Game News Consortium: The Tower, a Deus Ex-like first person immersive sim, now on Kickstarter

Well. They certainly say the right things...

 

The Canadian dollar has been going down the tube lately, so in actuality it's only about $320,279.

Still a lot, but the difference is noteworthy.

 

I cannot help, just bought a new pair of headphones at a price range well beyond the rational
(boys and their toys, yes yes, i get it, ok?)

I do wish them all the best though, whatever its many many many flaws and lacks, the first consortium had a solid enough setting and that "feel" of a game being made by people giving a damn. Definitely wish them luck.

 

I like this part a lot from recent interview with devs:

The video they are talking about is this one:

 

This actually looks very interesting, although the franchise now suffers from Mishmash Title Syndrome. "Strunk: The Clonkening IV—Rise of the Drokmurkians"... actually, whatever that is, I want to play it now.

If they get their funding and implement the planned features properly, mite b. cool.

 

Obviously a scam, sneakily using the T:ToN trailer to it to draw in unsuspecting backers.

Nvm, video in news post has been fixed.

 

Was the first game any good?

 

Yeah, how's the first game?

Absolutely love their philosophy based on what they're saying. Not quite convinced they can pull it off, though.

 

Just bought the first game because of this post/trailer. I figure that worst case scenario, I wasted 2.99 eurogold (Steam has it at -80% discount until feb 1) on a crappy game to save myself from instead wasting 25 eskimo coins on another one.

 

That freefall trailer is so damn good.

 

Already pledged! I really really hope they make it!

 

Take into consideration that this game is remade in Unreal 4 engine and they took all feedback from first game and will be improving this game. Like making shooting parts better.

 

I found this project two days ago and it captured my attention. I really do like the idea of your approach to the game affecting how you are perceived, like if you sneak by everyone there will be barely any media coverage, but playing violently raises outrage and betrayal. I'll be keeping an eye out on this one, though I doubt I'll be backing it. There's a lot of ambition in this project but I get the feeling some of the elements will be dumbed down or not implemented well, but that's just my skepticism and being burned out from crowdfunding.

 

I also did this to try out the first game, $3 to give a shot sounds like great value to try out the first game and see if it merits backing this...although they had me at Die Hard :p

 

Well, so far I'm just past what I'd think is the introduction part of the game, and the story/immurshunfag part of me has got a serious boner.
They pretty much hit the right spot on a lot of things, except for what promises to be weak combat if the tutorial combat is anything to judge by... but at this point I don't care much unless there's too much of it and I'm anxious to see how they handle the rest of the game.

 

Tell us more.

 

Dude, it's less than 3 bucks to find out yourself. Even if you only get an hour of mediocrity out of it, it's still better than most other forms of media.

But well, even just the way it drops you into the game is fresh and interesting right from the get-go, telling you that thanks to new technology you (as in you, the gamer) are streaming your conciousness into the body of some guy in 2042, splitting of a new parallel universe, that everything you see is a 3d interpretation of that actual world (explaining the non-realistic graphics due to bandwith issues) and what you do is real in said universe...
It sounds incredibly bad and cheesy the way I put it, but it's integrated and 'explained' inside the game a lot better. It's a risky move because, well, yeah, the way I just told it and most would do it just wouldn't work, but here it just works which is really quite an achievement. While playing you can ignore this concept and just play your character like you're him or actually continue being a gamer oblivous to what the hell you're being told (lots of acronyms thrown at you from the start) and trying to make sense of it (most people don't find their hero/soldier/superior acting like a retard very amusing).
Exposition's also done really well so far. Lots of stuff to read on your computer, but only if you care about that kind of stuff. If you don't, the situation directly affecting your character and the story gets told just by playing without over the top info-dumps. (Did have to reload after being stuck due to a clipping glitch and kind of missed being able to skip a 5 minute dialogue which I'd just listened to a moment before.)

It does seem to be a short game if doing a single playthrough (one location: an airplane and not even such a big one and walking speed is quick; according to steam reviews about 15hrs for a playthrough) but it promises replayability because of C&C. Will have to wait to see how much difference it really makes or if it's just empty words, but the fact that it seems to track reputation with every character you meet shows at least some potential.
And, well, it looks, runs and plays like low-budget FPS (it IS a low-budget FPS); which obviously doesn't bode well for combat. Did one real fight now, was hectic as fuck and not enjoyable but also completely skippable because of different solutions. Luckily it's very (too?) fast paced and because of the small areas (inside a plane!) I doubt it'd ever drag on for so long as to be insufferable.
Also, being low-budget has predictable consequences for things such as graphics, animation and voice acting.

But as I posted elsewhere, I shift pretty easily between different kinds of gamefaggotry depending on what I'm playing and can ignore flaws in some fields as long as other parts of me are being tickled the right way (possibly with added leniency for indiegames done well) and so far that's what the game's managing to accomplish splendidly. Might change my opinion if there's too much (forced) combat or the C&C proves to be fake.

 

This looks cool.

 

u avin' a go at me m8?

 

It's extremely short, and combat is meh.
But all in all I liked it since it has good c&c and many dialogue options. Pklus the setting has potential.
I think it definitely is good enough to back the second part, so I did.
Also, what Xzylvador said.

 

Played the first Consortium and can say that it's an interesting game. Not often that you see a dev try something new and they certainly did in the first game. It's a bit of a toybox meets cyoa meets fps with a heap of reactivity included. It's an odd mix but I found it to be alluring. Pledged instantly when I saw the new Kickstarter.

 

Looks good. Will pick up the original tonight and if it's something I enjoy I'm sure I can splurge 150 CAD for some masturbatory backer rewards.

 

I've also purchased the game but I am too lazy to play. Thanks for sharing your impressions.

 

Buying it as well. Will back Kickstarter, although my hopes are low. (for it succeeding)