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Monday 5 February, 2007
For all of you who don't know, Hotel Dusk Room 215 is a neo-noir adventure game for the Nintendo DS set in the late 1970's. You go to a hotel and solve some mystery. Now that everyone's in check, time to talk about the game.
From the beginning you are already introduced the game's unique art style. The only way to really describe this style is the "Take on Me" video by A-Ha. It's kind of like sketch-like images with a rough animation slapped on. Think of a flip book and how some of the images shift back and forth. I know this may sound unappealing but I kid you not, it's what makes this game one of the most beautiful games for the DS.
With this game being an adventure game, it means that there's going to be a lot of pointing and clicking. This may be a turn off for some but if you're into it, this game does it correctly. See I'm used to the old school specific clicking, like "Day of the Tentacle" or "Grim Fandago," but with this, it's sort of intuitive as to what to do. If you can pick it up, you can and the game will acknowledge that, but if you can't, the game will simply reply with a comment about the item. This sort of system is nice for it allows the player a sense of freedom in playing out the game. This aspect is generally desired in adventure games nowadays and this game does it right.
Regarding the game play, the game utilizes both screens. You also have to hold the ds in a book like manner so this may be unorthodox to a few. Anyway, the game uses one screen to show a 3D view of the character's vision and the other screen shows a top down view of the current room. You use the stylus to point at the direction you want the character to walk and it's as simple as that. I can't help but praise this movement system for I find it perfect for exploring and finding clues.
I've only been playing the first part of the story but what I've already experienced is top notch story telling. Reading is something I rarely do but this game takes reading and literally makes it interactive. When I'm typically reading, I have to create this image of the characters and at times is doesn't coincide with how the characters should be really portrayed. When I have this game showing me pictures, though, I feel more connected to the characters. They no longer feel like an imagined character but rather more of a concrete image. Kudos to this game for basically taking a novel and making it fun.
This game is hard, to put it simply. Unless you use a guide you'll have a hard time figuring out the next thing to do. At times though I sort of live for this type of complexity. I can't help but be frustrated for I know this game really wants me to be a detective yet I'm having a hard time being one, but this gives me more motivation to keep going and like that about this game. It adds to the challenge, in a good way.
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