The pacing was still a bit slow, but it didn’t matter because there was no real negative effect to the speed - it gave me time to think each decision through. Which, I presume, is not the desired effect.Īdditional gameplay came in the form of a battle between Rhys and Vaughn’s Loader-bot and some Pandorian thugs, and I enjoyed this stretch of the demo a whole lot more. Repeatedly failing a particular quick-time event only causes you to have to hear them again, and when Vaughn finally replies to Rhys’s decision to remain silent after a rough encounter with “what, no witty rejoinder?”, my reaction was more eye-roll than amusement. But if such things aren’t delivered rapid-fire (or at least at standard conversational speed), you begin to question them. It’s more than likely a stylistic choice. Don’t get me wrong, wise-guy quips and sarcasm are no-doubt intentional traits here, and I’m not suggesting Telltale isn’t aware of Rhys’s one-liners or Vaughn’s cheeky, semi-predictable comebacks. Worse yet, the fitful pacing in scenes that require player input draw undue attention to any writing that may be a bit stilted or cliche. Right now, it’s too slow, and too unconvincing. I believe they can achieve it, but they haven’t yet. I’m not sure what discussion between Telltale and Gearbox have been like, and maybe the two teams are looking for that magic balance between game and interactive movie that strikes optimal immersion and (hopefully) resonance with players. In fact, if it helps the flow of the story, I’d rather be entirely unneeded. I found myself wondering, “why can’t I just watch this unfold naturally? Why am I, the player, even needed?”Īnd it’s not that I care about feeling needed, either. Attacking requires moving a cursor to an enemy’s jaw and “clicking.” The idea behind these encounters can certainly work, but it all just feels far too slow. Instead, dodging required slow directional movements of the analog stick, taking multiple moments to register. Knowing this, I prepared to get twitchy, anticipating a short window of opportunity to provide inputs necessary for my survival. In the demo’s main fight scene, there are a number of instances where Rhys must dodge and fight back in a melee, hand-to-hand manner. The main reason for my skepticism comes down to the effect these “gameplay” measures have on pacing, both over the long haul and in individual scenes. As in, more than I really ever expected in a game like this. In fact, immediately upon protagonist Rhys and company’s landing and subsequent burrowing into the mess of a surface Pandora is known for, the player is brought in for some actual, real-live gameplay. You can check out my E3 preview for the lowdown on Tales’ premise thus far, and the PAX demo picked up about partway through what we saw back in June. I had the chance to go hands on with the title at PAX this past weekend, and as much as I wish I could say my demo time represented a logical progression and impressive improvement from E3’s hand-off showing, the reality is that I’m actually about as confused and bewildered about the project as ever. Tales from the Borderlands is a title I’d hoped would have that effect on me, even if by means of humor and charming temperament rather than gripping and thought provoking writing.
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