The Last Express

[xedoc gpr]

Any of you play it? What did you think?

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Excellent, atmospheric adventure game. It was designed by Jordan Mechner the guy who did the two first Prince of Persia games so it's deadly beautiful. I remember that there were lots of stuff to do and different ways to get by.

And I don't think any game has ever done the whole confined space thing so good. I love the Orient Express.

 

[asper]

Amazing atmosphere, nice music, beautiful and truly original art, realistic portrayal of an interesting period in history, memorable characters, a ton of "ambient" dialogue in several languages, doesn't hold your hand -- an excellent game. One of its kind, and there's not much hope something like this will be made again.

The way it is animated may seem awkward though -- there are no real animations (think 4 frames per a character walking though the corridor ). But all of the scenes were motion-captured with real actors... There was no way to pack more frames on 3 discs at the time.

It is a bit on the short and easy side though. But GET IT AND PLAY IT.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Oh man, I gotta say I loved that. It feels very much like a comic book when you only get a few frames of a violent fight scene.

 

[Fez]

Such a shame it didn't make a profit.

 

[bozia2012]

Such a shame it didn't make a profit.

That's what happens if you try to skip the ???????? phase.

 

[Longshanks]

Played it recently for the first the time, and it's now one of my favourite games. I'd say it's believability (or immersion :wink: ) is its best aspect. Because it is set in such a confined space, there only being a small number of people around you makes some sense, the fact that these characters continually move about the train gives a good sense of a "living world", add to this the great character interaction and dialogue (there are 5 or 6 languages spoken), much of which occurs around the protagonist rather than always involving him, the almost real-time nature of the game (need to be in the right place at the right time for certain events (mostly dialogue)), all make it one of the most believable games I've played (certainly for an Adventure game).

There is also some C&C, though more limited than it sometimes seems. If you do something in a certain way, it on rare occasions (I can only think of one) has consequences further down the line.
Finally, the graphics are still impressive (to me at least), the environment is immensely detailed and the character interactions some of the warmest I've come across.

 

[Mareus]

Damnit! I DIDN'T PLAY IT! Crap. I m gonna get it if you all say its that good. Since adventure games are almost dead this might be the gem that i was looking for.

 

[ghostdog]

Great game , with unique gameplay and atmosphere.

 

[xedoc gpr]

Yeah, so I played it. It was kind of short, but the atmosphere and sense of time period was amazing.

 

[Lumpy]

Halp & Spoilers:
I gave the nigga guy the egg, he gave me a briefcase full of gold, which I passed on to the german guy. But after that, Cath was all because he had "lost something" and refused to board the train again after Vienna. And the game threw me back to the time during the concert.
So what do I have to do to get through this? Is making the egg sing and then giving it away okay? Or do I necessarily have to keep the egg?
It doesn't really make sense, anyway. I thought I was going to Constantinople to get away from the cops, so why do I give a fuck about the egg?

 

[Pussycat669]

Two things you need to do. First you need to break into the black guy's train wagon and steal the briefcase during the concert (do you have the master key? You'll need it I believe). Then you must relocate the egg somewhere else than your own cabin or it will be stolen from you.
Is that enough for a hint or do you need more spoilers?

 

[Lumpy]

Two things you need to do. First you need to break into the black guy's train wagon and steal the briefcase during the concert (do you have the master key? You'll need it I believe). Then you must relocate the egg somewhere else than your own cabin or it will be stolen from you.
Is that enough for a hint or do you need more spoilers?

Thanks, but I know you can do that. But stealing that guy's briefcase, then leaving with it through the concert room, seems the dumbest course of action possible. I was wondering whether there is a more reasonable way to pass Vienna.

 

[Pussycat669]

Nope, you'll have to do it to finish the game.

 

[Lumpy]

Okay, it was a pretty fucking amazing game. I really like adventure games in limited spaces - any other examples?
My only disappointment was that you couldn't sell the egg, get the briefcase, and continue the journey with the fat loot under your bed. No epic climax - it could end with you GTFOing the train before it is blown to pieces. But still angry about not solving the mystary, warranting another replay.
But anyway, awsum game.

 

[xedoc gpr]

I think the "black guys" are supposed to be Persians....(though they do look black....)

 

[Longshanks]

Agree that adding alternative paths would have been a huge improvement.

On similar settings, well there is "Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express", which has an identical setting. Never played it myself, but it's been reviewed positively on Adventure sites (though they are usually generous).

 

[LudensCogitet]

Bringing back this ancient thread to express my complete bafflement. I've just tried to play this game for the first time and the beginning completely sucks.

This game is clearly all about characters and setting. Strange things are going on. Lots of mystery. The main character is not least of these mysteries: Why did he sneak on to the train while it was in motion? Is he a fugitive? What is his relationship to the man he's supposed to meet on the train? etc.
However, as a player, I am given a single goal at the beginning (if I rummage around in my inventory to figure it out, or read the manual): I am supposed to meet a guy on this train. That is my directive.

Well, within 30 seconds I can find that guy. And he is dead. I now have no idea why I am on this train or what I am supposed to be doing here. Do I need to avoid detection? Who do I need to avoid detection by? Why? Why can't I immediately leave the cabin where I find my friend dead and tell someone he's been murdered? Why can I throw him out the fucking window and immediately impersonate him? What the hell is going on?

Within 30 seconds of the beginning of this game I have no idea what success is, or what will lead to failure. I have no reason to think of anything as significant or insignificant. As far as I can tell, my only way forward is to randomly collect information and click on things and see what happens.

I am kind of blown away by the fact that no one else has expressed this.

 

[Boleskine]

Bringing back this ancient thread to express my complete bafflement. I've just tried to play this game for the first time and the beginning completely sucks.

This game is clearly all about characters and setting. Strange things are going on. Lots of mystery. The main character is not least of these mysteries: Why did he sneak on to the train while it was in motion?

Because he was late to the train station before departure. He also asked Tyler to book a double compartment in his name only.

Is he a fugitive?

Maybe. The newspaper clipping suggests that Cath is suspected of murdering a police officer.

What is his relationship to the man he's supposed to meet on the train? etc.

Robert and Tyler are old friends.

However, as a player, I am given a single goal at the beginning (if I rummage around in my inventory to figure it out, or read the manual): I am supposed to meet a guy on this train. That is my directive.

Well, within 30 seconds I can find that guy. And he is dead. I now have no idea why I am on this train or what I am supposed to be doing here.

Now you have a new directive - find out what happened to Tyler and what he was doing on the train.

Do I need to avoid detection?

Yes.

Who do I need to avoid detection by?

Authorities, train staff, etc.

Why?

Because an American potentially wanted for murder sneaking onto a train to meet his friend who turned up dead might arouse a bit of suspicion.

Why can't I immediately leave the cabin where I find my friend dead and tell someone he's been murdered?

Same answer as above.

Why can I throw him out the fucking window and immediately impersonate him?

It's 1914 - if Tyler was meeting anyone on the train they most likely don't know what he looks like. Cath makes a calculated risk. If anybody finds the body or suspects Cath of murder he'd be done for.

What the hell is going on?

That's for you to find out!

Within 30 seconds of the beginning of this game I have no idea what success is, or what will lead to failure.

Success - discover what happened to Tyler, don't get arrested
Failure - arrested, killed, mystery otherwise unsolved

I have no reason to think of anything as significant or insignificant.

You have a Russian scroll and a large trunk with a missing object. That's a good starting point. Oh, also a train full of suspects some of whom you will meet shortly after finding Tyler's body.

As far as I can tell, my only way forward is to randomly collect information and click on things and see what happens.

It's a game about exploring, being observant, and listening to conversations (those taking place in languages Cath speaks will translated into closed captions). Collecting items and solving puzzles certainly play a major role as well.

I am kind of blown away by the fact that no one else has expressed this.

I guess you could say that your post is... The First Express.

 

[Lemming42]

The game is great. You have to approach it sort of like a movie - Robert Cath isn't a stand-in for the player, as the protagonist is in most games. Cath, his backstory, his motivations and his goals are meant to be as much of a mystery to you as any other character on the train.

But yeah, your goal as the player, initially, is just to avoid getting arrested and successfully pass yourself off as Tyler Whitney. Everything else springs from that - Tyler was on the train for a reason, but you have no idea what that reason is, so you're going to have to impersonate him until you find out. In terms of "what the hell is going on", you know about as much as Cath does, which is virtually nothing beyond "my friend told me he had big news, told me to meet him on this train, and instead I found his mutilated corpse".

As Boleskine said, there are good reasons why Cath can't/won't alert the authorities, which you find out if you play a little further on. Same reason he couldn't buy a ticket, and instead had to get his friend with the motorbike to sneak him onto the train. This is the same reason Cath stays on the train - he's trapped, because there's no real way for him to get off at first without being identified.

Also, you're meant to have a "what the fuck" reaction to Cath emotionlessly dumping his friend's body out of the window. Several things Cath does during the game will surprise you, he's kind of shady.

 

[Adidas-Clichèd Cringe]

It really is an amazing, one-of-a-kind adventure game. Too bad it seems like Paul Verhoeven's film adaptation isn't happening after all. Ten years since I saw the news about it.

 

[Verylittlefishes]

still can't fix this retarded resolution problem in Steam version

 

[LudensCogitet]

The game is great. You have to approach it sort of like a movie - Robert Cath isn't a stand-in for the player, as the protagonist is in most games. Cath, his backstory, his motivations and his goals are meant to be as much of a mystery to you as any other character on the train.

But yeah, your goal as the player, initially, is just to avoid getting arrested and successfully pass yourself off as Tyler Whitney. Everything else springs from that - Tyler was on the train for a reason, but you have no idea what that reason is, so you're going to have to impersonate him until you find out. In terms of "what the hell is going on", you know about as much as Cath does, which is virtually nothing beyond "my friend told me he had big news, told me to meet him on this train, and instead I found his mutilated corpse".

As Boleskine said, there are good reasons why Cath can't/won't alert the authorities, which you find out if you play a little further on. Same reason he couldn't buy a ticket, and instead had to get his friend with the motorbike to sneak him onto the train. This is the same reason Cath stays on the train - he's trapped, because there's no real way for him to get off at first without being identified.

Also, you're meant to have a "what the fuck" reaction to Cath emotionlessly dumping his friend's body out of the window. Several things Cath does during the game will surprise you, he's kind of shady.

What y'all have done is confirm my impression: the game is poorly designed in a fundamental way.

Imagine playing checkers, but you don't know the rules. Someone is standing next to the board though, and their job is to tell you when you can't make a move because it is illigal, but only after you attempt to make the move. You also don't know how to win.

Or, imagine being the leading actor in a stage play where everyone else understands their motivations and role, but you don't know anything about your character and the only way you'll find out is the director constantly telling you no. This second one is actually exactly what the game is like.

The setup of The Last Express is an intriguing movie. I would watch that movie. But as a game it fails to provide basic context to the player _as a player_.

A mysterious protagonist would be fine, if you knew at least how to play. The story is the centerpiece here, and it is what informs the player of their capacities and roles, but it seems to be the equivalent of a 3rd person shooter set in a grassy meadow full of invisible walls; pick a direction and when you bump into something turn and try something else.

 

[LudensCogitet]

I'd actually be interested to hear what MRY thinks about this issue, as a developer of adventure games. There's a lot that is mysterious in Primordia, the world is actually very alien, but there is a clear goal for the character communicated by the story which directly translates to a gameplay goal for the player controlling the character.

 

[Maxie]

TLE for the most part feels to me like Myst sans any most any puzzles whatsoever, with navigation being the chief challenge, and quite similarly self-imposed goal to actually find out what's the issue
Unlike in Myst though, your prancing to and fro through four? cars in total grows nauseatingly dull after a while