Replaying Little Big Aventure 2 for the first time in over a decade

[CS2x]

Thanks to gog.com, I'm playing LBA2 again for the first time in years on my Mac. The emulation isn't perfect, but it's good enough to enjoy the game. And my days, is the game good! Surprisingly, it's not injecting as much nostalgic feeling as I was hoping for, but in a sense that's helpful, because I can judge my experience of it a bit more neutrally (though one can never be that objective when playing a game that defined childhood!)

It's lighthearted, imaginative and innocent, which I value a lot as I'm not so into the bleakness and darkness and 'adultness' invading every film and game. It's very surreal and cartoonesque, but without compromising on size/substance (even if the script and puzzles are mostly simple). It does lots of things that other adventure games still don't do in terms of sheer variation, detail and interaction. The game somehow feels alive, and you feel so free, and sometimes it's just fun to watch the world go by, what with all the little movement/interaction cycles the NPCs indulge in, the wonderful music, and the mass of nonessential things to examine. There's room to breathe in the game, and you don't feel forced from one task to another, even if it is actually linear (but who cares? All gaming is an illusion, and LBA creates the illusion of adventure better than most.) It all hangs together coherently, but there's substantial difference between all the islands and planets in a way that you don't see very often. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and life is serious enough as it is, so that's a big bonus - but it still has heart and gaming/aesthetic depth.

I was expecting LBA2 to really disappoint, as I suspected my love of the game might have had more to do with my young age than anything else. But it hasn't. Only Oucast has impacted me in a similar way and still matches up today. Of course there's plenty of other great games out there from that period right until today, but I'm talking about childhood games that give you 'that' special feeling - games that take you on a long, amazing, imagination-stirring adventure and offer true escapism. Thanks, Adeline!

[Streg]

LBA2 surely has something that you don't see that often in gaming, especially modern ones. For its age, it's pretty unique. In order to see a game with a similiar amount of "freedom" in exploring a fantasy world etc we had to wait years. It may seem like a weird comparison, but Bioware's games are the ones that get nearer to LBA in these aspects (Jade Empire, KOTOR, Dragon Age).

[Polaris]

Strange, I'd say KotOR is indeed pushing you onwards... Maybe not as much as MMORPGs but still.

[Double-J]

Originally Posted by CS2x

Thanks to gog.com, I'm playing LBA2 again for the first time in years on my Mac. The emulation isn't perfect, but it's good enough to enjoy the game. And my days, is the game good! Surprisingly, it's not injecting as much nostalgic feeling as I was hoping for, but in a sense that's helpful, because I can judge my experience of it a bit more neutrally (though one can never be that objective when playing a game that defined childhood!)

It's lighthearted, imaginative and innocent, which I value a lot as I'm not so into the bleakness and darkness and 'adultness' invading every film and game. It's very surreal and cartoonesque, but without compromising on size/substance (even if the script and puzzles are mostly simple). It does lots of things that other adventure games still don't do in terms of sheer variation, detail and interaction. The game somehow feels alive, and you feel so free, and sometimes it's just fun to watch the world go by, what with all the little movement/interaction cycles the NPCs indulge in, the wonderful music, and the mass of nonessential things to examine. There's room to breathe in the game, and you don't feel forced from one task to another, even if it is actually linear (but who cares? All gaming is an illusion, and LBA creates the illusion of adventure better than most.) It all hangs together coherently, but there's substantial difference between all the islands and planets in a way that you don't see very often. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and life is serious enough as it is, so that's a big bonus - but it still has heart and gaming/aesthetic depth.

I was expecting LBA2 to really disappoint, as I suspected my love of the game might have had more to do with my young age than anything else. But it hasn't. Only Oucast has impacted me in a similar way and still matches up today. Of course there's plenty of other great games out there from that period right until today, but I'm talking about childhood games that give you 'that' special feeling - games that take you on a long, amazing, imagination-stirring adventure and offer true escapism. Thanks, Adeline!

Very nice analysis. I think it's also refreshing because while it was a game that featured combat, you never feel bogged down by the system or simply a game where you're killing random things to fetch random item a to put in random slot b. It was much more about the story and the experience.

[SpaceGuitarist]

Sometimes when I try to to explain LBA to people who don't know it, I give up before I even start because it is so indescribable like that.

To resume it into any kind of understandable term such as "an adventure game" would make no justice to the game at all, no matter how much adjectives you add to it. It's an experience you can live but cannot share - each must play on his own to acquire it.

[Polaris]

Isn't that a bit too much ?

[Twinsan]

Originally Posted by SpaceGuitarist

Sometimes when I try to to explain LBA to people who don't know it, I give up before I even start because it is so indescribable like that.

To resume it into any kind of understandable term such as "an adventure game" would make no justice to the game at all, no matter how much adjectives you add to it. It's an experience you can live but cannot share - each must play on his own to acquire it.

i share my gog copy with people, no one i gave it to disliked lba1 in any way they all loved it, but some were a bit let down by lba 2

[xesf]

Originally Posted by SpaceGuitarist

Sometimes when I try to to explain LBA to people who don't know it, I give up before I even start because it is so indescribable like that.

People surrounding me never understood why I am so fascinated about this series too.
The best thing I find out is to keep that to myself.

[LtDemolition]

Since like a year ago I finally had the chance to play again
The game gets more fun every time you play, too bad I always got to reinstall cuz I mess up the animations and body files

[SpaceGuitarist]

Originally Posted by Polaris

Isn't that a bit too much ?

No !

[Necdilzor]

Originally Posted by LtDemolition

Since like a year ago I finally had the chance to play again
The game gets more fun every time you play, too bad I always got to reinstall cuz I mess up the animations and body files

If you don't make backups, you're going to have a bad time. xD

[Arlowa]

That sums up just about everything I think is wonderful about Twinsen! Whenever I describe it to someone I just end up saying "A trip to the pharmacy ends with saving two worlds and a moon." If that's not a worthy adventure to undertake then I don't know what is!

[CS2x]

Agree with everything you guys are saying.

I've got further in the game, and it just gets better and better. I love how interactive the game world is, but without interactive objects or pathways being highlighted with 'I am interactive!' glowsticks like most modern games. It still seems to be a perfect balance between 'pointless' extras and environments (which are actually essential to atmosphere) and a nice sense of progression and forward motion. I'd forgotten how great the sense of adventure was, how packed to the brin the and was with details and variety and 'choice' (or illusions of choice) - all made even better by lots of witty details. Most of all, the game is so easy and relaxing to play; not easy as in void of challenge, but easy in the sense that the flow of adventuring is never disrupted by repetition or overt 'gameyness' or 'quest-iness'. Yet it is also charmingly videogamey and abstract in places, and doesn't pretend to be realistic at all (though is consistent with its own rules.) Wonderful stuff.

[SpaceGuitarist]

Originally Posted by Arlowa

Whenever I describe it to someone I just end up saying "A trip to the pharmacy ends with saving two worlds and a moon.

Originally Posted by CS2x

I love how interactive the game world is, but without interactive objects or pathways being highlighted with 'I am interactive!' glowsticks like most modern games. It still seems to be a perfect balance between 'pointless' extras and environments (which are actually essential to atmosphere) and a nice sense of progression and forward motion. I'd forgotten how great the sense of adventure was, how packed to the brin the and was with details and variety and 'choice' (or illusions of choice) - all made even better by lots of witty details. Most of all, the game is so easy and relaxing to play; not easy as in void of challenge, but easy in the sense that the flow of adventuring is never disrupted by repetition or overt 'gameyness' or 'quest-iness'. Yet it is also charmingly videogamey and abstract in places, and doesn't pretend to be realistic at all (though is consistent with its own rules.) Wonderful stuff.

Woaw

I've no idea how I've missed this. The two above comments are pretty much the most accurate descriptions of how and why the LBA saga is so special, above every other game before or since! You guys have nailed it!

[SpaceGuitarist]

Originally Posted by Polaris

Isn't that a bit too much ?

Nearly 10 years later I'd still say: Non !

[Polaris]

Haha

[Neko]

Originally Posted by SpaceGuitarist

No !

yes!