Papo & Yo

[solidsnakejej]

Thought we had a thread for this, couldn't find it.

If you haven't heard this game is a puzzle type game, The boy represents the developer behind this game and the monster represents his father who was often drunk. The frogs represent the alcohol which makes the monster go out of control.

There is an update on the blog with a new monster design, and confirmation that we'll see more at GDC.



http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/...nster-evolved/

original blog post:http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/...ld-of-papo-yo/

[OmniStalgic]

very interesting behind the story, and the art direction was welcoming, gameplay was too vague in the trailer reveal though. But with passion for a game you're making on a personal level like that, i think this will certainly be another standout PSN game.

[solidsnakejej]

GDC trailer

[masteratt]

The boy represents the developer behind this game and the monster represents his father who was often drunk. The frogs represent the alcohol which makes the monster go out of control.

That's just damn depressing

GDC trailer

That's just damn cool

[GTAce]

Videogames need backgrounds like this to reach a new level, I think it is great that someone uses his childhood as inspiration, as depressing as it is.

[frosty]

looks like it'd make a good move game.

[KRA]

i don't know
there is something strange about it
i am not sure how much that dev guy is really bragging about his drunk father
but for sure in every info i get about this game on every site it is mentioned.
and sony and this developer has to be aware of that
and it looks like
it is a major advertaising point
as even in the trailer they write 'inspired by childhood" (only tha.t but anybody interested in the game knows what kind of childhood it was)
and by no means i am saying
there is something wrong with the guy openly telling about inspiration
whatever it was
but
it starts to sound like
hey look this game is so special becasue it is really about a boy dealing with his alcoholic father
how fucking rad and cool is that ?

i would rather like to hear more about things that are so special in the game itself
than how special backgroud it has
and
i don't like
the boy design
if it is so artsy and cool
they could go alittle more imaginative than with the boy who looks like he run away from HOME.
and the design of the helping robot is ugly too.
/random thoughts rant

[frosty]

I agree, the game's backstory is definitely played out. It should be one of those talking points only mentioned in interviews.

[solidsnakejej]

It's part of the game's story why shouldn't it be talked about? It's the reasoning behind at least one of the major mechanics of the game.

and to that point he's only talked about it twice, first was the original reveal and the background of why he created it, and the change in the monster design to make it closer to being a frightening being. We haven't heard much about this game either so how can it be played out with just two blog posts?

[OmniStalgic]

It's part of the game's story why shouldn't it be talked about? It's the reasoning behind at least one of the major mechanics of the game.

and to that point he's only talked about it twice, first was the original reveal and the background of why he created it, and the change in the monster design to make it closer to being a frightening being. We haven't heard much about this game either so how can it be played out with just two blog posts?

because the the media (ps blog) is also talking about the inspiration behind the game, coupled with the fact that each time we see the game, it's mentioned, it is simply overshadowing the gameplay atm. Mostly because hardly no gameplay is being shown

[solidsnakejej]

because the the media (ps blog) is also talking about the inspiration behind the game, coupled with the fact that each time we see the game, it's mentioned, it is simply overshadowing the gameplay atm. Mostly because hardly no gameplay is being shown

There has been 3 post on the PSBlog two from the director of the game which was the original reveal and the update to the monster and a preview which only briefly touched on the fact. This game hasn't been shown all that much but you guys are acting like this game has been shown 10-15 times and that was all he talked about, when it's not.

[KRA]

it is not part of the game story itself.
it is inspiration kind of stuff.
and i know that this game hasn't bee shown all that much
but
that is the point.
the only thing most people know about this game is that it is about abusive alcoholic father affecting dev's childhood...
which is at least strange
and as i mentioned before it seems like it is somehow selling point.

[KRA]

Eurogamer.Papo & Yo Preview: A Personal Puzzler


If the creators of Indie Game: The Movie make a sequel I'd be shocked if it doesn't co-star Vander Caballero. The Montreal-based designer had a successful career at EA working on games like Army of Two and FIFA Soccer 2004 when he decided he'd had enough. He needed to make his own game; one that told his story.

His upcoming PSN title, Papo & Yo is an autobiographic tale about his childhood, particularly his relationship to his abusive, alcoholic father. Rather than make a literal translation of his upbringing, Caballero re-imagines his life as a small boy named, Quico, befriending a monster.

The monster, simply called 'Monster' is a giant pink rhinoceros-like beast. Much of the time, Monster is a gentle, lovable creature that protects Quico. However, he's addicted to frogs, and when he eats said amphibians he goes berserk and rages on his best pal. The earlier version of Monster shown at E3 resembled a rhino much more, but Caballero realized that he looked more like a pet than his father.

"I wasn't scared of the monster," he told me at a recent press demo. To overcome this, he had his friend, Nilo Rodis-Jamero (an art director whose credits include Raiders of the Lost Ark and the original Star Wars trilogy) redesign the beast so its head looked more like a beetle, with menacing beady eyes.

Papo & Yo will be a puzzle game in the vain of Ico, but the pace of puzzle solving will change dramatically. When Monster is in a relaxed mood this will be a peaceful process, while it will be much more frantic if Monster is intoxicated. The E3 demo portrayed Quico kicking a soccer ball to lure Monster around, because as Caballero is quick to point out, "you can't control a person." Sadly, the new interactions with Monster aren't being shown just yet, but Caballero promises they'll be "very touching at some points, and very terrifying at others."

There won't be any fail states in Papo & Yo. Caballero was vocal about death being a fallacy in games. "Dying is just punishment. It's not actually dying. So I asked how do we bring that concept further? So we decided that when you fall into the water, you'll spawn all wet. That will create a really interesting connection to the spawning... it closes the loop in a really interesting way."

The new demo shown off at GDC begins with Quico emerging in a favela next to an abstract chalk scrawl. He sees a girl off in the distance holding a piece of white crayon. Entranced by the only other person in this empty village, Quico gives chase. Caballero tells me the girl's name is Alejandra and she wields a magic crayon. "She likes you, but she's afraid of you, because you want to hang out with a monster."

As he explores the favela he encounters more chalk drawings. These usually portray gears and switches. When he activates the drawings, the landscape changes. A set of stairs or a bridge may appear, or in later cases houses will have illustrated wind-up gears on them that cause the dwellings to sprout tiny line-drawing legs and scurry around.

The environment is a particular highlight. We rarely see favelas that aren't simply playgrounds for shooters. The South American setting is full of colour, with pink and blue abodes piled on top of one another to create an art deco montage surrounded by lush green flora. At one point Quico emerges from an elevator to a view of a rickety tower made of houses that are stacked on top of each other. Upon discovering this scene the music swells in an upbeat, yet haunting tempo that I probably could have listened to all day. "You'll hear instruments in this game that you've never heard before," Caballero says. "Like the jaw of a dead cow."

At the end of the demo Quico catches up with Alejandra only to be transported to a dimly lit black and white scene where the only splash of colour is a red car parked in a road. The modern, realistic look is a stark contrast to the bright whimsical world we've explored thus far. A chalk outline leads Quico to the front of the car as we slowly follow its path. We can't run or jump. Through the windshield we see two male figures. An older Quico and his father, perhaps? Before this mystery is revealed, the demo ends.

I asked Caballero if you'll be able to explore any of these black & white scenes later and with the same sort of freedom as the rest of the game. "No," he replies. "When you're moving around this scene, your brain is creating a memory that matches with the game." The sluggish movements are necessary to cement these events in the player's mind. There won't be any moral choices either as this is a very authored narrative. "This is my story. You can't escape it."

While Papo & Yo is centered around Caballero's relationship to his father, it's about more than that. Caballero showed me a document explaining the theme between each of the game's five chapters. "Act one is my childhood," Caballero explains, with the document indicating that covers the first five years of his life. "Years 5-10 is my mother and my protection when I realised my father was an evil bastard. Act three is from 10-15; it's me and my brother protecting each other. 15-25 is Act four, it's about rage... Act five is finally my liberation from 25-37." Caballero notes that this isn't a literal storyboard -- there won't be a mother or brother actually in the game -- but these are the stages of his life he's trying to convey through Quico's journey.

Caballero then admits Alejandra is based on his first love who later broke his heart. When asked if the person she was based on knows about her role in the game, Caballero laughs, "No. I'm going to have to do it, but I don't know how. I may have to talk to my lawyer about it." Though behind the laughter I could sense a genuine concern for when this day would come. Caballero may not be able to escape reality, but he now wields the magic crayon.

...

[solidsnakejej]

[KRA]

[solidsnakejej]

[solidsnakejej]

As I expected this game will probably get mixed reviews

4/10 - IGN
8/10 - Game Informer
8/10 - Venture Beat

[Gribble-Grunger]

Played the demo. What a pity this game isn't quite the quality it should have been. I'd still consider getting it but if they'd just waited another six months to release it and ironed out all the little chinks, it could have been up there with the very best.

[OmniStalgic]

IGN are a bunch of a*@h*#$ sometimes...

A 4/10 doesn't even say mediocre, it means it's a terrible game. Judging from other reviewers, and watching gameplay vids I can see this isn't a complete garbage game. Granted, not everyone will dig the story, and if you don't, the gameplay will likely not be so terrific, but a 4/10 is ridiculous. They do not have the credibility to be that harsh with scores, especially since they seem to give EVERY popular game that ever comes out really high scores despite glaring flaws. I've read a few sites that openly stated the story compensates for some of the gameplay elements, a 4/10 seems more of a personal agenda rather than a balanced review of a game.

They gave Under Siege a bad score cuz it was too hard?? Seriously, after that point, I would find someone in the office that could beat the game and then give a clearer more appropriate review. How can you review a product even slightly objectionably when you are frustrated with it?

[Gribble-Grunger]

IGN are a bunch of a*@h*#$ sometimes...

A 4/10 doesn't even say mediocre, it means it's a terrible game. Judging from other reviewers, and watching gameplay vids I can see this isn't a complete garbage game. Granted, not everyone will dig the story, and if you don't, the gameplay will likely not be so terrific, but a 4/10 is ridiculous. They do not have the credibility to be that harsh with scores, especially since they seem to give EVERY popular game that ever comes out really high scores despite glaring flaws. I've read a few sites that openly stated the story compensates for some of the gameplay elements, a 4/10 seems more of a personal agenda rather than a balanced review of a game.

oh yeah, I'm just disappointed that it isn't quite ready and you can see that in the demo, but 4/10?! Judging by the very short time I played with it, it's easily a 7.5/10 and I'm being picky there