First Person Games with Interactive Houses/Non-Mission Environments.

[silver wolf009]

Hello there Escapist, I was wondering if you could help me.

See, I was thinking back over all of the games I've played recently, when I realized something. I really, really, really like first person interactive environments that don't have a mission or objective tied to them.

Then I realized something else; such things are rare. Rarer than diamond rare.

The only two I can think of that I've played is the apartment that acts as a pre-lobby hub in Bioshock 2's multiplayer, and escaping from the evil dentist's chair of pain in Black Ops, and that one's just a single room with a computer. From reviews and some gameplay snippets, I've seen them in The Darkness 2 and Duke Nukem Forever, but nowhere else.

What's your opinion on these sections guys? And can you give me any examples of games that have these?

Captcha:
Buck Tooth.

Most interesting pic I could find courtesy of Google Images:

EDIT: Looking back, one could clarify some of the Elder Scrolls games as having areas like that. I.E., their houses, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I guess another way to think about it is a first person interactive sandbox level that you can explore that isn't connected to multiplayer or the campaign.

 

[Impluse_101]

You know, I can't really remember any other thing then those....
and I don't play many FPS's...I'd like to say Borderlands has a moment like that, but...then again I'm probably wrong. (The moment being--

Spoiler: Borderlands Easter Egg

Where you can find the Red Riderrifle of The Christmas Story Movie.

-- but yeah that's not really releated to what you're classifying)

Yeah. They are really rare...
Though I dont think a game that would be based around that might be appealing to me.
The little bits are fine. I like that they're rare, if there were more it'd be stale.

 

[Laser Priest]

Gotta agree with Impulse here. They are nice as easter eggs or minor things.

If they are too frequent, then they will become little more than an annoyance.

Then again, I may be rather biased as I find those types of environments to be entirely useless.

 

[silver wolf009]

Gotta agree with Impulse here. They are nice as easter eggs or minor things.

If they are too frequent, then they will become little more than an annoyance.

Then again, I may be rather biased as I find those types of environments to be entirely useless.

Well, I wouldn't be one to want them to constitute an entire game, but I still think they're far too rare in the gaming landscape.

I mean, imagine there being a game mode in Amnesia you unlock after you beat the game where you get to have access to a fixed up version of the mansion. No impact on the story, but a huge house for you to explore.

If designers wanted to, they could include cities or towns for you to run around in, but they never seem to, and this lack of examples does not please me, as I love these kind of sections.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

They don't mean a lot to me.
Just a bit of a novelty really.

Oh and for the record, it's-
"I am hurt.
A plague a' both your houses! I am sped.
Is he gone and hath nothing?"

Yeah, I just got all Shakespeare up in this *****.

Awwwwh yeah.

 

[silver wolf009]

They don't mean a lot to me.
Just a bit of a novelty really.

Oh and for the record, it's-
"I am hurt.
A plague a' both your houses! I am sped.
Is he gone and hath nothing?"

Yeah, I just got all Shakespeare up in this *****.

Awwwwh yeah.

Yes, but I wasn't quoting Shakespeare.

...I was quoting Douchey McNitpick. A far less... High brow source, but still a poet in his own right.

Also, thought of another example. Apparently a Star Trek Voyager PC game had a mode where you could wander around the ship.

 

[Gurgleflob]

I believe one of the recent call of duties had it after you beat the game. It was a museum that had all of the levels on display.

 

[Mirroga]

The only thoughts of interactive houses without the aid of missions is from Fallout 3. I was just exploring and roaming and hoarding everything I needed like a real Survival Game. Let's just say me playing as a stealth type really increased the paranoia from the quiet environment of the apocalypse and everything I do is either crouched or slowly moving.

 

[WaterDancer]

Stalker Series has plenty of them. Pathologic,call of Jurez: The cartel's multiplayer and mission lobbies.