Video Game Blues

June 12th, 2004

Filed under: General

I love video games. I have been playing video games for close to two decades now, and own a few (ahem) game systems. As I get older, however, I find that fewer and fewer games are appealing to me.

In some cases, the subject matter itself, or the way it is portrayed, is offensive. Some genres and titles just don’t interest me (football games, for example). Most of the problem is that I’m just not getting my money’s worth out of games anymore. Ironically, it’s not because they’re too short, but instead they are too long. When I was in school, or even residency, I had a lot more free time. When I was off duty, I was free. No “home call”, no family, no house to take care of. Then, I could spend 90+ hours finishing Final Fantasy VII. Now, that’s no longer practical. I need games that don’t go on forever. Games that don’t require a hint book. Games that I can finish before I lose interest.

The industry needs to pay more attention to the desires of mature gamers. We need games that are playable, fun, and finishable. Mature gamers may not be as numerous as younger gamers, but I suspect we have a great deal more money.

I would like to see games that:

  • Can be finished in a few good weekends (around 30 hours of gameplay).
  • Have a gentle learning curve and a logical control scheme.
  • Are replayable (hidden areas, power-ups, etc.)
  • Have good graphics and a good storyline.
  • Are divided into manageable areas and have a good save system.

True, some companies make “budget games” that are shorter, but they generally are of shoddy quality all around. I want to see big budget games that can be enjoyed by people with limited time (and in some cases, limited abilities).

The two Ratchet & Clank games are good games. The basic game takes just about 20-30 hours, but there are many areas to go back and explore after the game itself is finished. Saves are logical, and finishing a level is a good nights play. The graphics are good, the voice acting excellent, and the story line in engrossing with lots of humor.

Primal is also a contender. The game is longer, but allows you to save anywhere. The graphics are excellent, and it has the best voice acting I’ve ever heard. The captivating story is easy to follow yet captivating.

The new Pitfall games does not come close. The control scheme is awkward and the save game scheme poorly thought out. The levels vary from simplistic to near-impossible-to-figure-out-what-the-designer-had-in-mind. The story and graphics are childish.

The score…. Ratchet & Clank 1 & 2: good. Primal: good. Pitfall: Bad. A game industry that listens to mature players: Important and needed.

9 Responses to “ Video Game Blues ”

  1. Shane
    June 12th, 2004 at 11:12 pm

    I actually play more MMORPG’s now than regular games because anytime I feel like playing I can log onto City of Heroes or Star Wars Galaxies for an hour and then leave and go do what I have to do. They allow flexability. In order to get my moneys worth I only have to play about 5 hours a month since I would spend the same amount of money going to about 2 movies.

  2. Ken Lowery
    June 13th, 2004 at 12:34 am

    This is all kind of ironical (I love that word), since the major complaint these days is that video games are too short — they can be completed in 10 hours or so of steady play. Chronicles of Riddick, from what I understand, is both a bounty of joy and a relatively short gaming experience.

    If you want something you can play in large chunks, with a great learning curve, I recommend Knights of the Old Republic or Neverwinter Nights, both by BioWare, both available for PC (the former also for XBox). Great RPGs, with the games more or less divided up into segments (in KOTOR, the various planets are like chapters in a book, and relatively self-contained) that can be played in long stretches of time or in bite-sized chunks.

  3. Ken Lowery
    June 13th, 2004 at 12:36 am

    Ah, yes, also: you can save anywhere you want in both BioWare games mentioned, are vastly replayable because of all the “side quests” and storylines and various dialogue options depending on your character’s alignment, and their storylines are legend.

    No, I don’t work for BW. I wish.

  4. Scott
    June 13th, 2004 at 9:24 am

    I have played Neverwinter Nights, and like it. It’s basically a (very) updated version of the old SSI “Unlimited Adventures” D&D game. I haven’t played KOTR, but I’ve heard excellent things about it. Riddick,hmmm…have to check that out.

    I’ve tried several MMORPG and have enjoyed them. But all my friends who play more have these super high characters out slaying dragons, while I’m still stuck killing rats. I’m also more of a solo gamer. On the other hand, I am looking forward to giving City of Heroes a try.

  5. matthew rossi
    June 13th, 2004 at 12:27 pm

    You can also play NWN online with friends, if you’re into that, or download modules to keep going once you finish the single player experience. I’m enjoying it.

  6. Shane
    June 14th, 2004 at 12:14 am

    Well I only play City of Heroes every few days and I have a group of friends I play with. I have several
    characters going so if you decide to play let me know your name and I’ll show you around the game.
    I believe most of the fun is had while playing with friends and I’m not all into leveling ultra fast. That way lies evil and great boredom.

  7. Shawn Fumo
    June 16th, 2004 at 8:24 pm

    I have to say that I’ve been mostly into Unreal Tournament lately. Even if you’re doing a simple deathmatch, can play bots, friends, or random people online. Sometimes it can be relaxing just to watch other people play. It is good for me since I can just play a game or two whenever I feel like it, and you can see yourself becoming better as time goes on…

  8. Nick
    March 10th, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    I’m stunned that no one has mentioned Half-Life 2. The game has fantastic graphics, a truly remarkable storyline, and good re-playability. It would also seem to make a good subject for the Medical Review posts, it would be interesting to see the analysis on one of the plot devices.

    (Minor spoilers)

    First, a bit of background: the Earth has been subjugated by an alien empire called the Combine, being a multi-species conglomeration. The Combine want to discover our warp technology–which is distinct from the Combine’s in that it allows for a deterministic arrival point–that is, a specific and predictable location. The Combine’s, however, allows only for a rough approximation, i.e., you’ll appear somewhere in this sphere of radius n. (The developers insert numerous physics comments into the gameplay, like one of the characters mentioning offhand about identifying holonomic points on the calabi-yau manifold).

    One aspect of this occupation is the Suppression field, which prevents women from becoming pregnant. The exact nature of the field is not specified, thus it’s unclear as to whether or not it’s a field in the classical sense, like a magnetic field, or simply an imposed chemical regimen. The function is to interrupt the formation of the placenta by preventing the interactions of certain proteins from taking place, apparently by destroying their active sites–a concept I found really cool.

    Also, the Combine inserts chemical agents in the water and food supply to apparently create neurological effects similar to those achieved with benzodiazepines. The whole game was very interesting and extremely well done.

  9. A Different Scott
    May 4th, 2007 at 1:46 pm

    I’ve recently been introduced to your excellent blog and I’m catching up on old posts. You have described my video game woes so specifically that I had to double check that I didn’t write it.

    If you haven’t already, you need to try either (preferably both) of the Star Wars LEGO games. Not only do you get to combine three awesome things into one, LEGOs, Star Wars, and video games, but the levels are short enough that you can pick up and leave the game any time. The replay factor is huge with certain items and power-ups you cannot reach without first completing the game. This is also one of those rare gateway games. I have drawn in my wife into more than one gameplaying session with the cooperative multiplayer, which is in story mode and free play. I recommend getting console versions of the games as the PC ports are still geared towards console controller configurations.

    Plus, the next LEGO game to hit the shelves is going to be Batman. How sweet will that be?

Leave a Reply

« True Tales of Medical School: The C-Section Sunday Ramblings. Again. »