Would You Buy a Game For its Premise?
March has been a pretty good month for PC gamers.
- Earlier in the month, Final Fantasy XV came out on Steam with a multiplayer expansion.
- Just recently, Sea of Thieves also got released — a game where you get to be pirates!
- And very soon (as of writing this), A Way Out will be released — a game which I pre-ordered, because I could. Not. Resist the premise.
Have you ever come across a game with such a compelling premise (whether it be narrative or gameplay) that made you instantly want to buy it? Which game/s were they?
Maybe it was PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds?
Players will enter a last-man-standing battle where they try to locate weapons, vehicles and supplies in a graphically and tactically rich battleground that eventually forces players into a shrinking play zone as they engage in a tense and spectacular fight to the death.
Or perhaps Life is Strange?
Life is Strange is an episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
Or maybe it was that game about space exploration in an infinite procedurally generated galaxy?
Unfortunately, not every game will live up to the hype. And that might be the case with A Way Out.
But being fully aware of this, I still went and pre-ordered the game, because I was already hooked at the premise.
What Makes a Really Good Premise?
Considering all the big let-downs out there, a game must have a really good premise in order for me to buy it. I’m really skeptical when it comes to a new game being released, and I’m sure many of you are as well.
Some games which hooked me from the premise were:
- Danganronpa series: A group of students are trapped in an academy where they must kill each other and participate in class trials to identify the killer in order to ‘graduate’ (leave the academy).
- Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes: Trapped in a room with a ticking time bomb, your friend must give you instructions on how to defuse it.
- Who’s Your Daddy: A one-versus-one game featuring a dad who must prevent his baby son from committing suicide using all sorts of household equipment ranging from knives to bleach.
What do all these games have in common? Firstly, they’re unique and haven’t been done 50 times before like your zombie apocalypse or first person shooter games. Secondly, they offer a lot of potential for mystery, suspense, drama or amusement — some of the key ingredients for a successful game.
The Importance of These Hooks Are Often Understated
Ryan Clark, developer of Crypt of the Necrodancer, states that “a good game is usually not enough” and “If you want people to remember your game, to talk about your game, to write articles about your game, etc, it needs to have a hook. Preferably multiple hooks!”
A Way Out does just that:
From the creators of Brothers — A Tale of Two Sons comes A Way Out, an exclusively co-op adventure that follows two prisoners, Leo and Vincent, making their daring escape from prison.
Together with a friend on your couch or online, you’ll explore this unlikely bond and work together to overcome any obstacle in your path to freedom.
It’s innovative and has a great premise. How many story-driven games do you know that’s set in prison? There are plenty of good movies on it (Shankshaw Redemption, The Great Escape), but not a single game I can recall.
What to Expect From the Premise?
As of writing this now, the game has yet to be released, but the things I’m hoping for are:
- Suspenseful, dire situations
2. Challenging gameplay/puzzles
3. A moderate dose of action
4. And most importantly a great bonding experience with my friend along with a heartfelt story.
Once I finish playing the game, I will give an update on how the game met these expectations.
Update: Did the Game Meet These Expectations? (spoiler-free)
After finishing the game in two days, here’s my take on it:
- The game certainly had its share of suspense, especially when it got to the climax. However, for the most part, the suspense felt quite weak. There were instances where you had to run for your life as bullets whiz right past you, but it felt like the bullets were designed to miss— even if you were slow to react.
- The gameplay was fairly straightforward, often requiring cooperation from your friend. There also weren’t any difficult puzzles. I would’ve preferred if the game was more challenging, but I still enjoyed the gameplay nonetheless.
- There was a good dose of action scenes and gameplay ranging from Telltale-esque (co-op) fight scenes to first person shooting to epic car chases.
- Even though the game lacked suspense and challenge, the story was very cinematic and unique as it was told in split screen, making it seem like there were two stories being told at once (Leo’s and Vincent’s story). I definitely enjoyed the split screen aspect much more than I had anticipated. This made the game a fantastic bonding experience for us.
Overall, I‘m glad that I pre-ordered A Way Out. Despite its flaws, it manages to deliver a one of a kind, interactive co-op experience, leading to an unforgettable climax.