The lights are on
The glory days of the point-and-click adventure genre have passed, but gamers still have great affection for its defining titles. Some studios have even made efforts to bring back the classics; Telltale Games resurrected Sam & Max a few years ago, along with announcing plans for more King's Quest. Leisure Suit Larry is coming back, and LucasArts released new installments of Monkey Island. Even Double Fine's Kickstarter-funded project is a callback to the genre's heyday. You can't call it a resurgence, but if adventure games were to suddenly come back in full force, these are the first 10 games I want to see happen.
10. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the FathersLet's leave the FMV and 3D installments in the past and just go with the classic approach of Gabriel Knight's first adventure. As long as the game focuses on bizarre occult activities and avoids ridiculous and illogical inventory puzzles, Gabriel's return could be triumphant.
9. MystDid you know there were five Myst games (six if you count Uru)? Most people stopped playing around Myst III: Exile, but the formula remained successful throughout. The mystery and strangeness associated with exploring new ages is a major draw, and I'd love to do it again.
8. UninvitedIt didn't receive the widespread attention of titles like Myst or 7th Guest, but Uninvited has plenty of potential. All of the core tenants are still used in games today: exploring a haunted house, magic spells, and solving devious puzzles. Even if the name recognition isn't high, gamers would definitely connect with the concepts.
7. The NeverhoodClaymation seems to have fallen out of favor in recent years, but you can't do another Neverhood without it. The surreal and captivating world of the original (and Skullmonkeys) could easily accommodate another story told from Klaymen's perspective.
6. Indiana Jones and the Fate of AtlantisIt's kind of sad to think that an adventure game from the '90s did a better job of capturing the spirit of Indiana Jones than its latest movie. Then again, Indy could continue his life with dignity if there were more games in this style.
5. Police QuestIf you're playing a police officer in a game these days, you're probably busting up international crime rings. The less glamorous, more realistic approach Police Quest brought to the job might not be bombastic enough for today's market, but it would still be worth a shot.
4. Maniac Mansion/Day of the TentacleManiac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle are some of the best specimens from LucasArts' adventure gaming days. Everything about these games – from the puzzles to the art style – just clicked, helped in no small part by pervasive humor. I want a sequel to strike that perfect balance again.
3. MachinariumAmanita Design's visually amazing adventure is the most recent release on this list (it first released in 2009), but it still deserves a sequel. Despite being a robot, the protagonist Josef is surprisingly expressive and adorable, and it would be a shame if he were confined to just one game.
2. Freddy Pharkas: Frontier PharmacistThis story of a gunslinger-turned-pharmacist is one of the funniest and most entertaining adventure games ever made, and it left the door open for a sequel that never materialized. The unique premise and excellent writing make this a prime candidate for revival. Score!
1. Quest For GloryIt's not on the top of most people's lists, but Quest For Glory is a unique adventure/RPG hybrid unlike anything available today. Combining stats and character classes with adventure-style navigation and puzzle solving, the reemergence of this series would make a lot gamers happy. Niche gamers, maybe, but gamers nonetheless.
Do you have some favorites that didn't make the list? Share them in the comments below!
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I remember Star Trek: Borg being sorta fun.
I definitely would agree with having sequels to both number ten and one. Ten because I'm familiar with that stuff and love it and one because it sounds awesome lol
police quest. lol. that game was nuts.
OverBlood was considered the future of point and click games, wasn't it? I'd like to see an OverBlood 3.
My vote would be for another Laura Bow game but these are all great suggestions.
Yes! The Neverhood 2 million times over!!!!
Another Gobliiins sequel. Get on it.
The Neverhood will always have a special place in my heart, few games are as memorable or even as charming. I also feel that Toonstruck should also be on this, such an underrated classic.
Okay, I honestly think that this genre, as a whole, should focus on some reinventing firstly. I mean, don't get me wrong - I love that they all focused on world creation, story, and great characters and atmosphere (including music). All of that stuff, from games that are 15-20 years old now, blow away the dumb sh** that constitutes a game story in 99% of modern games. But pointing and clicking around an environment is NOT engaging gameplay.
Ideally, this genre should be redesigned and reconceived to work with motion controls. After all, you're not really pressured in these games - you don't rely on twitch action. It's all about exploring a world at your own pace and playing with items - something that the Wiimote+, Playstation Move and Kinect ALL do well. And I'm not the only one who thinks so; besides the developers of games like Zack & Wiki or Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, there's also Tim Schafer's canceled Kinect Adventure:
kotaku.com/.../tim-schafer-hilariously-demos-a-3d-adventure-game-that-youll-never-get-to-play
So how about we figure out a way to make this genre relevant and engaging again before just asking for sequels to everything. After all, a sequel that plays exactly like titles from the 90's aren't really worth doing. That's what GOG is for. There's a ton more we can do here with these stories and characters and whatnot; let's figure out what exactly that would be.
And seriously, motion controls people. They're not just for cheaply made, shallow, disposable mini-game compilations! When will developers figure out what they're good at and make in-depth games around those strengths?
I like that these kinds of games are making a comeback. I missed them in my childhood so its been great trying to experience them.
I for one believe that there's room beyond the "everything needs to look and play like Fallout" mentality.
I played all six Myst games, actually, so I was initially surprised to find it on the list. Still, they were good games. The last game was a bit of a departure, though, so I would've been open to a DIFFERENT ENDING.