Photopia made me cry.
That's not something I say often. I don't think any other work of art has ever affected me to the extent that Photopia has.
I say "work of art" there partly because that's what Photopia is, a magnificent work of art, but mostly because I hesitate to call it a game. Photopia is very, very linear. It has very simple puzzles. It's barely interactive at all.
And yet it works. Photopia could be a short story, but it would lose most of its impact. It's difficult to explain why that is without ruining the game. The key to Photopia's success is the interactions between the player and the main character (who, interestingly enough, is never actually playable).
Photopia takes the term "interactive fiction" to a new level, because that's really what it is. It's a short story with interactive elements. It's unlike anything else I've ever played, and it's absolutely genius.
I'll be honest; I'm finding this very hard to write, because Photopia does so many things well, but discussing any of that would spoil the game, and, frankly, spoiling Photopia would completely ruin it. The emotional impact of this game is ridiculously effective. It's beyond words.
Note: Photopia requires a Glulx interpreter to play. The game comes bundled with an interpreter for Windows, but to play Photopia on a Mac or Linux box, you need to download an additional interpreter -- links above.
In addition, Adam Cadre put together an FAQ that explains some of the influences behind the game. It's an interesting read once you finish the game, and it's also linked above.
Through the archives...
Wow, Photopia's been out for kind of a while, hasn't it? I remember playing it years ago...
Unfortunately, I found Photopia to have a fundamental flaw...
Spoilers ahead (but you should have expected such in these comments...)
The ultimate "death" of the main character just didn't work for me. The author spends all this time developing her and then she dies? I just couldn't accept it. It totally broke my sense of immersion in the game.
The other thing that didn't quite work for me, in a lesser way, was that some of the scenes turned out to be just fantasy. I mean, if you play through a scene, and then find out it was just a story being told, you feel cheated. I mean, someone wandering about on a red planet should be real in some way. Of course...Obviously the entire thing is a game, but I believe questions of comparative reality are pertinent. My point is that if one part of the game says "Okay, that other part of the game was just a story", and I say "But I liked that part of the game"...then I'm not really going along with the author's intent, am I?
(Also, I believe the first time I played the game I didn't really even pick up that there were supposed to be "fictional" parts, but I just read the Release Notes linked above and it talked about that aspect...)
The crystal maze is the part
The crystal maze is the part that's making me cry, as well as the constant defining of apparently difficult words, like "impact."
Very Nice
Thanks for pointing this out... I've been meaning to play Photopia for years, and your review was just the kick in the pants that I needed.
By the end, I was just left thinking, "Wow... Wow."
Reminds me a lot of an old hypertext piece that I read way back when. Actually, it was the "very first" piece of hypertext fiction ever. "Afternoon, a story." Also very nice, but slightly expensive from here: Eastgate.
The only thing I didn't like about Photopia was how picky the parser was. You can't just type "look tree," but instead "look at tree." Of course, abbreviations work, like "l at tree," but if that's okay, why not allow us to drop the preposition and let us type "l tree"? Same for "talk"... that necessary "to" kept tripping me up. I found myself retyping commands to add these prepositions.... annoying.
Spoilers below.
I don't understand the confusion expressed in the previous two comments. The "real vs. fantasy" sections were pretty clear, especially after you realize that the fantasy sections are part of a bedtime story that a "real" character is telling (and that explains why the "big words" are being defined). Also, in terms of "puzzles," this piece was far less frustrating than any other IF that I've played. Every puzzle pretty much hands you the solution... stuck in the maze? Just keep walking until you get hot... then do what is natural if you're hot and wearing a heavy space suit...
I never, ever could
I never, ever could understand the why virtually everyone praises this game. It is simply a mediocre short story.
Another Adam Cadre Game?
Is it better than I-0? That game soured me on Adam Cadre's work.
For a brilliant game by Adam
For a brilliant game by Adam Cadre, try "Varicella". It is as good as Photopia is hyped.
Yes. Yes, it is much, much
Yes. Yes, it is much, much better than I-0.