Games leave me hanging
It's taken me a lot of games of many different styles to figure out what I really like. Setting, story, game mechanics, basically everything that makes up the game is important but the one thing that recent games have been cutting out that the old games had is a sense of progress and accomplishment for my characters development from the start clear through to the "max level" or "end game".
The startling direction games seem to be going in provide character growth for the first half or less of a characters levels. After that point there are no new abilities to learn, they are either more powerful versions of recycled abilities from previous levels or you just simply stop getting them. I go through the process of leveling a character because I am excited for the fun new ability or function I'll get the next level, not so that I can take part in a dungeon run or swap in a better gun barrel 10 levels from now. Upgrading my gear is not character progression, it's accessorizing.
So while a story is good to provide entertainment along the journey, guiding me through the game and happily surprising me when I level, it's those rough stretches between chapters or when that leveling slows down that cause problems. If I've got something cool next level I will grind through some missions or mob slaying just to get it. Without that incentive I get bored and just quit the game. End goals are great but I need the milestones along the way.
On a side note, it has become far too easy to reach max level in new games. The rush to end game is retarded and the developers pushing gamers along that track is annoying. I honestly wish they would throw in some harsh xp loss death penalties again. That's a much better time sink than running through the woods for 30 minutes just to collect 10 pieces of wood or spending 3 hours crafting a single weapon.
And that concludes my review of just about every game I've played this year.
The startling direction games seem to be going in provide character growth for the first half or less of a characters levels. After that point there are no new abilities to learn, they are either more powerful versions of recycled abilities from previous levels or you just simply stop getting them. I go through the process of leveling a character because I am excited for the fun new ability or function I'll get the next level, not so that I can take part in a dungeon run or swap in a better gun barrel 10 levels from now. Upgrading my gear is not character progression, it's accessorizing.
So while a story is good to provide entertainment along the journey, guiding me through the game and happily surprising me when I level, it's those rough stretches between chapters or when that leveling slows down that cause problems. If I've got something cool next level I will grind through some missions or mob slaying just to get it. Without that incentive I get bored and just quit the game. End goals are great but I need the milestones along the way.
On a side note, it has become far too easy to reach max level in new games. The rush to end game is retarded and the developers pushing gamers along that track is annoying. I honestly wish they would throw in some harsh xp loss death penalties again. That's a much better time sink than running through the woods for 30 minutes just to collect 10 pieces of wood or spending 3 hours crafting a single weapon.
And that concludes my review of just about every game I've played this year.