Dodo Blog

For the next couple weeks I’ll be doing a series of posts on the use of interactive animation in a number of notable games…

Now, The Act…

This is an unusual example in that it’s a game I have not played, as it’s not exactly widely available. It was created as a prototype coin-op that sadly did not meet with commercial success and was not developed any further. Still, it may be worth looking at what they were trying to do and why it was interesting.

The game uses analog control to either push forward or back off in your interactions with other characters. The trick is to know when to do which…

Quite linear of course, but unlike the dreaded Quick Time Events it’s organic and invisible and there’s a certain nuance to your actions. It’s an interesting approach to interacting with NPCs without resorting to dialogue trees, or violence…

Cecropia has since moved on to making short advergames, but you can get an idea of how The Act might have worked from a cute demo on their frontpage. It shows pretty clearly how emotion and personality can make even the simplest of interactions entertaining…

Next up: don’t know yet