When I choose a game, it has to be unique in some way. Like for example, Brutal Legend. A RTS/3rd hacky slashy open world extravaganza!! or Stacking, a new take on the Point and Click Adventure games that sucked before it... Apart from anything designed by Tim Schafer. I also like a bit of obscurity in my video games, such as The Tone Rebellion. This is a game so obscure, I bet barely anyone here has heard of it. Another example would be Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. An RTS based on War of the Worlds! Both unique and obscure and better than that latest hunk of crap WotW game on PSN and XBLA.
What do you like in your games?
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Typically, I enjoy diversity with my games. Due in no small part to my ADHD, I feel an insatiable urge to keep myself entertained, and my short attention span ensures that if I have to repeat a task for longer than 15-30 minutes, I'll typically get bored of it and try to "entertain" myself while being entertained, i.e. watch a movie while playing a game. So, more than anything, I hate games that have you doing the same thing for long periods of time. The definition of "same thing" is rather vague, though, as even just killing different monsters can keep my attention...for a while, at least.
No, a game that can truly appease me is one that has a lot of stuff to do. Side-quests, secret dungeons, and most importantly, mini-games. I see fewer and fewer video games with mini-games nowadays. For whatever reason, though, sandbox games kind of go too far for me, as when you give me TOO MUCH stuff to do, I end up forgetting what the main story was and lose immersion on an epic scale (for no better example of this, look to FFXII and their god-awfully long monster hunting sidequest, not to mention all the other things you can do). I enjoy a fair balance between linearity and free-roaming, but I don't think I've ever nailed down a proper formula.
Besides that, I'm a big fantasy fan. I love Dragons, Swords and Sorcery, "Dated" settings and awe-inspiring worlds. I'm not a big fan of much else, though; Sci-fi is very hit-and-miss with me, though I've found Steampunk to be rather nice on occasion. Oh, and I HATE realism, and I ESPECIALLY hate bland colors. I absolutely LOVE bright, colorful regions and unbelievable scenery; doesn't matter what you put in them, as long as I can see every color of the rainbow, with nothing toned down to look "serious," I'm happy.
Everything else becomes less a factor of buy or pass and more a factor of how well I enjoyed myself. Music is always a factor in determining a good game from a great game, but I have no real preferences as to what I want to hear; as long as it sets the mood, I'm happy. Story is also a big factor, but I'm pretty good at reading between the lines and crafting my own ideas about the world I'm in; though, quite frankly, any game that has me going through 10-15 minutes of not just written, but SPOKEN dialogue just makes me want to take a bullet to my brain out of boredom every time.
No, a game that can truly appease me is one that has a lot of stuff to do. Side-quests, secret dungeons, and most importantly, mini-games. I see fewer and fewer video games with mini-games nowadays. For whatever reason, though, sandbox games kind of go too far for me, as when you give me TOO MUCH stuff to do, I end up forgetting what the main story was and lose immersion on an epic scale (for no better example of this, look to FFXII and their god-awfully long monster hunting sidequest, not to mention all the other things you can do). I enjoy a fair balance between linearity and free-roaming, but I don't think I've ever nailed down a proper formula.
Besides that, I'm a big fantasy fan. I love Dragons, Swords and Sorcery, "Dated" settings and awe-inspiring worlds. I'm not a big fan of much else, though; Sci-fi is very hit-and-miss with me, though I've found Steampunk to be rather nice on occasion. Oh, and I HATE realism, and I ESPECIALLY hate bland colors. I absolutely LOVE bright, colorful regions and unbelievable scenery; doesn't matter what you put in them, as long as I can see every color of the rainbow, with nothing toned down to look "serious," I'm happy.
Everything else becomes less a factor of buy or pass and more a factor of how well I enjoyed myself. Music is always a factor in determining a good game from a great game, but I have no real preferences as to what I want to hear; as long as it sets the mood, I'm happy. Story is also a big factor, but I'm pretty good at reading between the lines and crafting my own ideas about the world I'm in; though, quite frankly, any game that has me going through 10-15 minutes of not just written, but SPOKEN dialogue just makes me want to take a bullet to my brain out of boredom every time.
Very in depth, environment, and story. one that seconds in and YOU feel like your actually a part of the whole thing, not just the guy controlling the main character. you know good role-playing.
AND
ZOMBIES!
zombies, brain eaters, flesh eaters, the undead, what ever you wanna call the little buggers. If it's a good zombie apocalypse game, that ACTUALLY has a well developed story, and not just take gun, leave safe room, run, gun, enter safe room, (L4D & L4D2) i will play it, buy it, buy DLC's for it, and play it over, and over and over.
and co-op wouldn't hurt either.
You know 2 gamers play through the story line, but don't force them to be together ALL THE TIME. try something like Resident Evil 2 did, if you played Leon, claire was the background character, doing things that affected you. So why not PLayer 1 is Leon, while player 2 is claire, and then you have 2 sotrylines in 1 game, player 1's Leon, interacting with Ada, and player 2's Claire dealing with sherry.
AND
ZOMBIES!
zombies, brain eaters, flesh eaters, the undead, what ever you wanna call the little buggers. If it's a good zombie apocalypse game, that ACTUALLY has a well developed story, and not just take gun, leave safe room, run, gun, enter safe room, (L4D & L4D2) i will play it, buy it, buy DLC's for it, and play it over, and over and over.
and co-op wouldn't hurt either.
You know 2 gamers play through the story line, but don't force them to be together ALL THE TIME. try something like Resident Evil 2 did, if you played Leon, claire was the background character, doing things that affected you. So why not PLayer 1 is Leon, while player 2 is claire, and then you have 2 sotrylines in 1 game, player 1's Leon, interacting with Ada, and player 2's Claire dealing with sherry.
The deep satisfaction I get when I just miss that ledge/ get blown up/ crash horribly/ get beaten to a pulp for the 97th time that evening. Sure, I'll repeatedly bang my head against the wall until I can't remember what I'm doing it for but... actually, I can't remember where I was going with that. Maybe I'm a masochist(?).
You might want to check out Brutal Legend in that case. It has a massive open world map with loads of different side quests and loads of things to collect as well. Don't be put off by the RTS aspect, once you play through it, you'll never look backShanicus said:
Just overall creativity.
It can be in any part of the game: Complex characters with unique twists, exciting new worlds begging for exploration, alien weapon designs with mechanics begging for experimentation.
Just something new and unfamiliar you have fun interacting with, something that can make you dream up exciting scenarios while not playing the game.
It can be in any part of the game: Complex characters with unique twists, exciting new worlds begging for exploration, alien weapon designs with mechanics begging for experimentation.
Just something new and unfamiliar you have fun interacting with, something that can make you dream up exciting scenarios while not playing the game.
I find my favourite games have to have that right feeling about them. It's a lot about atmosphere and setting when I reflect on it. It can come in a lot of different forms though
* An atmosphere of mystery - Myst, Metroid Prime, Professor Layton, Bioshock, Borderlands
* An atmosphere of exploration - Just Cause 2, Assassin's Creed, Ape Escape, modern Castlevanias, Oblivion
- Doesn't have to be free roaming for that though. I got it with Halo 1 and Crimson Skies HRTR too.
* Feeling connected to the setting - SW:KOTOR, Phoenix Wright, Grandia, Tombi 2
Everything in the games to me are usually just to fill out the atmosphere and universe, with the exception of a few games where I generally did care about the story and characters (Phoenix Wright, KOTOR) Then there's a few games which I like completely regardless of that though. Like SSBM, Diablo 2, Crash Team Racing, Puzzle Quest.
So yes, it's all about feeling immersed in the world. Being in a setting that can make me feel awesome when I go somewhere scenic, or find a secret area. Music and sound effects are essential. Well created environments make all the difference.
* An atmosphere of mystery - Myst, Metroid Prime, Professor Layton, Bioshock, Borderlands
* An atmosphere of exploration - Just Cause 2, Assassin's Creed, Ape Escape, modern Castlevanias, Oblivion
- Doesn't have to be free roaming for that though. I got it with Halo 1 and Crimson Skies HRTR too.
* Feeling connected to the setting - SW:KOTOR, Phoenix Wright, Grandia, Tombi 2
Everything in the games to me are usually just to fill out the atmosphere and universe, with the exception of a few games where I generally did care about the story and characters (Phoenix Wright, KOTOR) Then there's a few games which I like completely regardless of that though. Like SSBM, Diablo 2, Crash Team Racing, Puzzle Quest.
So yes, it's all about feeling immersed in the world. Being in a setting that can make me feel awesome when I go somewhere scenic, or find a secret area. Music and sound effects are essential. Well created environments make all the difference.
Aesthetics:
Androgyny
Girly
Cute
Anime
Bright
Colourful
Fantasy
High Culture
Cel-shaded
Retro
Music:
Neoclassical
Bombastic
Art Music
Ambient
Cute
Themes:
Romance
Political conflict
Fantasy
Character development
Slice of Life
Gameplay:
Strategy
Character growth
Third Person Perspective
Platforming
Varied challenge
Social Skills
Magic
Swordplay
Crafting/Farming/Building
Androgyny
Girly
Cute
Anime
Bright
Colourful
Fantasy
High Culture
Cel-shaded
Retro
Music:
Neoclassical
Bombastic
Art Music
Ambient
Cute
Themes:
Romance
Political conflict
Fantasy
Character development
Slice of Life
Gameplay:
Strategy
Character growth
Third Person Perspective
Platforming
Varied challenge
Social Skills
Magic
Swordplay
Crafting/Farming/Building
Story, story, story, story.
Did I mention I play games for the story?
Seriously though, the story is usually what keeps me going. Whenever I realize I need to know what happens next, I know I have a great game on my hands. (a good example for me is the Uncharted-series). Especially well written characters can make or break a game for me.
Another thing I love is when a game thinks outside the box (a nice example for me were the Scarecrow sequences in Batman: Arkham City).
Did I mention I play games for the story?
Seriously though, the story is usually what keeps me going. Whenever I realize I need to know what happens next, I know I have a great game on my hands. (a good example for me is the Uncharted-series). Especially well written characters can make or break a game for me.
Another thing I love is when a game thinks outside the box (a nice example for me were the Scarecrow sequences in Batman: Arkham City).
I like a game with moderately strong tutorials and item descriptions in place.
I'm playing Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the first time, and I have to admit, I'm not terribly pleased with just how much it DOESN'T tell me. You pick up soul gems! Cool! What the hell is a soul gem? What's this weird crystal thing I just picked up? Gosh, it'd be really neat if the game would give me a two sentence description. How I do alchemy? Trial and error? Well... that sorta works, I guess, but I get the feeling I'm wasting these rarely-seen herbs and seeds.
I like some cover-based shooting combat. I'm playing Half-Life 2 and I'm crouched behind a wrecked car. Does that make me safe from the sniper in the window up there? I won't know until his sight is on me. Meanwhile, in Mass Effect 2, I'm crouched behind some stuff and I KNOW I'm safe from anything thrown my way.
Read: SOME cover-based shooting. Mass Effect 2 hit a happy medium, I think, between old-school "hide around a corner, strafe out to take pot-shots" cover and Gears of War "glue yourself to the nearest chest-high wall" cover.
I like a game that plays with what constitutes difficulty. In Halo, on easy mode, you can scare away the grunts, especially after shooting their leader. On Legendary, everything and their pet is ready to take you on with a bravery only matched by their unerring aim.
I like a game that changes up the music depending on the mood. LoZ: Twilight Princess plays this very well by making the boss music suddenly switch to "now is the moment of glory" mode every time the boss becomes vulnerable. Some years prior, LoZ: Majora's Mask had a different variation on the main Clock Town theme for each day.
I like a game that has some kind of larger-than-life boss battle. One or two is plenty for me, although I like more as the game permits.
I'm a little disappointed in Mass Effect 2 for not taking advantage of the fact that we're in a future where damn near ANYTHING is possible through the use of mechanical technology and biotics, yet 95% of all enemies are the same size as you, and the big tank-type mechs only barely makes the 5% because there's a handful of them in the whole game.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Shadow of the Colossus. 'Nuff said.
Speaking of boss battles, I like games that don't have giant fuck-me light weak spots. Legend of Zelda is a pretty big offender here, along with Shadow of the Colossus.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have bosses that you can hit just anywhere and it all does the same amount of damage. I'm playing World of Warcraft, fighting a boss three times my size. How, I ask you, is this thing getting horribly owned by us blasting the crap out of its feet/legs?
I like games that tend toward the fantastic. Want me to play an FPS? God help you if it's Call of Duty, because I don't want none of that. Wait, Half-Life? GIMME! Bioshock is great partly because it's a 1950's dystopian sci-fi comic made into an FPS. Bioshock Infinite is turning up the fantasy to 11, and I have zero complaints about it.
And yet, it can easily go overboard, especially when we're talking about sword&sorcery games. I think one reason why Elder Scrolls works so well is because it never allows itself to get all whimsical. Yes, magic saturates the world, but you never see the Harry Potter levels of magical whimsy, do you?
I'm playing Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the first time, and I have to admit, I'm not terribly pleased with just how much it DOESN'T tell me. You pick up soul gems! Cool! What the hell is a soul gem? What's this weird crystal thing I just picked up? Gosh, it'd be really neat if the game would give me a two sentence description. How I do alchemy? Trial and error? Well... that sorta works, I guess, but I get the feeling I'm wasting these rarely-seen herbs and seeds.
I like some cover-based shooting combat. I'm playing Half-Life 2 and I'm crouched behind a wrecked car. Does that make me safe from the sniper in the window up there? I won't know until his sight is on me. Meanwhile, in Mass Effect 2, I'm crouched behind some stuff and I KNOW I'm safe from anything thrown my way.
Read: SOME cover-based shooting. Mass Effect 2 hit a happy medium, I think, between old-school "hide around a corner, strafe out to take pot-shots" cover and Gears of War "glue yourself to the nearest chest-high wall" cover.
I like a game that plays with what constitutes difficulty. In Halo, on easy mode, you can scare away the grunts, especially after shooting their leader. On Legendary, everything and their pet is ready to take you on with a bravery only matched by their unerring aim.
I like a game that changes up the music depending on the mood. LoZ: Twilight Princess plays this very well by making the boss music suddenly switch to "now is the moment of glory" mode every time the boss becomes vulnerable. Some years prior, LoZ: Majora's Mask had a different variation on the main Clock Town theme for each day.
I like a game that has some kind of larger-than-life boss battle. One or two is plenty for me, although I like more as the game permits.
I'm a little disappointed in Mass Effect 2 for not taking advantage of the fact that we're in a future where damn near ANYTHING is possible through the use of mechanical technology and biotics, yet 95% of all enemies are the same size as you, and the big tank-type mechs only barely makes the 5% because there's a handful of them in the whole game.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Shadow of the Colossus. 'Nuff said.
Speaking of boss battles, I like games that don't have giant fuck-me light weak spots. Legend of Zelda is a pretty big offender here, along with Shadow of the Colossus.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have bosses that you can hit just anywhere and it all does the same amount of damage. I'm playing World of Warcraft, fighting a boss three times my size. How, I ask you, is this thing getting horribly owned by us blasting the crap out of its feet/legs?
I like games that tend toward the fantastic. Want me to play an FPS? God help you if it's Call of Duty, because I don't want none of that. Wait, Half-Life? GIMME! Bioshock is great partly because it's a 1950's dystopian sci-fi comic made into an FPS. Bioshock Infinite is turning up the fantasy to 11, and I have zero complaints about it.
And yet, it can easily go overboard, especially when we're talking about sword&sorcery games. I think one reason why Elder Scrolls works so well is because it never allows itself to get all whimsical. Yes, magic saturates the world, but you never see the Harry Potter levels of magical whimsy, do you?