Is the Cinematic Nature of Candela Obscura Worth It?

It’s a spellbinding scene in Candela Obscura: Needle and String, the second part of Critical Roles horror compilation series. Marion Collodi (Luis Carazo) takes Jean Basar (Zehra Fazal) into a dream of their cherished, lifelong recollections. The supernatural, extraordinary nature of the space is conveyed by the jeweled purple of the set’s shaded lighting, which, at that point, changes to a brilliantly shimmering green. The intensity is focused by the literal spotlight on the scene, adding to the importance of what is happening before you (and the players not in the spot light). As a matter of fact, as the GM brings into sharp focus, two other players (Brennan Lee Mulligan and Marisha Ray) who are startled into remembering that they are in fact playing a game, speaks highly to the cinematic nature of Candela Obscura.

The question is will this translate to an everyday play through of the game, and more to the point, should it? At the end of the day, Candela Obscura is entertainment provided by a talented crew of actors who bring to life spectacular stories that we love to invest our time into. But that investment needs to be tempered with the understanding that at home, the game will never reach that level of realism or involvement by its players and game master.

“[Travis] Willingham navigates horror with aplomb, but it is well-known that he can be easily startled.”

It is interesting to note that while the story is well played and the cinematic feel is heightened with the production, they leave in the reactions that remind those at home, that this is, in fact, a game and not a movie which is highlighted by many of Travis’s reactions. It is a testament to the crew that they play to these strengths making even those sitting at the table into audience members.

So the question remains, is the cinematic nature of Candela Obscura worth it? In this particular case, that is up to everyone else to decide, but in this writers humble opinion, the cinematic nature adds to the story telling in way that highlights everything good about the crew of Critical Role, but not necessarily the game itself. That doesn’t mean it can’t be played that way, but in the grand scheme of things, it does mean that it probably won’t. Even still, the game itself does look like the game will find a home with those who enjoy playing horror type games.