PC to console "dumbing down" AKA "Holy crap, what were they thinking?"

[Zhukov]

Crysis 2 was dumbed down, end of. You could also complete entire levels on the highest difficulty setting without firing a shot - not by means of stealth though. You could just stroll through a barrage of enemies without dying, in plain sight.

Funny, that's how I got through most of the first Crysis.

...

I don't think so. Try to walk past enemies while not invisible, stroll right in front of their noses - you'll be dead before you can say "I make stupid claims on internet forums".

How very presumptuous of you.

I spent half of Crysis sprinting past everybody and the other half standing behind a tree waiting for my energy to recharge.

My experiments with the "invisible - lol" stealth mode made the game even easier, but I stopped that because it was too slow.

You must have got some magic copy of the game then, because if I or anybody else I have ever seen play the game just sprinted past enemies we dropped pretty fast.

How?

You can run so fast that it's like using a mild speedhack and those much vaunted open levels allow you to circle around everything.

People say Crysis 2 is dumbed down. I say it's slightly better balanced. (Stealth was still broken though.)

 

[The Funslinger]

I'd just like to say thank you for reminding me of Ghost Master. A friend showed me it as a kid, and then that was that. The short time I got to play it, I loved it. It could be a slight nostalgia trip, and I may not enjoy it now, but £3 off Steam, hell yeah!

 

[LittleJoeRambler]

Crysis 2 was dumbed down, end of. You could also complete entire levels on the highest difficulty setting without firing a shot - not by means of stealth though. You could just stroll through a barrage of enemies without dying, in plain sight.

Funny, that's how I got through most of the first Crysis.

...

I don't think so. Try to walk past enemies while not invisible, stroll right in front of their noses - you'll be dead before you can say "I make stupid claims on internet forums".

I got killed a few dozen times in Crysis 2 trying to stealth past enemies and having my cloak run out, so unless there's a glitch where enemies just flat out can't see you if you never activate your suit powers or something, me and you had different experiences.

That said, I'll take a Crysis or Crysis 2 over something like, say, Black Ops, where the game stuttered and jerked and lagged for apparently no reason even after they supposedly fixed it. And hey, Crysis runs pretty good on my PC, why the hell won't Black Ops, which doesn't look anywhere near as good? Mysterious.

Plus, taking the silencer off your gun, uncloaking and killing one guy to lure all his mates near a car and then kicking it into the mob, watching bodies ragdoll on the the beautifully rendered landscape gives a level of satisfaction that Call of Duty's mechanics simply can't.

 

[Ruzinus]

It's hard to avoid. PCs are just always going to be better, more advanced technology and consoles, due to their easy to use nature, will always have a higher percentage of gamers seeking less complex experiences.

I don't like the implication that console gamers are somehow "dumber" for their choice of platform. Easier does not mean dumber. I bought my PS3 and my current PC at the same time (3 years ago). One of them can play modern games. One of them can't.

OT: There are some shoddy ports. Certain games just shouldn't be played on console, or on PC.

I didn't say they were dumber. I said, and I quote, "Consoles, due to their easy to use nature, will always have a higher percentage of gamers seeking less complex experiences."

People don't buy a PC to play games unless they are serious about it. You don't go out of your way to buy a very expensive new computer or go through the upgrading process unless you are really into it. What do you do if you just wanna hop into some games? Buy a console and plug it in.

Also, as someone said in reply to you, "Your PS3 can't play modern games, it can play games of the same quality and scope as those of 6 years ago when it was released." My PC can play modern games (and make them look a hell of a lot better). Your PS3 can play games being released now. There's a difference.

No one said you said it. What was said was that you implied it.

Which you did.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

It's hard to avoid. PCs are just always going to be better, more advanced technology and consoles, due to their easy to use nature, will always have a higher percentage of gamers seeking less complex experiences.

I don't like the implication that console gamers are somehow "dumber" for their choice of platform. Easier does not mean dumber. I bought my PS3 and my current PC at the same time (3 years ago). One of them can play modern games. One of them can't.

OT: There are some shoddy ports. Certain games just shouldn't be played on console, or on PC.

I didn't say they were dumber. I said, and I quote, "Consoles, due to their easy to use nature, will always have a higher percentage of gamers seeking less complex experiences."

People don't buy a PC to play games unless they are serious about it. You don't go out of your way to buy a very expensive new computer or go through the upgrading process unless you are really into it. What do you do if you just wanna hop into some games? Buy a console and plug it in.

Also, as someone said in reply to you, "Your PS3 can't play modern games, it can play games of the same quality and scope as those of 6 years ago when it was released." My PC can play modern games (and make them look a hell of a lot better). Your PS3 can play games being released now. There's a difference.

No one said you said it. What was said was that you implied it.

Which you did.

Whatever you incorrectly infer from my comment is your doing. I said what I meant and meant what I said.

 

[Pink Gregory]

I remember playing the PS2 port of The Sims.

Grooo...did not work in soooo many ways.
Seemed at the time like attempting to repeat the success of the original with a new audience *shrug* not a bad business idea but in practice, foolhardy.

 

[TwiZtah]

snip

Be cautios, people here tend to stamp someone off as "PC Elitist" if you even dare to imply that the consoles are outdated tech, not even to mention if you imply that the PC might be better in that regard.

On Topic: There are several examples for games being obvious ports: Many Rockstar games have utterly bad control schemes on the PC and bad interfaces that just add busywork (why can't I have weapons bound to numberkeys? Why do I need to scroll through them all?). Then there are technical issues: Giant-ass guns that take over half of the screen, iron sights in games where they don't need to be, narrow FoV. All is there due to lack of processing power: Developer need to work around it and it's easier to render a gun that has only one perspective for you than everything that might be behind it. Same goes for FoV = the less you can see the less the console has to render. And there are many, many more small things that, if piled up in one game just scream "lazy port".

My biggest gripe with new FPS's, the FOV is about 60, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE! The default FOV for Serious fucking Sam 3 was 60. Syndicate is a perfect example, you CAN'T change the FOV, and the bloom is fucking ridiculous. You don't hear the console players complain though, only the PC, because what, they know how a good game should be?

 

[GoaThief]

Funnily enough it still managed to be the best shooter of 2011, which says something about the general state of the genre.

Portal 2 says hi.

RAGE had a good stab too, those environments were gorgeous. 2012 is here and we've had Tribes: Ascend... seems the genre isn't as bad as you're making out, but it could be better!

 

[Vault101]

usually I'm pretty tolerant to dumbing down....buuuut

in Saints row 2....its hard to aim

WITH A MOUSE

its physically hard to aim

WITH A MOUSE

 

[Don Savik]

Its really a case by case basis. Some games turn into Call of Duty, others do a great job streamlining their mechanics.

The problem is you can't please everyone. In World of Warcraft they've been removing and fixing stupid, redundant, dated mechanics, and now everyone is screaming "durrrr game's fer kids wtf blizz unsub". Yes it was harder back in the day, but the mechanics fucking suuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeddddddddddddddddd.

People might not like good mechanical changes if its not similar to what they're used to. How would the creators of RE5 know that people would spaz out because they liked micromanaging a big ass inventory and having to press start to change weapons?

 

[Meight08]

You say "Dumb downed," I say "Streamlined because over-complicating everything doesn't make a game good."

Name 5 game series that improved by going to consoles.

 

[Woodsey]

Its only rare that I ever came across this "dumbing down" syndrome

People say it happened to Crysis 2; I however did not see a single sign of that happening. Yes there were only 2 abilities, big deal. It allowed the game to flow at its own pace much better suited for urban warfare IMO.

Smaller environments, less tactical options, far more wrestling control from the player, a tactical overlay that was like having someone hand you the design document, prescribed stealth routes which equated to "run down drain/side-road to end of level". Not to mention the fact that the suit is worse in every way imaginable. And weapon customisation went full-retard.

AND NO SHEDS TO PUNCH.

Portal 2 says hi.

And then turns around and walks off, because it's a puzzle game.

 

[Meight08]

Funnily enough it still managed to be the best shooter of 2011, which says something about the general state of the genre.

Portal 2 says hi.

And bye again because it's not a shooter.

RAGE had a good stab too, those environments were gorgeous.)

Doesn't make the actual game any better.

2012 is here and we've had Tribes: Ascend... seems the genre isn't as bad as you're making out, but it could be better!

Yay! One semi-decent shooter. That borders on pay2win at times. Yeah, this genre is way better than I'm giving it credit for.

It's not pay to win All you need to win is actual skill.

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

I can't think of a single instance of this.

I can think of a few console games ported to PC that have the fucking controller and/or split-screen option gutted from them, though, which never ceases to make me want to take a bite out of my desk in impotent, all-consuming rage.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Its only rare that I ever came across this "dumbing down" syndrome

People say it happened to Crysis 2; I however did not see a single sign of that happening. Yes there were only 2 abilities, big deal. It allowed the game to flow at its own pace much better suited for urban warfare IMO.

Play the first game on PC. Then play the second. The difference is not only apparent, but frightening. 2 was a tedious CoD-rip off with linear maps, military jargon up the whatsit, stupid AI and made to be easy. 1 was very, very challenging with huge, open maps allowing uncountable approaches, allowed saves, looked stunning at release and played wonderfully. Further, it also has an actual *gasp* interesting story (by FPS standards).

If you cannot tell the compromises that have to be made in all games made now so they work on a PS3's absolutely pathetic 256MB of video RAM then chances are you've missed out on some of the greatest shooters ever made.