I know it's just a game, but... (spoilers abound)

I'm going to make a girl of myself here (well, I am one, so there) but couldn't the tough Elaine show a little more feeling at crucial points in this thing? Here her dude is being battered and thrown and seems to be lost in the very depths of Hell and the most emotion she shows comes after LeChuck smacks her into a post. There's no moment in the finale when she collapses with relief that things came out alright, or at least shows some sign of worry that Guybrush might not find his way back to her after all, and while this may be asking too much, well... would it alter the game rating so much if they kissed just once?

Yeah, I know, they're imaginary people. But surely I'm not the only one who'd like to see a little more feeling. It's pretty good, don't get me wrong. There's feeling. The way Guybrush said, "Elaine?" when he got stabbed at the end of chapter 4 was downright heartbreaking. And I certainly don't want it so adult that my kids can't play it. That would be way out of character for the whole game anyway.

But surely one kiss wouldn't hurt anything.

Comments

  • edited December 2009
    I totally see your point (though I'd say that Monkey Island, by now, has become definitively more than just a simple video game, don't you think? ;-))

    I guess it's all a matter of interpretation - or lack of time for intensive character development.
    Your post reminded me of the review of the first Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, in where they compared his performance with Brosnan's.
    While there had been many critics at first, Daniel was praised for his not-so-shallow and definitively more vulnerable way of performing Bond.
    While Brosnan just re-adjusted his tie after a cruel fight, smiling and making one of those "How's my hair look?" jokes, Daniel expressed true signs of weakness when struggling to survive.

    It depends on what you're looking for. Characters with unnatural powers, hence fantasy heros, or characters you can draw an emotional connection to.
  • edited December 2009
    But surely one kiss wouldn't hurt anything.

    I just realized we never seen Guybrush and Elaine kiss in the whole series.

    Or have we? I don't seem to remember any kissing scene. I've seen them watch fireworks, talking while hanging on wires, getting married, but I don't remember any kiss.

    I forgot, did they actually kiss in the end of the third game?
  • edited December 2009
    At first I thought they did, then I doubted my memory and Youtubed it. They did not kiss, they just sort of embraced at the end.
  • edited December 2009
    Looking back on it, I think the only kiss I can remember from a LucasArts-type adventure game is Indy/Sophia at the end of Fate of Atlantis... I guess it just makes those collision-detection subroutines go nuts. Hard to animate, is what I'm saying. Hard to animate.
  • edited December 2009
    Well, Elaine is a tough girl. However, the fact that she let herself be transformed into LeChuck's demon bride (in trust that Guybrush will rescue her), shows a boatload more affection to me than any kissing scene could.
  • edited December 2009
    kiss_den_rigtige.gif

    Now this Kiss would be a step to far :D
  • edited December 2009
    *Imagines Elaine with Gene Simmons' tongue*
    Hmmm.
  • edited December 2009
    They kiss at the end of CMI if I'm not mistaken
    (And almost kiss-but-end-up-hugging in the beginning of EMI)
  • edited December 2009
    Nope, no kiss at the end of Curse.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvSjG3uXk2o#t=4m5s
  • edited December 2009
    bobhobbit wrote: »
    Looking back on it, I think the only kiss I can remember from a LucasArts-type adventure game is Indy/Sophia at the end of Fate of Atlantis... I guess it just makes those collision-detection subroutines go nuts. Hard to animate, is what I'm saying. Hard to animate.

    I think Zak and Anna kiss at the end of Zak McKraken and the Alien Mindbenders, but that was more one character being moved to overlap over the other due to technology at the time...
  • edited December 2009
    I don't think they had time to animate it in maya, basically. The ending cutscene on the boat seems like it was done in the Telltale tool, to me. Given the limitations, I think this episode was amazingly well done, but I also agree with you. A sweet, simple, little kiss would have been nice :)
  • edited December 2009
    Lena_P wrote: »
    I don't think they had time to animate it in maya, basically. The ending cutscene on the boat seems like it was done in the Telltale tool, to me. Given the limitations, I think this episode was amazingly well done, but I also agree with you. A sweet, simple, little kiss would have been nice :)

    Nah I bet its like in the Ramayana.
    Guybrush saved Elaine, just to make sure she is save, but kicks her out because she lived with another man.
    Which would basically mean that in the next Season we play as Elaine proofing her innocence by walking through fire or something.
  • edited December 2009
    Wait, so are you saying that the "secret" of Monkey Island was actually
    Hanuman
    ? Oh my God! It all makes sense now!
  • edited December 2009
    Gotta love her complaining about a pineapple wedding cake when GB just told her about feeling kinda, you know, bashed up.

    Right up to this chapter, I was fine with their relationship. After this chapter, I just don't know. Her masterplans seem to involved GB getting hurt. A lot. By her. In particularly painful manners. Which GB being the guy he is, will just let slide.
  • edited December 2009
    I don't know, I almost started tearing up during this one scene: Guybrush asks Elaine that if he doesn't make it, to promise him not to give up and become LeChuck's demon bride again. And her answer's something like "Don't talk like that! I love you!" But Guybrush shouts to her "Promise me!"

    But I agree, definitely need to see a little kissing. ;)
  • edited December 2009
    even some winslow on Anemone smooching would be good.... :P
  • edited December 2009
    I don't know, I almost started tearing up during this one scene: Guybrush asks Elaine that if he doesn't make it, to promise him not to give up and become LeChuck's demon bride again. And her answer's something like "Don't talk like that! I love you!" But Guybrush shouts to her "Promise me!"
    Aww, you weren't the only one.
    But I agree, definitely need to see a little kissing. ;)
    Yeah, me too. That's the only thing that really bothered me about the end of CMI. I don't care it was rushed, I don't care it was short. But why the heck didn't they kiss? They just got married, for crying out loud!
  • edited December 2009
    balin2k wrote: »
    even some winslow on Anemone smooching would be good.... :P

    The less I see Anemone the better.

    I mean, euwwh...
  • edited December 2009
    I still think Anemone and Winslow are a cute couple. Come on, the world falling down around their ears they finally find that special someone. Their love overcoming all boundaries, uniting earth and sea, man and mer...person.
  • edited December 2009
    I don't know, I almost started tearing up during this one scene: Guybrush asks Elaine that if he doesn't make it, to promise him not to give up and become LeChuck's demon bride again. And her answer's something like "Don't talk like that! I love you!" But Guybrush shouts to her "Promise me!"

    But I agree, definitely need to see a little kissing. ;)

    Yeah this scene was emotional enough for me, 'cause I know Elaine is a tough chick (see: "not in front of company, dear") so when you truly see her that emotional you know she just turns to butter around the guy.

    I think it's funny how you can see some hardcore making out from a couple in MI2 and the game is even allowed to show an ambiguous merfolk kiss Guybrush on the cheek, but not even something as simple as that is shown between the married couple. I think though, it's become such a tradition not to see it that it would just feel weird now. You just have to take their word for it that they do it all the time off-screen.
  • edited December 2009
    bobhobbit wrote: »
    Hard to animate, is what I'm saying. Hard to animate.
    It can't be that hard. At least I managed to pull it off:
    Guybrush_and_Elaine_Animation_by_beekay84.gif
    PecanBlue wrote: »
    I think it's funny how you can see some hardcore making out from a couple in MI2 and the game is even allowed to show an ambiguous merfolk kiss Guybrush on the cheek, but not even something as simple as that is shown between the married couple.
    Exactly what I've been thinking.
    I think though, it's become such a tradition not to see it that it would just feel weird now. You just have to take their word for it that they do it all the time off-screen.
    Well, there's some truth in it. I wouldn't mind a little on-screen kissing anyways. ;)
  • edited December 2009
    bobhobbit wrote: »
    Looking back on it, I think the only kiss I can remember from a LucasArts-type adventure game is Indy/Sophia at the end of Fate of Atlantis...

    Aaaargh!!! SPOILERS!!!

    Ah well, I never really intend to actually finish it anyway.
    Lena_P wrote: »
    Wait, so are you saying that the "secret" of Monkey Island was actually
    Hanuman
    ? Oh my God! It all makes sense now!

    That just blew my mind.
  • edited December 2009
    I'm going to make a girl of myself here (well, I am one, so there) but couldn't the tough Elaine show a little more feeling at crucial points in this thing? Here her dude is being battered and thrown and seems to be lost in the very depths of Hell and the most emotion she shows comes after LeChuck smacks her into a post. There's no moment in the finale when she collapses with relief that things came out alright, or at least shows some sign of worry that Guybrush might not find his way back to her after all, and while this may be asking too much, well... would it alter the game rating so much if they kissed just once?

    She does tell him she loves him ("Promise me you'll kill him if something happens to me." "Don't say that. I love you.") There's a bunch of things she says, actually, that show how worried she is, but how she also completely trusts Guybrush and expects him to pull through. I can't remember the specific words, though.
  • edited December 2009
    BeeKay84 wrote: »
    It can't be that hard. At least I managed to pull it off:
    Guybrush_and_Elaine_Animation_by_beekay84.gif

    Exactly what I've been thinking.

    Well, there's some truth in it. I wouldn't mind a little on-screen kissing anyways. ;)

    Agreed! Nice animation, too. How long did it take you?
  • edited December 2009
    Mermaid wrote: »
    Agreed! Nice animation, too. How long did it take you?
    Thank you! :)
    Oh my, I actually don't remember. I used 5 frames, the first one was cut out of a pencil sketch I made (that probably took me some 30 minutes or so), and the other 4 frames were roughly sketched based on that first one in, I don't know, 10 to 15 minutes. Then I animated it in Adobe Image Ready which probably didn't take that long, so I'd say less than an hour in total.
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