TOMI or SMI:SE?
First episode of TOMI was published week ago and SMI:SE came out today. I bought both titles ASAP and I assume that many others did the same, so my question is which you liked better, a new adventure or remake.
Personally I like TOMI more, because of two reasons:
1. I like TOMI's 3d graphics more, while background art of SMI:SE is beautiful animation looks almost same as in original and takes time to get used to (I haven't quite get used to it yet, but maybe I will before I complete it).
2. TOMI is whole new experience, with SMI:SE I know the plot and puzzle solutions in advance, although I must say that plot and puzzles are still excellent.
Also despite the fact that I bought SMI:SE from Steam I don't like interface of the Steam launcher and would rather have bought it directly from developer.
Personally I like TOMI more, because of two reasons:
1. I like TOMI's 3d graphics more, while background art of SMI:SE is beautiful animation looks almost same as in original and takes time to get used to (I haven't quite get used to it yet, but maybe I will before I complete it).
2. TOMI is whole new experience, with SMI:SE I know the plot and puzzle solutions in advance, although I must say that plot and puzzles are still excellent.
Also despite the fact that I bought SMI:SE from Steam I don't like interface of the Steam launcher and would rather have bought it directly from developer.
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If you had bought it on Direct2Drive you would've just gotten a normal installer for the game, or at least that's what I gather from reading what other people have said.
I don't live in the USA or Canada and they won't sell it outside that region.
Love love love both, but I'm marginally more excited about the next chapter of Tales than I am about completing TSMISE, so I suppose that's an answer right there.
Tales has really impressed me. I was all about the remake and not too bothered about Tales before I gave it a chance, but I am definitely enjoying the *new* puzzles + usable interface more than I thought. TSMI puzzles I already know off by heart owing to misspent youth.
I've avoided Steam because I really don't want to deal with their DRM.
And XBox 360.
I still don't understand why LucasArts doesn't have it on their site.
Contribute to the comeback of adventure games!
Welp, since I haven't even SEEN SMI:SE... I'd say TMI
SMISE is a bit of a disappointment. I know it's a rerelease and all that, but the interface is too complicated, some of the graphics fail to impress and it kinda feels like a quick sloppy release more than a big budget proper remake the game deserved.
Maybe it's part of their new policy, they closed LucasArts shop and moved everything to StarWars shop (where only PC games they sell are things like Lego Indiana Jones).
Personally I doubt that they will start offering it directly, since it seems that they have just started a serious partnership with Steam and have promoted it by offering old adventure games via Steam (which aren't available in any other place). Besides SMI:SE, I bought both old Indy adventures (I only had Amiga versions before) and Loom from Steam. So I guess I have to get used to their system.
I kind of like the graphics, especially backgrounds. But style of the characters is bit weird, although I admit that I had to get used to CMI Guybrush at first. But then I learned to like the graphic style and I believe that I will eventually also like SMI:SE's style.
Controls are bigger issue, because at first using verb list and inventory feels difficult. I ended up using keyboard short cuts for most of the time. IMO TOMI's controls were quicker to learn, despite the fact that SMI:SE is point and click, while TOMI isn't.
Also, is it just me or is the voice acting better in ToMI?
I know there are a lot of the same actors -- and Guybrush is great in both -- but I felt that some of the character's lines in SoMI:SE seemed stilted, like they were constraining themselves to match the original flow and pace of the text, even where it didn't quite match up.
theres no narrator, that was annoying just as im getting settled into monkey island im transfered to a 90's action flick trailer (you know the one where guy sounds like he had too smoke from his first birthday).
Actually I found the LeChuck in SI way better he did not act so over the top like in TOMI.
Also the pirates in the Scumm bar were better than the ones on Floatsam island.
Guybrush was excellent in both games, Dominic Armato knows how to voice act.
A new adventure with Guybrush, with a lot of guys from various parts of the franchise working on it? A focus on mixing LeChuck's Revenge and so far what appear to be the good aspects of Curse, along with some Telltale goodness? Awesome! The moment I saw that Telltale was doing Monkey Island, I was immediately excited. It's hard for me to be excited about things that LucasArts does, simply due to that history of them cancelling my most anticipated games and saying they're not worth making.
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The cutlasses and root beer of outrageous plunder,
Or to take arms against a sea of pirates,
And by opposing end them? To click: to solve...
It's not very serious question, so just ignore the commentary, it's there to add some flavour to otherwise dull choices, and choose the nearest one or write down your opinion to a forum post.
Ah, yes. I did forget there are Gilbert fanboys, who don't believe that there are other real Monkey games besides the first two.
Tales on the other hand? Wonderful and the voice acting is better (apart from the lack of Earl Boen)! The only two complaints I have are about the walking system and the lack of any verbs. While I'm not suggesting a return to the 9 verbs of the classic LucasArts days, the verb coin from Full Throttle and CMI worked very well. For me, choosing the appropriate verb is part of the puzzle (not to mention the opportunities for humour when picking the wrong ones). Tales wins by far for me though. Telltale has proven they know how to do Monkey Island wheras LucasArts have proven that they can't even remake the original well and shouldn't be trusted to make a new game.
I'm still way more excited about the Tales. Because it's new and awesome and continues the saga. I grew up with the old monkey-games, so maybe I'm the wrong person to judge. Still... These are some glorious freaking times we live in
For some reason i misunderstood the "hate both" line and voted for it just because i thought it was funny.
Then i reread it and realized it wasn't.
Sorry for being faster at clicking than at thinking
Meanwhile I was really impressed with Tales, especially after being initially disappointed with the original preview trailer - to be honest, I went back and watched it and I think the trailer completely under-sells the game. The models and animation look crummy and extremely stiff compared to the actual game, which may have been a result of using an old, unfinished version to make the trailer. Also, the opening being at night instead of sunset makes a HUGE difference, it looks much better in the final version.
heh, heh, heh... I didn't know I was complaining THAT much. Ce la vi. Besides, the game came out, what? Yesterday? Oh well...
So, how bout them bears?
While it's not bad in any way, I have been a bit disappointed. Graphically there are nicely painted part and also badly painted ones, there's even a couple of places where the painting hasn't been finished.
The animation is poor in a lot of places and it does seem like they missed a chance to give it some polish.
The interface is also a problem, point and click and click and click just to get some replies to work. In the third part, the inventory stops scrolling completely trying to use the mouse on the arrow.
Shame really, playing it for the first time it's not up to the standards on ToMI, original or not.
But I can comment on the presentation, and visuals, and sound.
The visuals... TOMI is much more polished and im not picking on the SE's herky jerky animation I am talking about the lazy job they did painting the backgrounds you can actually see rough cut and past photoshop lines in the game and in spots guy brush just walks over what looks like boulders rendering them flat? This all sounds harsh but these artists where paid decent money to pay tribute to a game that is loved worldwide... they should have spent a little more time on really making the backgrounds perfect. heck in some spots you can even see the original graphics behind the new stuff like they literally painted over the old in a new layer and just said "screw it you can see the old stuff behind it but we don't care, its monkey island people will buy it anyway"
But do not get me wrong its all pretty cool looking but anyone who has spent just a little time in photoshop will see that they got really lazy and didnt finish the job like they could have.
The sound on both are great, voice acting and music both hit the mark on both games... no complaints.... I know some say that TOMI has sound quality issues but its not like its an action game where you need thumping surround sound.
Presentation.... TTG has definitely shown the fans love by chatting with us and making their website interesting to visit.... Lucasarts MI section is great its nice looking but doesn't really go beyond the first page... Their forum is pretty much dead and nobody from LA seems to talk there.
You mean since MI 2.
Anyway, I don't really see how the two are comparable for the poll.
SMI - 9/10
MI2 - 10/10
CMI - 10/10 (Though I'd like to know the story that was planned by Gilbert, if there ever was one)
EMI - 6/10
TMILOTSN - 8/10
SMI:SE - 8/10
While I enjoyed TMI ep.1, I was not as amazed as I was by the beginnings of MI2 and CMI. They were just plain magnetic.
"this the vi"?
Buh?
This is true, though. In particular Guybrush. There are quite obvious pauses while in the background we wait for the text to finish.