robobrien: I don't normally enjoy adventure games but the type of puzzles in Dark Fall and the atmosphere really swung it for me. So which of the above games is the more spooktacular? (sorry).
hey there robobrien
i apologize in advance for my english, it is not my native language.
yes i know, a very belated post but, oh well, i'll post it anyway.
a lot to read, but please do, i think it will help.
as i played and love both games, i must say this is not really that kinda choice. the only similarity between the two games is that they are both horror point-and-click games. other that that, they are really different. the narrative, the atmosphere, the point of view, the style, the art design, the story, the voice acting, everything else, is something else, it gets addressed in an unique way by each game. each has something different going for itself. the
puzzles are equally good i recommend them both, although my personal favorite is The Lost Crown, i think it is a masterpiece. but... this is the problem, it is a subjective choice. you might not like TLC as much as i did, you might like Scratches better, cause our tastes might differ.
SO... with that being said, i will provide you with a list of differences between the games (as objective as i can write them) so you can make your own choice. (this is all from my memory so if i get something wrong, i apologize)
NO SPOILERS, JUST BASIC STUFF YOU WILL FIND IN EVERY ADVERTISING. Scratches: Main Character and Premise: you are Michael Arthate, you are a author, you need inspiration for your next book so you acquire an old victorian manor. during your stay here you hear strange scratch-like noises at night. curiosity being your second nature, you venture into investigating this noises, revealing the manors dark past.
Presentation and Story: the story unveils over the course of the three nights you spend at the manor. you can explore the whole estate during this days in a semi-linear manner. it is not your typical narrative, it is a puzzle like story, you have to put the pieces together, and figure out what really happened (the director's cut version of the game gives you the answer in a 10 minutes expansion called Last Visit). the nights are structured like acts (act I,II and III). it is played from a first person perspective, and you can look around you, since every screen is constructed in a 360 way. you are a modern man in a old victorian house, a fish out of water, so you get that grungy dusty feel from the art style. it is so, a solitary experience since you are all alone. the only connection with the outside world is an old wave based telephone which can work when the power is out (YES, the power goes out in this game)
(out of the topic, objects you pick can be used just in one scripted place, but after you use them they still remain in your inventory. somebody correct me on this if i am wrong please)
The Lost Crown: Main Character and Premise: you play as Nigel Danvers (yes, the same nigel from dark fall, TLC takes place in the dark fall universe, not sure it it is a prequel or not). you are an ex-employ of Hadden Industries, on the run, after you stole some important files from the boss. you end up in an old Anglo-Saxon town, near the see shore, called Saxton via train. due to the arrival of the flooding season you see yourself stranded in Saxton. Hadden founds and contacts you from outside, and in exchange for his forgiveness you agree to do his business, namely... ghost-hunting.
Presentation and Story: the story unveils over the course of the week spent in this town. building the legend of the 3 lost crowns of anglia. you can explore the whole town and its surroundings during each day, in a semi-linear way. the narrative is linear though, filled with symbolism, and poetic mystery. also the town is full of people with which you can have a dialogue. each character very interesting and very important to the story. it is played from a 3rd person perspective. most of the game is in black and white, and the backgrounds are actually real pictures taken in a real town and edited by mr. Boakes himself i believe. you will find many location to explore in this town. so here it is not a solitary experience. you have to interact with NPCs to solve the mystery.
(
NOTE: the game is meant to be the first of three, so the ending is kinda left in the water, but it is also a very nice philosophical one if you take the time to find a deeper sense to it.)
so.. here you have it. whether you prefer the 3 nights in the old victorian house all alone. or the week in the weary town of Saxton ghost-hunting around the town's locals... it is up to you.
both games amount to about 10h of gameplay each. also, neat connection between the two, Jonathan Boakes is "voice-acting" in both.
you will get the quotation marks once you play them. =)
i hope you give them both a chance and i hope this has helped you to put a SOLVE tag on your question.
have a good one! :)
dorian.
