We’re all for praxis, just not for going outside

Skip to content

Elizabeth Sandifer

Elizabeth Sandifer created Eruditorum Press. She’s not really sure why she did that, and she apologizes for the inconvenience. She currently writes Last War in Albion, a history of the magical war between Alan Moore and Grant Morrison. She used to write TARDIS Eruditorum, a history of Britain told through the lens of a ropey sci-fi series. She also wrote Neoreaction a Basilisk, writes comics these days, and has ADHD so will probably just randomly write some other shit sooner or later. Support Elizabeth on Patreon.

16 Comments

  1. Alex Antonijevic
    August 20, 2014 @ 12:43 am

    I remember following all the news of this all the way through and every single thing seemed like a warning sign. Puzzle-platformer… small development studio without much experience… then the reviews came in talking about how buggy it was.

    Such a shame. I haven't bothered to play it because every review says the same thing.

    Reply

  2. Jarl
    August 20, 2014 @ 1:42 am

    Puzzle platformer really seems like the best genre for Doctor Who, I think. That or Telltale Adventure.

    Well, I say that, but I mean "a Doctor Who game starring the Doctor". A Doctor Who game starring a Dalek, meanwhile, would basically be the most pure FPS ever devised. Serious Sam without all that wussy jumping and running.

    I also recall a suggestion from a long time back of a Battlefront style game of Daleks versus Cybermen, that would be cute.

    You know, it seems awfully strange that we live in a world where there's no Doctor Who game for the wii that makes use of the wiimote as a sonic screwdriver. There's a lot of really simple and satisfying minigames you could devise using the wiimote and its numerous buttons and speakers and accelerometers. Tack those onto a stealth platformer* like Dishonored, come up with a suitable enemy/story, and you could have a genuinely decent Doctor Who game that lets you actually slide into the role of the Doctor.

    *Maybe not the most satisfying description of Dishonored, but when playing it I often felt the traps, running, jumping, and climbing all felt very much like a Doctor Who experience. Far Cry 3 had a similarly pleasing feel, though the absurd number of Schwarzenegger-style macho action scenes usually killed those vibes.

    Reply

  3. ferret
    August 20, 2014 @ 2:21 am

    Did anyone play The Adventure Games? They seemed to be considered canon by the production team, and were free to download and play in the UK as well. I'm outside the UK and am in a part of my life that has no have the time for computer games (young family), but if they're any good I'll get around to them one day…

    Reply

  4. Frezno
    August 20, 2014 @ 2:40 am

    I'm pretty sure there was a Wii Doctor Who game released at around the same time as Eternity Clock, but I don't recall if it was any good or not. The closest I've ever come to this is beating Super Mario Galaxy with my Wii remote that is shaped like 11's sonic screwdriver. That was nice.

    Also, yay! Words I wrote!

    Reply

  5. KieronMoore
    August 20, 2014 @ 2:52 am

    I actually really liked 2010's Adventure Games. They were marketed as ‘interactive episodes’ of the show, and sure, the gameplay wasn't perfect and the stories weren't quite up to the standard of the TV episodes, but Sumo Digital got the mix of all necessary elements about right, with the games improving as the series progressed. The fifth and final, The Gunpowder Plot, was by far the strongest, having a complex and compelling story with the Doctor Who mix of history, humour and adventure. It was even educational, dispensing snippets of history regarding Guy Fawkes and his lot, without seeming patronising or distracting to older players. Importantly, it showed that these games had writers from the TV series involved, whereas it was painfully obvious that no-one with a sense of what makes a coherent story had been near The Eternity Clock.

    Reply

  6. ferret
    August 20, 2014 @ 3:23 am

    Sounds worth a look – ta!

    Reply

  7. Daru
    August 20, 2014 @ 4:34 am

    I'm not much of a gamer but I really enjoyed reading this article – so thanks it was a great read! I have played most of the Adventure Games and did enjoy elements of them and agree with you KieronMoore above.

    Reply

  8. Brightcoat
    August 20, 2014 @ 5:43 am

    Imagine four Dalek Bumps on the edge of a cliff…

    Reply

  9. Brightcoat
    August 20, 2014 @ 5:45 am

    In all seriousness, I'd be quite keen on a Lego Doctor Who game.

    Reply

  10. Robert Lloyd
    August 20, 2014 @ 7:36 am

    Coincidentally (OR IS IT?), there was also this today:

    http://www.avclub.com/article/where-time-carmen-sandiego-closest-thing-good-doct-208119

    (I have not played either of these games.)

    Reply

  11. nimonus
    August 20, 2014 @ 9:45 am

    Yeah, I have to disagree that a puzzle-platformer is the right genre for Doctor Who. I think a classic Point-and-Click Adventure game is a better fit. Unfortunately, the official Adventure games had nearly broken controls, so it was infuriating to play them.

    Actually, for my money, the DS game (NOT the Wii game) was the best attempt. It went for a Professor-Layton style puzzle game, which was hugely enjoyable. The big downside was that is was far too short. It was really just one chapter of a game, sold as the whole thing. But it very much worked as a proof-of-concept. If you could expand that out, you would have the perfect Doctor Who game as far as I am concerned.

    Reply

  12. Gallifreyan_Immigrant
    August 20, 2014 @ 11:31 am

    Best intersection of video games and Doctor Who? Surprisingly enough, mobile game Doctor Who Legacy is a good contender for that title.

    Reply

  13. Galadriel
    August 21, 2014 @ 9:57 am

    Ditto. I've tried the Adventure Games, Eternity Clock, and Legacy. but Legacy has a simple structure, nice drops, can be played without paywalls–though the fan area is worth the six crystals, it's not necessary– beautiful visuals, infinite team combinations—I really can't say enough good things about it, and the makers are wonderfully responsive to fan concerns, not to mention the tie-ins to the expanded universe (comics and even mentions of Big Finish)

    Reply

  14. Pen Name Pending
    August 21, 2014 @ 3:57 pm

    Legacy is awesome, if a little daunting and time-consuming.

    Reply

  15. Pen Name Pending
    August 21, 2014 @ 3:58 pm

    Lovely writing style, Mr. Frezno.

    Reply

  16. heroesandrivals
    August 22, 2014 @ 9:38 pm

    I adored the Gunpowder Plot, but then I thin, the Sontarans are the best Who monsters, so my taste is questionable.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from Eruditorum Press

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading