Poll: Can Games have lasting entertainment without any challenge?
- Thread starter ThePizzaGuy556
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Totally. I've replayed both AC I and II at least 5 times, and those are some of the easiest games I own. Some games may have lasting entertainment through challenge, some may have lasting entertainment with a unique atmosphere or good would watch again story. Or they could just have fun gameplay that begs to be played again.
Define, "Challenge". What about experimental or Indie Games, like The Path or Minecraft, where the emphasis is on interactivity in ways that arn't supposed to be challenging, or where goals are player-defined?
My general answer is that any time the question, "Can games...?" comes up, I say yes. They may not, but they could.
My general answer is that any time the question, "Can games...?" comes up, I say yes. They may not, but they could.
Of course it can, there are more games can offer and entertainment isn?t based on the challenge of a game alone. Sometimes I even put games on easy because I?m more interested in other parts of the game-play; Narrative, exploration, finding things off the beaten path, just going through the motions of playing the game. And hell, sometimes being an overpowered bad ass is fun and I don?t think it?s done enough. Sometimes super powers in games don?t really feel super enough.
Mount and Blade: Warband?icyneesan said:
Not difficult?
*Insert image of surprised, frightened Captain Kirk*
..did you possibly play for a very long time, as Swadia, on an easy difficulty level or do I suck at it?
Edit: I just realised the difficulty really depends on what you're planning to do in a game with as high amounts of freedom as Warband. Creating a badass looking army that was tacticly unsound (Even though I love my pure melee-infantry Nord army, they get raped by Swadia and Khergit on the open field. :c) and then trying to conquer Calradia yourself on the hardest difficulty may not have been the best idea.
OP: Wether challenge is important or not depends on the game. It is important in the majority of games though.
Yes, but only for a certain type of person.
I have a friend who can run around the world of Crackdown with a maxed out agent for hours upon hours just dicking around.
I on the other hand, need SOME form of challenge to keep me playing even if that challenge is just trying to get 100% completion.
I have a friend who can run around the world of Crackdown with a maxed out agent for hours upon hours just dicking around.
I on the other hand, need SOME form of challenge to keep me playing even if that challenge is just trying to get 100% completion.
I was going to come in here and site Zelda games as an example, but you, good sir, win.gamerguy473 said:
If it's a more story heavy game, absolutely. And, of course, let's not forget how inherently funny it can be if you're practically invincible.
Inviting mate round to play two-player, turning on cheats and causing havoc in GTA San Andreas is nothing if not entertaining.
Inviting mate round to play two-player, turning on cheats and causing havoc in GTA San Andreas is nothing if not entertaining.
It depends on the game, really. If the atmosphere, story/characters, general "experience" are good enough, easy games can become incredibly addictive and immersive. However, if it all hinges on the gameplay, a good challenge is essential. For example, at the moment I'm playing rogue leader: rogue squadron two at the moment, and it's kicking my ass, but it just wouldn't be quite the sane game if it di-GET THESE GORRAM INTERCEPTORS OFF MY ASS!
Yeah. A certain level of uniqueness helps, if you're constantly looking at a new challenge, and just have to think about it for a certain amount of time. It's when things get samey that you start having problems, ie in Oblivion, when combat goes like: "He attacks me 10 times and does no damage, I hit him with a charge attack and he dies, repeat for all enemies"
But even when combat was EASY in Batman: Arkham Asylum, it felt fun, because it's very involved. If you're playing properly, you don't just hit punch until they're dead, it's a system of attacks, counters, dodges, that's mostly determined by the enemies; and that unpredictability makes it pretty fun.
But even when combat was EASY in Batman: Arkham Asylum, it felt fun, because it's very involved. If you're playing properly, you don't just hit punch until they're dead, it's a system of attacks, counters, dodges, that's mostly determined by the enemies; and that unpredictability makes it pretty fun.
Fundamentally speaking, games need some form of challenge to be entertaining (particularly concerning the realm of replayability for games). However, that doesn't automatically mean a game should be hard either; challenge can come from a variety of sources which aren't hard-wired into the game's mechanics, and the best source of this the players themselves. A player can just as easily come up with their own form of challenge to a game, something which isn't set out by the developpers as a clear objective.
Some of the more common examples are as follows:
Quite a few achievements in the last generation of games are actually some of these otherwise established challenges which players did anyhow. People would still be trying to go for the conditions need to get No One Left Behind in Mass Effect 2 even if there was no achievement involved, players would instinctively want to save all of their team if it's possible; the achievement is merely an acknowledgement that you succeeded.
A game doesn't necessarily have to be hard to be entertaining, but there needs to be some sort of challenge or purpose to hold the player's interest. It can be a hard-coded challenge in the game, but a player-created challenges are just as effective (if not moreso).
Some of the more common examples are as follows:
- - Speed-running games.
- No damage/death runs of a game.
- Completionist runs of a game.
- Low-level, low-completion percentages, and other minimalist challenges.
- Make an amazing and/or entertaining level/map using the in-game level editor.
Quite a few achievements in the last generation of games are actually some of these otherwise established challenges which players did anyhow. People would still be trying to go for the conditions need to get No One Left Behind in Mass Effect 2 even if there was no achievement involved, players would instinctively want to save all of their team if it's possible; the achievement is merely an acknowledgement that you succeeded.
A game doesn't necessarily have to be hard to be entertaining, but there needs to be some sort of challenge or purpose to hold the player's interest. It can be a hard-coded challenge in the game, but a player-created challenges are just as effective (if not moreso).
Challenge is why I play. Mostly.
This is also the most stupid misconception about gaming.
People think gaming is mindless time-killing. And that is only true for games that don't challenge you. The Sims for example is just time waste. Or minecraft (unless you build some complex system of whatever or some art), most non-multiplayer games are pretty challenge-free because computers usually suck and balance is disregarded.
But play DotA, LoL, Starcraft (or any RTS I guess) on a high level, and you will be stressed as hell during these games. Because they are challenging.
So I would conclude, long-lasting entertainment can only occur in multiplayer. And multiplayer is challenging. Unless you are the best, which you are not.
This is also the most stupid misconception about gaming.
People think gaming is mindless time-killing. And that is only true for games that don't challenge you. The Sims for example is just time waste. Or minecraft (unless you build some complex system of whatever or some art), most non-multiplayer games are pretty challenge-free because computers usually suck and balance is disregarded.
But play DotA, LoL, Starcraft (or any RTS I guess) on a high level, and you will be stressed as hell during these games. Because they are challenging.
So I would conclude, long-lasting entertainment can only occur in multiplayer. And multiplayer is challenging. Unless you are the best, which you are not.
I think the exception to for the usual rule of needing challenging game mechanics is when your playing the game as a warm up. Training mode, Chess sim > Real Versus Chess ect.