Aquaria

C

Cat People

First time out of the vault
So has anyone else checked out Aquaria yet? I'm not sure exactly when it was released but I'm fairly sure it was recent and I've just downloaded the demo. You can check it out here I guess:

http://bit-blot.com/aquaria/

I'll be honest after a significant amount of hype over this game and it winning the IGF Grand Prize award I am seriously disappointed. I'll give you the low-down on my experience with the demo. I booted it up, swam around a bit (slowly,) swam through some screens that all pretty much looked exactly the same, sang a song, bumped into a fish, lost some health and swam around some more screens that all looked almost exactly the same, before I gave up. (I'll admit I have a short attention span.)

So to anyone else who has played this what are your opinions on it so far? On all other communities I go to people are saying it is the best independant game ever created (even better than DefCon... Yeah Right.) and I really don't see the appeal of it so far.

I might boot it up again later to try and finish the demo but right now it's definitely not something I intend to buy.

What are your opinions?
 
It looks really, really gay. The only way I would play this is to get into some geek chick's pants.
 
No chicken, just rainbow-colored fish and a vaguely transsexual looking elf swimming almost naked.
 
This game was on display during the free play convention in melbourne this fall. I sat down and played it for a few minutes but never really got the objective so I let it go.

From what I can recall it had some decent music and sound fxs, but it was just too experimental for me to really get it.

Braid was another game that was cool. Never played it but from what I saw it looked way better than this aquarium thing

a vaguely transsexual looking elf swimming almost naked.
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and you guys are questioning the hype
 
Taking a look at it I can see why people would be apprehensive. The character is a young female and the environments are all made to look like art. I guess "gay" would be an accurate description.

However the art is beautiful, the design seems very unique, and I'm guessing the lack of any objectives means you just wander the world looking/waiting for something to happen. That sounds very non-linear. This could be a great niche title or possibly one of the best games ever that only critics like.

I'll keep watch on it.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
 
the environments are all made to look like art
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Are made to look like 'art'? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Do yourself a favor and buy a decent art history book for Christmas, instead of wallowing in the notion that all art equals to representations of homoerotic elves in Neverland.

However the art is beautiful
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The WHAT?

I assume you meant artwork. In that case:

It looks like My Little Pony gone Tranny Aqua Elf. Good for an Almodovar movie, but gayer than San Francisco's Gay Pride parade.
 
It looks like My Little Pony gone Tranny Aqua Elf. Good for an Almodovar movie, but gayer than San Francisco's Gay Pride parade.
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That line turned me on.... for some strange reason.... Probably since my ex girlfriend had My Little Pony things she collected and I dress.....

I'm not going to mention the tranny bit....
 
what happened to this thread?! Back to the various underground layers you spawned from, geeks!
 
Starseeker said:
Interesting debate, what IS art?

Beauty is a matter of taste, but Art?
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Me and Wooz have had this problem before. You see Wooz is an art student of much talent and education whereas I'm just your average person who likes good-looking things. Thus we have different ideas of what "art" is.

I think of it as "an attempt to recreate some mental idea through physical manifestation". Basically you visualize something and try to make it look real. As far as that game is concerned they wanted "pretty" environments and they made them in a way that does look "pretty" so I call it art.

I'm curious how Wooz would define it. Oh and yes Wooz since you're an expert I'll consider your definition more true than mine and no I'm being a wuss I just know that if I had your level of education I'd expect the same.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
 
TVD said:
Wooz is an art student of much talent and education
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Don't know about the talent or education, but I'm finishing an art academy. BEWARE MORTALS! Next year I'll force you to call me "maestro Wooz"

TVD said:
good-looking things.
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See, there's where we differ. Good looking things != art.

Something doesn't have to adhere to the general opinion as to what is good-looking and what isn't to be 'beautiful'. Beautiful in a higher form than your standard pastel colors and boobed anime-elves, or the best-looking woman on the planet. Beauty isn't always pretty, art isn't always good looking, and it usually has a more ambitious role than "just" looking good.

TVD said:
I'm curious how Wooz would define it.
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I really wouldn't. I strongly reccomend you Gombrich's "The Story of Art" for a more appropriate explanation, if what's above isn't enough. It's an excellent book, and is one of the few art history books (out of the dozen I was forced almost at gunpoint to read) that are a pleasant, interesting read.

Here, you can get it at Amazon for under twenty bucks. If any of you guys want to learn a bit more, this is the book of choice.
 
Wooz said:
TVD said:
Wooz is an art student of much talent and education
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Don't know about the talent or education, but I'm finishing an art academy. BEWARE MORTALS! Next year I'll force you to call me "maestro Wooz"
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And strip us to a dynamite-filled piano?
 
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