Small things you love about games you like.

[Full]

I've been playing a lot of Dead Space lately and one of my favorite parts about the series as a whole is the fact that there's no on-board HUD, you don't even get jelly on your screen when you're dying. It's just a cool feature that looks fucking awesome.

I also like the way the camera was so clunky in the first game, made me really need to line-up my shots, Resident Evil 4 style.

EDIT: Just remembered, the sound the Line Gun makes when it's foldy-animation ends and it snaps into itself, and how rad it looks while Isaac is holding it when flying around in zero-grav.

I'm simply asking ye' old Es-cahpast, what are general things that you like about games that you enjoy? It could be a nice, subtle touch that you simply notice, or a cool cutscene you just can't skip. Just the little things about good games that make the experience that much cooler.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Sometimes, I really like certain sound effects in games.

So, for instance, I like the sound inventory scrolling makes in Monster Hunter. The sound of the next round being loaded unto a bolt-action rifle, followed by the sound a brass casing hitting the ground in Fallout New Vegas, The sound Vergil's sword slashes make in DMC3 and UMvC3.

The little things

 

[Rawne1980]

I'll tell you of the best things I ever came across in a game.

Monkey Island.

The sword fight insults.

I loved that about it, and still do to be fair.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Leon's rifle reload animation in Resident Evil 4. Just that quick cool series of calculated hand motions, and the metalic klinks of shells popping out. *shivers* I prefer it over the semi-automatc rifle for that reason alone.

Also, his leather jacket. If only I could keep it throughout the entire game.

 

[UrinalDook]

Zooming around the galaxy map in Mass Effect. I could do it for hours. The music, the visuals, the flavour text on every single world in every system. It's just the best.

The duster coat in Red Dead Redemption. More games need duster coats.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Dante's Million Dollars super in UMVC3... Like, all of it.

"YAHOO! *pewpewpewpew* Jackpot! DOWN!"

When the final charge shot scores the K.O it makes my day.

Also Phoenix's Phoenix Inferno. It's SHOCKINGLY amazing. Invincible on start up and fires this huge ass projectile that blazes through practically everything. Oh and when people are thinking up their Dark Phoenix plans then get killed by Regular Phoenix. So fucking funny. Why hoard 5 bars then LOSE them for a power up mode when you get 5 get out of jail free cards? People never expect a Phoenix to actually use her supers.

The menu noises in Persona 4 are awesome and I love how fluid throws are in BlazBlue. They're actually RELIABLE! Oh and walking up to someone stuck in the little spinny projectile and throwing them while they're stuck in blockstun with Lambda is hilarious. It just looks funny to me, she just glides over and pimp slaps them.

I don't know if there's a way to prevent it if you see it coming, I assume the spinny projectile would stop any anti-throw stuff.

 

[Vegosiux]

In Mass Effect 1, I really loved the metallic "TWANG!" sniper rifles made. I was sad when in later installments it was not there anymore.

In days of yore, zooming in on a guy in Settlers 2 who got bored and pulled out a newspaper or jumprope.

In any game with selectable units, the "Would you fucking stop clicking on me all the time?" quotes.

The best rant I've ever come across in my gaming, in Baldur's Gate.

Also in Baldur's Gate, the musing on how stores are both public and private in nature and the societal impacts thereof (which prompts the NPCs to attack you for giving them a migraine)

Another thing in Baldur's Gate...the ANTICHIKENATOR!

Moving on to Baldur's Gate II; the Spectator Beholder, who's actually quite a pleasant and well-spoken chap once you get over the fact that he's, well, a beholder.

Baldur's Gate II still, Lilarcor.

In Psychonauts, the "Are you ready?" "No." "*SLAP* How about now?" exchange (You can say no again, of course. And again. And...)

All the gratuitous psycopathic humor and violence in every Sam&Max game, ever.

And many, many more. A game with a lot of little things that make me go "Well what do we have here?" or coax a chuckle out of me will make me forgive many downsides.

 

[Nantucket_v1legacy]

In Arcanum... the brothel where you can pay a little bit more and have your character spend time with the sheep.

Rollercoaster Tycoon 1 & 2 - those balloons you could pop.

Theme Hospital - The freakin' voice-over. That woman always made me laugh.

"Patients are reminded to please not die in the corridors. Thank you!"
"Patients - cheque books are required!"

 

[Cabisco]

Fall of Cybertron is a pretty average game, for the most part the only reason I still play it is because it's something slightly different that I can play with my friends online. There is a moment within it though that unlocks my heart, the simple act of jumping off a ledge and in mid dive to transform into a jet and ascend to the heavens gives me absolute joy. Sure it's a tiny part of an overall kinda average game but damn I love to do that.

Also, Armoured Core games. Again quite an average game with kinda shoddy gameplay/bad stories and for the most part sub par graphics but it has two things I love. Firstly building an AC, when I buy an Armoured Core game it's pretty much just to unlock all the cool parts and see what lovely Robots I can build in the 'garage' and then go test them. I love doing that, but it places second on the list to the wall I always face on all those games. Every single damned time I play an armoured core game I get stuck on a mission, usually fighting some other AC and I get pushed up against a wall and sodomised repeatedly until I stop playing. Weeks later I eventually come back, with a new badass robot (after going through the league to gain cash, it's tradition) and destroy them. That moment of knowing I beat 'the wall' on those games gives me no greater pleasure. Fuck you Wall, I beat you.

 

[FFP2]

The post battle screen in Tales Of Vesperia. The party usually has some funny banter and it seems that they actually react to the conversation depending on who's in your party. My jaw literally dropped the first time I heard it happen when that girl you find in the beginning castle thingy reacted to the protagonist's post battle taunt.

The main menu theme from Persona 4. I spent around 2 hours at the main menu the first time I played it.

The ability to add accessories like hats and sunglasses to your "Pokemon" in Final Fantasy 13-2. It really gave me a sense of endearment for my monsters.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

The overall design of Persona 4's title screen - from the sound buttons make to how the options are highlighted when you scroll through them.

All of the meta-jokes in the Disgaea franchise (Laharl wanting to be the protagonist, Etna worrying she's low-leveled).

Incidentally, whenever a videogame features a parody of the super sentai genre (the Handsome Men in Killer7, the Mad Midget Five in God Hand, the Prism Rangers in Disgaea, etc.).

Whenever I recognize a voice actor. Bonus if it's in Japanese. Also, the option to Japanese audio and English subtitles.

 

[Pink Gregory]

The sounds of the drop-down menus opening and closing in Endless Space.

It's like a smooth *shink* and a nice clean sliding sound back out.

...what...

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Portal 2's situational music. Bouncing off repulsion gel or zooming along the acceleration gel and hearing their tunes swell as you stay on them is a brilliant touch.

 

[Rylot]

I love the Fable series' mechanics of having your character change while playing the game. It didn't have the best implementation ever but it added a lot to the game for me to see my character physically change as the game progressed more than their armor. I also loved the scaring.

 

[Sneezeburger]

Max Payne 3, if you pull out a handgun when holding a rifle/shotgun, he doesn't magic it into his coat or trousers, but holds the rifle in his other hand while your leaping around shooting people.

Its such a nice little detail.

 

[LiberalSquirrel]

In El Shaddai, the "go to pause menu" sound when you press start/select is the same finger-snap noise that is used, in-game, to stop time. I thought that was a nice little touch.

 

[laggyteabag]

Dead Space 3's use of the RIG, How everything is displayed on, or coming from, the player. Health, Stasis charge, even the inventory screen and Video link is a hologram projection coming from the suit.

Halo. The Compass on the Assault Rifle's ammo counter, dont know why, just felt that it made it feel more like a tool than a weapon.

Mass Effect series, how the weapons fold in/ out when you get them out/ put them away.

 

[Legion]

There is something immensely satisfying about using the chainsaw bayonet in Gears of War. It's extremely visceral, but without feeling sadistic.

I love weather effects in games, especially rain or snow. Walking along a road in Skyrim as the rain begins pouring down, or when climbing a mountain and seeing the snow swirl around you as you walk is brilliant.

The way companions in Bioware games will turn and look at the person talking whether it's you or an NPC is a nice touch.

The writing on the walls in the safe houses of both Left 4 Dead games is a brilliant way to add atmosphere, especially as the game lacks a general story.

The feeling in Bioshock that everything is falling apart. Despite there being very few NPC's that talk and no cutscenes. It's all done by little touches like cracked glass leaking water and abandoned suitcases and other items.

 

[Old Father Eternity]

Cryostasis, some well done details. One particular example is boxes of an old cigarette brand laying about the ship, small thing but brings back some memories from a by gone era.

 

[AgentLampshade]

Go listen to Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: Dark Impetus song. About 1:15 in, the violin goes nuts. I fucking love that.

When Vergil says "scum!" as he Rapid Slashes.

This whole scene in InFamous 2. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQYgkyZwfYU]