Quote Originally Posted by Mister Adequate View Post
I'll tell you one thing, I don't like the abandonment of manuals as thick as novels that contained details on every single aspect of the game's minutiae and, half the time, an actual goddamn novel explaining the story and setting and all.
As much as I love the environment, I do also miss game manuals! I always read them without fail before starting a game. Mr. Carny doesn't tend to bother, which is why he struggles in the first half hour of a game figuring out what to do.

In terms of the broader gaming environment, I do think there is a progression towards faster paced gaming, primarily in the guise of FPS. I don't really have a care for them, but seeing Call of Battlefield 7 hit the shelves once more does make me lose heart somewhat. I know these games are popular, and people are getting enjoyment out of them, but I'm not getting the hype, basically. Gosh, I sound old now.

Not even in FPS - more games are adopting a faster paced gameplay system. Mass Effect accelerated from the rather methodical 1 to the more action packed 2 and 3, and Final Fantasy has done the same in recent years. The new Tomb Raider games play like a hybrid of Uncharted and Far Cry. This isn't necessarily a bad thing: I happened to love Mass Effect and the later FFs, but it does show that AAA gaming by big studios are beginning to lean towards action and pace. That's my take, anyway.

I've never been terribly massive on AAA games in the first place. Big budget productions can certainly do very well, but I sometimes fear that due to their popularity, they lose their niche, or their individuality in a crowded video game market. I prefer the work of smaller corporations. Genres then tend to move away from 'action adventure/action RPG/first-person shooter' and more into JRPGs, puzzles and visual novels. Which is where I thrive, really. JRPGs got hit rather badly in the PS3 era, but I feel that they are recovering and are getting more spotlight. Persona 5 is getting a real buzz from several gaming websites and Bravely Default equally did well. I think the future's bright though, whatever genre you enjoy. 2016 is releasing several highly anticipated games, so I think both schools will do well.