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UPDATE
 
Passage, the greatest five-minute-long game ever made
Reverend Anthony
\\ 12.11.2007
131 comments

erer

Passage, created by Jason Rohrer, is an exercise in gaming minimalism. Made for korokomi's gamma 256 competition, It's only five minutes long, it weighs in at less than 500kb, it takes place on a 100x16 field of pixels, and it only requires the arrow keys. 

It's also one of the most clever, meaningful, affecting, and memorable games ever made.

To say too much about Passage before you've played it -- to describe how I played through it, and how it affected me -- is to spoil it. Passage is about life: what it feels like, how we live it, and how we find happiness. There is no true "right" or "wrong" way the play the game, and much of Passage's brilliance can only be understood through completing it yourself.

Let it be known, however, that whatever emotions you feel, whatever symbolism you notice, or whatever meaning you derive from the game's movement and visual mechanics, were all totally intentional. The "games as art" debate is officially over.

Play it, come back here, and share your experience in the comments. This is the sort of game which warrants a hell of a lot of discussion. If you're so inclined, go ahead and hit the jump for my personal experience with the game (though, honestly, it doesn't matter; the game is about whatever you got out of it, not anecdotal BS from complete strangers).

[Thanks LordRegulus

To me, Passage about the lonely, meandering nature of life. This is the only right intrepretation for me, and, hopefully, it is the exact wrong intrepretation for you.

LordRegulus, upon finishing the game, cried because he was so happy; Aaron Linde was "stunned," but also rather shaken by the game's deterministic view of aging and death as his 24th birthday approached. I cannot quite relate to either of their reactions, but I can sympathize with them: I can understand why they got what they did from the game, if only because Passage is such a wonderfully reflective piece: you get out of it what you put into it. The way you play through the game determines not only what sort of gamer you are -- do you search every nook and cranny for every last secret, or do you quest onward in hopes of seeing new things and reaching the "end" -- but, perhaps, what sort of person you are.

My first time through the game, I missed the female companion entirely. I only later found out from Aaron that she existed at all; initially, I moved downward and completely missed a character who, I assume, symbolizes the love of my life. To be completely blunt, this is the only part of the game which didn't really strike a chord with me: I can dig that we sometimes move through life so fast, distracted by our goals and hopes that we miss the lovely people right in front of us, but I would have liked such a moment to come a little later in the game. Near the beginning, I was still under the impression that Passage was just another game, and I hadn't quite gotten a grip on the game's controls or sensibilities.

But through missing the companion altogether, I incidentally played through the game in a way which resonated much more with me. Without turning this into a gussied-up LiveJournal post, I related much more to the idea of playing through Passage by my lonesome than with a pretty 8-bit companion. Free to walk down paths I couldn't possibly have entered with the companion in tow, I continued onward. I meticulously searched for treasure chests until I got tired of exploring and just wanted to see the sights: I involuntarily kept a constant eye to my score, trying to quantify my level of achievement within the game. Always on my own, with nothing but the scrolling landscape, the haunting music, and the silent score counter always increasing. 

It took me almost half the game to notice I was aging. By the time I realized what was going on, I suddenly became much more frantic; I no longer had the ability to see what was coming, and I took on a much more panicked pace as I tried to quickly progress through the landscape, touching treasure chests only if they happened to cross my path. More often than not, however, the chests were filled with flies, and time after time I failed to notice that the colored gems on each chest served as a clue for what lay inside. I stubbornly hit every chest, without stopping to think that it might be more beneficial to look carefully and choose wisely. 

By the time I realized what was happening -- why my avatar was slowly moving to the rightmost portion of the screen -- I became profoundly depressed. I could quite literally see the end coming, and could only focus on where I'd been; the music began to take a subtly funereal tone as I realized for all my adventuring, for all my treasure-searching and overcoming obstacles on the land, I would never reach any true "end." There's nothing at the end of the path save for death; to keep going would be pointless.

But I did it anyway, because, hell, what else was I going to do? I was alone, miserable, and had only the memories of scored points and treasure chests to keep my company, but it's not like I could stop. Better to play it through to the end, no matter how meaningless my actions beforehand had been. 

So I kept playing. And I died. The score was reasonably high (1600 or so), but it was just a meaningless number -- measuring past successes which didn't really mean much once my character turned into a grey, immovable tombstone. I was not crying with happiness at the end of this game.

But that's just me. What about you?



131 comments, latest by -PL-
Pretentious turd. Aren't video games supposed to be fun? I don't play games for a "message". -    read more








There are 129 comments about this post:
king3vbo's Avatar
Downloading right now
A New Challenger's Avatar
Dammit, I caught this on BoingBoing G adgets last week and was going to do a write-up about it, but it appears I've been beaten.

I only played it twice so far, but it's incredible. The music is perfect.
Aerox's Avatar
What I learned from this game:

A woman will prevent you from going places you want to go and getting stuff you want to get.
Reverend Anthony's Avatar
She does double your traveling score, though.
MaxVest's Avatar
Rev. Anthony likes a game? I don't like this new twist. It feels wrong.
Vegas's Avatar
Is it wrong that I agree with Rev on this one?
Verol's Avatar
For some reason this game put me in a really good mood.
It did take me a while to figure out what to do, till around 1/5 of the way in. After the woman died I just tried to go as far as I could before death.
jaredr's Avatar
Well, that was depressing.
A New Challenger's Avatar
[Spoilers]


The woman dying before the man totally spoiled the realism of this game for me. Grade: 3/10

No, srsly, my first experience was pretty much like Aerox, except I didn't look on it as negative. Note that when you choose the girl you get double points. Once I noticed the characters were actually moving right pixel by pixel and the aging, the sadness started filling me. I've been acutely aware of the passing years ever since I turned 8 years old and the slightly melancholy "Happy Birthday To You" played by the musical candle on my cake at Grandma's house caused me to burst into tears, much to the surprise of those gathered. I forget how I explained myself, except I didn't give the real answer, whether out of embarrassment or inability to properly articulate the feeling I'm not sure.

The second time through I tried to see as much of the changing scenery as possible in the time given. going almost constantly right. I love the effect of all the scenery appearing in front of you as if it's coming over the horizon in the beginning, then in the end it's all compressed behind you.

When your wife dies you really know the end is near, and then when your movement dramatically slows in the final few minutes it drives the message home.
nilcam's Avatar
As I played through, I didn't even notice the score. I was too enthralled with the minimalist graphical treatment being presented. I did find the companion and found myself shocked when I noticed the characters aging. Quite an introspective and somewhat somber piece; I find myself contemplating the events more than with any other game. It is also an experience rather open to personal interpretation.

Thanks for the link.
Topher Cantler's Avatar
I played it a few days ago. The game is amazing, moreso considering how very simple it is.
Aerox's Avatar
Actually the very first time I played it I didn't know you could move up or down so I just walked in a straight line for 5 minutes. Then I read the readme and it was a lot better.
itemforty's Avatar
Honestly, this game made me sad.
Hoygeit's Avatar
Saddening but something I'm glad I tried out.
Thank you for the link.
king3vbo's Avatar
Well, I just played it twice.

The first time, I got the girl, and just walked straight forward the whole time... only about 2/3 of the way through did I realize that my characters were aging, I just thought it was progression as they moved left to right. When it was over, I drew the parallel of moving through life quickly, without taking time to explore or look around and be interested in whats out there

The second time, I skipped the girl and explored all around, finding treasure... but in an odd way, I found that I felt bad for my character that he was alone with his treasure, like a miser... he had no one to share it with.

This "game" is a great example of how a game can be highly artistic, especially because it doesnt cause the same reaction for everyone
Riser Glen's Avatar
The game depressed me and made me want to hurry up and find a well-paying job. I'm not even joking.
Jerkbutt47's Avatar
life passes us by quickly, we have to enjoy every minute we have of it...
Fleet3000's Avatar
this game... has fucked with my brain now. i would never analyze a game like this, much less analyze one because it should be analyzed. it was odd. just a little bit off with the world. yes, death is inevitable. but i saw it coming, i didn't really care for it. it was gonna happen and there was nothing i could do to stop it. just weird man.

games ARE art. but it takes an artistic way of thinking about it, otherwise you miss the point entirely.
Tiff's Avatar
When I first played the game, I noticed there was a female companion but decided I didn't need to necessarily come in contact with her so I went on my own way. I traveled a long time, passing up treasure chests just in question as to where I was headed, and where I was going. My assumptions of where the next 'level' was were always disrupted ... first I thought I was going into a castle ... then a desert .. but all the environments ended in the ebb and flow of pixels before I could really determine the space.

Eventually, I noticed the treasure chests, but seeing the flies erupt from the first two I opened, I decided these were arbitrary to the larger 'picture' of the 'passage. I kept walking, and noticed I was getting older and slower. And then I died.

Interestingly enough, I didn't even know the 'score' until halfway through the game, and when I did I immediately recognized it as a pedometer, counting upwards towards the limit of the footsteps I would take. I didn't thing I was scoring anything in the game.

Either way, I loved it...and I feel sort of hollow inside.
Colette Bennett's Avatar
Incredible. I did feel heavy hearted after playing it, but I don't mind it. Something about it reminded me of the way I felt after seeing American Beauty.
Fleet3000's Avatar
cool, but way too thought provoking without being able to talk about it with people in person. really interesting.
Cowzilla3's Avatar
Man that was really impressive. I love the fact that you can only see what is behind you as the future is always a blur and that as your man gets older you move further along the passage like a timeline. I played through once and half since I'm at work. Totally missing the woman the first time I went around picking up all the chests I could until I realized I was getting older and was going to die anyway, then i just walked straight only picking up chests I saw...more becasue my boss was coming but now Im depressed that I'm doing the same thing in real life...
DR Mexico's Avatar
No game has ever actually made me feel anything before and I'm almost scared that this one did.
Big Z's Avatar
I didn't really "get it" till I came back here, I kinda wish I hadn't because now it seems very sad =/
Spartacus's Avatar
This was fantastic. The games as art debate is truly over and nothing anyone says about them not being art can make them right.

During my first play through, I was stunned by the pure greatness of about halfway through when my sister had to come ruin it. "What is that? That looks dumb. Get off the computer. Blah blah blah..."
Boggs's Avatar
The blurring of the world and the placement of the character is an interesting device.

When you're young the path ahead is a blur, and with old age the path becomes clearer and you know where you're going, and it's what's behind that becomes fuzzy and indistinct.

You can spend your life with someone, but can't go to so many places or accumulate as much treasure, however just going through life becomes much more rewarding (the score you get just from walking).

Also, if you're with someone, when she dies towards the end it'll be much harder on you (the character moves slower than if you were alone), but that's a small price for a life well spent.

Brilliant!
Unicorn's Avatar
best game since No More Heroes.
kawitchate's Avatar
got the girl, "explored" (went up and down) way too much, had to backtrack a lot, had no idea there was treasure, that i was aging, and that my character was moving now on the right side of the screen and the past was foggy until like 3/4 of the way through... and then died with like 400 points. pretty sad.

if there's one complaint it would be that you shouldn't be able to backtrack. if the game is truly meant to be life, you can't go back in time irl. rather, when you hit a roadblock (be it by yourself or, more likely, when you're with your woman), it should just block your path momentarily and then let you pass... thus signifying it's something you dealt with in life that took time.
Cacophony's Avatar
The first time I played through I just started walking to the right so I immediately found the companion. As I walked on figuring that I was only allowed to walk either forward or backwards I decided it would be better to press on. Each new place was more interesting, more beautiful, and more unique.

It took me a little while but I eventually realized my characters were changing though I didnt notice they were aging until a little later. And it was sort of when I noticed the aging that I started feeling something about it all. I started thinking about how it would be if this was my life, walking through all this world with someone. As they started getting older I began to feel a little more and even a bit sad about the whole affair. Then, when the woman finally died I actually felt a twinge of sadness at her loss because I thought about how it might be for me.

I kept walking until I was hunched over and then died myself. It was really sad at that point, but I felt something about it.

The second time I tried exploring but it felt kind of empty. Sure there was treasure, but it didnt really matter. Plus, I thought the world looked less interesting down below where I had been the first time. Also, I noticed that while my score was higher at the end I died a lot younger.

Wow. Excellent game. The music in particular was phenomenal.
loki d20's Avatar
I always just stop and die next to the wife. Seems more poetic that ways since I've gone so far with her already and in my old age, I don't have the need to go much further.
nagolttam's Avatar
I didn't even realize I was aging until I had been playing for about 2 minutes. It is quite a unique game.
hoydensnare's Avatar
Mesmerizing. Games CAN be art, but they art not. In much the same way movies CAN be art, but reach that status with increasing rarity. Does it provoke thought about the world and our place in it, that's the real test. Too bad more games don't make us reflect about our "passages" the way this one does.
theeggplantwizard's Avatar
I have a degree in art history and like to think of myself as someone who looks at things with a sort of semantic searchlight. That being said, I'd really like to know what I would have thought of the game without the priming your article created for me.
Amayirot Akago's Avatar
I felt my heart sink when my wife died. A lot of thought went into making this little masterpiece, to be sure.
liam2015's Avatar
This game is defnitley something else. I'm not going to read any interpretation just yet, but so far, this is an absolutely AMAZING game, it terms of how it mirrors life and the choices you make.
tjpoweryouloveit's Avatar
The first time I played, I was with the girl. She died, I hunched over, and died shortly after.

The second time I played, I skipped the girl. Odd thing is, I lived way longer, but I never hunched over. I just went bald and then died out of nowhere.

If this game includes a random dying system, then this person truly is a genius.
Gavin's Avatar
Walk right, get old, blah, blah, blah.

Boring as hell.
B-Radicate's Avatar
I think it was stupid. I got nothing out of it but annoyed. Make any "that's the type of person you are" or "that's how you're going through life" comments and I will assure you that, "No. It's just the way I went through the game." Annoyed and bored.

Also, it could have used a way to LEAVE the game. After it took up my whole screen I had to bring up the task manager to end the application. I must have "missed" the part where I could get out of their retarded game.
Niero's Avatar
11/10
Ratcliff's Avatar
The definition of greatness, whether its a movie, music or a painting, is emotion.
Think about it, why is your favorite movie your favorite? I'll bet all the money in the world that it's because it made you feel something.

Obviously, Passage is Great
GrayFox's Avatar
Wow, I'm not really sure if a video game has ever caused me to wonder about the meaning of life.
Dastardly007's Avatar
Very interesting but it's the music that really struck a chord (no pun int).

Lovely
electristan's Avatar
that was really moving. lovely is a very good word for it.
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar
I've read about this and wanted to check it out, so thanks for the link Rev. Anthony. I loved it, even if I do feel a tad down right about now. Even as I was playing it, I pretty much assumed what was going to happen would happen. But that didn't stop it from effecting me. Passage is definitely a great piece of art.
Nubc4kes's Avatar
This is why I love indy games. They make stuff that no one in the mainstream game industry can.

This game was simple in all areas (graphics, music, gameplay), yet it was one of the most emotionally powerful and thought provoking game experience I have ever had. The more I think about my experience with this game, the more it has an impact on me. I love this game.
saysay's Avatar
As soon as i found the girl and saw the score goin up i thought it was my age and immediately remembered this picture. (http://www.edg3.co.uk/snatch/life.jpg) Maybe he was influenced by this, the use of rectangles, color, size etc. I didnt like the game, just met the chick and went right til i died. More like a flip-book than a game.
Nubc4kes's Avatar
@saysay

That picture is really cool.
Das Inchworm's Avatar
i just got the wife and kept walking straight...the wife died so suddenly i got depressed. As soon as i noticed they were aging I knew it was gonna happen but i wasn't ready for it. Its Brilliant.
wilbo's Avatar
lol i picked up the girl and im like wtf?
then i kep walking and then i noticied i was gettin old!
but me and my chick died with an admirable score of 604
i feel like i have really achived something today
Haymarket's Avatar
I think this is one of the rare cases where a game is more art than a game. The gameplay elements are minimal, and are far overshadowed by the artistic qualities of the game. I honestly wouldnt even consider Passage a game as much as I would consider it a somewhat interactive work of art.
crila's Avatar
no mac version? i just cried some 1's and 0's.
brimtastic's Avatar
Woah that really hit a note with me. I dunno. Like many others I thought the music was beautiful, and when I noticed the characters ageing I was kinda shocked. Then of course the realisation that they were going to die arrived, and when the woman did I actually got quite emotional waiting for the dude to finish up.

Those few short minute filled me with more emotion than many (most?) other 50-hour games. Granted though, I have been drinking.
elsiluro's Avatar
There is a mac version, just go to http://hcsoftware.sf.net/passage and download the dmg. It's public domain so the source is there to examine or compile on your own if you want to play on a non windows/mac machine.
Bus's Avatar
As a whole, the game was interesting and poetic. But I did grow impatient waiting for my couple to die and then I laughed out loud when the wife transformed into a tombstone. It just seemed out of sync with the rest of the game's visuals. I really liked that you could just park yourself in one place and not increase your score and gradually you'll be carried to your death on the right hand side of the screen by the passage of time. That feels exactly like what I'm doing, right now.
CyanideBlues's Avatar
I didn't realise you could go up or down, so just went continuously right.... and yet it still struck a poignant note with me =S
MechaMonkey's Avatar
@Rev Ant

I'll double your traveling score, baby.
akathatoneguy's Avatar
Very interseting little game. Some of the ideas (the blurring to the right, then the left, not being able to go certain places with a companion) were genius. Having said that, I was not nearly as reflective after playing this as most seem to have been. Of course, I ponder life and meaning and what not constantly, probably too much, so it's not something that has to be pointed out to me as much. Still an interesting little experience.

I can dig games as art. Really, it doesn't matter whether they are or not, it's what YOU think they are. But everything around us is art, in a way. Certain games are very derivative, unimaginative, or just plain shitty, but that doesn't mean games aren't art. After all, some art is that way too.

@saysay-

I thought the number was my age at first, too.
Sharpless's Avatar
I, too, saw this a week or two ago and completely dropped the ball insofar as posting a write-up is concerned. Even worse, I neglected to actually play it until today.

I suppose my expectations were high given all the good things said about it, and I read the spoilers, so I think I came away a little less impacted than most people were. Still, it's an excellent piece of work. When the woman suddenly and without warning died, I felt a bit of a tug. It really starts to make you think towards the end. I didn't even know there was treasure, though, and I finished with around 400-something points.

Dammit, this makes me want a wife.
wiiwillovercome's Avatar
For me it was that desperate feeling that time was passing and there was nothing I could do about it. When I took time out to explore a little I found myself saying "NO! NO! Slow down!!" This has made me think twice about a life devoted to playing and reading about video games.
Wheeliedude's Avatar
It was interesting.
BUT, the music looped, which ruined the effect, and I didn't like how the game implies destiny, and that you can't delay death. (health, etc.)
MusashiX2's Avatar
awesome experience. thanks for the recommendation, Rev.
Colette Bennett's Avatar
I replayed it because like several others, I did not realize I could move up or down in the first playthrough. I actually preferred the right to left only format better as the aging process is more obvious there immediately, however I did notice that with the woman in tow there are more places you can't go, chests you can't reach, but your score is lower in the end, which I thought made for interesting commentary.
CannibalCalvin 's Avatar
When the girl I was with died... I couldn't go on. I just sat there staring at her tombstone. I died right next to her. I really don't know what to say about this game, its amazing.
kintaeb's Avatar
I played through the first time, as many did, simply going right, seeing the next scenery and accumulating points (which I at first mistook for age). I didn't realize until around 180 or so that my characters were aging, and wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I had an inkling. At the end I felt very saddened and began to think. I thought it was relatively good, but no incredible.

Then I came back here to read what people had said. I didn't know you could go any way but left or right, and I think this is major theme. The thought that we have no idea what is going on around us, or don't know our full potential until it is given to us. We often wait for those sorts of things to just hit us in the face.

Along with the exploration throughout my second play through I noticed how if you had picked up the companion then you couldn't see everything there was to see. This included both good and bad experiences (chests). I found this to be the most impacting part of the game--behind the fact that the game was only a set 5 minutes long and what you chose to do, or not, was just that, your choice.

The game has really made me look inside myself and think about what is going on in my life right now. However, as I am a cynical bastard I know that this will pass and unless I play this game every day it won't make a difference in my life.
roboticheartache's Avatar
I'm really upset that after my wife died, I couldn't find an 18 year old blonde trophy wife to sponge bathe me and drool over what her inheritance was going to be. Flies mostly.



For realz though i was really kind of taken aback when i actually found myself feeling...feelings.
ShadowXOR's Avatar
I wrote way more than I should have, so much that it definitely shouldn't be a comment, so I turned it into a C-Blog. I really can't say something brief about this game, it just got me thinking too much.

http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/ShadowXOR/a-serious-question-about-life-time-and-work-inspired-by-passage--58993.phtml

Thank you for bringing this game to everyone's attention.
Aether Wyrm's Avatar
As soon as I started playing, I noticed the aging. The hair color changing, the point thing, etc. But I missed the lady and never saw a treasure chest. I just kept walking, analyzing what was happening. I noticed the subtle changes in my character's figure, and I noticed my moving to the right. I thought that it represented the passage from the left, which was birth, to the right, which would be death. I eventually died on a red floor thing, yet I felt nothing inside. I didn't really feel any meaning in what had happened, and once I died I still felt nothing. So either I'm good at accepting what happens, or I'm a horrible, unfeeling abomination with no empathy. I'm hoping it's the first one XD
raucci's Avatar
After reading the comments and your write up on the game, it makes me feel even better about what I just experienced. I want to show this to everyone I know and my family... wow
Tino's Avatar
This game really really is a work of art. I found it a few weeks ago. I didn't collect any treasure, just soldiered forward.

Eventually realized I was aging. I said "Cool."

Realized I was moving to the right, I said "Hmm."

When my spouse died, I panicked. I lost all sense of direction and goals. I decided maybe, just maybe if I can get far enough, I will live. Thats what she would have wanted.
the GAMEGOBLIN's Avatar
Amazing
CelicaCrazed's Avatar
That was very moving. It really makes me question my choices and decisions in life. Man, now I'm depressed :(.
LostCrichton's Avatar
A simple, emotional journey that I have played six times now.
KyleGamgee's Avatar
I wrote a frickin' book just now but my browser hiccuped, and it's lost forever.

amazing experience
Gamechamp's Avatar
I pretty much knew right from the beginning "Oh when I hit the edge of the screen I'll die." Too preditable. Didn't feel much of anything.
brainpower4's Avatar
I really wish every game had the kind of thought and care put into it as this one. I hope Jack Thomson is forced to play through this at some point in his life, even he can't argue with the beauty of it.
Ronsauce's Avatar
Maybe as a piece of interactive art it's good, but that was a terrible game. It didn't elicit any emotions from me other than boredom. Pretending that it was a life altering experience seems pretentious or really friggin' pathetic. I bet some of you are fans of interpretive dance as well?
wardrox's Avatar
@Ronsauce, I bet you don't like modern art. Stuff is more than stuff.

I really enjoyed that.
Ghil's Avatar
The thing is, in five minutes I really grew attached to the girl...
The first playthrough Was nice. I didn't really realise it was a girl until I hit her, and then I realised I was in love. I said to myself "oh well, let's push on, that'll be interesting". and as I travelled on, many trials where blocking my path, and sometimes getting out of it together was hard. But we pressed on. We saw treasure chests, and even stumbled upon one, but I was already not convinced it was useful at all. All I wanted was to explore with her.

And we came to a clearing, green and peaceful, and life seemed really nice! We continued forward, always wanting to know more of the path ahead, and everything was slowly becoming clearer, my path already cleared was blurring slowly...

And I realised we where aging. it got me thinking about it, And I found it logical and nice...but the more we pressed on, the more the surroundings became like an hospital, where she eventually died. At first I panicked, and lay there. But she would've wanted me to press on and push until I wasn't able to anymore, for both of us. It was so weird thinking that because of a pixelated tombstone! but I marched again, and finally died.

There was a tear, but peace came to me. all was well, all had ended.
Wedge's Avatar
I'm surprised this got so many comments. Also amusing what the comments say about the kind of people here...
corneliuscack's Avatar
the chests earlier in the game can be accessible with the girl, and the fact that you obtain mostly treasure in the beginning instead of flies later on during the game, is pretty cool. only because of the fact that the girl gets in the way of you picking up the shitty treasure later on due to small minimal spaces surrounding the chests.


or i could be wrong, but this is just a interpretation on what i thought about that alone.

but of course it is noticeable that "your score" at the upper right corner is less with the girl. maybe this can be implemented as a one track thought, and can be considered to be a financial standpoint in life, and that with more people you are involved with personally, the less you can obtain/will obtain.



but ehh, that's just speculation on my part.

and anything that makes people really think, is a good thing. ggpo.
greks224's Avatar
I got the C-c-Combo Breaker!

But really, it was an interesting games; I noticed that over time there were more obstacles; if you went off the straight path there was more obstacles but more treasure too; both you and your partner must pass through an obstacle - one cannot pass through alone. I think people who had the problem with backtracking didn't realize that you still age as you move backwards - and those who try to live in the past end up getting no extra points! I think because the game was so focused it was easy to make a deliberate pace and have all possibilities of interpretation covered. The creators of this work have a deliberate meaning and through this simple medium is is depicted very clearly.
LordRegulus's Avatar
@Rev

Thanks for the shout-out! I'm glad you enjoyed Passage; I will mark this down as the first time in Dtoid history that we agree wholeheartedly on something.

Also, these positive comments are WIN.
tim333's Avatar
I dunno, it was too simplistic for me. The only thing I really liked about it was the blurring effects - that was a cool metaphor for how one's perception of past and future. Aside from that, though, there wasn't enough here to elicit any emotion from me. When my "wife" died, I just thought "huh. Oh well." The problem is, you don't DO anything in this game - you just walk. I never noticed the treasure chests in my first play, despite going up and down a good deal, and when I found them on my second play, it didn't have enough interactive value to me to be worth doing. You do more in life than just walk.

So, an interesting idea, but too minimalist for me, and I can't really get anything out of this game aside from the most basic observations about life and time that everyone already knows anyway.
HiyooyiH's Avatar
You guys get to the boss?
tim333's Avatar
Er, I meant, how one's perception of past and future shifts. Also I thought it was neat how you could see your wife's tombstone getting blurrier as you left it behind, but never quite left your side. That's all I thought it was though - neat. I can't see how I'm supposed to develop any emotional attachment when you pretty much do nothing but hold right and there's nothing very interactive to encounter.
Ghil's Avatar
@HiyooyiH: yep, and she kicked my ass after she killed my girl. damn Death, wasn't prerared. I knew I should've bought more X-Potions!
dafusion's Avatar
I was sad when the wifey died, so much so that after walking a bit, I walked back to her tombstone and died beside her.
Tubatic's Avatar
Pretty damn excellent.

If I go into comments on other people's comments, I'll never leave work tonight. I don't get how some people didn't get something out of it.

But yeah, for me, that was great.
frozenbabylon's Avatar
As I played it, I got this overwhelming sense of melancholy. I felt like `So, this is how life goes then.` And it filled me with a certain... sadness.

It was just an amazing experience. Thank you, Reverend.