ofLoom, drawing to a unique climax complete with a bittersweet ending. Along the way
bits of the trademark, wise-cracking LucasArts humor are included (a style of humor
found at its most intense inThe Secret of Monkey Island), though never so much that it
dominates the story. Some players might see the story as strictly aimed at children, but
Loomis a children’s game in the same wayThe Hobbitis a children’s book,The Dark
Crystalis a children’s movie, orBoneis a children’s comic book. All contain enough
sophistication and intelligence that one does not need to be a child to enjoy them,
merely childlike.
The story is ideally suited to the gameplay thatLoomincludes, with navigation and
the spinning of drafts being players’ only actions. The gameplay and story are so well
integrated that the gameplay ends up involving the player in the story far more than if
the story were told in a non-interactive format. At the same time the story never seems
contrived for the sake of the gameplay, as many adventure game stories do. The text in
the story is kept to a bare minimum, never going into excessive detail about anything,
allowing the players’ imaginations to fill in the holes. It is a story that is told well visu-
ally, with the players’ exploration and experimentation with the distaff matching the
emotional temperament of the character they are playing, Bobbin Threadbare. Since
Bobbin first acquires the staff at the beginning of the game, it makes logical sense that
he would not yet be an expert at it. Thus players’ many failed attempts to use the drafts
fit perfectly with Bobbin’s character. This is in contrast to many adventure games
where, though players are controlling an intelligent, experienced character, players
must complete idiotic puzzles such as figuring out their character’s password to log
onto a computer system, when obviously the character being controlled would already
know this information.
One problem with third-person adventure games, games where players see their
character in the game instead of just seeing what that character would see, is that often
the character in question has such a strong personality and appearance that it may be
difficult for players to feel properly immersed in the game. If the character is too much
of a departure from one players could see themselves being, players may become
234 Chapter 12: Game Analysis:Loom
Much ofLoom’s success
rides on the strength
of its fantastic and
whimsical story.