Book Review: Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw

Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw is a book that I picked up through one of the Humble eBook Bundles. . . I may have already mentioned this before.  Oh yeah, that was last week.  But I actually finished Jam sometime around the middle of last month, hence why I am not including it among the Summer Book BINGO thing.

But let me give you some background first.  Unlike an apparent large portion of the population, I had never heard of Yahtzee Croshaw before picking this book up.  I know of The Escapist, but only because LoadingReadyRun runs Feed Dump through The Escapist as well as the early episodes of Extra Credits.  So he apparently does some stuff over there.  Some of the reviews I read over on Amazon criticized Mr. Croshaw about his bounding into books having previously only written articles.  And, if I had been paying attention, or at least retaining information that Dr. Potts has posted on a number of occasions, I would have remembered that Mr. Croshaw is also the creator of the Chzo Mythos games.  I of course knew none of this information so I came from the perspective of an apocalypse fiction aficionado.

For an apocalypse book, I enjoyed the semi-new direction that the story took in regards to the world ending.  Except it takes place in Australia, which is not the world, but it is a very refreshing setting for the end of the world when you consider every-other-story about the end of the world taking place in London, New York or Tokyo.

*~SPOILERS~*  sort of

The premise of Jam is that overnight, the city of Brisbane, Australia is covered in a carnivorous form of strawberry smelling jam-like substance.  The story follows Travis (the narrator), Tim (his flat-mate), Don (the upstairs neighbor), Angela (a neighbor), X a female intelligence agent and her partner Y.  Yes, the premise is a bit silly, but it was the characters reactions to the absurdity of the events that initially drew me into the book/story.

"The jam killed him," I said, finally getting the words out.  "He was eaten. By the jam."

"Ah.  Right." A pause. "Actually, no, not right. Back up.  What happened?"

I gave an account of the morning's events. Tim slowly nodded in bafflement after each significant word, drinking them all in one by one but not quite connecting them in his head.

Eventually, he ducked back inside his room and picked his dressing gown up off the floor. "I think you're going to have to show me," he said.

I think that the dialogue was the high point of the novel for me.  If people were to speak in the exact way that many stories are written, they would sound very controlled and stilted.

The biggest problem I had with the book was that I was occasionally unable to picture the layout of the city of Brisbane.  Now, I have no concept of what Brisbane looked like while reading the book, but now that I look at a map, certain events in the story make sense.  There is indeed a river that runs through the middle of what looks like a commercial district as opposed to a river that suddenly appeared in the story without previously being mentioned.  This information feels like it would have been somewhat necessary for someone not from Brisbane, but that could just be my America-centric view of all things communist and axis of evil-like.  I think that I just felt that, based off of Yahtzee's description of the city, I did not have a good idea as to who was where in relation to everything else.  It would be as if you were reading a book and had this image in your head then in the span of two to three sentences, you know had to input this new development.

My other critique of the book was the character of Don.  I understand his inclusion in the story, which was to act as the rest of the audience in this world of hungry jam; that was at least my impression of him.  Constantly questioning the rationalness of the situation is what a lot of people would do in that situation.  Don, however was also an antagonist to pretty much every character he came into contact with.  Frequent responses with negative sarcasm got old pretty quickly.  I feel that with that kind of a character needs to have some kind of arc to their development, but for the entire story, Don was the unhelping voice of negativity and it was tiring to see that his character was not going to change for the length of the story.  Now that I think about it, there was not a whole lot of character development throughout the course of the story, even if the book only last for about a weeks worth of time.

As a whole, I really enjoyed the premise and the new take on an apocalypse scenario that did not include zombies (although I am not yet tired of the zombie apocalypse), but, as previously mentioned, there could have been better descriptions as to the various locations in relation to each other as well as the general layout of the city.  Character development as a whole could have used a bit of work.  That is all I feel qualified to say about Jam.  Maybe the book is "better" for readers of Yahtzee's regular column, or maybe it is not (another critique that I had read on Amazon).  Either way, if you happen to be looking for a quirky apocalyptic story that does not take place in either England or the United States, then you could do a lot worse than by picking up Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw; now to find out what his Escapist personality is like.



~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian
Lend Me Your Ears And I'll Sing You A Song

Link Post

Time for another link post!  Originally I had this tagged to the back of the TMNT Emulator Hour, but then I thought it was better not to mix the link post with the TMNT post.  Almost no connection between the two. Except that James Nintendo Nerd reviewed TMNT- to which I have linked.  I'm sure many of you have already been to these sites, but I still think it's nice to have them in one place with pretty pictures.  Today's theme is:  Game Reviews.  

Many thanks for image to:  http://therealmcast.com/

Angry Video Game Nerd:

This is a popular series about a guy playing NES games and hating most of them.  He also likes to use really filthy language in his descriptions.  If you like NES and filthy language, you'll probably like this series.  To get you started, here's a link to his review of TMNT for NES.   He covers a lot of the same points I mention.

Tabletop

Wil Wheaton is back, with a clever idea and entertaining dialogue.   Tabletop is the premier place to find out about card games and board games.  It's pretty funny too.  Good going Mr. Crusher! 

Zero Punctuation

Yahtzee's game reviews.  This guy cracks me up.  This series has some of the best image-to-dialogue timing and content I've ever seen.  And of course, plenty of filthy language, but with a British ex-pat twist.  I recommend starting from the earlier shows, when his style was still fresh.  On an related note, I just started playing 6 Days a Sacrifice, the last in the Chzo Mythos.

  Indie Impressions

For a kinder, gentler approach to game reviews, RockLeeSmile's Indie Impressions is a series of videos focusing on Independent games.  The video collection is exhaustive, and the viewpoint can be a refreshing alternative to the vulgar negativity of Yahtzee or JamesNintendoNerd.  RockLeeSmile seems to have a genuine interest in promoting Independent games on a whole.    

Trilby's Notes

This image is fan-art, but I think it gets the point across

Trilby's Notes is the third volume in the game series: the Chzo Mythos by Yahtzee Croshaw.  These games are indie in the truest sense of the term, in that they were all put together by teams of one or even two people. As a result, the production can be somewhat lackluster if a player is accustomed to playing much larger productions.  I have been trying to keep an open mind and subdue my biases when playing these games, and I've had a good time with the Chzo Mythos.  I think they are worth the time investment.  This review may be best read in context of the other two games:  Five Days a Stranger and Six Days a Sacrifice.

Trilby's Notes featured a significant increase in production value than the previous games, and was more generously gory throughout.  This resulted in a much higher 'creepy' factor.   However, unlike the first two games, Trilby's Notes was not a point-and-click adventure.  Rather, movement was controlled with the keyboard, and actions were input using the keyboard, such as "touch painting" or "talk to man about book" or  "wipe butt with lampshade".  

I think that this mode of gameplay has it's merits- it is certainly interesting coming up with commands on my own. And I appreciate the willingness to try something new.  When it comes to solving mysteries, I found it more frustrating to come up with the proper typed phrasings,  on top of my guesses.  I couldn't tell if my solution was wrong or the syntax was wrong. Alternatively, in a point and click adventure, I can just click on everything I come across.   Perhaps I am tiring of the series in general, as this one took the longest, and I used a walkthrough most extensively.

That said, the writing is still pretty darn good, even if I didn't care for the gameplay.  Yahztee seems to have a good grasp for dialogue, and also creepy mythological nonsense.  In addition, the cinematic elements in this game are stronger, with interactive flashbacks and cutscenes used to good effect.  The overall concept for the Chzo Mythos comes together in this game, as the story is expanded beyond the limited plots of the first two.  

All in all, I think this game is more potent than the others, in terms of my player-response throughout.  But it wasn't as much fun to play.  Still, I notice that there is a fundamental difference in playing a game and having a story unfold, as opposed to simply reading a book or watching a movie.  

Only one game remaining in the series:  Six Days a Sacrifice.  I'm happy to report that Six Days returns to point-and-click form.  I'll certainly be playing that one and reviewing it here.  


-D

Currently Playing:
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP
Sim City IV

Chzo Mythos: 7 Days a Skeptic

Happy Halloween.  And today actually is halloween, so I guess this is the last time I can say that for another 11 months or so. 

7 days a skeptic is the second game of the Chzo Mythos, and sequel to 5 days a stranger.  It is a good companion to that game, and has many similarities, including theme, plot and gameplay elements. 7 days features a tightened up interface, which helps the sense of game flow.  Both games draw their strength through atmosphere and character.

Generally I find that the atmosphere comes from the writing, and the flow of the game. There's a bit of isolation, even though there are other characters available to talk with.  Also, the sense that anything could happen at any time helped to keep fresh my experience of the limited environment.  I was driven to progress the storyline.

Both games take place in a series of rooms, each contained in a single screen.  Over the course of the games progression, the player is free to walk through any of the available rooms and the plot will require a lot of walking back and forth.  I haven't played a lot of point-and-click adventures, so I don't know if this is common to the genre. It can definitely be frustrating at times, and I fully endorse the consultation of a walkthrough when that frustration moves in.

I think that both 7 days and 5 days really work with the limited space given:  5 days has about fifteen screens and 7 days has maybe twenty.  Part of the atmosphere of the game comes from the experience of being trapped in a limited space, which adds significance to every new screen that is revealed through play.  In addition, when an event takes place in a screen that was, up to that point, relatively inert- that screen gains a new characteristic and emotional response from the player (me).  Still other screens may never have anything significant in them, but they still reflect the potential of something happening.

The atmosphere is edgy in 7 days.  Solving a mystery in a very dangerous-- and sometimes horrific environment.  Yahtzee does turn the horror dial up a notch in this game, which I appreciate.  I wouldn't say the game itself is generally gratuitous, just occasionally gratuitous.  It definitely startled me a couple of times.

The music is also little bit better in 7 days.  It was actually written for the game, rather than stolen. And it seems more consistent -  the music in 5 days seemed to just kind of drop off sometimes like it got confused and just wandered away.

I enjoyed playing 7 days a Skeptic, and I recommend it to anyone who has played 5 Days a Stranger and enjoyed it.  You can play it on its own, but it really is best to start from the beginning.  Solid, Amateur, Point and Click, Horror.  What's not to love?   Happy Halloween.

-Dr. Potts

P.S.  I have continued on with the progression of the Chzo Mythos and started the third game (of four) Trilby's Notes.  With this game, Yahtzee has changed up the formula.  Instead of point and click, the character is now controlled using the keyboard, and actions are controlled by typing phrases like "type review of Chzo Mythos" or something more simple like "turn on light."  I've played through the intro sequence and a few minutes into the main story and it looks like the horror is ramped up yet again.  Along with the production value.

Also, though this is the third game in the series, it is more of a direct sequel to 5 Days a Stranger.

Review: 5 Days a Stranger

(I want to quickly mention that I decided I should play '5 days' after playing 'Slender' for ten minutes and totally freaking out and being too scared to play Slender anymore  --that game is fucking scary.)

Happy Halloween.  This last weekend I played through 5 Days a Stranger, the first game of the Chzo Mythos; a PC game series by Yahtzee Croshaw, spanning 5 point and click adventure games of the 'Psychological Horror' Genre.

I was pleased with 5 Days a Stranger.  The graphics and sound aren't great, it doesn't have brilliant gameplay by any means, but the plot, characterization, and general execution of the story are solid.  I put in about 3-4 hours to beat the game, and I would say that it was definitely worth that time.

I will admit that midway through day 3 I went to Gamefaqs to find help.  I had gotten to the point where I was walking back and forth, scouring each room, over and over again, and finding nothing.  The game was losing its fun, replaced by frustration. I was getting tired of the sound of my characters footsteps. So I did what I thought was best to preserve my enjoyment of the game- I cheated.  That is, I found a walkthrough and I followed it.

The general interface could use some work.  Sometimes I was trying to click on a menu item or action, and my character would just start walking to the corner of the screen where the menu is located.  This happened more than a few times, actually.  The gameplay quirks compounded my frustration at not solving puzzles, and I went back to the walkthrough whenever I felt this way, so that I could focus more on the unfolding plot. 

Though I may criticize, I think it is important to note that this is an amateur game, made by one person and the first in a series.  There are bound to be some bugs.  I don't think I could do any better. 

The story and the characters kept me playing.  And while the interface somewhat hampered the gameplay, and I couldn't figure out some of the puzzles, It was still an enjoyable gaming experience and I appreciate that.  After I broke the seal on the walkthrough, I had a great time playing through the game to the end.  

The gameplay of '5 days' is mostly a vehicle for the plot.  And while that vehicle may need some of its belts changed, and probably have the suspension looked at, the ride is worth it.  (Well look at that, a car metaphor)  

I recommend "Five Days a Stranger."  

Dvid

P.S.  I just started playing the sequel:  7 days a skeptic, and there are some things I am excited about.  First, the interface/pointer system is drastically improved.  I expect that this will greatly reduce the frustration factor with the game mechanics. 

A couple other details are:  it takes place in space.  That might be cool.  You play as the ships counselor.  I've been around the ship, and met the lead characters, and I'm excited to see how they interact as the plot moves forward.  Fun times!

Horror games and preview of the Chzo Mythos

is this mansion... spooky?

Happy Halloween everyone.  Or at least, Happy Halloween month.  Being October, the month of all Hallows eve.

I'd like to review a horror game for October, but unfortunately I am not able to review my game of choice,  due to some platforming restrictions combined with a lack of time, dedication, and computer competence.  But I'll talk about the game, or series of games, and maybe it will pique your interest and maybe you'll try them out for yourself.   In the meantime, I'll also direct you to a previous post about a survival horror game I gave impressions on:  Lone Survivor.

The series of games I would like to refer you to today are called the Chzo Mythos, by Ben "Yahtzee" Kreshaw.  Kreshaw is well known for his Zero Punctuation series of game reviews at The Escapist.  These videos tend to be hilarious, and exceedingly harsh.  I highly recommend them. I was delighted and intrigued to find out that he had tried his hand at game creating, and had produced a whole series of games in the psychological horror genre.  They seem to have received accolades of some kind. 

Ben Kreshaw put together the first game in the Chzo Mythos - 'Five Days a Stranger' - In 2003, long before he began his reviews for the Escapist.  I think it is noteworthy that Chzo Mythos makes use of the Slender Man mythos and imagery. I am very curious to see how these games will play, and even more so, knowing that such a harsh critic was the progenitor for this series of Psychological Horror - Adventure Games.

idunno, looks pretty sweet to me.

Psychological and Survival are definitely my two favorite subgenre's within the larger Horror genre of games.  I don't care much about blood and gore, or action.  What's more important is fear.  Terror.  Some third word I can't think of.  That is the draw to horror games for me.  These games can scare me even when I'm not playing them, like, when you reach a point where you just don't have the guts to go any further, and you turn the game off and despair.  Silent Hill did that for me.  I ran like a sissy and hid the game at the bottom of stack of heavy boxes.  Then I crossed myself and begged forgiveness for all of my sins.

But to create and maintain such a strong psychological response to a game takes real skill.  We've talked before on this site about losing immersion in a game.  Some games can lose immersion and it never really comes back.  Like when there's just too much ammo, and you don't fear running out anymore, or when you figure out the trick to a game is to just low kick everybody.  Or when the enemies die in only three different ways, and they bleed out the neck when you shoot them in the foot.  

A careful management of the known and unknown is important.  As the player adjusting to a new game, you can't know what you can get away with.  If you are susceptible, like me, this will lead to you moving very carefully and jumping at every shadow.   But eventually, you might get tired of being scared, and just get suicidal.  Running headlong into the night to see if there is, in fact, anything down that alley.  This can break immersion pretty heavily, if you find out that there really isn't anything to be scared of.

This is why the games flow is important.  At different points along the way, the designers will have to put the smack down on the cocky fucks who think they don't have to be scared anymore.  GIVE them something to be scared about.  Make it different from what has come before, and thus unpredictable.  The Unknown is where the fear comes from.   Exploit it!

Okay, I think that's all I have for right now.  On a separate note, I just watched Cabin in the Woods.  That movie was great fun.