I love Minecraft and in general free roaming do-stuff-in-your-own-order game narratives are a big plus for me, but I do like a well written linear story.
I start liking it less if and when I start noticing the way the story is structured and can pretty much predict exactly when I'll get the next story moment/cutscene/bit of character interaction. Portal 2 is bad for that, since almost all of the game is either you entering a room, listening to some dialogue, solving the puzzle, listening to some more dialogue, leaving to go to the next room... or moving through entirely linear interlinking sequences with dialogue coming up at specific moments. Great game, don't get me wrong, but it's so linear even by Valve's standards, some sequences might as well be on rails.
Mass Effect 2 was the same. Sure you had some freedom, but sooner or later there was going to be 10 or 12 rooms of chest high walls to slog through while shooting it out with inexplicably huge armies of mercs before you got your reward in the form of the next story scene. But at least you don't have to be warned to not stray off the path, because there is no other path.
I like to be able to explore, get lost a bit, pick an alternate route that doesn't have "ALTERNATE ROUTE" hanging over it like a neon sign. That's missing from a lot of the current gen.
I start liking it less if and when I start noticing the way the story is structured and can pretty much predict exactly when I'll get the next story moment/cutscene/bit of character interaction. Portal 2 is bad for that, since almost all of the game is either you entering a room, listening to some dialogue, solving the puzzle, listening to some more dialogue, leaving to go to the next room... or moving through entirely linear interlinking sequences with dialogue coming up at specific moments. Great game, don't get me wrong, but it's so linear even by Valve's standards, some sequences might as well be on rails.
Mass Effect 2 was the same. Sure you had some freedom, but sooner or later there was going to be 10 or 12 rooms of chest high walls to slog through while shooting it out with inexplicably huge armies of mercs before you got your reward in the form of the next story scene. But at least you don't have to be warned to not stray off the path, because there is no other path.
I like to be able to explore, get lost a bit, pick an alternate route that doesn't have "ALTERNATE ROUTE" hanging over it like a neon sign. That's missing from a lot of the current gen.
