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King of the Hill
May. 13th, 2019 08:37 pmI hope that some of you have been enjoying my updates as of late, and have at least some interest in learning what game took the crown! And admittedly, I've cheated a little here as well, because I've nominated a pair of games as my favourites. That's because I like both of these games for the same reasons, and for the sad fact that we'll never get another in this short series. Another Code is closest, if you're interested in conducting some research.
1. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (DS)
I'm a big believer in the idea that games don't necessarily need to have an amazing story. Gameplay is foremost, and as the rest of this list has demonstrated, my favourite games are those with minimal plot, like in Mario, Zelda, or Pokémon. What's more exciting, arguably, is the potential for those games to generate or inspire stories: you make up your own narrative for what you're doing, essentially, when you set yourself challenges, or when you tell people about how you completed a level or defeated a boss. And the fact that the stories are, sometimes, wafer-thin in these games - like when Bowser kidnaps Peach, or Zelda, Link, and Ganon reappear - is what makes them so enduring and powerful: they're archetypal, fabular.
But I'm not against complex, layered stories in games, either. Nothing keeps you warm on a winter's night like a dense RPG will, with its complicated protagonists and multiple betrayals. And while Nintendo's pet projects predominantly feature characters like Link and Red, who are taciturn stand-ins for the player themselves, their handheld and console systems have hosted some of the more character-heavy series in recent memory: franchises like Ace Attorney and Xenoblade. So, despite my theory regarding story/character < gameplay, I am a literature graduate after all, and my number one choice is a game/s that sacrifices experimental gameplay for an unforgettable story and characters.
Hotel Dusk and Last Window are a pair of games featuring grumpy ex-cop Kyle Hyde. Following the (supposed) death of his crooked partner, Kyle hands in his badge, and takes up a day-job with Red Crown, using the sales gig as a way to scour the country on a hunch that his partner might still be out there, somewhere. Or, at least, the truth behind his apparent betrayal. Both games take place in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and the best thing about them is the atmosphere they evoke: in the first, it's the feeling of an outdated, slightly sleazy motel; in the second, it's the more urban setting of an apartment block set for demolition. This retro vibe is heightened with the game's beautiful use of rotoscoping, lending each character realism and personality.
Kyle Hyde, in particular, is one of the best characters ever created. He's that classic film noir-esque, pulpy detective, with sizzling dialogue, ranging from meditations on alcohol ("For a minute the world stops as I sit and stare into the glass. The taste of gin and vermouth lingers on my lips, the only kiss I've known in years") to old slang (a detective is a "gumshoe," a gun is a "piece") and comebacks. While he's cynical and stubborn, he does have a heart, and whether he's being altruistic or rude, he's always likeable and relatable. Chances are, if an NPC is boring you, then he's probably boring Kyle too, and he'll let them know that they are.
The format of both Hotel Dusk and Last Window requires you to hold the DS on its side - vertically, and like an inspector's notebook. Gameplay is divided into two sections: one, where you navigate the hotel and perform point-and-click manoeuvres with the touch screen; and two, where Kyle asks the questions on the left, and the NPC/witness reacts on the right. You're presented with different questions to ask, some of which will bring you closer to the information you seek, and some of which will annoy the person you're interviewing, causing them to clam up. In a couple of situations, your interrogations can even draw the attention of the hotel owner/landlord, who will admonish you for harassing the guests/tenants, earning you a GAME OVER screen. The game is relatively easy, however, and while the mystery is fun to uncover, it's mostly linear, and you're rarely punished too severely for pursuing the wrong line of questioning.
As should be evident by now, Hotel Dusk and Last Window are slow-paced, methodical games, and not exactly action-packed. And because of that, they're not for everyone: there's no shooting, swordfighting, or platforming here. But they truly are magnificent, gorgeous experiences. The graphics, as previously stated, add a level of detail and vibrancy to every single character, meaning that the lengthy conversations are a pleasure to read. The music is phenomenal, channelling the 70s and 80s with its synthy elevator music and stylish jazz. The gameplay, while not too innovative for the most part, does toy with the DS's additional features: at one point, in order to issue CPR to a character, you have to fold the two halves of the DS together, bringing their faces into contact. The main reason I love these games are due to the detail and tone, though. Cing, the now-defunct developers, don't shy away from presenting us with the kind of details that, like in Shenmue, might be perceived as mundane: eating dinner, or having a drink at the bar. But the love and care with which these scenes are rendered, and the attention paid to developing the characters involved in these scenes, is awe-inspiring.
I've played through both games numerous times, and I plan to play through them both again - even though I know how they end. The only books I've read as often are those by Faulkner or Ian Fleming. Both games are almost equal in my estimation; Hotel Dusk just clinches it, I think, with better one-liners for Kyle and a more urgent mystery. But either way, whichever one you can find, grab it with both hands and savour every single moment spent in L.A. with Kyle Hyde. Just like that gin and vermouth he described above - because as with most drinks, Hotel and Window only get better with age.
1. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (DS)
I'm a big believer in the idea that games don't necessarily need to have an amazing story. Gameplay is foremost, and as the rest of this list has demonstrated, my favourite games are those with minimal plot, like in Mario, Zelda, or Pokémon. What's more exciting, arguably, is the potential for those games to generate or inspire stories: you make up your own narrative for what you're doing, essentially, when you set yourself challenges, or when you tell people about how you completed a level or defeated a boss. And the fact that the stories are, sometimes, wafer-thin in these games - like when Bowser kidnaps Peach, or Zelda, Link, and Ganon reappear - is what makes them so enduring and powerful: they're archetypal, fabular.
But I'm not against complex, layered stories in games, either. Nothing keeps you warm on a winter's night like a dense RPG will, with its complicated protagonists and multiple betrayals. And while Nintendo's pet projects predominantly feature characters like Link and Red, who are taciturn stand-ins for the player themselves, their handheld and console systems have hosted some of the more character-heavy series in recent memory: franchises like Ace Attorney and Xenoblade. So, despite my theory regarding story/character < gameplay, I am a literature graduate after all, and my number one choice is a game/s that sacrifices experimental gameplay for an unforgettable story and characters.
Hotel Dusk and Last Window are a pair of games featuring grumpy ex-cop Kyle Hyde. Following the (supposed) death of his crooked partner, Kyle hands in his badge, and takes up a day-job with Red Crown, using the sales gig as a way to scour the country on a hunch that his partner might still be out there, somewhere. Or, at least, the truth behind his apparent betrayal. Both games take place in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and the best thing about them is the atmosphere they evoke: in the first, it's the feeling of an outdated, slightly sleazy motel; in the second, it's the more urban setting of an apartment block set for demolition. This retro vibe is heightened with the game's beautiful use of rotoscoping, lending each character realism and personality.
Kyle Hyde, in particular, is one of the best characters ever created. He's that classic film noir-esque, pulpy detective, with sizzling dialogue, ranging from meditations on alcohol ("For a minute the world stops as I sit and stare into the glass. The taste of gin and vermouth lingers on my lips, the only kiss I've known in years") to old slang (a detective is a "gumshoe," a gun is a "piece") and comebacks. While he's cynical and stubborn, he does have a heart, and whether he's being altruistic or rude, he's always likeable and relatable. Chances are, if an NPC is boring you, then he's probably boring Kyle too, and he'll let them know that they are.
The format of both Hotel Dusk and Last Window requires you to hold the DS on its side - vertically, and like an inspector's notebook. Gameplay is divided into two sections: one, where you navigate the hotel and perform point-and-click manoeuvres with the touch screen; and two, where Kyle asks the questions on the left, and the NPC/witness reacts on the right. You're presented with different questions to ask, some of which will bring you closer to the information you seek, and some of which will annoy the person you're interviewing, causing them to clam up. In a couple of situations, your interrogations can even draw the attention of the hotel owner/landlord, who will admonish you for harassing the guests/tenants, earning you a GAME OVER screen. The game is relatively easy, however, and while the mystery is fun to uncover, it's mostly linear, and you're rarely punished too severely for pursuing the wrong line of questioning.
As should be evident by now, Hotel Dusk and Last Window are slow-paced, methodical games, and not exactly action-packed. And because of that, they're not for everyone: there's no shooting, swordfighting, or platforming here. But they truly are magnificent, gorgeous experiences. The graphics, as previously stated, add a level of detail and vibrancy to every single character, meaning that the lengthy conversations are a pleasure to read. The music is phenomenal, channelling the 70s and 80s with its synthy elevator music and stylish jazz. The gameplay, while not too innovative for the most part, does toy with the DS's additional features: at one point, in order to issue CPR to a character, you have to fold the two halves of the DS together, bringing their faces into contact. The main reason I love these games are due to the detail and tone, though. Cing, the now-defunct developers, don't shy away from presenting us with the kind of details that, like in Shenmue, might be perceived as mundane: eating dinner, or having a drink at the bar. But the love and care with which these scenes are rendered, and the attention paid to developing the characters involved in these scenes, is awe-inspiring.
I've played through both games numerous times, and I plan to play through them both again - even though I know how they end. The only books I've read as often are those by Faulkner or Ian Fleming. Both games are almost equal in my estimation; Hotel Dusk just clinches it, I think, with better one-liners for Kyle and a more urgent mystery. But either way, whichever one you can find, grab it with both hands and savour every single moment spent in L.A. with Kyle Hyde. Just like that gin and vermouth he described above - because as with most drinks, Hotel and Window only get better with age.
