Interactive movies were the worse but when you talk about FMV games. You're usually talking about these!
Some games like the Gabriel Knight Series developed by Sierra Entertainment came out in a huge success and having some praise for the fans of that movie or disappointment. Gabriel Knight 2 has some bad acting but the story is deep and rich with grotesque violence and gore. While some Full Motion Videos games deliver downright terrible acting, a dumb script and off the wall bad script but adds such grotesque gore and violence that you couldn't believe your eyes watching it. Some examples are Phastamaongia developed by the same developer as Gabriel Knight, its terrible acting, performance and script makes the game just horrible but you want to play it because you crave for horror and violence. With Ripper, its the same thing but this time, they hired famous AAA actors like Christopher Walken, John Rhys-Davis, Paul Giamatti, Burgess Meredith and other great celebrities, making it a cheap sentiment guilty pleasure for everyone to buy but it includes such gore and violence that can be comprehend from. But these FMV were a failure even though they were a success and the ideal is a bad one.
Interactive movies or Full Motion Video are just another lame excuse for making the games into movies, such games isn't really a FMV but rather a rail shooter. But CD-Roms were a major technical leap in the early 90s. All of a suddenly our portable storage capacity from the three and a half floppies, we were using, to over 700 megabytes crumpled into these CDs. Developers fought these CDs as a reason to make Oscar winning FMVs into games. But the whole Oscar winning is just a lie, while they were some goods like a 7th Heaven and Mist, most of them are more than a hindrance. FMV will soon wear off, the gaming community discover that these games were abysmal and terrible. When technology leaps, the developers develop rail-shooter FMVs that weren't Interactive movies at all, Games like Space Pirates and Crime Patrols were one of the examples of horrible a rail-gun shooters just like some arcade shooters today. Sometimes you will get a chuckle out of these because you are playing this game with your mouse.
It was weird kind of era that many had been forgotten mainly because these games were so hard to run on modern computers today, our computers are sophisticated, most of these games ran on DOS, which is hard to get now but some games requires Windows 3.1, a gigantic failure that ran on top of DOS and it was difficult to run at that time. What is another letdown is regarding about how much CDs they were. Some games like from Take-Two Interactive's Black Dahlia came with eight discs, while its counterpart, Ripper came with six. You will know how frustrating to switch discs over and over again. Some games does that today but it least its to continue to the chapter, NOT continuously switching discs over and over again. Its frustrated how annoying it could be but i guess the technology but them is annoying to comprehend in. Dark Side of the Moon and Under a Killing Moon was a pure example of annoying disc switching could be. Everytime you go to a next room or just another scene, you are require to switch discs, and its very frustrating to do that even back in that time.
Some Notorious FMV games that are horrible that others were Foxhunt and Johnny Mnemonic developed by Sony Imagesoft. Johnny Mnemonic feels like a Keeva Reeves movie based some what of a William Getsan allusion. A game that run on the terrible Windows 3.1 and a game so hirrency that will always broke my friend's computer while installing it, thankfully I would give thanks to my friend for playing it on his computer. Windows 3.1 was a terrible result of destroying your computer, even when my friend recover it, it doesn't work, my friend to months to recover it and seriously it wasn't worth the wait for this game.
Johnny Mnemonic the FMV game is quite similar than the movie with Keeva Reeves. Johnny is a data trafficker who has an implant that allows him to securely store data that is too sensitive for regular computer networks. His brain can carry nearly 80 gigabytes worth of data, or 160 gigabytes if he uses a doubler. Johnny uses this implant to act as a courier between contracting parties. On one delivery run, he accepts a package that not only exceeds the implant's safety limits (and will thus kill him if the data isn't removed in time), but also proves to contain information far more important and valuable than he had ever imagined and apparently his acting talent. He has to get the data removed, and avoid being killed by assassins sent after him by the company who owns the data. But the difference from the movie and book is that there's another character that you will play as, Jane, Johnny friend that always follows you and in scenes you can switch with either Johnny or Jane which is kinda similar to X-Files the game but equally better.
Now you will notice this game is similar to Foxhunt. You barely play these games, all you could do is use your arrows to movie, hit a genetic use key and half the time you will never know what were you doing. Especially in this game, where don't have a clue what you're doing. They are a secret key from the manual that is download, and you only use it a few times during the process in the game. Its irrelevant why they did that, and why its there for, probably because to download separate keys from computers. These computers are like idiot-traps when you are try to use the computer, the player automatically thinks you are trying to store more data into your brain memory, causing you to die and game over. That implementation is really, really useless and a pathetic one. But you will require to use to the computer because you need the three parts of the download code which was destroyed. Luckily there is a computer intelligent female that will give you access to get these download codes but you need to get them in separate places.
Why can't this intelligence person just sent me three friggen jaypix files?!
Anyway...
The main point of the game is searching the computer parts. Most of the time you rummage through people's stuff and covertly steal their stuff. Putting in the items in your infinitely deep pockets just like Grim Fandango. And most of the time, the game will never tell you where you supposed to be going, what you're supposed to be doing, what items you supposed to collect, what the items actually do or where you supposed to use them. You have what so ever no control over Johnny's action from putting a item or what item you need to uses, he uses it. If he doesn't have a specific item, most of the time you die, and when you die, you have absolutely no idea why you die and what item you need to prevent dying. Which is just pure lame and weak.
You will encounter enemies in this game just like the movie, you get to fight either some guy that looks like Andy Dick or some Yakuza guy. They will burst out with guns and chase you until your demise. Its not a coincidence that you will meet them soon, is how they act like. The problem is when you are fleeing from them, its hard to figure out how you escape from their voice talent The game is out right merciless regarding about which direction you need to go, sometimes you go the right way and you need to repeat yourself over and over again. While if you make a bad decision, you will die. Its kinda like Dragon's Lair but with no hints.
Should I take the door, Nope, the hall nope, the window? Damn I can't escape from their horrible voice talent and Andy Dick!
Was worse than the voice talent is the fighting sequences you been waiting, it hard to tell whats happening. The action is so surprising and so spanick that its so hard to know when they are encountering you in conflict. Its like the editors is having a stroke during these sequences. Once you figured it out, the scene will comprise either with the Yakuza wannabe or his friend on steroids, Andy Dick, its either you or your girlfriend, Jane. You will be a in fist fight with either the wannabee or Andy Dick. From here the camera switch to this hilarious view kinda like first person mode in boxing games but more stupider than that, you can see the person you are fighting, taunting, giging and driving.
WOW, it like I'm in the game, Its like I'm really getting my butt kicked by Super Andy Dick. But I Owned in fighting games and I will air gugo his butt!
What makes the action sequences so confusing is that there are no health gauge, no rule and NO MERCY. Its just Laugh out Loud hilarious to see that there are no feature of that and seeing Andy Dick taunting and kicking your butt will send laughs down the road! Sometimes Its kinda challenging when fighting, the AI isn't much of an AI in video games but its kinda real and stupid. I finally figured out how to fight, its when you prepare to fight, you move into a fighting stance, when you or Jane are fighting either with the wannabee or Andy Dick. To fight, you have some options, either punch kick or block when the conflict begins in letterbox format. You can only choose one action per opportunity which is first frustrating because you can easily die in this game for fighting or from their acting. In general, its inevitable when the enemy is moving or their posture creates an opening that makes you have a opportunity to fight back. Block when you sense your enemy attacks you. During the conflict you see their reaction shots, which looks really dumb if you look at it. Its really topical of the action sequences, like some games, you can beat the heck of him when their are struggling or you or Jane are losing. After beating up Andy Dick or the Yakuza wannabe for what they deserve, Johnny or Jane, the ones your playing will return to healthy condition which is so unrealistic and weak. If you lose its a pain, and you will return back to the Main Menu. What does the manual think of us, Idiots? I mean come on, what a dumb question, winning is good, losing is bad. What are we, a bunch of ten year olds or mentally challenged people? Actually playing this game will evidently lose your IQ points. Continuing the action sequences, these playing manuals doesn't even help you out, if you follow their rules then you will end up dying alot. But if you're are rebel like I am, just keep on punching the daylights out of him and he will soon be defeated. There's no reason to block or kick, its not like the AI is so sophisticated that it weaken them and will adapt to your strategy. There's are absolutely no reason to do combos in this game, just full force punch the dude and wish we could die from his acting. Somewhat useless to me, but somehow a bit cool because the AI isn't quite dumb. You also fight with other characters besides the Yakuza wannabe or Hulk Andy Dick, you always fight when you entered Ralfs place, a hot female cyborg which is quite not challenging trifle with. Cyborgs are persistence that's for sure!
The acting in this game is quite similar to the other FMV, abysmal performance and even worse than terrible acting, like the same caliber as a Uwe Boll movie's acting. Sometimes characters probably not in the movie or maybe acts like some weirdo especially Johnny. Its kinda like are reading the script and was not getting paid as much. Even Phastmagonia has a budget over one million and still the acting is terrible. It looks like they hired some trash celebrities(like they did in House of the Dead or Blood Rayne) and improvising it or memorizing it good but their performances ended like Uwe Boll. Its so typical that these Interactive Movies will always have these types of acting and so much bad performances that will chuckle that heck out of you when you're done. Foxhunt is also the same ideal, its just inevitable that this will happen in this type of genre so called FMV or Interactive Movies that most of the games will come out to be garbage. But i kinda like their effort on making it because they probably took hundreds of hours performing in this game and how terrible they are on producing these.
Its just wonders that a game so terrible that it can be called a next Uwe Boll production!
The script on the other part is the same as the acting performances and acting in general. The script feels like its been done by people that know less about Johnny Mnemonic or a script from 187: Ride or Die or one of the Uwe Boll movies. I still can't believe that even they probably got some or more money from Sony Imagesoft, which is affiliated with Sony, I guess and still produce a weak and lame script. Even the script in Johnny Mnemonic the movie is a bit better but still weak. I think they hired some bad or dumb people to make this script as well as casting them. I get the sense that these editors and writers are crackheads disillusioning Johnny Mnemonic.
The casting however is a unknown to me. The main protagonist and his girlfriend looks not charismatic at all but it just hilarious when they talk or do stupid stunts. Why can't they have enough money so that they could cast Keeva Reeves, Ice-T or Takeso Kitano in this pathetic game? Why? They just cast so lowlifes pretending like they are characters from Johnny Mnemonic, Andy Dick caricature, a Japanese person that can speak fluent English which is kinda rare in english video games, a Gary Sinise lookalike(the throwing daggers dude), some hobo that looks like Fred(that guy from Coming Up Next or something from FOX) and the most notable of them all, you know him from South Park, ISSAC HAYES!! Even if Issac Hayes is in this FMV game, he only adds some benefit to this gosh-awful game. While some or one character in this game are just notable or makes the game better, all of those terrible actors creates a wall so that you can't appreciate these two characters. Its just sad that they hired these people and hired some good ones but are overshadowed by the garbage(the script).
The dialogue in this game is just hilarious because its just pure crap when you hear it, sometimes it can be a weirdo, Andy Dick, some pervert hobo watching porn on some futuristic goggles and the characters you're portraying as. As much as you can roll on the floor laughing your butts off over the acting, sometimes they can give you some clues and hints that are forgettable or rarely even heard in the game. The premise of the dialogue in the game is kinda like the same in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion without the subtitles or the relationship thingy. Like I said in the fighting sequences, its hard to tell what you're saying or what you're trying to say. There are probably two options, being nice or terrible. You encounter some weirdo that talks so authentic as a crazy person, its just really funny if you see him talk and when you annoy him alot while having sex when Jane. Like for example, in the subway, you encounter a craze hobo that will give you these goggles from his dog and in exchange for your toilet money. Which is terrible because why would anyone give their dog, porn goggles to observe it. You basically need to snatch his goggles because if you pay him the toilet money, and use it on a computer, you die. You need those goggles to do some important things rather than watch porn, perverts.
To Hobo: Spend your friggen change on VR porn!
The dying sequences in this game is like the acting talent, its always hilarious if you die in something besides the fighting sequences. Examples of funny deaths are in the Subway where the perverted hobo is, when you jump on those rails, you've made a mistake and the techno sub-train will kill you which is hilarious if you see their reactions. Like I said before, there's no clue why you die, the game is out right merciless when it comes down to dying. This game is tolerant where it comes to hints, they will most of the time don't reveal what to do and how to do this, to prevent dieing. Its just the similar dieing from video games but even more funnier. While some games that include grotesque gore and violence aren't available in this game, which is still stupid, with lame gore effects and stuff.
They are also some puzzles in this game, for some reason, its kinda dumb when you look at it. Like the female intelligence which tells you to get the three download parts and following some obstacles through puzzles and stupid puzzles. Puzzles are in the game is basically when you using a computer before injecting your head with some thing. Either from using a console, figuring out how to do the right thing like precising mini-games that is kinda hard but you will figure out the premise soon. If you finish the puzzle, you will either continue with the story or fail and return to the Main Menu. Similar to what other Interactive Movies has to offer, sometimes you need pure logic and intelligence to figure these puzzles out without any hints from the game like this. While some FMV games offer some puzzle hints on processing in this game, making it reliable more than emergency. This game gives you basically nothing, and it makes for a intelligent person to finish or a lucky person to complete these puzzles. Eventually you will encounter some enemies or contraptions that will prevent you from getting a important item so that you can activate the terminal for more puzzles. Some of these enemies are some what bosses and probably need to steer clear of them, use some items to that you can pass or use pure knowledge so that the bosses go away. After finishing some main puzzles to continue the game, you go to a somewhat virtual world where you need to get the part of the download code but the street preacher that looks like Gary Sinise with throwing daggers and some roman cape attacks. Who would use throwing daggers in the future?
Eventually after encountering the Yakuza boss and Gary Sinise wannabe, you finally get to see Gay Blown(Issac Hayes),which I only like for a while until his dialogue came. Which he can pull the data out of your head, its kinda hella trippy. Its pretty coincidental that the most famous celebrity in this game is Issac HAYES. Near the end, you encounter, those Yakuza guys again and just lame those followers of Chef... I mean Issac Hayes didn't protect the entrance. Its quite difficult like I said before but you will eventually defeat them with Jane. When you begin another puzzle, like I said before, they are obstacles towards this and after you completed it, you face a techno samurai who is really difficult to defeat him but better voice talent to defeat him easily because when I played this game, I suck when it comes to fighting of how the acting is affecting my status. And you can finally upload the data and maybe your acting talent.
Overall, Johnny Mnemonic is a beyond terrible result of how games can be produced. Everything from the story, performance, fighting sequences and especially the acting talent is beyond abysmal then this. Why because if you play, you will know. Its just safe to say now that Interactive movies aren't and will never be released after the ninties because now we have the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 in play, FMV games are basically useless to us and it mostly everyone won't know what is FMV games are like or are. I guess they are the lucky ones that didn't know whats this genre, or rare to them. People like me, experience the horror, weak plot and off the wall horrible acting. We should congratulate us because there no existence of a Interactive Movie anymore. Its beyond me, what were they doing back them, and how they manage to make this terrible games. I bet they learn a lesson from making these games to never make these games even if celebrity talent is in it. That's just a cheap sentiment luring people to purchase this and probably will hang themselves after this, I almost kill myself playing this game. You can thank me for surviving that horrid game and producing this review.
You're Welcome! Anyways, DON"T purchase this game which is probably rare to get in the internet or anywhere because they stop producing these games. Which is lucky for us, but if people buy it you support Communism or something even horrible than that. Its just the devil's work. I recommended you to never buy it or even look at it that's why I didn't put images in because If you see it, you will probably commit suicide or something. Just Don't buy this game, this game is just like Robocop the game but even horrible. If you already purchase in that time, because maybe publications didn't review it or it looks like a movie and you're a fanboy or girl on movies. Throw this piece of garbage and burn it to the depths of hell. Don't even hesitate to kill off Andy Dick!