Hook, Line and Sinker: What Makes a Classic Game
Boredom begets nostalgia; that moment where you’ve jumped into your desktop chair or kneeled in front of your array of console titles, but then you’re at a loss as to what exactly you want to play.
The stagnancy of development within the video-games industry [Gimmick Games article] happens to be a leading cause of this ‘problem’; it’s so rare to come across a game that satisfies. Sure, you can find a title that will spectacularly entertain you for a few afternoons, but afterwards you are often left with no reason to come back to it.
Enter through the parados thou players of old, and cradle thy controls and keyboards for revisited memories!
The classic game Syndicate, from Bullfrog. They also produced the popular Theme Park franchise.
Where would we be without the gems? Those games with enough variety and soul that they can be picked up and played again and again!
I really hadn’t given it much thought; I buy 4-5 new games a month. Truth be told, I wasn’t completely aware of just how much I had been neglecting the new releases, at least until my friend Pete asked me “So, what new games have you gotten into lately?”
Reflecting upon my past week, here are the games I’ve played for 2 hours or more:
- 5 Hours – Final Fantasy Tactics (1997)
- 4 Hours – League of Legends (2009, regularly updated)
- 3 Hours – Neverwinter Nights 2 (Platinum) (2006)
- 2 Hours – Global Agenda (2010)
- 2 Hours – Darksiders (2010)
I began to answer him, then stopped in consideration. What new games? None. I hadn’t played any new releases in the past 5 days. In fact, most of the new releases I’ve bought this year have been played for under 2 hours, then dropped into a shortcuts folder or put away on a bookcase ‘for later’.
“I guess I’ve just been going back to the classics lately.” I replied. He nodded and shrugged. “Yeah, that’s how it is nowadays.”
There are many other games I tend to fall back to for some guaranteed fun. What was it that made these games special?
Gameplay. The game has to be enjoyable, and in almost every case it has to have some damned difficulty. There’s no feeling of accomplishment when a game handholds you through to the end. At this point, I even give points for steady difficulty curves, even if the final hours of a game end up being a minor challenge at best.
Re-playability. ‘Tactics’ is a great example. Nearly endless customization and advancement paths combined with the satisfaction of executing a vast array of different strategies. You can literally play Tactics through a dozen times and still experience it differently. The same can be said about League of Legends, NWN2 and Global Agenda (mostly due to GA’s multiplayer elements). Even Darksiders allows you to use its Soul currency to purchase different attacks or weaponry, increasing its replay value.
An enjoyable story is another key element often underdeveloped in new games. A great plot can be the difference, even if its impact on the game’s structure is subtle; just look at games like Mass Effect (more direct) or Half-Life (silent protagonist). Even Red Alert 2 with its cheesy, ham-handed acting seems witty and immersive compared to the new releases this year.
When you combine challenging gameplay (the hook, catching your attention), re-playability (the line, pulling you back in) and an entertaining story (the sinker, keeping you immersed and interested) or even just implement 2 of these elements competently, you end up with a potential classic…
…and true classics never die.
Hook, Line and Sinker: What Makes a Classic GameHe Goes Where He Pleases!
It has come to my attention that my last post was lacking in lawls, so i’ve cooked up this image:
Mundo runs international corporation as he pleases.
Curse you Dr. Mundo! You and your mischievous ways!
He Goes Where He Pleases!