| Scriptwriting for Games | |
| Instructor: Lindsay Grace |
2007: Bad Game
Escape from Bug Island:
"The cheesy tale begins as the three cliche characters arrive on the mysterious island that has for years been the home of large insects and very few other inhabitants. The book-smart Michelle has no idea that nice-guy Ray likes her because she's more concerned with the cataloging of these bugs. But before Ray can make a move, his best friend Mike tells Michelle -- in a cinematic that has almost no flow and makes about as much sense as a really bad B-movie -- that he loves her and demands that she be his girlfriend. The game begins shortly after Michelle takes off on her own to consider this offer, with the determined Mike in tow. Ray, who absolutely hates bugs, decides to find them, but little does he know that the island is infested with overgrown critters.
If developer Spike had actually recognized and up-played the hammy storyline and dialog, there at least might have been genuine comic appeal to the tale. However, it seems clear to us that the studio was going for realism and not a campy presentation, and scares, not laughs. Disappointingly, players are more likely to crack up at the events that follow and the way in which the storyline and dialog unfolds than they will jump out of their seat. " -IGN, August 12, 2007
Read the full review:
Google Video (1st thirty minutes) | alternate link
Time Chrisis 4 (PS3) - "Honarable" Mention
"There seems to be an almost conscious effort to offer positively insulting story premises delivered through some of the worst dialogue ever penned." -Game Informer
Read the full reivew:
Historical "Bad" Game Case Studies
Provided by Lindsay Grace for students of the Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago. These documents may be used by others when properly credited. Please email lgrace at aii edu for more information.