Telltale Games

tredlow · 05/23/2010, 04:23 am

Okay, don't hate me for this, but in my opinion, The Devil's Playhouse is better than Hit The Road. I know that most people say that you can't beat a classic, but after 2 episodes of pretty much the best Sam and Max related thing ever made, is it so wrong to say it's better than HTR?

I mean, the story of TDP is definitely more epic and deeper than the previous stuff, which are mostly randomness and absurdity, and the puzzles are way more creative, though not as difficult so it doesn't create too much frustration.

And yes, the graphics of the Devil's Playhouse are better than Hit The Road, but not just because it's 3D, it's also because of the cinematic camera angles and art design as well.

What's your opinion?

der_ketzer · 05/23/2010, 04:50 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by tredlow

, is it so wrong to say it's better than HTR?

No it is not wrong to say that.

The Highway · 05/23/2010, 05:05 am

I think that classics CAN be beaten, and I also agree that TDP is better.

tredlow · 05/23/2010, 05:19 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Highway

I think that classics CAN be beaten, and I also agree that TDP is better.

Would you also agree with me that Tales of MI has a better story than MI 1 and 2? Just the story.

LogicDeLuxe · 05/23/2010, 05:31 am

I think, all Sam & Max episodes from Telltale are better than Hit the Road so far. No Monkey Island is better than the first 2 games, though.
Which doesn't mean that I didn't like all Sam & Max and Monkey Island games so far.

tredlow · 05/23/2010, 05:37 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by LogicDeLuxe

No Monkey Island is better than the first 2 games, though.

Well, I don't mean the overall game, such as puzzles etc., just the story. The stories of MI 1 and 2 are great, but they're pretty simple and the characters don't have much development, whereas TMI had deeper levels in its story. But that's just my opinion.

splash1 · 05/23/2010, 06:56 am

I have to agree, Telltale's Sam & Max have really taken the series where it should have been, 20 or so years ago. HtR is good, in it's own time, not this one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LogicDeLuxe

No Monkey Island is better than the first 2 games, though.

I don't know, I thought Rise of the Pirate God kicked the hell out of MI 1 and 2.
(Yes, I finally got to play the 2 originals.)

*Irishmile* · 05/23/2010, 06:58 am

I still enjoy the classic more... But I think maybe its just because episodic gaming can be kind of jarring at times.. a month long break and all.

Hayden · 05/23/2010, 07:21 am

Yeah, I think I'd say that the Devil's Playhouse is, so far, better than Hit the Road. And I do also think that Tales may possibly be the equal best Monkey Island game that I've played. I personally think that Curse and Tales are the two top MI games, I love them both more than any film, book or song (well, most songs anyway; there are some songs that mean a lot to me) on the face of the Earth. I just think that there is so much more character and emotion shown from each of the characters in those games as opposed to the first two. The first two games were excellent, don't get me wrong, but Curse and Tales are just so much more when it comes to the different array of moods and themes.

I basically feel the same way about The Devil's Playhouse and Hit the Road. Hit the Road just had one mood and theme the whole way through - humour and a little bit of silliness for good measure. But in The Devil's Playhouse, there's actually a little bit of suspense and drama in some moments. Take the final scene of The Tomb of Sammun-Mak for instance. When you see Max's body lying limp with the top of his head severed, the whole jocularity and frivolous nature of the game comes to a screaming halt. You see the genuine worry of Sam's face, the camera moves slowly around Max's lifeless face and still body and the music is... well, I can't really remember what was happening with the music, but I knew that it created a good effect.

What I guess I'm trying to say is that The Devil's Playhouse is just a huge step forward in the evolution of Sam & Max. The same goes for the later Monkey Island games (yes, even Escape), they had a lot more depth to them than the original two. The original Sam & Max and the original MI games were mostly focused on the comedy element. This is very much still alive in the later games (of both S&M and MI), but they aren't completely centered around it. This is a good thing.

Rather Dashing · 05/23/2010, 07:42 am

I'd say Season Two is better than Hit the Road. Devil's Playhouse...I'm not as sure.

Falanca · 05/23/2010, 07:43 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

I'd say Season Two is better than Hit the Road. Devil's Playhouse...I'm not as sure.

Well, I'd say Devil's Playhouse beats Season Two already...

Hayden · 05/23/2010, 07:44 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

I'd say Season Two is better than Hit the Road. Devil's Playhouse...I'm not as sure.

Any particular reason? The writing? The characters? The story? The theme? The voice acting? The settings? The puzzles? The music? The lighting? The lack of familiar faces? All of the above?

Rather Dashing · 05/23/2010, 08:11 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falanca

Well, I'd say Devil's Playhouse beats Season Two already...

Even if it weren't for the third season's puzzles, I'd have to say that's a tough sell, especially at only two episodes. I'm not so offended by The Devil's Playhouse to say that it can't as a whole be greater than Season Three, even still, but these two episodes just don't paint a grandiose picture of these games as, um, games.

Music is as good as ever. The writing is great, doesn't feel quite as snappy but it's still great and I like it. The lighting and graphics, presentation all around is excellent and better than the first two seasons by a longshot.

Not having secondary characters show up for the hell of it was probably a good call, because the secondary cast was getting somewhat bloated.

tredlow · 05/23/2010, 08:31 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

Even if it weren't for the third season's puzzles, I'd have to say that's a tough sell, especially at only two episodes. I'm not so offended by The Devil's Playhouse to say that it can't as a whole be greater than Season Three, even still, but these two episodes just don't paint a grandiose picture of these games as, um, games.

Um... I thought The Devil's Playhouse is season three. Also, are you saying that season two is better than Devil's Playhouse because we have yet to see the rest of the episodes?

Hayden · 05/23/2010, 08:38 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by tredlow

Um... I thought The Devil's Playhouse is season three. Also, are you saying that season two is better than Devil's Playhouse because we have yet to see the rest of the episodes?

I think the first was just an error. I think the second he just meant that so far Season 3 hasn't quite lived up to the greatness of Season 2. But I guess I'll just let Rather Dashing answer for himself

.

Rather Dashing · 05/23/2010, 08:51 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayden

I think the first was just an error. I think the second he just meant that so far Season 3 hasn't quite lived up to the greatness of Season 2. But I guess I'll just let Rather Dashing answer for himself

.

Yeah, the first thing was a typo. And the second thing was, yeah, I don't think that the Devil's Playhouse has yet surpassed a full season of amazing content like Season Two. It could still, we're just two-fifths in, but I'm just not as assured of Season Three's complete and utter domination of everything that has come before.

I'm saying it's too early for me to judge, and I'm not seeing the trajectory heading toward "Better than Season Two". But it can change, or I could be wrong about where it's heading.

light_rises · 05/23/2010, 10:26 am

In terms of personal enjoyment, The Devil's Playhouse already beats HtR hands down for me. But then I enjoyed Seasons 1 and 2 more than HtR for various reasons. A more objective evaluation of their quality would leave me with something like Beyond Time and Space > HtR > Save the World.

But Season 3 being better than Season 2? Or any of the other Sam & Max games (except maybe Save the World)? Too early to tell. I love where it's been heading so far, but there's too much that can happen between now and the last episode. I'm waiting until at least Episode 3 before -- if it applies -- I say something like, "Boy, this is shaping up to be better than Season 2!" Calling it one way or another, though? Not until the bitter, twisty end.

Shemp · 05/23/2010, 10:27 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by tredlow

Would you also agree with me that Tales of MI has a better story than MI 1 and 2? Just the story.

Naw, can't be. Cause in ToMI Guybrush goes through the same transformations as LeChuck did in MI1 and 2.

On topic:
I considered HTR never to be a really great LA-classic. A very good and funny adventure, but MI1&2, Dott, Indy3&4 and Maniac Mansion are my all time favorites.

I love what TellTale has done to S&M. Now that i played 301 & 302 i think S&M is one of the best adventure franchises ever.

How about giving Conroy Bumpus and Lee Harvey a cameo?

tredlow · 05/23/2010, 10:46 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shemp

On topic:
I considered HTR never to be a really great LA-classic. A very good and funny adventure, but MI1&2, Dott, Indy3&4 and Maniac Mansion are my all time favorites.

I love what TellTale has done to S&M. Now that i played 301 & 302 i think S&M is one of the best adventure franchises ever.

How about giving Conroy Bumpus and Lee Harvey a cameo?

Well, when I said 'classic', I meant in the Sam and Max series, not all of LucasArts. Also, Conroy Bumpus and Lee Harvey are owned by LucasArts, so I don't think they can. Otherwise, I'd prefer Bruno the bigfoot to make an appearance.

Avistew · 05/23/2010, 11:10 pm

I didn't really like ToMI's story that much, actually. It felt like it was going somewhere interesting (Guybrush lost a hand, human LeChuck seemed nice and it looked like there would be another villain instead) but in the end it kind of just went back in statu quo and that disappointed me.

I didn't like the first three episodes as episodes, and as far as the story goes I feel the end of episode four and the whole of episode 5 just ruined everything that could have been good about ToMI's story.

So in the end, we're left with "prevent a pox from infesting the Caribbeans" and "stuff that could have been interesting but quickly revert to normal at the end", neither of which seem specifically better than Revenge to me.
I guess it beats Secret, though.

05/23/2010, 04:23 am	#1
tredlow Has Possum Powers. Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,536	The Devil's Playhouse and Hit The Road Okay, don't hate me for this, but in my opinion, The Devil's Playhouse is better than Hit The Road. I know that most people say that you can't beat a classic, but after 2 episodes of pretty much the best Sam and Max related thing ever made, is it so wrong to say it's better than HTR? I mean, the story of TDP is definitely more epic and deeper than the previous stuff, which are mostly randomness and absurdity, and the puzzles are way more creative, though not as difficult so it doesn't create too much frustration. And yes, the graphics of the Devil's Playhouse are better than Hit The Road, but not just because it's 3D, it's also because of the cinematic camera angles and art design as well. What's your opinion? __________________ My Friend: You know, if only Bruce Wayne was bit by a radioactive psychiatrist rather than a bat, Gotham wouldn't even need Arkham Asylum. Me: Haha, yeah. That's true. Minutes Later Me: Wait, Bruce Wayne was never bit by a radioactive anything.

05/23/2010, 06:58 am	#8
Irishmile The Skipping Dead Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WI, its a paradise 3 months of the year Posts: 6,542	I still enjoy the classic more... But I think maybe its just because episodic gaming can be kind of jarring at times.. a month long break and all. __________________ unholy THIS! I am a community moderator, here to assist, keep the peace, and keep these boards clean and friendly for all. I am a volunteer, and not a Telltale employee, and my opinions are my own.

05/23/2010, 07:21 am	#9
Hayden ...is procrastinating Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Australia Posts: 3,498	Yeah, I think I'd say that the Devil's Playhouse is, so far, better than Hit the Road. And I do also think that Tales may possibly be the equal best Monkey Island game that I've played. I personally think that Curse and Tales are the two top MI games, I love them both more than any film, book or song (well, most songs anyway; there are some songs that mean a lot to me) on the face of the Earth. I just think that there is so much more character and emotion shown from each of the characters in those games as opposed to the first two. The first two games were excellent, don't get me wrong, but Curse and Tales are just so much more when it comes to the different array of moods and themes. I basically feel the same way about The Devil's Playhouse and Hit the Road. Hit the Road just had one mood and theme the whole way through - humour and a little bit of silliness for good measure. But in The Devil's Playhouse, there's actually a little bit of suspense and drama in some moments. Take the final scene of The Tomb of Sammun-Mak for instance. When you see Max's body lying limp with the top of his head severed, the whole jocularity and frivolous nature of the game comes to a screaming halt. You see the genuine worry of Sam's face, the camera moves slowly around Max's lifeless face and still body and the music is... well, I can't really remember what was happening with the music, but I knew that it created a good effect. What I guess I'm trying to say is that The Devil's Playhouse is just a huge step forward in the evolution of Sam & Max. The same goes for the later Monkey Island games (yes, even Escape), they had a lot more depth to them than the original two. The original Sam & Max and the original MI games were mostly focused on the comedy element. This is very much still alive in the later games (of both S&M and MI), but they aren't completely centered around it. This is a good thing. __________________ Read that instead ^. Last edited by Hayden; 05/23/2010 at 07:23 am.

05/23/2010, 10:26 am	#17
light_rises Spore-tastic! Join Date: May 2008 Location: Back in SoCal Posts: 528	In terms of personal enjoyment, The Devil's Playhouse already beats HtR hands down for me. But then I enjoyed Seasons 1 and 2 more than HtR for various reasons. A more objective evaluation of their quality would leave me with something like Beyond Time and Space > HtR > Save the World. But Season 3 being better than Season 2? Or any of the other Sam & Max games (except maybe Save the World)? Too early to tell. I love where it's been heading so far, but there's too much that can happen between now and the last episode. I'm waiting until at least Episode 3 before -- if it applies -- I say something like, "Boy, this is shaping up to be better than Season 2!" Calling it one way or another, though? Not until the bitter, twisty end. __________________ "Plato was a bore." You crack me up, Nietzsche!

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05/23/2010, 05:05 am	#3
The Highway Resident Voodoo Master Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pathetic Perth Telltale Games Level: 3,652 Posts: 3,623	I think that classics CAN be beaten, and I also agree that TDP is better.

05/23/2010, 05:31 am	#5
LogicDeLuxe Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 280	I think, all Sam & Max episodes from Telltale are better than Hit the Road so far. No Monkey Island is better than the first 2 games, though. Which doesn't mean that I didn't like all Sam & Max and Monkey Island games so far.

05/23/2010, 07:42 am	#10
Rather Dashing Throw Baby Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 7,883	I'd say Season Two is better than Hit the Road. Devil's Playhouse...I'm not as sure.

05/23/2010, 11:10 pm	#20
Avistew I<3>1 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: France Posts: 5,051	I didn't really like ToMI's story that much, actually. It felt like it was going somewhere interesting (Guybrush lost a hand, human LeChuck seemed nice and it looked like there would be another villain instead) but in the end it kind of just went back in statu quo and that disappointed me. I didn't like the first three episodes as episodes, and as far as the story goes I feel the end of episode four and the whole of episode 5 just ruined everything that could have been good about ToMI's story. So in the end, we're left with "prevent a pox from infesting the Caribbeans" and "stuff that could have been interesting but quickly revert to normal at the end", neither of which seem specifically better than Revenge to me. I guess it beats Secret, though.