What 2009 taught me...

[nashua_c]

...is that all video game reviewers hate linear games yet find sandbox games pointless.

Also, nobody should listen to lone reviewers.

I love linear games. The story makes sense!

Someone tell me why linear is so bad now...honestly.

Comments

[maitriaya]

I like when linear opens up to sandbox from time to time. The thing I hate the most is when it feels like you're in a wide open setting but you're constantly forced forward into the designer's view of what your game should play like.

[nashua_c]

Incredibly good point...but things like this about the Ghostbusters game...

"Ghostbusters: The Video Game succeeds in being a proper Ghostbusters game with a good storyline and gameplay that fits the setting and gets a thumbs up for that. On the other hand, it is embarrassingly linear with almost zero replayability and the PC version omits multiplayer modes found on the consoles. At least it is priced accordingly, offering reasonable value."

While I agree that the replay ability is incredibly lacking (no taking back the awesome upgrades you buy to the earlier levels? REALLY?) I don't see how a game like this would be better WITH sandbox elements.

I know this is somewhat cheap to flaunt as a point... but this is what I am talking about... reviews saying games could benefit from elements that would add nothing but mini challenges and frustration.

Source:http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/ghostbusters YouGamers section.

[maitriaya]

it's true, and I think the two ought not mix all that often. I find that most companies that do "sandbox" style games seem to spend the same amount of time on all the gameplay so you end up with 10 minutes missions or dungeons the size of my bedroom, but hey there's a giant world full of stupidly small things to do. There are definetely some exceptions, I still play the shit out of elder scrolls games because they are the best exception, but I hate sandbox as a kind of game that means 100+ hours of zero-depth gameplay.

[nashua_c]

When I was playing GTA4...I didn't know it actually ended. I was playing the last mission and had no idea. Suddenly, I get an achievement that stated "YOU WON!"

Beating a game SHOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE!

[maitriaya]

the only way I knew that was the last mission was because of how huge a pain in the ass it was

[nashua_c]

Hahahaha. I just thought the missions were getting more interesting...then it ended.

[maitriaya]

and a note to game makers: sandbox does not mean just adding a useless and annoying map to a game. Getting between game points should be streamlined unless the getting there part is actually fun. I'm sick of crawling around featureless overworld maps at the speed of snail with no level of interaction with the environment they're "immersing" me in.

[ksilebo]

Even fucking Pokemon got that right by introducing Fly IN THEIR FIRST GAME. UGH.

[nashua_c]

Pfffhahahahaha