Analysis: Lessons From Hotel Dusk

With the rise of high-budget, technologically advanced video games, the graphical adventure has fallen from its former prominence. In the 1980s and early 90s, Infocom, Sierra and LucasArts produced best-selling games that are still referred to today. While some developers still produce point-and-click adventure games (with TellTale Games's Sam & Max episodic series as a prominent example), they have mostly been reduced to a niche product.

One of the reasons for the fall of the adventure game is the detached nature of the gameplay. As interesting as the story and puzzles in a game may be, the player is still just pointing and clicking to control an avatar or disembodied first-person protagonist.

There's not much gameplay there, when compared to, say, Mario Kart or Grand Theft Auto. The experience is very cerebral, and a player used to more action-packed experiences will tend to become bored with a game where she doesn't do anything.