Three Great Game Design Evils

[Mikey]

The criticism of cutscenes has always struck me as bizarre; people like movies, people like television shows. The idea that these things suddenly become unenjoyable because they're within the context of a game is nonsense.

The idea that they become unenjoyable because they're within the context of a game is the whole point. If I'm enjoying a film I don't want it to stop every few minutes and ask me to pick up the remote control and engage in a game in order to see the next bit. My mind is in film-watching mode and there it should stay until I decide to stop or the film ends. My mind is in gaming mode when gaming, and if I want a break I'll pause the game. The two modes (watching and gaming) cannot and will not mix.

It's hard to believe people haven't figured this out after all these years.

[Jeremy]

Turn that around: what if you're watching a movie and have to pick up a controller to beat a section of a game to see the next part?

Now that I think about it, I just described Metal Gear Solid.

And Kingdom Hearts.

[avatar]

2 extremely popular games. You guys are in the minority.

[Tommy Tallarico]

2 extremely popular games. You guys are in the minority.

Just because they're popular doesn't mean people don't have problems with the product.

You watch wrestling. You should know this.

[Diff-chan]

God of War did a great job of implementing "trial and error" gameplay. The ending areas with spinning spikes that so many seem to hate can be figured out, and it's incredibly rewarding when it happens. Plus, you are given checkpoints throughout the sections.

Rock on.

Hey, anyone who hated the spiky thing at the end of God of War, you're officially lamer than Jeremy.

p.s. it took me only a couple tries to get the second log, and I got up about 80% of it on one try. There's definitely a reason to it. I don't get the hate for it, virtually every 8-bit and 16-bit game had segments just like it.

Don't worry. I know. I just think most complaints against CG cutscenes are shallow and not shared by the majority of gamers.

Well, if you look at old 32-bit games... there were a LOT more cutscenes. Virtually every game had them. The RPGs had 20-40 minute noninteractive sections. Nowadays, fewer games have them, and they're shorter and more storytelling is done in-game.

What does that tell you? People don't like noninteractive CG, as a rule.

[avatar]

Just because they're popular doesn't mean people don't have problems with the product.

You watch wrestling. You should know this.

Don't worry. I know. I just think most complaints against CG cutscenes are shallow and not shared by the majority of gamers.

[MarkRyan]

I don't get the hate for it, virtually every 8-bit and 16-bit game had segments just like it.

I hate it because 1) it is unlike any other part of the game and replaces the generally solid and exciting combat with slow, monotonous platforming, and 2) the hitboxes of Kratos and/or the blades don't match the visuals.

Mostly, it's just a big "WTF" end to a hard-hitting combat game.

[Yoshi]

Your mom's hitbox doesn't match the visuals.

[EvilMog]

I hate it because 1) it is unlike any other part of the game and replaces the generally solid and exciting combat with slow, monotonous platforming, and 2) the hitboxes of Kratos and/or the blades don't match the visuals.

Mostly, it's just a big "WTF" end to a hard-hitting combat game.

I was just going to post the same thing.

I dont hate it because it might be a challenge. I hated it because the rest of the game was moving along really well and had a nice flow to it then SMACK! Monotonous, crappy, slow platforming.

The level itself looked fucking cool BTW.

[TaekwondoNJ]

1. MOLYNEAUX DID NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT STEALTH. GAH!

Whoops haha. Though i don't really care who it is that said what, I was just responding to the points of discussion. Though it DOES make sense that an author would be saying stuff like that about the stealth genre, rather than a full out game designer saying it.

2. He SPECIFICALLY SAID that games should be either very hard or very easy (I assume your NG and GoW examples are in the former). He said it was NOT GOOD how so many games are "medium", and require you to just bleh your way through. Combined with liberal save systems this sucks the tension and fun out of a game. If you kept reading you wouldve noticed he said that RPGs are pretty lame because all they require you to do is grind your way up to a high level. There's no skill involved, all it requires is your presence.

Yeah I got that. I'm just saying he's ridiculous for thinking that its better for games to be too easy than for them to be balanced. Very hard games are the most fun to me (as long as they have a learning curve and don't just chuck you into instant death situations), and if I can't play that, then I'd rather play a balanced game where I at least have to try a LITTLE rather than a very easy game where I can turn my back to the screen and still play through everything. He's saying games should be either very hard (which I agree with) or very easy (which is retarded). And I've always said RPGs don't require skill to play, they just require time to level your characters. Which is bullshit.


And someone mentioned that you can skip through the cut scenes in God of War? Is that actually true cuz I'm playing through it right now on God mode and I don't see any way to skip through them.