When browsing through some online game magazines, they gave Keepsake a bad review, no more than 75% in ratings.
But i don't completely agree, though.
This is what i think, from the total game design point of view, i think they put several brilliant ideas into this game.
Keepsake is kind of a Myst plus Final Fantasy 8 plus fantasy-fairy like RPG game or Myst plus the magic academy in Harry Potter.
The game is about a girl name Lydia who went to the Academy of magic, but surprisingly found that nobody is in the academy! Not a single soul except for a wolf dog who later turn into a cat, a ghost, a bull like guardian, and a merchant.
There are good things and bad things about this game, the good things are:
From the game designing point of view:
1. Random conversation
I think this is great because it makes the game a little bit lively and gives the character connections with each other and also to make the characters more alive. It made them looked like they have their own mind.
2. Animal companion
People always love and are used to be accompanied by animals, either it is a dog, a cat or a bird.
And seeing that this game is a Myst like game where you should go alone and solve puzzles here and there, it will be totally boring if there is no one to talk to. (just like Myst) I don't really like the Myst because: lonely feeling, nobody is there...
3. Good movement
Meaning that, the character will run automatically and walk automatically depending on the distance. If it is far, she will run. If it is near, she will walk. And there is no annoying movements. In a bad movement type of game, when i try to click to right hand side, because i want my character to move to the right, he will move to the left or wander somewhere else that completely got nothing to do with.
4. Breathtaking environment!
This is what is most amazing about this game, they have a superb environment! Magic like castle with beautiful scenery!
5.Beautiful music
Good composed music!
6.Nice vocal talents
Especially Zac, i think he is good.
7. Unique inventory system
Since this is more like a puzzle solving adventure game, the inventory system in keepsake really help me a lot. They have pictures on it, so i know what items i should get, what items i already have and what items i still haven't got. Saves me lots of trouble.
8. Nice story with cinematics.
I don't think their story are lame just like in some of the online game magazines. I think it is fine, maybe the whole idea of the story is too simple, like, where is everybody? How come all the students are missing? But then when the play goes on, with the dialogs, cinematics (lydia's vision), their investigation together (with Zac), and the puzzles and mini games, i think it is OK!
8. And last but not least, the superb build in walkthru system!
Just be honest, every gamers in this world who get stuck, will go online and look at UHS or other walkthrough available out there. So why not having it build in for you?
With the build in walk through system, it not only saves me a lot of time and trouble pressing alt-tab or the windows tab, it also can solve the puzzle completely for me automatically!
This is super because that means, i can choose the puzzles that i want to play and those that i do not want to play! I wont get stuck facing puzzles that in my opinion is super annoying and might stresses me out! I cna just hit the give me the solution option and the game will do it for me and i can just sit back and watch the steps.
The walk through system has 4 steps for puzzle or mini game solving, step 1,2,3 (as last hint) and then step 4 is the automatic done (for you)solution. The higher the steps, the more detailed the hints will be.
While if you are just stuck not knowing what to do next, you can also click the walk through system and it will tell you where and what you should do next.
The Bad BAD things:
1. Too much place to explore, the places to explore in keepsake is GIGANTIC!
Too big! it results in too much running and or walking.
2. Lydia, the main character, walks like a man and runs like a thief in an RPG game.
3. Too many puzzles, too little mini games.
Some of the puzzles are machinery-electrical kind of puzzles that is hard for female of for those without any knowledges of machinery or electrical stuff.
And some of the puzzles are also impossible to crack without the help of the walk through system because there aren't any clue available!
The rules or some games, or the rules of some puzzles-game mix, are not available unless i click the walk through system for help or unless i have super logical skills or graduated from machine or electronic major degree, which sadly i am not.
Some ideas on making different kind of games with keepsake as a base idea:
1. With the environment in keepsake, if this is an RPG game, i think it will be totally cool! With the beginner living and learning to be a mage, thief or warrior or whatever inside the academy, and then go out to venture the island after graduating.
2. The sims3 could make this game it as an expansion idea! How about a magic academy for the sims to learn their magic?
3. Still with keepsake environment, make it an adventure game but with people in it!
4. Make it an online RPG game!
Well, anyway, if you like puzzles, challenge your brain, venturing through breathtakingly beautiful environment, has an animal companion that can talk and follow you around, he he he, try keepsake!
But i don't completely agree, though.
This is what i think, from the total game design point of view, i think they put several brilliant ideas into this game.
Keepsake is kind of a Myst plus Final Fantasy 8 plus fantasy-fairy like RPG game or Myst plus the magic academy in Harry Potter.
The game is about a girl name Lydia who went to the Academy of magic, but surprisingly found that nobody is in the academy! Not a single soul except for a wolf dog who later turn into a cat, a ghost, a bull like guardian, and a merchant.
There are good things and bad things about this game, the good things are:
From the game designing point of view:
1. Random conversation
I think this is great because it makes the game a little bit lively and gives the character connections with each other and also to make the characters more alive. It made them looked like they have their own mind.
2. Animal companion
People always love and are used to be accompanied by animals, either it is a dog, a cat or a bird.
And seeing that this game is a Myst like game where you should go alone and solve puzzles here and there, it will be totally boring if there is no one to talk to. (just like Myst) I don't really like the Myst because: lonely feeling, nobody is there...
3. Good movement
Meaning that, the character will run automatically and walk automatically depending on the distance. If it is far, she will run. If it is near, she will walk. And there is no annoying movements. In a bad movement type of game, when i try to click to right hand side, because i want my character to move to the right, he will move to the left or wander somewhere else that completely got nothing to do with.
4. Breathtaking environment!
This is what is most amazing about this game, they have a superb environment! Magic like castle with beautiful scenery!
5.Beautiful music
Good composed music!
6.Nice vocal talents
Especially Zac, i think he is good.
7. Unique inventory system
Since this is more like a puzzle solving adventure game, the inventory system in keepsake really help me a lot. They have pictures on it, so i know what items i should get, what items i already have and what items i still haven't got. Saves me lots of trouble.
8. Nice story with cinematics.
I don't think their story are lame just like in some of the online game magazines. I think it is fine, maybe the whole idea of the story is too simple, like, where is everybody? How come all the students are missing? But then when the play goes on, with the dialogs, cinematics (lydia's vision), their investigation together (with Zac), and the puzzles and mini games, i think it is OK!
8. And last but not least, the superb build in walkthru system!
Just be honest, every gamers in this world who get stuck, will go online and look at UHS or other walkthrough available out there. So why not having it build in for you?
With the build in walk through system, it not only saves me a lot of time and trouble pressing alt-tab or the windows tab, it also can solve the puzzle completely for me automatically!
This is super because that means, i can choose the puzzles that i want to play and those that i do not want to play! I wont get stuck facing puzzles that in my opinion is super annoying and might stresses me out! I cna just hit the give me the solution option and the game will do it for me and i can just sit back and watch the steps.
The walk through system has 4 steps for puzzle or mini game solving, step 1,2,3 (as last hint) and then step 4 is the automatic done (for you)solution. The higher the steps, the more detailed the hints will be.
While if you are just stuck not knowing what to do next, you can also click the walk through system and it will tell you where and what you should do next.
The Bad BAD things:
1. Too much place to explore, the places to explore in keepsake is GIGANTIC!
Too big! it results in too much running and or walking.
2. Lydia, the main character, walks like a man and runs like a thief in an RPG game.
3. Too many puzzles, too little mini games.
Some of the puzzles are machinery-electrical kind of puzzles that is hard for female of for those without any knowledges of machinery or electrical stuff.
And some of the puzzles are also impossible to crack without the help of the walk through system because there aren't any clue available!
The rules or some games, or the rules of some puzzles-game mix, are not available unless i click the walk through system for help or unless i have super logical skills or graduated from machine or electronic major degree, which sadly i am not.
Some ideas on making different kind of games with keepsake as a base idea:
1. With the environment in keepsake, if this is an RPG game, i think it will be totally cool! With the beginner living and learning to be a mage, thief or warrior or whatever inside the academy, and then go out to venture the island after graduating.
2. The sims3 could make this game it as an expansion idea! How about a magic academy for the sims to learn their magic?
3. Still with keepsake environment, make it an adventure game but with people in it!
4. Make it an online RPG game!
Well, anyway, if you like puzzles, challenge your brain, venturing through breathtakingly beautiful environment, has an animal companion that can talk and follow you around, he he he, try keepsake!