Is it really worth it to bash every popular FPS?

[northeast rower]

Seriously, every day I come on the Escapist I see three new threads about how popular FPSs are unoriginal and are ruining the industry. This topic is like the freakin' Hydra- every time one thread dies, two more sprout up in its place. Can we give it a rest?

I won't lie- I like FPSs, and if they're popular all the better. I enjoy online play, I enjoy cheesy campaigns, I enjoy some of the outdated mechanics (though I must say that although I love Halo, regenerating health grinds my gears a bit in games like Call of Duty). I don't expect every game to be the equivalent of the Divine Comedy in terms of writing. Hell, even our most advanced games still display some pretty mediocre writing (I personally believe that the Mass Effect writing is highly overrated).

Is it really that bad to have some fun that we just demonize so many popular games? More coming later, time for school right now.

 

[El Luck]

Seriously, every day I come on the Escapist I see three new threads about how popular FPSs are unoriginal and are ruining the industry. This topic is like the freakin' Hydra- every time one thread dies, two more sprout up in its place. Can we give it a rest?

I won't lie- I like FPSs, and if they're popular all the better. I enjoy online play, I enjoy cheesy campaigns, I enjoy some of the outdated mechanics (though I must say that although I love Halo, regenerating health grinds my gears a bit in games like Call of Duty). I don't expect every game to be the equivalent of the Divine Comedy in terms of writing. Hell, even our most advanced games still display some pretty mediocre writing (I personally believe that the Mass Effect writing is highly overrated).

Is it really that bad to have some fun that we just demonize so many popular games? More coming later, time for school right now.

There's school on a Saturday now?

 

[Bob_Dobb]

I might agree with a CoD hate thread but I'm not going to start one, too lazy and I dislike them because I'm not having fun. Also how did my enemies wipe all this strawberry jam on my goggles while they were shooting me???

 

[AngelArms]

Your argument assume those games are bashed despite the fact that the core gameplay is fun. However with a lot of the half assed Halo and Call of Duty clones, the games are buggy, poorly made, too short, with bad level design where you spend 70% of the game in coverand they're just not fun for me.

 

[Spectral Dragon]

Most likely not, given nothing changes when we whine. At least not if we whine here.
But we're on the internet. Have to do SOMETHING!

 

[juraigamer]

Every FPS these days is the same damn formula, with the same damn regenerating health, with the same damn linear campaign, with the same damn kids online.

Bottom line: All these stupid AAA title FPS games are recycled shit.

 

[Vampire cat]

It is not, because not all AAA title FPSs are shit...

I will continue to enjoy my FPS games, and I will also continue to not give a single thought to the people that spend their time complaining about these things instead of enjoying themselves by playing something they DO like.

 

[spartxn]

I like most FPS titles, like Halo and Battle field. Not a fan of CoD though, too repetitive.

But I also like RPG's, Drivers, Strategy, MMO's. I like most types of games as long as there controls are good.

I honestly haven't seen any hate threads on them lately, though I generally stay in the Off-Topic Forum. The only ones I have noticed are overly sensitive, insecure CoD fans complaining about how everybody hates them even though there's like 3 million people on Black Ops at that very same moment.

 

[agentorange98]

We whine about these particular titles because they promote certain negative trends within gaming mainly stagnation and cutting corners. Franchises like CoD or Gears who have ceased to evolve other then slight weapon and enemy variation and a new map pack are sending the message out to companies that "You can sell us the same old crap and we'll still eat it up with a spoon" I mean even the most long running Nintendo titles like Zelda and Mario will usually bring at least one new game play element to the table...except maybe Mario Galaxy 2 idk been awhile on that one but ANYWAY the other thing about these games is they promote lazy corner cutting tactics like over reliance on cover based shooting.

 

[Alexnader]

Every FPS these days is the same damn formula, with the same damn regenerating health, with the same damn linear campaign, with the same damn kids online.

Bottom line: All these stupid AAA title FPS games are recycled shit.

*Except Battlefield 3. It may have its surface spit shined with shit but crack off that layer and you have the delicious multiplayer core.

Saw a video of some guy flying an attack chopper when two of the enemy Flanker Su jets tried to attack him at once, they both rushed him and wound up colliding in midair right in front of him creating a glorious explosion and missing his vehicle by mere meters.

Then he went "Oh well, another day on the battlefield" and decked off to blow up some tanks.

 

[wooty]

You could actually ask this question of every popular game. People just seem to like to moan about something.

 

[Sonicron]

I have nothing against popular FPSs on principle.
I DO have something against FPSs that a) advertise themselves through realism and/or b) piss all over paying customers by presenting them with a 4-hour campaign and multiplayer that's riddled with immature fuckspuds. It just so happens that quite a few of the big and popular FPSs nowadays fall into both of these categories.

 

[danqaz]

Personally, Yes, I do think it is worth it whining about everything we think is not as good as it could be. It shouldn't even be restricted to here, we should be constantly bashing terrible games, so people STOP producing terrible games, while you may like cheesy campaigns, personally, I get sick of them, VERY quickly, and while inevitably, there will always be a cheesy story somewhere, I don't think gaming companies are gonna try harder to make something good unless there's someone saying they can do better.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

I think you, like many others, may be somewhat confused.

Each person hates a DIFFERENT popular franchise. Very rarely do you see someone who hates them all. However, when you have three of each person commenting, it can appear that everyone hates everything.

 

[Zhukov]

Popular games attract more attention.

Some of that attention will be hostile. Fact of life. Or at least, fact of the internet.

If I can put up with people bashing Mass Effect (hi there!) and Bioshock, then you can put up with people bashing CoD or whatever.

 

[GiglameshSoulEater]

I just want a decent campaign.
Multiplayer can eat its own face for all i care.

 

[Uncle_Brainhorn]

It's not just FPSs. Don't you know? It's "cool" to hate popular things.

 

[EvilPicnic]

Why does it matter to you? If you like a game, that's great. But it doesn't mean all the games detractors should suddenly shut up. Their opinion has value too.

And just because a game is popular doesn't mean it is suddenly above criticism.