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The Novelist | WHO YA GONNA CALL?

M

Messofanego

Banned
Following in the footsteps of Gone Home, here is another first person narrative-heavy game about family and life from a former 2K Marin developer.

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Trailer

What’s the hook? Voyeurism X branching narrative. That rare game that tackles family issues but without needing to press X to Jason?
Platform: PC
Genre: First Person, Stealth, Adventure
Price: $14.99
Release Date: December 10, 2013
Publisher: A ghost
Developer: Orthogonal Games which is mostly Kent Hudson (Deus Ex IW, Thief Deadly Shadows, 2K Marin: Bioshock 2)
Steam page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/245150/?snr=1_7_15__13
Official Site: http://www.thenovelistgame.com/

Story
The Novelist asks one central question: can you achieve your dreams without pushing away the people you love? The game focuses on Dan Kaplan, a novelist struggling to write the most important book of his career while trying to be the best husband and father he can be. The Kaplans have come to a remote coastal home for the summer, unaware that they’re sharing the house with a mysterious ghostly presence: you.

Read the family’s thoughts. Explore their memories. Uncover their desires and intervene in their lives. But stay out of sight; you can’t help the Kaplans if they know there’s a ghost in the house. It’s up to you to decide how Dan’s career and family life will evolve, but choose carefully; there are no easy answers, and every choice has a cost.

Dan’s relationships – to his work, his wife, and his son – react and shift in response to your choices. With a different sequence of events in every playthrough, The Novelist gives life to a unique experience each time you play.

The decisions you make will define the Kaplans’ lives, but they may also tell you something about yourself.
Click to expand...

Press: http://thenovelistgame.com/press/sheet.php?p=the_novelist#quotes

[Giantbomb Dumptruck] Kent Hudson Wants You to Care About the Kaplans

[Gamesindustry.biz] Kent Kudson’s novel approach

FAQ:
Q: Are there ghosts in this game?
A: Yes.
Q: Really?
A: Yes.
Q. Are you sure this time?
A. Yes.

Images
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R

Remachinate

Member
Invisible War *and* Deadly Shadows? Let's hope his original games are better than his sequels.

In all seriousness, I'm looking forward to another environmental storytelling game and already preordered.
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
Remachinate said:
Invisible War *and* Deadly Shadows? Let's hope his original games are better than his sequels.

In all seriousness, I'm looking forward to another environmental storytelling game and already preordered.
Click to expand...

I played Invisible War first before getting into the original Deus Ex, and it was quite a unique game on the Xbox. I didn't think it was that bad, I mean the game let me kill a class of kids in Cairo.
 
D

Deputy Dangle

Member
I'm really curious to see how this turns out. Might even jump on it tomorrow if the word is good. Do we know if there will be a first week discount? I could really use one.
 
D

Dog Problems

Banned
Deputy Dangle said:
I'm really curious to see how this turns out. Might even jump on it tomorrow if the word is good. Do we know if there will be a first week discount? I could really use one.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it should be $15 for a limited time and the normal price is $20.

Looking forward to playing this and am glad its release made it this year. Everything else I'm looking forward to seems to have gotten pushed back to next year.
 
H

Hot Coldman

Banned
I want to say something profound about why this game actually interests me, but all I can manage right now is "this game looks like XIII".
 
M

More_Badass

Member
I didn't realize this was a first person exploration game (essentially). Now I'm intrigued. Has there been any info or examples about how we could affect their lives?
 
S

Sober

Member
Messofanego, you son of a bitch. Now I am intrigued. I have not heard about this game but I am totally ready to surrender money for this now.
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
Bought now.

Was mentioned on Bombin' the AM, they mention how being a ghost can reduce the emotional connection compared to Gone Home which is an interesting distinction. Will have to play myself to see how the story pans out with the branches.

Hot Coldman said:
I want to say something profound about why this game actually interests me, but all I can manage right now is "this game looks like XIII".
Click to expand...

Yup, I can see that. Throwing a knife into someone's eye was probably the coolest thing in that game XD

XIII_game.jpg
 
Z

Zia

Member
More_Badass said:
I didn't realize this was a first person exploration game (essentially). Now I'm intrigued. Has there been any info or examples about how we could affect their lives?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess I hadn't followed The Novelist much before I played it and was under the impression you played the part of a struggling writer trying to balance your work and home life... in third-person. But rather, you're a "ghost" roaming around in first-person. Really interesting little game and I'm interested in how it's received in comparison to Gone Home.
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
Some reviews and opinions.

JP LeBreton (Irrational, 2K Marin, Double Fine)
My highest praise for @TheNovelistGame is that it made me reflect on the last decade+ of real-life choices I've made.
Click to expand...

Indie Statik: The Novelist Was So Beautiful It Killed Me
For those looking for a healthy mix of supernatural stealth game and emotionally driven interactive fiction, The Novelist is likely the best (and perhaps only) game on the market able to pull off a convincing portrayal of a nuclear family on the verge of collapse, and neatly ties in a helpful ghost-thing that allows you to experiment with balancing a career and a family. It’s a beautiful, if brief game about what’s really important in life, mixed in with a bit of suspense to keep you hooked. But I’d be lying if it didn’t sock me right in the gut from its opening moments until the bitterly ironic end.

I guess that’s what you’d call compromise.
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Rock Paper Shotgun
I frequently cried at the outcomes of the decisions I made for the Kaplan family in The Novelist.
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Gaming Intelligence Agency
When all’s said & done, after the ending you’ve chosen, the last unspoken question is the most important one of all.
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Paste Magazine
The Novelist is not without its flaws. The voice acting, while sincere, feels a little flat at times, and I doubt many players will find stealth mode particularly challenging. But The Novelist reminded me that while I sometimes play videogames to escape reality, the most meaningful game experiences I’ve had confront me with reality in a meaningful way. The Novelist does this by reminding me what I’ve neglected every time I make a decision. The result is a surprisingly powerful game that asks us to consider what we prioritize in the tension between our dreams and our families.
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Sidequesting
The Novelist makes us the author of the Kaplan’s summer, full of conflict, love and the compromises necessary for a fulfilling ending.
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Pixel Volt
On the fence? The Novelist turns conventional gaming on its head by putting the pen in your hand, letting you create the story. Getting to know each character is intriguing as you discover more than just their immediate desires. Family life is about compromise, and The Novelist captures this brilliantly as you navigate the delicate balance of happiness and disappointment. Giving players an outsiders perspective is a touch of genius, creating a game where everyone will have a different experience depending on their own lives, and who they identify with. The cel-shaded graphics and enchanting soundtrack are the cherries on the cake for this wonderfully captivating title.
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PC MMGN
The Novelist is a wonderfully emotional, soul-enriching experience.
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Cuppy Cane (Lead editor of The Border House)
I just played the incredible game, The Novelist from start to finish. It was beautiful and powerful. Please buy this.

I really want to save my thoughts until more people have played it, but it affected me even more than Gone Home.

@TheNovelistGame kind of summed up all of my fear of being a future parent. Choices are difficult, and change lives other than my own.
Click to expand...
 
T

Tenck

Member
Bought it yesterday and finished it in little less than 2 hours, and I was idling a bit because I was chatting on Steam.

The story is good, the characters are believable, and you feel sympathy for the characters. They've all got their problems, and you're left questioning your decisions all the time. I really don't want to talk much about it because I feel like I'll just be *hint hint* *nudge nudge*.

What I will say is that this was quite a nice surprise. Though lacking in length, it makes up for it by really hooking you in, and not letting go. I finished it in one sitting before I realized what time it was.
 
D

Dog Problems

Banned
I also finished it a little under two hours and really enjoyed it. I focused entirely on Tommy and Linda, alternating between the two, while completely ignoring Dan's desires. I was happy with the ending and figured it would be the way it was. This is something I'll definitely go through again a few more times to see the different endings.
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
Finally free to play some games after some psych tests and now holiday has started.

Played only 20 min, but already impressed with how more features are available compared to other first person exploration games. From being able to dart from one light fixture to another, being able to walk around and explore with a cool ghost bob effect, reading notes in secret, entering memories and recalling events, and having later to check out other characters if their dilemma helps Dan's for the chapter.
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
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Finally finished it, 4 hours. Ended much sweeter than I expected, considering I went for a "neglected son" playthrough. Might want to replay it again.

Probably the most effective and detailed look into family matters that I've seen in a videogame. Alongside Papers Please, the best use of moral decisions and a branching narrative I have participated in. These both games allow you to use real world logic rather than in most videogames where you're trying to game the system to get the best rewards. Even though I'm not married or have a family yet, or am an author, I could still relate to all the pull-and-push of a family life and how compromises can be made but not all parties will be satisfied. How tough it is to maintain a work/life balance. I feel this game will be even more relevant further down the line in my life.

I have to applaud how solid the gameplay loop was (clues->memories->compromise), considering it could've been a much simpler tourist-y game like Gone Home. It definitely is still in familiar territory with the notes, diary entries, light stealth, and it's nice to see established gameplay mechanics can still be used for effective storytelling rather than resorting to cutscenes or QTEs. Also, you can still tell an emotional story without a grand tragedy, which I believe is the shorter path to create drama. Or maybe I have to replay to find out!

One criticism is for the stealth stuff, it never really ramped up in challenge when earlier the game mentions that lights will start being made unavailable to possess. I didn't really use the flicker distractions that much. But that didn't take away from the game's message, just solidified that it was going for a more laidback, introspective atmosphere. Either way, don't miss out on this game.

Here's my roundup of decisions:
Chapter 1
“Writer’s Block”: Tommy’s Racing Rogers + Linda’s bottle of wine
Chapter 2
“The Show”: Dan’s typewriter + Linda’s promo forms
Chapter 3
“The Bottle”: Dan’s bourbon + Linda’s jogging shoes
Chapter 4
“Vacation”: Linda’s camping + Dan’s firewood
Chapter 5:
Dan’s fishing rod + Linda’s sweater
Chapter 6
“Funeral”: Linda’s call + Dan’s chapter
Chapter 7
“Inheritance”: Linda’s painter bag + Dan’s Literary Register
Chapter 8
“Catching Up”: Dan’s door + Linda’s table
Chapter 9
“An Unexpected Exit”: Either call her or get back to work...
 
S

Sober

Member
Messofanego said:
Errant Signal did a video on the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VThsdoxwgc
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Pretty much on point with that review, the subtleties and everything were great but most like Errant Signal pointed out, I didn't enjoy the shoehorned stealth in (mechanics for mechanics sake basically) or I thought the moment-to-moment loop could've used some nuance with more artifacts or character development pieces that weren't related to the main track of each chapter.

While all that is said and done I am glad I played it though and it is definitely that this game is out there. Stuff like this does need subjective reviews because themes and topics the game touches on can't be really processed into a score. I'm not married but I am trying to see if I can get into writing as a career or something, so I can see where parts of the game definitely affect me. I don't have a spouse/child of my own either but it is great to see someone addressing themes like compromise between work and family in a video game of all things.
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
NPR: A Story-Driven Game Of Impossible Choices

From someone who doesn't play games. She found it overlong but effective.

To be clear, I did care about the characters. Chapter by chapter, I agonized over each decision, trying to keep everyone in the house as happy as possible. I felt a sense of satisfaction when I helped Linda or Dan achieve a goal, or made Tommy happy with some play time. But those victories are short-lived, since they always require sending someone else into a dark pool of disappointment — sometimes rather improbably.
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BTW, the game is nominated for "Outstanding Achievement for Story" at the upcoming DICE 2014 Awards.
 
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