Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (NES) - How Good Design Goes Bad

Wait. Go back and re-read that title.

Y'do so?

Good.

Now put down the pitchfork. And the chainsaw.

He likes something that the AVGN called shit! GET HIM!

Actually, the AVGN is right. Again, go back and re-read that. Whether or not James himself was aware of it, the AVGN is right on both fronts (here's a Refresher in case you need it). The booklet itself affirms this.

The game was designed like this. It seriously was. Dr. Jekyll, being non-confrontational but constantly annoyed, being pushed to the edges of human patience, eventually transforming into Hyde, who tears the world around him a new one. Hence, why Dr. Jekyll is frustrating to play as if you treat it like any other 2D platformer or adventure game.

He's only human. He has to abide by the law, take the rude shoves and childish slingshots in stride, the accidents that would ruin his clothes (it IS his wedding day), avoid the murderous intent of some (the mad bomber)...it is intentionally designed to be frustrating. Really, think of it as the most rudimentary form of survival horror.

Okay, maybe not THAT rudimentary...

Its also why Hyde is much more like a game, since he's allowed the freedom to do whatever he wants. No more rules of society, unbound evil allowed to rampage and tear (inner) demons a new one. He's catharsis for what you put up with on a day to day basis, and when you play him, you feel better than when you play as Jekyll. But alas, all good evil things come to an end... and you must become good to maintain societal norms, calmed down from the annoyances of the everyday nonsense.

And perhaps that's why the good ending is the way it is. You have to maintain a constant balance between venting and tolerating. Venting too much evil, and undeniably society will strike you down (like lightning, electric chair style). Tolerating too much, and the subconscious is just waiting to snap. You have to have the catharsis to maintain your good nature, without letting it interfere with your life.

The last level is the only time Hyde can surpass Jekyll, taking to the rooftops. Symbolic of a different path, the fork in the road that one takes when marriage is looming a few blocks ahead, the penultimate capstone in your life...everything changes. Responsibilities are added. Children are added to the mix. You become something new, and if you have any past baggage hounding you, chances are it'll ruin your marriage at the end of it all.

And chances are you'll wind up indecisive and meandering, with meaningless relationships. Hey, lets make a game out of that idea! Forget Symbolism, lets go with Dualism!

Forgive the pun, but sometimes...you gotta face your inner demons head on.

The most epic of final bosses. A face.

If I'm being disgustingly honest, I like this game. I'm the kind of person who likes a challenge, and Dr. Jekyll is, at its core, fundamentally solid. Its just the design that would put most people off. Nobody wants to be a human with no means to defend himself, forcibly having to avoid common annoyances like the plague. They feel like they SHOULD have the option to use the cane on everything, or have a machine gun with infinite ammo, or a sword to cut away the enemies that lay before them. Games are supposed to be "fun" like that.

I SHOULD BE ABLE TO THROW FIRE AND GO DOWN PIPES TO SKIP LEVELS.

But Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde doesn't cater to you. Its like the Demon's Souls of its time, letting you figure out the best way to navigate through all the obstacles given your limitations. That can put a lot of people off, especially children who were expecting a game where they played a scary monster who threw around psycho waves.

Again, at its core, I don't feel like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde for the NES is flawed. There are games that are much more flawed at their core: nearly anything related to LJN, for example. I respect the gamble that they took; honestly, who would make a game out of such an idea? Its not like Frankenstein or Dracula where you're, by default, a monster. This is a human and a monster in constant struggle for dominance, and they played with the idea. I respect that kind of innovation, especially for an NES game.

Its not perfect. But its not a "shitty fuckin' game".

Oddworld Then And Now: How Design Choices Can Affect a Game (Part 2)

So, that brings us to 2013. Roughly sixteen years since the release of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, we're receiving an HD remake that does one key thing different.

Well, okay, ASIDE from having some really kick ass graphics.

The rooms are all connected. That was one of the key defining aspects of PSX Oddworld games, and clearly some of the rooms were designed around that gap stalling the Sligs from shooting you, stopping you from possessing them, or making you react to snap decisions. Exoddus' flaws came from the addition of mechanics that weren't necessary. New 'n' Tasty gives me the impression that how the game plays could be radically different.

Lets take the most basic obstacle of Oddysee: Pits.

I IMMEDIATELY REGRET THIS DECISIOOOOooooon.........

Did I say "obstacle"? I meant "integral mechanic". Pits were dual function in Oddworld: they hid secrets and they also made you do snap decisions as the screen transitioned, running for your life from a Paramite or Scrab...

One way or the other, one of these two beasts would tear into you... 

or you would make one false step and go plummeting to your doom...

But the false step only occurred from not knowing what lay ahead. With all the rooms seamless, you now have the foresight to see whats coming up. Those pit obstacles lose a lot of oomph because of this. The "secrets" may get away with this, as the camera can be focused higher up than the room itself. But what about secret ledges?

How about a different obstacle: the Sligs.

FREEZE!

"What about them?" You may ask. Well...Abe has the ability to possess them. And he could only possess them while they were on screen. Sometimes, you couldn't, as they would run off-screen. But now there is a much bigger distance to "off-screen". How far can they be for me to possess them? How close must they be before they shoot you on sight?

 We talking "sight about as good as a genome soldier" or...?

What about the security orbs, that stopped Abe from chanting? Will they have a range?

Range of your shots? Because you sometimes had to warn mudokons of your shots before you opened fire on another slig.

Remember, this is ONE dynamic being changed, and it has caused a ripple effect throughout the entire design of the original game. The limitations of the console meant that the game had to be built around loading transitions, but now that you've removed it you have to completely redesign the obstacles that Abe faced.

Now, this isn't to say that New 'n' Tasty will be bad. It probably did cross the minds of the people working on the game to update the challenges somewhat to reflect the lack of transitions.

I'm just hoping that they keep the design tight and localized to certain areas in much the same way as the original. We'll have to wait and see come the holiday season.

Oddworld Then And Now: How Design Choices Can Affect a Game (Part 1)

Back in 1997, a quirky puzzle platformer was released onto the Playstation. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee was a 2D game that revolved around your character Abe, a Mudokon who worked in a meat-processing plant called Rupture Farms, finding out that Mudokons would be the next product up for sale. It was up to you and your wits to roll, jump, sneak, possess and blow up anything that got in your way, while simultaneously saving 99 of your Mudokon friends from the meat grinders.

Or not. Collateral damage with the Sligs wielding machine guns and whatnot.

It was a well-made, immersive puzzle game that had everything in the right amounts. It added new mechanics at set intervals throughout the game, incorporating the older elements to keep the challenges fresh and engaging. It was naturally a bit of a hit, so a sequel came out in 1999, Abe's Exoddus.

With the remake of this game coming up soon, I figure its a good time to analyze what the trailer implies in comparison to its older PSX version. The issue of game mechanics also applies to the sequel... so lets cover Exoddus first.

 Not helping is the game wants you to get drunk before playing.

I don't like Exoddus as much as Oddysee. The reason being is that Exoddus strains the fun of the mechanics, and doesn't do as much to change the dynamics. It does add a few new tricks, but some are pointless. However, the biggest flaw of the game is the change to the mudokon count: over triple the number to save. 300 mudokons  to save increases the amount of secrets to find, and it also increases the tedious nature of the game.

Imagine playing this game without a guide, trying to go for a perfect run of all 300 mudokons. Even though the factory areas give you signs that indicate how many you've saved, killed, or have yet to find. it is an extremely tedious game to hunt out 300, let alone 99. Miss just one and you have to start all over. 98 may be a heartbreak, but Oddysee is much shorter in this regard. Imagine getting 299 and losing out at the end, and not having the slightest clue which one you missed amid the areas you've been to.

At best, its tedium, using a guide to figure out the when where and how. At worst, its utter frustration, even more directionless than you would've been in the previous game; you would've saved 28 of the 100 in the first area alone.

 The game also tells you that it'll kill them off, incentive for exploring the first area thoroughly.

You would've saved 40 before you even got to the first two temples. Rupture Farms 1, The Stockyard, nothing in the hub for Paramonia and Scrabania...or even in the two outer areas. A few in the temples themselves, and the bigger bulk in all the Zulags at the end when you've mastered the majority of obstacles. It was the right size and the right amount of areas. Not too long, but not too short or easy. Stretching the same level of difficulty over a longer length with semi-pointless mechanics is just draining.

Some of the mudokon "moods" and conditions are redundant, if not pointless. Blind mudokons were interesting at least, forcing you to keep track of their positioning and commanding them more to avoid hazards. Angry and Sad mudokons are virtually the same (except for one difference, more on that in a second), requiring Abe to just pat them on the shoulder to cooperate. Cooperate. With the guy trying to rescue them. From torture and death.

Oh...he was trying to free me from a lifetime of hardship. Whoops.

Mudokons are kind of bizarre like that. Its not like they shouldn't know him, since the game makes it well known that Abe is a wanted "terrorist", freeing all the employees. This is on top of the fact that he's been blessed with the sacred powers of the Shrykull. Which is nothing terribly important...except being kind of a deity to them. But I digress.

UNLIMITED POWER!!!!

At least the laughing gas had the excuse of drugging them, and making their actions as risky as blind mudokons, but at the same time, it was only an issue sometimes. Sick was just an extension of the mechanic which required Abe to find a shaman to give him a song from the previous game. Not terribly necessary, but at least sensible hindrances to a guy trying to save you. Lets face it, a hangover makes everyone a touch cranky.

The biggest kicker is that most if not all of these conditions do not prevent mudokons from jumping into bird portals to escape. They only force you to slow down and apologize/slap them, which makes the game LONGER. Its an artificial mechanic, all fluff and mostly pointless. Angry and blind were some of the only necessary ones, adding sick just for the sake of plot. I do remember one puzzle where angry mudokons puts you on a time limit, since they are shown to manipulate levers (which operate obstacles) and hit other mudokons when mad (to the point where they will kill each other eventually). But had the "emotions" been kept more focused, or made more unique, the puzzles could've followed suit, such as creating time limits that weren't always slow-moving bone saws.

Its not like all the mechanics are bad. New forms of motion sensors, a new variant on the guards that fly, the ability to possess more wildlife (and more wildlife in general)...the best additions were a quicksave and the ability to command all the mudokons at once. Had they not done so, moving 300 individuals one at a time would've been absolutely dull. 

Its not a bad game, and it kept building upon the Oddworld universe (which, thankfully, isn't entirely dead). It had more cut scenes, and it innovated just enough to keep it good. It just lacked the tight design that the original had.