I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream

It's a bizarre little game that is definitely worth playing once if you're a fan of games that are just different. I do hate the point and click adventure format though, and I am pretty much glad it's not in vogue any more. I didn't precisely have fun playing it, but I applaud the thought. That really is the whole thing here, because the short story is (despite the internet's claims otherwise) not one of Ellison's best works. But it's the thought that's so alluring, and the character of AM who is so full of unbridled, inorganic hate; expressed in sadism and dead laughter. Interesting thoughts and feelings evoked..... boring and kind of annoying game to play.

but I liked it.

This a 90s point and click adventure game, and those are infamous for their gameplay. So let me start by saying that I beat this only needing to use a guide three times. This first time was because I'd missed a tiny sprite on screen; frustrating, but at least it only happened once. The second time was my fault for not paying attention to what had changed. The third time was the most disappointing; not only is the endgame is unclear, but I'd happened to select a character that is apparently unable to complete their story by themselves, for no good reason that I can see. Still, in all three cases I could still have completed the game and got the best ending, so I feel I was wrong to resort to looking up the solutions. The other relevant aspect for this genre is the story. I Have No Mouth has a great reputation here, and in this regard I was slightly disappointed. The fact the five characters never really interact feels like a missed opportunity. The individual character stories didn't feel tonally or thematically consistent to me; nor did they do a good job setting up the climax. Which is not to say I disliked them, they just didn't quite live up to my expectations. Overall, I did like this game, just perhaps not as much as most people seem to.

My mind is blowed.

I heard lots of praise for this game and I saw in the reviews to be ready for old-style adventure gaming stuff, but oh my I didn't remember what that really meant until I started playing the game. Environments that don't work consistently? Check. (aka an action might take you through a door in one room, but that same action will just take you near the door in a different room) Puzzles that don't make any sense? Check. Items that appear in places you've looked at ten times before because the game is coded to only have things progress in a specific order? Check. I was mostly interested in the story, but it didn't seem all that impressive. I went and read the book this is based on. Was not impressed. I remain confused about all the praise (game AND book), but I'll assume it was impressive when gaming was new and any interactivity was amazing.