What I liked about the Dig was that it felt like a movie in the way that games SHOULD feel like movies--a story that holds your attention, characters who endear themselves to you, and drama that feels like real drama. Most games fail in one or more of these areas. True, it doesn't matter in many games, but if they're going to try for something like this (such as in Dragon Age or Mass Effect), it's critical to hit them all. For instance, Halo really nailed the story, but the characters and drama were rather lacking. Mass Effect nailed the characters and drama, but the story was only so-so. The LucasArts classics usually nailed the characters and occasionally the story, but the drama was often missing (i.e., clearly cut bad guys, no real dissension within the ranks). Of course, comedy is a much different skill than something serious like The Dig, and just as difficult to get right (compare Monkey Island with Simon the Sorcerer, for instance).
What I liked about the Dig was that it felt like a movie in the way that games SHOULD feel like movies--a story that holds your attention, characters who endear themselves to you, and drama that feels like real drama. Most games fail in one or more of these areas. True, it doesn't matter in many games, but if they're going to try for something like this (such as in Dragon Age or Mass Effect), it's critical to hit them all. For instance, Halo really nailed the story, but the characters and drama were rather lacking. Mass Effect nailed the characters and drama, but the story was only so-so. The LucasArts classics usually nailed the characters and occasionally the story, but the drama was often missing (i.e., clearly cut bad guys, no real dissension within the ranks). Of course, comedy is a much different skill than something serious like The Dig, and just as difficult to get right (compare Monkey Island with Simon the Sorcerer, for instance).
Matt Barton, Managing Editor
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
Email: matt@armchairarcade.com