h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Discworld NOIR - A897906
Author: [...] - U198644

This article has been in Peer Review. The author wrote two articles that were edited on the other two Discworld games before ing. I think this article has the potential to be an Edited Entry and would love to see the trilogy that ... wrote completed.

Owning the game, I am happy to volunteer to do so.

<BB<

And I'm happy to join you in doing so.


Geggs

As in the <./>Peer Review</.> conversation you were very keen on encouraging ... to write about the Noir side, how would you like to write the Noir section for the article? Mention the references such as about the Casablanca 'play it again Sam', Tsortese Falchion, always raining, beautiful woman beginning the case etc.

To jog your memory, in the previous conversation you wrote:

'You could make some reference to how much of a film noir patische it is. There's 'The Big Sleep', 'The Maltese Falcon', and 'Casablanca' all mixed up in there.

You might also mention some of the allusions and references in the game, since that is such a huge part of the Discworld as a whole. You mentioned Larado Cronk, but there's also the actor Privetier (a play on Olivier ) and Nylonapotep - the laddering horror.

There's also the absolutely stereotypically noir way the game opens. The beautiful woman walks into the office of the run-down PI and drops a great big case in his lap.

Or there's some of the other references in the game, like the Imp Coffee Bean Machine (ICBM), or the inscription on the sword - Battries Not Included. Or the way the half-elf bar owner describes his pub "It's a retched hive of scum and villainy" A straight pull from Star Wars that line. Or then there's the scent of a woman.

You could also say that it's likely to remain the last ever Discworld game cus GT Interactive, who wrote all three games, have gone bust. OF course, there might be a new game eventually, but it's going to be a fair few years before anyone wants to touch it...

One other film noir element borne out in the game is that it's always raining, and all the action happens at night.

There is not a single ray of sunlight in the whole thing.

Reading over this entry makes me want to play the game again.

Oh, and you surely must mention the cursor. That cursor is cool. The first time you can use the cursor the picture is of a private eye standing under a lamppost; you move the mouse and discover that the cursor is the glow of light from the lamppost! It impressed me the first time I saw it. Very neat. You get the feeling that the cursor is part of this world, rather than just an arrow pasted on the top of it.

All of these elements add to the noir feel of the game, which to my mind is one of the most important parts of the game, and I can't help but feel it has still not been addressed by this entry.

Geggs'

That's all good stuff that should be included in the entry!

Although if you'd prefer to write about something else, that's good too.

<BB<

A rough draft can be seen here: A87782683
Although I'll have to play the game again first before writing can properly begin.

<BB<

I'll be honest and say I've not really done collaborations before, so chances are I'm not very good at it. So if you want to write something, then go ahead and write it, or tell me if you want to change anything. I often get excited about a project and write, write, write even when I try not to.

<BB<

I haven't intentionally collabrated before either. We'll just have to work it out as we go, I guess. I can't really say when I'll be able to write anything either. I just seem so busy at the moment. I'll try my best.


Geggs

Almost finished the game now, so will probably finish my bit of the article by the beginning of next week

<BB<

I haven't even got around to fishing it out of the loft to see if it will install!

We're kinda in hibernate mode at the moment. As soon as the kids have gone to bed, we do too. And just watch stuff on iplayer or the like. Which means I don't get much time to read or write or play games, but I'll try my best to keep my end of the collaboration up soon.


Geggs

I've written my bit now - so feel free to comment and recommend whatever changes you like, and I'll just wait for you to get back to me when you're ready to write what you'd like to include.

<BB<

Right, I had a hunt for my copy of the game last night, but couldn't find it. So anything I write now will purely be from memory, and presently I have no way of check the accuracy. That being said, I'll have a go.



Noir

Lewton: 'Play it again, Sam'
Samael: 'You know, no-one's ever going to believe you said that.'

The game borrows heavily from film noir in the mood, the plot, and the characters, but not the monochrome, thankfully. The events of the game happen also exclusively at night, though not the same night, with Lewton's misadventures mostly leaving him incapable of action during daylight. It's constantly raining too. The plot really begins when a beautiful femme fatale walks into the office of the dour detective and lands a bit fat case in his lap. And that's just the start of the noir tropes that the game employs.

For example, the sword that ends up in Lewton's chest is referred throughout the game as a falchion. That femme fatale is not exactly what she appears to be, but then you never thought she was, did you? And a rather large troll with a murderous colleague makes an appearance, clearly referencing the fat man and Wilmer from The Maltese Falcon.

Of course, if the game lifted plot points from all the noir films, then it would become an incoherent mash-up, but there a number of set pieces that come though, like the vehicle fatally careening off the bridge from The Big Sleep, or wondering around in the sewers as in The Third Man. As with all the Discworld novels, spotting the sources is half the fun of the thing, and there's many more subtle reference just waiting for you to find them.

Although Casablanca is not strictly film noir, large chucks of that film found it's way into the game too. Like the exchange between Lewton and the vampire pianist above paying tribute to the most famous line that never was. Samael knows Lewton's history, and is probably his only true friend in the city, and therefore the game. He knows about Lewton's ex-girlfriend Ilsa, who disappeared without saying a word. The Octarine Parrot, a less salubrious drinking establishment than the one when Samael tinkles the ivories, echoes the name of the rival bar to Rick's - The Blue Parrot. The owner of which, in reference to another film genre altogether, calls it "a wretched hive of scum and villainy".



How's that for starters?

Oh, and there's a few typos I noticed too, which are probably hang overs from the previous entry.

The section on the cover blurb quotes from it : ...the psychotic dwarf who's following me and who calls himself Malachite...

Is this right? Because the dwarf is Al Khali, and the troll is Malachite. If it's an accurate quotation then the blurb must be wrong, but if not, the quote is wrong. As I say, I can't find my box, so I can't check myself.

And the list of characters towards the end lists Samaul, whereas that should Samael.


Geggs

Excellent! I've added that section to the entry now, and will check on the Discworld Noir cover tonight.

<BB<

Argh! Just spotted my own typo - "also exclusively" should be "almost exclusively".


Geggs

And another of my own:

"number of set pieces that come though,"

should be

"number of set pieces that come through,"




Geggs

Corrected

<BB<

And "there's many more subtle reference" should be "there's many more subtle references"

I think that's them all!


Geggs

I've updated the cover bit (I think I'd started writing it, got distracted and then forgotten exactly where I'd left off)
So if you'd like to have a read-through, let me know if there's anything you'd like to change and if you're happy, we can submit it into Peer Review!

<BB<

Is there anything you wish to add or change?

<BB<

I should have some time to look at the entry this evening. I'll be back!


Geggs

Sorry, but I didn't get to it last night. I was absolutely shattered and crawled into bed just after 8.


Geggs

That's okay - have a look when you're better.

<BB<