:10 The Infectious Madness of Dr. Dekker 25:23 Late Shift 26:22 Missing 27:31 Night Trap 29:09 The Pandora Directive 30:22 Phantasmagoria 31:56 Prize Fighter 33:05 Psychic Detective 34:05 Quantum Break 35:09 Roundabout 36:21 Sewer Shark 37:24 The Shapeshifting Detective 38:33 Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Volume 2 39:21 Telling Lies 40:41 Tesla Effect 41:39 Tex Murphy: Overseer 42:32 Under a Killing Moon 43:21 Wirehead 44:14 The X-Files 45:14 Final rankings
I'm glad you did a video on an often overlooked genre. Most FMV games are so corny but it's that earnestness in their commitment to the premise that makes them so memorable. I remember really liking Bad Mojo for some reason. Wonderful job! I give Pam an "S" rank.
Really great to see all these FMV games chatted about. Such a unique, special genre of games we rarely see nowadays. A more modern one I found recently on Steam was "Not for broadcast." Definitely among the most memorable FMV games to me next to Gabriel Knight . You have good tastes! Also my favourite 😄
Love this list. A few other games to look out for are 1. Black Dhalia, 2. Ripper, 3. Byzantine, 4. Toonstruck(if that counts) 5. 11th Hour(the sequel to 7th guest) 6. Titanic: Adventure out of time, 7. Zork Nemesis(mostly only cutscenes are fmv) 8. Tender loving care, 9. Yoomurjak’s Ring and it's sequel Miazma, 10. The Daedalus Encounter. 11. the journeyman project games
Here's some more: Phantasmagoria 2 (better than Phantasmagoria 1 imo), D no Shokutaku (an all CGI adventure game), Enemy Zero (spiritual sequel to D no Shokutaku, features a first-person shooter section that makes the game more open-world, similar to Tex Murphy sort of but not exactly), Dracula Unleashed (made by the same people behind Sherlock Holmes this game acts a sequel to the novel by playing as the brother of Quincy trying to solve what happened to him and why similar strange happenings are going on now)
For me, "428: Shibuya Scramble" by Spike Chunsoft is an amazing VN that features some FMV, though the majority of the game is made of still images. Would recommend 10/10.
Psychic Detective was my first fmv game and gave me such a unique experience. It will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks for giving the fmv genre the attention it deserves.
I loved this video. I’m a big FMV fan and Tex Murphy Under a Killing Moon was my first FMV (love me some Tex Murphy). Your presentation and background provide excellent context during your reviews. I’m looking forward to checking out your other videos. My only grievance is that you gave Night Shift a D (I would have given it at least a B), but I’ll let it slide because you’re cool :) I’ve only played about half the games you mentioned, but I’ll be looking to try the others! Thanks for the great work and take care!
Thank you so much for this! Always nice to see FMV games get more love ❤ Contradiction, Deathtrap Dungeon, Erica, Night Book and The Complex are some of my faves. At Dead of Night has a really good story too, but I agree, you've got to be in the right mood to want to get jumpscared by Jimmy, which doesn't happen often... 😅 Interesting fact about Late Shift: I believe it was released in select cinemas in London as an interactive experience before it was available as a game. I know I wouldn't mind playing some FMV-style games in the cinema, hopefully it would keep me awake more often! 😆 I'll have to settle on 4D in the meantime, lol! I also wanted to mention more recent FMVs releases from Wales Interactive which include Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?, The Gallery, Ten Dates and Isle Tide Hotel. Always good to see the genre still going strong. Looking forward to the next one! 👍🏻
@@Cannotbetamed1 I agree! ☺️ Maybe we could have a sequel in the future called Fifteen Dates or something along those lines... I don't think I could survive that many in real life though, I must admit! 😆
Great topic for the video. Just started Contradiction the other day, so looking forward to playing the rest of it given it's high up in your rankings and this has also reminded me of a few games still in my backlog. Would definitely recommend Death Come True. It's not very long, but has an interesting story and some great acting by the Japanese cast.
Love the signal boost on this game genre. FMV games are always fun for the narrative and interactive decision making. This was a fun video! Thanks Pam! The new haircut looks great BTW and happy holidays to you and yours this weekend!
This was a lot of fun to watch, Pam. Aside from the more popular releases, FMV games are a huge blindspot for me, so just added a few to the list of must-plays. Thanks as always for sharing.
Thanks for keeping at these rankning videos. As usual, you managed to squeeze in a few games I've never heard of (inevitably making that GOG wishlist even longer). X-Files was one of the first PC games I bought and it's my all-time favorite FMV, out of sheer nostalgia. But in all fairness, it was a decent game too. Someone already mentioned Erica and I second that. It's an okay mystery game with a supernatural twist. I think it's on sale at the moment as well, for like 3 bucks on Steam.
Great layout and presentation for this video, very enjoyable watch. Might have to carve out some time to check out a few of the top FMV games on the list.
I'm at GKII and you say it's very good. Your taste seems to match up really well with mine, so I'm now excited about what else you recommend hoping that I won't already have played it all.
Has anyone played any of these FMV games? Vegas Tales, Night Book, Five Dates, Simulacra, I Saw Black Clouds, and Head Spun I was really hoping they would be on this list since I don’t hear much about them. Again, awesome tier list! You still have plenty of games to review and make another list/update this one.
Thank you for this overview. I've only played a handful of these and having a guide for exploring the better of these types of games will be helpful. The Gabriel Knight game and the Tex Murphy games look very interesting.
Recent FMV titles i played were five dates, Dr Dekker, Bunker, Shape-shifting Detective, Late Shift, Telling Lies, Night Book, I Saw Black Clouds, Poe & Munro, the Complex, Simulacra, not sure the Quiet Man counts, Erica & Roundabout.
Your tier list aside, the GK2 you've chosen is a cool background music. The tier list is spot on, great job! You've forgotten a key point, "Poe & Monroe" is the sequel to "Shapeshifting Detective"...
Wow nice tier list! I love FMV games and no one really talks about them. Thanks for shinning light on a genre that’s way outside of the mainstream. However I’m a little shocked by your Late Shift ranking. That’s generally the most liked game (that I’ve seen) in the community. Either way awesome list!
FMV definitely has its place in history. I remember when the genre hit the Sega CD, it blew my teenage mind. It might look lame to the modern gamer, but if you lived in that era, most people thought it was cool, even though the gameplay was mediocre. Corpse Killer was my favorite, because as a 90s teen, the horror genre was barely visible in gaming. Also loved the Limited Run remasters a few years back.
100% to each their own, so no negative comment here, but the Beast Within was a weird choice for S tier haha. Still though, thank you for making the video! I've been missing FMVs lately and this whole list brought me back. Also I think modern FMV games and older FMV games are hard to blend together. Older FMV games have that cheese and low budget whereas the modern ones have actual actors and higher quality production. Challenging for sure. Anyways, thanks again!
If you're looking for some good FMV titles, Take-Two Interactive has two really good FMV Mystery Horror Titles, Ripper and Black Dahlia. Both have a great ensemble of Actors (especially in Ripper) and are really compelling stories IMO. Also Phantasmagoria has a sequel, A Puzzle of Flesh, which is a more enjoyable thriller and has better gameplay than the original.
The video I have been waiting for! Great list. My favorite was Tomcat Alley. It came with my Tectoy Sega CD. I did not speak english back then, so I beat It on will power alone. Panic/Switch was a close second. It is tons of fun and the creativity overflows. Prize Fighter was a recurring rental for me. I thought it was cool to go all Rocky Balboa/underdog pugilist on opponents.
Adored Roundabout! Good to see that getting some love. I don't think i've ever seen it mentioned anywhere before. The gameplay is very similar to Kuru Kuru Kururin which was a GBA launch title. Loved the collection of whacky characters in Roundabout. Would love to see a sequel.
FMV games I recommend: 1. Missing: since January (Also called In Memorium) - There's also an expansion called The 13th Victim 2. Evidence: The Last Ritual (Also called In Memorium 2) 3. Noctropolis
The only game I have ever played that used FMV was Myst 3: Exile. I somehow didn't know this genre had so many games or that new ones are still being made! Thanks for making this as I basically got a crash course in a genre I didn't even realize was so established!
Great reviews!!! It sucks that a lot of the Digital Pictures games you didn’t like I hold so dear to my heart, Corpse Killer, Double Switch, Ground Zero Texas etc. but I do understand that is just my nostalgia kicking in because I was 12 through 16 years old playing those games and they mean the world to me. I can’t wait to play some titles I’ve never heard of from this list so thanks again.
You're a stronger person than I. 😅 FMV games are truly an acquired taste. Definitely not for me, but it's interesting to hear your takes on them. You've got the market cornered as far as I'm concerned tho, I don't think I know of any other VG TH-camrs who do as much with FMV reviews apart from maybe AVGN. Great video, a lot of fun to watch and listen.
that GK music is amazing! I literally listen to St George´s bookshop while drinking my morning coffee haha. I guess there´s no point to the comment just how great GK 1 and 2 are !
I'm late. But this was great to watch. I will say I was surprised the Game Dracula Unleashed for Sega cd was not on this list. I believe it may have been one you might have enjoyed. Keep up the great content and thanks for taking time to do this. This was very enjoyable.
Hmm for pure nostalgia sake, I'd recommend The Hardline. It was a FMV-based rail shooter on 3 CDs for PC. The gameplay was quite simple with lots of shooting, some first-person exploration and lots of badly acted cutscenes. The story was nice, though (well... if you enjoy low budget sci-fi stories from the 90's...) I'm also quite surprised you didn't mention the Daedalus Encounter. It was an adventure game with lots of hype around it in 1995. The game didn't live up to its hype but it deserves a try anyway ;)
I liked your ranking at all, I appreciated for Gabriel Knight 2!! Not much for X-files and Psychic Detective😊By the way, it's missing some good games like: Ripper (here there's christopher walken as actor) Black Dahlia, Urban Runner, Dracula Unleashed and Phantasmagoria 2
Wow, checking out games at Radio Shack. I remember the games they carried weren't labelled IBM PC compatible, they were Tandy Compatible, lol. Very fun video! Bad Mojo is a pretty fun old game with FMV cutscenes.
Enjoyed the video quite a bit. Because I'm a digital hoarder, I had a lot of these games but haven't played them yet, so good to know where to start on my backlog. Three FMVs I enjoyed that weren't in the ranking were Phantasmagoria 2 (unlike the other person in the comments who mentions it, I actually think it's good rather than "so bad it's good"), Darkseed 2, and Harvester. All three of those involve playing a protagonist whose sanity is in question, so not sure what that says about me.
Hi, I don't know your channel, but I'm a simple guy: I see 38 FMV games being rated with Gabriel Knight at the top, I assume it's a good channel! s2 (I still love Phantasmagoria though, but oh well... that's okaaay, GK still wins the pot xD) I really appreciated that you've put Bandersnatch - definitively a 90s FMV "interactive movie" with beter resolution - on the list and some other contemporary games toguether with the good old 90s pieces. Never played Tex Murphy games, but I'll sure check it out! And btw, I'm with the guy that commented about 428: Shibuya Scramble. Not exactly a "FULL motion", but it has real people and at least SOME motion (lol) and stuff. If you didn't played yet, maybe give it a look, it's amazing! Cheers!
I played a bit of 428: Shibuya Scramble on stream a couple weeks ago. It's alright so far, I'd like to try more now that I'm past the all the tutorialization at the start.
@@Cannotbetamed1 nice! Once it begins the "butterfly effect" thing with the different characters and becomes something pretty much like one great puzzle, it gets very enjoyable! =D cheers!
Respect for your Tex Murphy placements, but I was surprised at the omissions of Phantasmagoria 2, and Wing Commander 3, 4, and Prophecy, but I would understand if space combat isn't your thing. But you've GOTTA play The Journeyman Project trilogy at some point. :)
My faves are: Ripper (6 discs, noir/cyberpunk theme and stars Christopher Walken and many other stars) Burn-Cycle (also cyberpunk) Noctropolis The Daedalus Encounter And obviously Megarace but I dunno if that really counts lol. But ya Ripper is by far my favourite, it’s a cult classic and I’d love to see it featured on your channel one day.
Awesome video as usual Pam! I'm happy you've liked The Beast Within just as much as I did. I was wondering, have you tried Phantasmagoria A Puzzle of Flesh? The first game was a letdown, but I've liked its sequel. The video quality is much better and the overall story is more interesting. Also, have you played any of the Wing Commander games? They are space shooters, but the cutscenes are all FMV with well-known actors.
I'm glad to know you appreciate the tex murphy games!!! I think I backed the tesla game for like 25 bucks and overall loved it!!!! it's cool that some companies are still working on fmv games, may have to try the latest ones.
Awesome video . Fmv is something I also enjoyed , which is why I even keep my 3do! Lol, demolition man has fmv as well on the 3DO. I never knew that there were so many of them , especially the newer ones, now I can use this video to guide me according to what I'm looking for , thank you !
You didn't mention Phantasmagoria 2, but I actually enjoyed it, not because it was good, but because it was comically bad! The puzzles are nonsensical, and the acting is atrocious, but the actors are trying so hard that it still comes across as enjoyable. The story shows some promise at first and clearly had potential to be interesting, but it went off in a crazy direction that manages to be unintentionally humorous. I recommend using a guide so you don't waste time on the puzzles, but if you do that, it manages to be one of the only video games that falls into the "so bad it's good" category.
I own psychic detective on ps1 and 3do, I love it and have some fond memories. Very difficult to get the best ending, but nothing like it. So odd and interesting
You still have a 3do? Lucky git, I had mine for less than a week after getting it for Christmas as a kid and it was stolen, they literally just took that and my games, had to be someone I knew, gutted, I loved it while I had it.
Would be cool if Panasonic got back into the market or Sega produce hardware again, the Dreamcast was such a great system for it's day, all the best to you from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪🤝🇬🇧🤝🇭🇺🤝🇨🇦🤝🇺🇸🤝🌎
Deathtrap Dungeon is based on the first of a series of interactive books which trended in the eighties. I had a lot of them and I have fond memories from this era. Kudos for your videos!
Love this. New subscriber. Some others you haven’t included (below is a bit of a mix in quality i’d say): I saw black clouds, Night book, Five dates, The Complex, Simulacra & Simulacra 2.
I really like your ranking videos :) I have only played Érica from this list which I loved so I’ll have to check out your S and A tier games, and maybe some B tier ones that interested me
Tex Murphy games are my all time faves but I missed Overseer since I could not play it with more more modern PC. It is a dirty shame that we do not get any new Tex Murphy games. I could not install Gabriel Knight the Beast Within either. Dr. Dekker game was good and I really like American Hero. I do not care about any other Digital Pictures games but Night Trap was easily the best of their games and I liked it. American Hero is great too. I was pleased that it got released after all the years. A very nice video and I am going to play Erica next. Thank you!
Glad to see another Contradiction fan. Fantastic experience which sadly doesn't conclude well. I liked Bandersnatch a bit more, mainly for the 80s Brit gamedev setting. Yet to try Erica or Tex Murphy games.
Microcosm was the best! Love this. Thank you! I am working on a three way comparison of Bonk’s Revenge, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Super Mario World. The 1991 hardware mascots. I would love to see your take on that too. Great content.
You totally needed to include Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland, it’s the GOAT of fmv games. Sure it’s for kids but it’s directed by Spielberg and stars Jeff Goldblum, what’s not to love?
I love the fact that you covered such a maligned and (relatively) niche here as this one. I'm glad to see Gabriel Knight at the top, and I hope it eventually gets a remaster (either commercial or fanmade).
Thanks for this video Pam, as I am one of those gamers who loves FMV, and anytime this genre gets some love, it's well appreciated. I've even recommended the FMV genre to some of gamings publishers, as I think an all in one style book would be great. I'm the opposite of you, as I consider the animated games more FMV, as those came first, at least for me, but I love them both.
There are more high quality FMV games today than olden days, but the use of FMV is a shadow of its former glory. There was a time when FMV integrated seamlessly into iconic games that the younger generations don't even think of when discussing FMV games now. Command and Conquer: one of the two giants of RTS in the 90s. Wing Commander: the iconic space flight sim and the reason Chris Roberts has been able to score half a billion dollars crowd funding for Star Citizen. The miracle of that age, I think, was how the FMV eventually came to define those games. I feel like Red Alert 3's campy gameplay was built around the FMV, not the other way around, like RA1. And by WC4, the game was basically a movie with some flight sims mixed in; Prophecy just did away with any kind of realism in the flight sim altogether. I didn't mean to retread an older video. I watched your guest appearance on Cartridge Club discussing Sewer Shark. Some of the excitement in it infected me. After I shared my excitement on that video, I had to circle back here and say my piece. For the benefit of all the younger viewers who might not have even heard of C&C or WC. These games are still available, folks (for any viewers who read this far)! Except Heavy Gear, apparently.
Dracula Unleashed is an awesome DP FMV game. I just DL'd A Fork in the Tale as well. I will always love Double Switch. I fell asleep while streaming playing Erica.
This is such a great episode! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! I wish you included Lodestar: The Legend of Tully Bodine. I’d like to know opinions about that game.
I actually have not played any of these. I will have to check some of them out! Wing Commander 3 and 4 were amazing FMV games back in the day! I really loved those.
love fmv games, great nostalgia, was my favorite too back in the days, I think you forgot some important games here : phantasmagoria 2, toon struck, Inca 1 & 2, ripper, 11th hour, clandestiny, the harvester, necropolis, lost in time, mad dog McCree :)
Great list. Dracula 2 was also pretty good, though I couldn't beat it without a walk-through helping me. Mostly based on making exactly the right decisions
Awesome vid, it would've been nice to know whether the games were on pc or consoles, but after some digging, I found out. I'm totally gonna check out some of these games, Thanks for making this!
Phantasmagoria 2 is underrated. The way it handled adult themes and gay/bisexual characters was pretty nuanced for the time. And the ending twist was good enough to get ripped off by that Us movie. Kidding about that last bit. I think.... It was made here in my hometown of Seattle, so I've gotten to compliment the writer in person. I still chuckle sometimes when I pass the "Wyntech building" on the freeway. It's actually a cancer research center currently.
![fellow fellow - PROUD feat. INK WARUNTORN [STRING QUARTET]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BQrVkMPTdHE/mqdefault.jpg)
![ง้อ (ALRIGHT) - FOURTH Prod. by URBOYTJ [ OFFICIAL MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qs8ZeV6Dqj8/mqdefault.jpg)
Here are the timestamps for every game in this video:
00:00 Intro and what is FMV?
1:29 Ranking explanation
2:37 The 7th Guest
3:40 Are You Afraid of the Dark
4:34 At Dead of Night
6:01 Bandersnatch (Black Mirror)
7:02 The Beast Within
8:02 Bloodshore
10:06 The Bunker
11:00 Cibele
11:55 Conspiracies
12:50 Contradiction! Spot the liar
13:40 Corpse Killer
14:51 Dark Nights with Poe and Munro
15:59 Deathtrap Dungeon
17:06 Double Switch
18:37 Erica
19:14 Fahrenheit
20:02 Fox Hunt
21:27 Ground Zero: Texas
23:00 Her Story
24:10 The Infectious Madness of Dr. Dekker
25:23 Late Shift
26:22 Missing
27:31 Night Trap
29:09 The Pandora Directive
30:22 Phantasmagoria
31:56 Prize Fighter
33:05 Psychic Detective
34:05 Quantum Break
35:09 Roundabout
36:21 Sewer Shark
37:24 The Shapeshifting Detective
38:33 Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Volume 2
39:21 Telling Lies
40:41 Tesla Effect
41:39 Tex Murphy: Overseer
42:32 Under a Killing Moon
43:21 Wirehead
44:14 The X-Files
45:14 Final rankings
Art of fighting 3 has fmv.
I like some vampire night game.
Roundabout is more than just some game. It's a verb. The limo roundabouts. You were roundabouting. It's a verb. Accept it. The limo was roundabouting.
I liked this video, but what about Phantasmagoria 2 Puzzle od flesh ? :D
Where's Phantasmagoria 2?
I'm glad you did a video on an often overlooked genre. Most FMV games are so corny but it's that earnestness in their commitment to the premise that makes them so memorable. I remember really liking Bad Mojo for some reason. Wonderful job! I give Pam an "S" rank.
Thanks! I want to play Bad Mojo, that’s been on my backlog for a while.
@@Cannotbetamed1Skibidi gyat fanum tax the lost rizzler plus Ohio kai cenet Duke Dennis the true sigma rizzler🤑🤑🤑🤑
Really great to see all these FMV games chatted about. Such a unique, special genre of games we rarely see nowadays. A more modern one I found recently on Steam was "Not for broadcast." Definitely among the most memorable FMV games to me next to Gabriel Knight . You have good tastes! Also my favourite 😄
Not For Broadcast is great! I need to play the DLC soon.
Hi strider
Love this list. A few other games to look out for are 1. Black Dhalia, 2. Ripper, 3. Byzantine, 4. Toonstruck(if that counts) 5. 11th Hour(the sequel to 7th guest) 6. Titanic: Adventure out of time, 7. Zork Nemesis(mostly only cutscenes are fmv) 8. Tender loving care, 9. Yoomurjak’s Ring and it's sequel Miazma, 10. The Daedalus Encounter. 11. the journeyman project games
I second most of these. Not played every single one, but the ones I've played were at least interesting, with Black Dahlia being the standout.
Here's some more: Phantasmagoria 2 (better than Phantasmagoria 1 imo), D no Shokutaku (an all CGI adventure game), Enemy Zero (spiritual sequel to D no Shokutaku, features a first-person shooter section that makes the game more open-world, similar to Tex Murphy sort of but not exactly), Dracula Unleashed (made by the same people behind Sherlock Holmes this game acts a sequel to the novel by playing as the brother of Quincy trying to solve what happened to him and why similar strange happenings are going on now)
@@insanerabbitstudios Never heard of Enemy Zero, so thanks for the tip
@@karlvre8790 It was a Sega Saturn exclusive but also got a PC release but still obscure, you're welcome for info
Tender Loving Care was great!
For a minute there I didn't think you were going to include Under a Killing Mood and my whole face was going to explode off.
For me, "428: Shibuya Scramble" by Spike Chunsoft is an amazing VN that features some FMV, though the majority of the game is made of still images. Would recommend 10/10.
Already a fan of Danganronpa so might look into this
Loved this episode! I actually loved fmv back in the day…I’m not sure why though in retrospect 🤣
Thanks!
Pam: "I have 38 FMV games here to rank."
Me: "There's 38 FMV games?!"
There's way more than that actually, lol.
Psychic Detective was my first fmv game and gave me such a unique experience. It will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks for giving the fmv genre the attention it deserves.
I've been very anxious all day. So a super chill video like this while I clean was VERY good for me. Thanks!
You're welcome!
I loved this video. I’m a big FMV fan and Tex Murphy Under a Killing Moon was my first FMV (love me some Tex Murphy).
Your presentation and background provide excellent context during your reviews. I’m looking forward to checking out your other videos.
My only grievance is that you gave Night Shift a D (I would have given it at least a B), but I’ll let it slide because you’re cool :)
I’ve only played about half the games you mentioned, but I’ll be looking to try the others! Thanks for the great work and take care!
No problem, glad the video was useful to you.
Thank you so much for this! Always nice to see FMV games get more love ❤ Contradiction, Deathtrap Dungeon, Erica, Night Book and The Complex are some of my faves. At Dead of Night has a really good story too, but I agree, you've got to be in the right mood to want to get jumpscared by Jimmy, which doesn't happen often... 😅
Interesting fact about Late Shift: I believe it was released in select cinemas in London as an interactive experience before it was available as a game. I know I wouldn't mind playing some FMV-style games in the cinema, hopefully it would keep me awake more often! 😆 I'll have to settle on 4D in the meantime, lol!
I also wanted to mention more recent FMVs releases from Wales Interactive which include Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?, The Gallery, Ten Dates and Isle Tide Hotel. Always good to see the genre still going strong. Looking forward to the next one! 👍🏻
I've played Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus and Ten Dates since this video. I thought Ten Dates was very charming.
@@Cannotbetamed1 I agree! ☺️ Maybe we could have a sequel in the future called Fifteen Dates or something along those lines... I don't think I could survive that many in real life though, I must admit! 😆
Great topic for the video. Just started Contradiction the other day, so looking forward to playing the rest of it given it's high up in your rankings and this has also reminded me of a few games still in my backlog.
Would definitely recommend Death Come True. It's not very long, but has an interesting story and some great acting by the Japanese cast.
Love the signal boost on this game genre. FMV games are always fun for the narrative and interactive decision making. This was a fun video! Thanks Pam! The new haircut looks great BTW and happy holidays to you and yours this weekend!
Thank you! Hope you had a good thanksgiving.
This was a lot of fun to watch, Pam. Aside from the more popular releases, FMV games are a huge blindspot for me, so just added a few to the list of must-plays.
Thanks as always for sharing.
No problem, glad you liked it!
Thanks for keeping at these rankning videos. As usual, you managed to squeeze in a few games I've never heard of (inevitably making that GOG wishlist even longer). X-Files was one of the first PC games I bought and it's my all-time favorite FMV, out of sheer nostalgia. But in all fairness, it was a decent game too.
Someone already mentioned Erica and I second that. It's an okay mystery game with a supernatural twist. I think it's on sale at the moment as well, for like 3 bucks on Steam.
I friggin loved 'Night Trap' when I was a kid. I bought the 25th Anniversary Edition just so I could play it again. 🤣
Wow! This is really cool and a very unique topic. Nice job!
Glad you liked it!
Great layout and presentation for this video, very enjoyable watch. Might have to carve out some time to check out a few of the top FMV games on the list.
Thanks!
I'm at GKII and you say it's very good. Your taste seems to match up really well with mine, so I'm now excited about what else you recommend hoping that I won't already have played it all.
Has anyone played any of these FMV games?
Vegas Tales, Night Book, Five Dates, Simulacra, I Saw Black Clouds, and Head Spun
I was really hoping they would be on this list since I don’t hear much about them. Again, awesome tier list! You still have plenty of games to review and make another list/update this one.
Thank you for this overview. I've only played a handful of these and having a guide for exploring the better of these types of games will be helpful. The Gabriel Knight game and the Tex Murphy games look very interesting.
I hope you get a chance to check them out
Hey Pam! Hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving! Thank you for all the reviews on your favorite/worse games!
Happy thanksgiving!
where is harvester ? :p
Recent FMV titles i played were five dates, Dr Dekker, Bunker, Shape-shifting Detective, Late Shift, Telling Lies, Night Book, I Saw Black Clouds, Poe & Munro, the Complex, Simulacra, not sure the Quiet Man counts, Erica & Roundabout.
Your tier list aside, the GK2 you've chosen is a cool background music. The tier list is spot on, great job! You've forgotten a key point, "Poe & Monroe" is the sequel to "Shapeshifting Detective"...
Wow nice tier list! I love FMV games and no one really talks about them. Thanks for shinning light on a genre that’s way outside of the mainstream. However I’m a little shocked by your Late Shift ranking. That’s generally the most liked game (that I’ve seen) in the community. Either way awesome list!
FMV definitely has its place in history. I remember when the genre hit the Sega CD, it blew my teenage mind. It might look lame to the modern gamer, but if you lived in that era, most people thought it was cool, even though the gameplay was mediocre. Corpse Killer was my favorite, because as a 90s teen, the horror genre was barely visible in gaming. Also loved the Limited Run remasters a few years back.
100% to each their own, so no negative comment here, but the Beast Within was a weird choice for S tier haha. Still though, thank you for making the video! I've been missing FMVs lately and this whole list brought me back. Also I think modern FMV games and older FMV games are hard to blend together. Older FMV games have that cheese and low budget whereas the modern ones have actual actors and higher quality production. Challenging for sure. Anyways, thanks again!
that's so cool. I never played a Tex Murphy game ever, never knew they were that good.
If you're looking for some good FMV titles, Take-Two Interactive has two really good FMV Mystery Horror Titles, Ripper and Black Dahlia. Both have a great ensemble of Actors (especially in Ripper) and are really compelling stories IMO. Also Phantasmagoria has a sequel, A Puzzle of Flesh, which is a more enjoyable thriller and has better gameplay than the original.
The video I have been waiting for! Great list. My favorite was Tomcat Alley. It came with my Tectoy Sega CD. I did not speak english back then, so I beat It on will power alone. Panic/Switch was a close second. It is tons of fun and the creativity overflows. Prize Fighter was a recurring rental for me. I thought it was cool to go all Rocky Balboa/underdog pugilist on opponents.
Adored Roundabout! Good to see that getting some love. I don't think i've ever seen it mentioned anywhere before. The gameplay is very similar to Kuru Kuru Kururin which was a GBA launch title. Loved the collection of whacky characters in Roundabout. Would love to see a sequel.
Don't think I haven't noticed the HEAVY use of GK2 music (Robert Holms)... Great background music!
FMV games I recommend:
1. Missing: since January (Also called In Memorium) - There's also an expansion called The 13th Victim
2. Evidence: The Last Ritual (Also called In Memorium 2)
3. Noctropolis
I have several FMV Games for the Sega CD. I really like them.
Loved the video! Gabriel Knight II is really great! Phantasmagoria II had some strange outcomes, but I thought it was a C for me.
The only game I have ever played that used FMV was Myst 3: Exile. I somehow didn't know this genre had so many games or that new ones are still being made! Thanks for making this as I basically got a crash course in a genre I didn't even realize was so established!
You're welcome, glad I could introduce you to some new games.
Great reviews!!! It sucks that a lot of the Digital Pictures games you didn’t like I hold so dear to my heart, Corpse Killer, Double Switch, Ground Zero Texas etc. but I do understand that is just my nostalgia kicking in because I was 12 through 16 years old playing those games and they mean the world to me. I can’t wait to play some titles I’ve never heard of from this list so thanks again.
You're a stronger person than I. 😅 FMV games are truly an acquired taste. Definitely not for me, but it's interesting to hear your takes on them. You've got the market cornered as far as I'm concerned tho, I don't think I know of any other VG TH-camrs who do as much with FMV reviews apart from maybe AVGN. Great video, a lot of fun to watch and listen.
Thanks!
that GK music is amazing! I literally listen to St George´s bookshop while drinking my morning coffee haha. I guess there´s no point to the comment just how great GK 1 and 2 are !
I'm late. But this was great to watch. I will say I was surprised the Game Dracula Unleashed for Sega cd was not on this list. I believe it may have been one you might have enjoyed. Keep up the great content and thanks for taking time to do this. This was very enjoyable.
Hmm for pure nostalgia sake, I'd recommend The Hardline. It was a FMV-based rail shooter on 3 CDs for PC. The gameplay was quite simple with lots of shooting, some first-person exploration and lots of badly acted cutscenes. The story was nice, though (well... if you enjoy low budget sci-fi stories from the 90's...)
I'm also quite surprised you didn't mention the Daedalus Encounter. It was an adventure game with lots of hype around it in 1995. The game didn't live up to its hype but it deserves a try anyway ;)
A couple missing FMV games here
-Critical Path
-Myst
-Harvester
-Zork Nemesis
-Ripper
Great video! Never seen anyone who played so many FMV games before. Awesome with all time stamps as well, overall amazing video!
Glad you enjoyed!
I'm a little late with this comment, but I really enjoyed this video. FMV games always have a special place in my gaming memories. Well done!
Thanks!
you should play The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story. Surprisingly good.
Also an older game: In the 1st Degree. FMV lawyering. A good game.
Not for Broadcast recently won the Guinness World Record for most FMV footage in a video game.
I liked your ranking at all, I appreciated for Gabriel Knight 2!! Not much for X-files and Psychic Detective😊By the way, it's missing some good games like: Ripper (here there's christopher walken as actor) Black Dahlia, Urban Runner, Dracula Unleashed and Phantasmagoria 2
You've inspire me to try playing "Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within" for the first time ever. Thank you for this ! :)
Hope you enjoy it!
Wow, checking out games at Radio Shack. I remember the games they carried weren't labelled IBM PC compatible, they were Tandy Compatible, lol.
Very fun video! Bad Mojo is a pretty fun old game with FMV cutscenes.
Nice video ! A used to love FMV games...
I loved Contradiction! Spot the liar. Very good one !!
Enjoyed the video quite a bit. Because I'm a digital hoarder, I had a lot of these games but haven't played them yet, so good to know where to start on my backlog. Three FMVs I enjoyed that weren't in the ranking were Phantasmagoria 2 (unlike the other person in the comments who mentions it, I actually think it's good rather than "so bad it's good"), Darkseed 2, and Harvester. All three of those involve playing a protagonist whose sanity is in question, so not sure what that says about me.
I should try Harvester one of these days.
deffinitely, it's so bad it's funny@@Cannotbetamed1
Thanks for the cool reviews. Please review The Ripper, Wing Commander series, The Shivers, and Puzzle of Flesh in your next video 🙊
Hi, I don't know your channel, but I'm a simple guy: I see 38 FMV games being rated with Gabriel Knight at the top, I assume it's a good channel! s2 (I still love Phantasmagoria though, but oh well... that's okaaay, GK still wins the pot xD)
I really appreciated that you've put Bandersnatch - definitively a 90s FMV "interactive movie" with beter resolution - on the list and some other contemporary games toguether with the good old 90s pieces. Never played Tex Murphy games, but I'll sure check it out!
And btw, I'm with the guy that commented about 428: Shibuya Scramble. Not exactly a "FULL motion", but it has real people and at least SOME motion (lol) and stuff. If you didn't played yet, maybe give it a look, it's amazing!
Cheers!
I played a bit of 428: Shibuya Scramble on stream a couple weeks ago. It's alright so far, I'd like to try more now that I'm past the all the tutorialization at the start.
@@Cannotbetamed1 nice! Once it begins the "butterfly effect" thing with the different characters and becomes something pretty much like one great puzzle, it gets very enjoyable! =D cheers!
7th Guest and Are You Afraid of the Dark bring me back. It was my first computer (Acer Aspire) and loved every second of this games.
Respect for your Tex Murphy placements, but I was surprised at the omissions of Phantasmagoria 2, and Wing Commander 3, 4, and Prophecy, but I would understand if space combat isn't your thing. But you've GOTTA play The Journeyman Project trilogy at some point. :)
My faves are:
Ripper (6 discs, noir/cyberpunk theme and stars Christopher Walken and many other stars)
Burn-Cycle (also cyberpunk)
Noctropolis
The Daedalus Encounter
And obviously Megarace but I dunno if that really counts lol. But ya Ripper is by far my favourite, it’s a cult classic and I’d love to see it featured on your channel one day.
Awesome video as usual Pam! I'm happy you've liked The Beast Within just as much as I did. I was wondering, have you tried Phantasmagoria A Puzzle of Flesh? The first game was a letdown, but I've liked its sequel. The video quality is much better and the overall story is more interesting.
Also, have you played any of the Wing Commander games? They are space shooters, but the cutscenes are all FMV with well-known actors.
No, I haven’t played Phantasmagoria 2 or any Wing Commander.
I'm glad to know you appreciate the tex murphy games!!! I think I backed the tesla game for like 25 bucks and overall loved it!!!! it's cool that some companies are still working on fmv games, may have to try the latest ones.
Finally! Been waiting for fmv content
You really need to play Interrogation Files: Port Lansend. It's my #1 underrated fmv
glad to see Erica get some love, I really liked it, the story, acting and characters are very good
Erica was so good!
Awesome video . Fmv is something I also enjoyed , which is why I even keep my 3do! Lol, demolition man has fmv as well on the 3DO.
I never knew that there were so many of them , especially the newer ones, now I can use this video to guide me according to what I'm looking for , thank you !
This is so cool Pam, thank you so much for ranking them! 🙆♀️
No problem
Really liked the beast within music playing for the duration of the video
You didn't mention Phantasmagoria 2, but I actually enjoyed it, not because it was good, but because it was comically bad! The puzzles are nonsensical, and the acting is atrocious, but the actors are trying so hard that it still comes across as enjoyable. The story shows some promise at first and clearly had potential to be interesting, but it went off in a crazy direction that manages to be unintentionally humorous. I recommend using a guide so you don't waste time on the puzzles, but if you do that, it manages to be one of the only video games that falls into the "so bad it's good" category.
I’ve heard very mixed opinions about it.
I love the old Westerns that Wii brought back. I love those old gun games. Digital Leisure I believe.
I own psychic detective on ps1 and 3do, I love it and have some fond memories.
Very difficult to get the best ending, but nothing like it. So odd and interesting
You still have a 3do? Lucky git, I had mine for less than a week after getting it for Christmas as a kid and it was stolen, they literally just took that and my games, had to be someone I knew, gutted, I loved it while I had it.
Would be cool if Panasonic got back into the market or Sega produce hardware again, the Dreamcast was such a great system for it's day, all the best to you from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪🤝🇬🇧🤝🇭🇺🤝🇨🇦🤝🇺🇸🤝🌎
Deathtrap Dungeon is based on the first of a series of interactive books which trended in the eighties. I had a lot of them and I have fond memories from this era. Kudos for your videos!
Love this. New subscriber. Some others you haven’t included (below is a bit of a mix in quality i’d say):
I saw black clouds, Night book, Five dates, The Complex, Simulacra & Simulacra 2.
Welcome to the channel! Thanks for the recommendations.
I really like your ranking videos :) I have only played Érica from this list which I loved so I’ll have to check out your S and A tier games, and maybe some B tier ones that interested me
Oh boy. This is gonna be a good one. I'll drop back in to leave my thoughts when done!
Tex Murphy games are my all time faves but I missed Overseer since I could not play it with more more modern PC. It is a dirty shame that we do not get any new Tex Murphy games. I could not install Gabriel Knight the Beast Within either. Dr. Dekker game was good and I really like American Hero. I do not care about any other Digital Pictures games but Night Trap was easily the best of their games and I liked it. American Hero is great too. I was pleased that it got released after all the years. A very nice video and I am going to play Erica next. Thank you!
I also can't run Overseer on my computer now, sadly, though I didn't have any issues with The Beast Within.
Glad to see another Contradiction fan. Fantastic experience which sadly doesn't conclude well.
I liked Bandersnatch a bit more, mainly for the 80s Brit gamedev setting.
Yet to try Erica or Tex Murphy games.
Microcosm was the best! Love this. Thank you! I am working on a three way comparison of Bonk’s Revenge, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Super Mario World. The 1991 hardware mascots. I would love to see your take on that too. Great content.
Only game I've played on this list is Erica. I like the genre and have been looking for more. Nice video
You totally needed to include Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland, it’s the GOAT of fmv games. Sure it’s for kids but it’s directed by Spielberg and stars Jeff Goldblum, what’s not to love?
Nice topic. Actually been becoming more and more aware of FMV games, this list will help alot :)
Glad it will be helpful!
I love the fact that you covered such a maligned and (relatively) niche here as this one.
I'm glad to see Gabriel Knight at the top, and I hope it eventually gets a remaster (either commercial or fanmade).
Gamer, communicative and yeah - hot!
Just chiming in to say love your channel, keep up the good work.
for horror fmv not mentioned that i liked , there's goosebumps : escape from horrorland and dracula unleashed.
What, I just looked that up and it has Jeff Goldblum and Isabella Rossellini? I'm going to have to see if I can track that down and stream it.
Thanks for this video Pam, as I am one of those gamers who loves FMV, and anytime this genre gets some love, it's well appreciated. I've even recommended the FMV genre to some of gamings publishers, as I think an all in one style book would be great. I'm the opposite of you, as I consider the animated games more FMV, as those came first, at least for me, but I love them both.
I had no idea there were that many FMW games, even without the Wing Commander Games, Privateer 2, Rebel Assault 2 and so on O_O
Tex Murphy series was my favorite such good memories of those games :) Also enjoyed the Wing Commander games. Thanks for the video!
There are more high quality FMV games today than olden days, but the use of FMV is a shadow of its former glory. There was a time when FMV integrated seamlessly into iconic games that the younger generations don't even think of when discussing FMV games now. Command and Conquer: one of the two giants of RTS in the 90s. Wing Commander: the iconic space flight sim and the reason Chris Roberts has been able to score half a billion dollars crowd funding for Star Citizen. The miracle of that age, I think, was how the FMV eventually came to define those games. I feel like Red Alert 3's campy gameplay was built around the FMV, not the other way around, like RA1. And by WC4, the game was basically a movie with some flight sims mixed in; Prophecy just did away with any kind of realism in the flight sim altogether.
I didn't mean to retread an older video. I watched your guest appearance on Cartridge Club discussing Sewer Shark. Some of the excitement in it infected me. After I shared my excitement on that video, I had to circle back here and say my piece. For the benefit of all the younger viewers who might not have even heard of C&C or WC. These games are still available, folks (for any viewers who read this far)! Except Heavy Gear, apparently.
Dracula Unleashed is an awesome DP FMV game. I just DL'd A Fork in the Tale as well. I will always love Double Switch.
I fell asleep while streaming playing Erica.
I just knew about 7th Guest and Phantasmagoria, so interesting there are still FMV games being made
This is such a great episode! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! I wish you included Lodestar: The Legend of Tully Bodine. I’d like to know opinions about that game.
Great suggestion!
I actually have not played any of these. I will have to check some of them out! Wing Commander 3 and 4 were amazing FMV games back in the day! I really loved those.
love fmv games, great nostalgia, was my favorite too back in the days, I think you forgot some important games here : phantasmagoria 2, toon struck, Inca 1 & 2, ripper, 11th hour, clandestiny, the harvester, necropolis, lost in time, mad dog McCree :)
Great list. Dracula 2 was also pretty good, though I couldn't beat it without a walk-through helping me. Mostly based on making exactly the right decisions
I love the 7th Guest background music playing throughout the video I also noticed music from other games but I can't place them
The Beast Within
*anything by Wales and D'Avekki....we need an FMV with unlimited choices though* 👌
Awesome vid, it would've been nice to know whether the games were on pc or consoles, but after some digging, I found out. I'm totally gonna check out some of these games, Thanks for making this!
Glad I could help!
Great video so far! Don’t believe I’ve ever played an fmv game before
Thanks!
Great video, also love the outfit and pearls very classy.
Thank you
Happy Thanksgiving Pam! I know Thanksgiving was last month in Canada but it’s tomorrow here in the states 😀
Hope you have an awesome thanksgiving dinner
GK2 & Phantasmagoria are my two favorites!
What about 11th Hour (sequel to 7th guest) Voyeur 1 & 2 and Dracula Unleashed!?
How about that one with Christopher Walken? It wasn't pretty good but... Phantasmagoria 2 could be mentioned as well.
Phantasmagoria 2 is underrated. The way it handled adult themes and gay/bisexual characters was pretty nuanced for the time. And the ending twist was good enough to get ripped off by that Us movie. Kidding about that last bit. I think....
It was made here in my hometown of Seattle, so I've gotten to compliment the writer in person. I still chuckle sometimes when I pass the "Wyntech building" on the freeway. It's actually a cancer research center currently.