This is a take your shoes off game. No hats please and comb your hair.
OI! You at the back - SHUT IT! Or you will feel the back of my hand.
Silence please!
We are going to talk about Kenji Eno-san' and Fumito Ueda-san' most sacred creation:
'D'.
To be fair it is difficult to know where to begin. 'D' is something of a holy relic - the Turin Shroud of the 3DO if you will. It's treated with respect, not really well understood and people will queue up to see it and pay good money to have facsimile to take home. The game very much had and has a life of its own. Especially now - as it starts its passage into legend.
'D' is to video games what Clockwork Orange is to movies and Bohemian Rhapsody is to music. You don't have to like it - Hell, you may even hate it but you can't fail to get a feeling from it. A vibe. The game resonates an unmistakable aura.
Maybe it's passion. Game making is often akin to politics - it's not what you say - it's how many people you make happy by saying it. The Fifa franchise is a good example. 'D' is different. For that alone you have got to give Kenji-san some credit. He basically said F***-it! I have an idea, a plan, an image in my eye and come hell or high-water I'm going to make it. That is pretty much 'D' in a nut shell - one mans vision.
To aid him attain his vision he had Fumito Ueda-san on the team. The name probably doesn't ring any bells. He is the guy behind the graphics of Ico and Shadow of Colossus on the PS2. Something of a genius. He has created some very unique graphical styles that represents a clear ability to think outside of the box. True of his earlier games - True of his later games. He seems to exude the same passion and a creative genius that few ever replicate.
When referring to Warp, he once used the phrase "...when WARP was breaking up". "Breaking up?". Does anyone see UBI Soft "Breaking up"? Or "EA?" No these companies go 'Chapter 11' or 'Cease trading' they don't "Break up". It sounds like a music band.
No surprise then that Eno-san now makes music. And Warp is no more.
So what is 'D' like as a game? It has been referred to as 'Myst' meets 'Dracula' - in my opinion that's wrong. In reality it's like playing a pre-rendered version of Resident Evil. CGI created survival horror. The essence of the game has you investigating the main protagonists (Laura) Fathers death. With a little help from the dead man himself. The game is puzzle based and limited to 2 hours. No saves.
'D' isn't really a game. It's an experiment by Eno-san and Ueda-san. It's an experience.
It was described once as an Interactive Movie. Now there is a much maligned and misunderstood epitaph to give any long since gone game. Maybe it was though? You see a good movie or a good piece of music should send the audience on trip. An emotional trip. Think again about Clock Work Orange and Bohemian Rhapsody. Think about what you feel when you see and hear them. Anger. Bravado. Fear. Disgust. Joy. Hope. Elation. These forms of media control your emotions. Play on them. This is what 'D' tried to do. 'D' could well have been the first game to 'play' the 'player'. Or at least attempt to.
As a game it was mediocre - as an experience ... Experience is a personal thing. You must decide for yourself.
Rare? There is always a copy on the 'Bay!
3DO Kid.
nice blog site- you're missing d's diner director's cut, however. this is an enhanced version of the game d with a new opening, cleaned up visuals on the second disc and a bunch of bonus features like a novelization of events leading up to the beginning of the game (it's very weird stuff), an early d2 trailer (not as good as the one on flopon) and other stuff. it's rare and shows up on ebay once in a while, usually around 90-120 dollars.