GAMING IS DEAD.
The mental issue.I quote: "We do not do this because it's easy, but because it's hard.". Mini-maps. Blips. Scripted events. Rubber-banding. Hints popping up out of nowhere. And the most contagious disgrace of all: Quick Time Events. All try their best to take away as much challenge as they possibly can so you can breeze through like the mindless zombie you seemingly are.
1+2=3Sequels. Digits littering the entire market. Once legendary studio's are now old dogs afraid of learning new tricks. It's sad. It's a vicious cycle of overused and rehashed plots, style, and gameplay mechanics. The result: hardly any of them are memorable, or even fun to play anymore.
The word & the image.I quote the majority of game journalists: 'this looks good'. So here I was, thinking videogames' unique selling points were supposed to be unique types of gameplay. But that which makes a videogame a videogame is underdeveloped and left out in the cold.
And some other STD's like having a multiplayer is obligatory, even though it is rarely entertaining. Then there's the paradox that is DLC - content that's usually done before the game actually gets released and could be on your disc, making for a richer game. And of course collectibles. Good god, collectibles. It is a cheap, boring and old fashioned type of gameplay which rarely fits in the game it's implemented in.
LONG LIVE GAMING.
What now? The most interesting modern titles I have played these last few years did not suffer from the diseases mentioned above. They are... serene. They are mysterious. They are innovative. They don't involve much words. They evoke emotions. They don't take all your money. They don't have million-dollar budgets. They actually sell themselves through challenging gameplay and interactive storytelling. For me, they are the future.
It's the underground. Riding the wind as a petal gave me a feeling of freedom like no other game has ever accomplished. And the thrill of passing those freaky black spider legs was so... sigh. No hints, no words, no help. Just me. And a challenge.
And in the end, all I'm asking for... is for you to stop holding my freaking hand. Don't point out where to go. Let my favorite character die. Don't let me be the strongest. Don't make me a one man army. Kill my friends or family. Make me want to come after you. Outsmart me. Challenge me. Try your best to not let me succeed. But don't interrupt me. Let me control my character. Don't think for me. Don't give me the solution. Do not script me. Make me experiment different possibilities. Let me explore things. Teach me consequence. Reward me.
And challenge me to play a game.
Agreed?