Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game

[Ultimate Carl]

For reference, I played Overture about a week before this one, and I played both on Hard with all of the frills (glowing items, hints, etc.) turned off. I also played by myself, at night, with the lights out.

1) What puzzles did you like the best? Why did you like them?

Spoiler below!

As expected, the stuff at the end in your mind was amazing. Though a bit difficult to figure out at first (and sort of frustrating), once I knew what I had to do it was REALLY cool.

Also, the dream sequence early on was very awesome, although a bit easy. The part in the cabin where you had to match the objects to where they were in the picture was really creative and fun.

Having to "kill" yourself to open the emergency door was a really neat solution.

2) What puzzles where the hardest to solve? Why were they so hard and what kind of solutions did you try before finding the correct one?

Spoiler below!

I wouldn't say that any of the puzzles were HARD, really. The box puzzle after the dream sequence wasn't hard, but took too long. As I already said, the end part in your mind was very awkward at first, but that's the point of it.

I can't really think of anything else that gave me any trouble, except the part in the kennels where you have to block off the holes in the wall with boxes so you can pass through safely. The two boxes are extremely far from the holes and seem very heavy. It didn't register to me that I needed to move them until I checked the forums here for help. This also isn't helped by the confusing light box. It's odd to realize that you need to turn the lights OFF in order to get the other lights working, and the way the panel switches between an on and off stage is just confusing.

3) How did you find the pacing in the game? Were there any particularly slow moments or some moments where too many things happened?

Spoiler below!

Excellent pacing for the most part, although it was fairly obvious that the game was divided up into different "sections". Sneaking, searching, and puzzles. Despite the great atmosphere, there was never really any rush to finish searching or quickly complete the puzzles because you knew that since you were in a certain "phase" of game play, nothing would attack you.

Other points were very good, however. The dog kennel was amazing, especially the part with the flickering lights maze. Even better, once you got back out and thought you were safe... There was a zombie right in the first hall heading right at you!

As I've seen others say, I think you found Phillip's father too soon. I also think we were given way too many clues way too early about what happens when you are infected. It was too easy to piece together what Clarence was and that you were infected from the first twenty minutes or so of game. Personally, I would've held off on that realization until about halfway through.

The ending was also kind of... Sudden.

4) How did you like the variation of events and game play elements? Could there have been more diversity or should there be more focus on the gameplay?

Spoiler below!

A lot of variety, especially in the puzzles... I liked that. Even the sneaking had some variety, with some of the zombies having flashlights and others not. The sneaking was A LOT easier in this game than in the first. That was fine with me, though, since it's my least favorite part of both games.

At times it was odd that the game didn't really stick to many specific methods and jumped around a lot only for specific points (killing the worm was the only time you did something like that, the small outside section was the only point where speed and heat were a factor, etc.), but that works well for this game I think. The parts I got least scared of were, ironically, sneaking around the zombies. After the second one or so, I learned that they all had very short and predictable patterns, were half blind, and there were never two close to each other in the same area. I was more frightened when I had to step outside of that comfort zone and try something new, such as the dog kennels.

Overall, I'd go with more diversity, although it was already great, but at the same time, don't lose focus from the excellent physics-based puzzles.[/spoilers]
5) How did you like the characters in the game? Were their voices fitting? Was the voice acting good? What character did you like best / worst?
[spoiler]The characters were great. I liked the tired desperation of the female doctor, and how Clarence was always mocking you, yet also trying to help because he needed you.

I was confused by the decision to change Phillip's voice actor. Was there some kind of run in with the original? I preferred the original, but the new one was also good. Besides, he talks so briefly and if you played the first game he doesn't say anything you don't already know. Why doesn't Phillip ever speak in-game?

Clarence's voice actor was AMAZING. That's some of the best acting I've heard in a game PERIOD, let alone one by a smaller company. Kudos. He'll go on to do great work, I think.

6) How did you like the ending?

Spoiler below!

I was disappointed with Clarence. He was too easy to get away from too quickly. The room should have been larger, or maybe have him chase you through a few halls afterwards or something. For such an important character and such an iconic moment, it was over far too quickly and easily. He was also too stupid. I realize it would've been a huge programming and modeling challenge to have him crawl into the vents after you, but you could just have a staring contest with him in one for a while and then he'd just eventually get bored and wander off or something.

The part in your mind, as I said, was really cool.

The ending itself was a bit abrupt, though. I liked getting more information on the force, what happened here, and how it didn't WANT to kill you, just to be left alone. I also thought the typing ending was a very effective method, probably better than voice acting or cut scenes could've shown. Still, it just felt... Anticlimactic. The final puzzles were more difficult than others and very cool, but they didn't have a lot of OOMPH. And by this point, you knew most of the plot and almost all of the twists had been revealed. The game felt, to me, like it just kind of petered out when it had been building to a huge climax the whole time. Still, it was pretty cool.

7) Misc. other stuff...

Spoiler below!

The zombies were dumb as boxes of rocks. Sneaking past them was way too easy. The art on them was very good, though, and they looked genuinely frightening, except for the umbilical cord part. It might have been a good idea on paper, but in practice it was just too awkward. Not the good, scary kind of awkward, either. The, "...is that a penis?" kind of awkward that takes you out of the game. And I understand that they used to be people, but their animations (especially the idle animations) are too... Normal, I guess is the word? The way they sort of casually be-bop around made them far less scary. They were way too casual looking about most stuff.

I also find a glitch. Early on, you're walking by some previously locked door and a zombie bursts through it behind you and gives chase. Well, if you're already sprinting before this happens, keep it up, and dive around the corner as fast as you can, you can actually get AROUND the corner before the zombie's AI even "realizes" you're there, and so it just casually patrols around! This is really silly, since presumably it busts through said door BECAUSE it knows you're there.

8) Misc. other stuff about Overture...

Spoiler below!

Two things about Overture. One, the dogs have silly stick legs. Would it have been so difficult to give them, you know, paws? Other than that they look really good, but the dead dogs you see in the kennels in Black Plague look MUCH scarier.

I got stuck for a bit due to an awkward auto save. In one of the sections where you're running through caves to escape spiders, there's a part where you have to crouch into a small part, and further down there is lava in your way that you have to plug up with a rock. The game auto saves right at this point, because you could die from the lava. Unfortunately, the game seems to auto save EVERYTHING, including enemy positions. So, every time I loaded my game, I was spawned crouched in that corridor with my glowstick out, with my back to a spider that was facing me, and at less than half health. Since I was playing on Hard, one hit from this spider would kill me, and I had to reload something like twenty times before I finally managed to dodge its attack and kill it in order to continue. Just something to keep in mind about your auto saves.

Overall, great games. I'm loving them, and really looking forward to the next. I'd especially love if after you finished 3, if you went back and redid 1 and 2 with updated graphics, and all of the experience and feedback you've gained, and release all three together in one, huge game. I'd buy it. Hell, I'd buy it for $60. Maybe more.