The revival of FMV games has been fascinating to witness, in large part because today’s takes on the genre are far more accomplished than the ultra-compressed blotchfests that typified its first wave in the ’90s. From Sam Barlow’s clever found-footage puzzlers to more traditional choice-driven adventures like Late Shift and The Bunker, there’s plenty to show that, against all odds, live-action video has some artistic merit in videogames.
Headspun is another twist on the genre, casting you as the boss of Cortex, a company headquartered inside the mind of Theo, a man emerging from a five-week coma after a car accident. Theo’s memories are scattered all over his subconscious, most of Cortex’s employees are dead, and it’s up to you, CEO Ted, to get his brain back in order. This manifests as a management game in which you rebuild the company, interposed with live-action video of Theo’s convalescence in hospital.
Your avatar Ted symbolises the dour and often outright dickish side of Theo’s psyche. Ted wakes up from his own coma to find Cortex in ruins following the accident, albeit kept in some semblance of order by his business partner Teddy, who represents Theo’s creative, romantic side. The game progresses in 24-hour days, with time passing whenever you engage Theo in mini-games.
Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av PC Gamer.
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Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av PC Gamer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A New Dawn - The rise, fall and rise again of PC Gaming in Japan
The so-called 'Paso Kon' market (ie katakana's transliteration of 'Pasonaru Computa') in Japan was originally spearheaded in the 1980s by NEC's PC-8800 and, later, its PC-9800.
MARVEL: ULTIMATE ALLIANCE
Enter the multiverse of modness.
SLIDES RULE
Redeeming a hated puzzle mechanic with SLIDER
GODS AND MONSTERS
AGE OF MYTHOLOGY: RETOLD modernises a classic RTS with care
PHANTOM BLADE ZERO
Less Sekiro, more Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
STARR-MAKING ROLE
Final Fantasy XVI's BEN STARR talks becoming a meme and dating summons
THIEF GOLD
Learning to forgive myself for knocking out every single guard.
HANDHELD GAMING PCs
In lieu of more powerful processors, handhelds are getting weirder
FAR FAR AWAY
STAR WARS OUTLAWS succeeds at the little things, but not much else shines
FINDING IMMORTALITY
Twenty-five years on, PLANESCAPE: TORMENT is still one of the most talked-about RPGs of all time. This is the story of how it was created as a ‘stay-busy’ project by a small team at Black Isle Studios
