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[TwilightVulpine]

I have an interest in the experimentation with the use or representation
of non-visual senses as a fundamental form of output. Devil's Tuning Fork was an interesting experiment with a visual representation of echolocation.

Are there other games that explore this?

[Woodwolf]

That is an interesting topic! I have never found non-visual videogames (video, haha), but something could be achieved using positional sound... I wanted to code something like that some years ago.

Imagine something like Wolfstein 3D, the original one (no heights). Enemies emitting sounds should be easy to locate if positional 3D sound is used, right? We do that all the time in 'normal' videogames! We now that an enemy is approaching from our right flank because we 'hear' his footsteps (that was a huge improvement in FPS games)

A game based on positional 3D sounds (avoiding cluttering, of course) could be a nice experimental gameplay project.

[Laremere]

In a few parts in LoZ: Twilight Princess you used the sense of smell to track various things.

[TwilightVulpine]

Just remembered.
A game that was purely based on sound was Soundvoyager, from the bit Generations series. Never had the opportunity to play it though. Unfortunately, I don't think a YouTube video would give me a good idea of how the gameplay is.

At least I can take a look on LoZ: TP.

[Woodwolf]

But it's not -you- the one who uses the sense of smell... and the olfative track in LoZ TP is just a visual clue to guide you, in the end.

Apart from sound, not many more senses are suitable for videogames. Well, not with current technology and without recurring to canned sex toys like... well, you know

[TwilightVulpine]

But it's not -you- the one who uses the sense of smell... and the olfative track in LoZ TP is just a visual clue to guide you, in the end.

Apart from sound, not many more senses are suitable for videogames. Well, not with current technology and without recurring to canned sex toys like... well, you know

It would be fine, if it was the primary way of orientation. That's why I cited Devil's Tuning Fork. Since we are limited to video and audio(and tactile feedback from some controllers, but that's so limited that it is almost negligible), the simulation of other senses through visual cues is an interesting way to work around it. It is a way of giving the player the impression of enhanced senses.

Edit: I've seen a headline about a device to help blind people to see by sending eletric pulses through their tongues. It is an interesting real life example of the simulation of senses, I should check it.

[Woodwolf]

I totally misunderstood you. I though you were talking about replacing graphics with any other output method, as in games for blind people! Then laremere is right. The sense of smell in Twilight Princess is a nice example.

In Heavy Rain, the FBI guy uses some kind of Augmented Reality to look for clues. That's however, enhanced vision...

Nowadays most FPS show red signs in a circle around the screen to show where you are taking damage from. That would be the sense of touch, I guess...

[TwilightVulpine]

I totally misunderstood you. I though you were talking about replacing graphics with any other output method, as in games for blind people! Then laremere is right. The sense of smell in Twilight Princess is a nice example.

Both are fine, but I am after games that make these alternative outputs, either actual senses or simulated through others senses, as important as normal sight, even if just temporarily. Many games have simulated senses, like the simulated pain, which is very common in FPSs now, but they are secondary, in the sense you know where you are and what is around you without them.

Another, very short example is the echolocation used in a very small part of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. You are unlikely to be able go through a specific tunnel without the "Echo of the Bat", since it is completely dark and filled with spikes. The echo appears as a cone projected by the main character's mouth(while turned into a bat). This cone clears temporarily the darkness inside it and bounce of walls.

[LemonScented]

Interesting topic. I can't think of many games which do very much with visual simulation of nonvisual senses. I can think of some games which are mostly visual but with some extra-sensory perception added in as a special mode (Batman: Arkham Asylum had "detective vision", and there was a mediocre game called X2: Wolverine's Revenge in 2003 which had a mode which displayed smell and heat). XIII (also released in 2003) was based on a comic book as well, and had beautifully stylised stuff including visual representations of sounds, which was great for identifying the location of a guard's footsteps even though the guard might be behind a wall so not actually visible.

Pushing the idea a bit further, the thing that Devil's Tuning Fork reminds me of most is The Unfinished Swan (http://giantsparrow.com/games/swan/). Although The Unfinished Swan is purely visual, the game seems to remove any sense of spatial awareness or depth perception unless you use a paintball gun to splatter bits of the environment to reveal them. I suppose it's an example of providing a gameplay mechanic which helps to make up for senses which the game otherwise removes.

[Brother Android]

I think the Thief series does a really good job of using sound effects to greatly enhance gameplay - the game's very difficult and not much fun without good audio, preferably stereo. Which is the main reason I feel it didn't port so well to console, though it's still alright.