Bombarded with mediocrity

davewhite04

davewhite04

davewhite04

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I'm currently addicted to Resident Evil 4 HD and playing it has got me thinking, how can such an old game(a classic fair enough) grab my attention so much, and how come it's turning out to be one of the best games I've played this year.

Another thread I suggested Evil Within was a classic, but I don't think that anymore, in fact the last game to grab my attention like Resi 4 is was The Last of Us.

I really think the games industry needs a shaking down, and games that are actually worth 20-40 quid are as rare as Dracula's steaks...

I wonder if I'm the only one that thinks this?

I have over 200 Steam games, as well as a PS4 and Wii U and mediocrity is a major problem on those platforms too. I'll be lucky if I finish 5% of my steam games to be honest.

The amount of times I've tried to get into a so called great game, take Alien Isolation for example or the not highly rated but very high budget and advertising campaign that was Watchdogs as examples.

I'm either getting old or games just haven't moved on in the most important category, which is gameplay.
 
Agreed completely!

That's why I rarely (if ever) spend more than £15 on games these days - I think the last one I bought full price (well... £32 pre-order :p) was TLoU!
 
No disrespect to anyone in particular, but a lot of folks on here, and major gaming publications hype games up and I go with the flow only to be disappointed the vast majority of the time.
 
A good game is a good game, doesn't matter how old it is. Really you should only be comparing the greats of yesteryear with recent greats, not recent flops. People seem to forget there was just as many rubbish games releasing 10 years ago as there is now.
 
I hear you guys. I've struggled with this quite a bit in the past. However I feel we're about to come into a good patch- Shadow of Mordor is outstanding and inspired me to splash out on a GTX 970 rig. Currently on gaming amnesty til it arrives. I got the 'pick your path' promo and chose Assassin's Creed Unity, which looks like an actual step forward for the series (in contrast to everything since AC2 which were nothing more than facelifts with poorer story/setting if you ask me).

Then you've got Witcher 3, Dragon Age Inquisition, Mortal Kombat X & I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple.

Also there's GOT to be an announcement from Bethesda soon regarding Fallout 4 or something equally badass. I just don't see a company investing so much into a game engine like that and not cashing in on a second title.
 
There was equally if not more **** back then as well.

Plus i can't count on to many occasions I've gone back to old games and think they're still amazing.

HL2, everyones favourite just feels like an average shooter now.

Nostalgia - everything back in my day was much better, sadly it's very rarely true.
 
Sega Mega Dave said:
There was equally if not more **** back then as well.

Plus i can't count on to many occasions I've gone back to old games and think they're still amazing.

HL2, everyones favourite just feels like an average shooter now.

Nostalgia - everything back in my day was much better, sadly it's very rarely true.
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My point being, why did companies not look at Resident Evil 4 for example and build on it using better technology, how can million £ games be so ****?

Every generation has flops, it is why I said it's time for a shake down. Look at what games were, and still are in my opinion, brilliant and learn.

Do you still play Megadrive games? I know I do, just not often, that generation is still relevant now to a certain degree. RPGs could learn a lot today from the likes of Phantasy Star IV.
 
NexusK said:
A good game is a good game, doesn't matter how old it is. Really you should only be comparing the greats of yesteryear with recent greats, not recent flops. People seem to forget there was just as many rubbish games releasing 10 years ago as there is now.
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I disagree. We are getting thousands of mediocre games pushed towards us annually, PC wise,, even mobile gaming, yesteryear had no where near as many bad games on average, as there were no where near as many games released.
 
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Consider this guys- Ecco The Dolphin cost my Mum £40 in 1992. Bioshock Infinite cost me £30 at launch last year. I don't know how long Ecco took in development but I would say it's a safe bet it was a much smaller team with a much smaller budget. Also, £40 in 1992 equates to £74.92 in 2014!

Are game developers cutting corners where it counts and focusing on novelty and gimmicks in order to sell enough units to stay in business? Probably.

Disclaimer: Bioshock Infinite is an excellent game.
 
Orenard said:
Are game developers cutting corners where it counts and focusing on novelty and gimmicks in order to sell enough units to stay in business? Probably.
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You might of hit the nail on the head. Obviously there are triple A developers that you can count on, like Rockstar, Naughty Dog and Bethsheda and Valve to a certain extent.
 
Games are garbage because people are willing to buy garbage.

Take the latest SimCity. Made by EA, it's going to suck.

What did most of you do? Y'all flocked to buy it only to return to these boards bitching about it.
 
I gave Silent Hill 2 another playthrough, not gone through it in almost 10 years.

Despite all the fancy effects we have these days, i still find the atmosphere and music in this game more creepy and unnerving than anything i've ever experienced within a game.

I really miss games like this, i fear that they are well gone by now. :(
 
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Do we think perhaps devs had to work harder to create an atmosphere when the graphics weren't as advanced? It's a pretty regular thing in art to achieve more when working against some resistance.
 
Agreed, this is why I am bored of pc gaming...just too dumbed down and mediocre these days. I remember a time when we had many fantastic game releases each week. We are lucky if we get a half decent release every few months now.
 
Orenard said:
Do we think perhaps devs had to work harder to create an atmosphere when the graphics weren't as advanced? It's a pretty regular thing in art to achieve more when working against some resistance.
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I just think game studios don't want to take risks anymore, so we end up with the same stuff time and time again.

A perfect example is the opening sequence to Silent Hill 2, they actually decided to extend it and make it longer, why you ask? To allow the player to become immersed and increase the feeling of isolation.

Explained here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1VKvED76WQ#t=4m35s

No game would dare to try that these days, because they would be afraid that players would loose interest.
 
JimAroo said:
I gave Silent Hill 2 another playthrough, not gone through it in almost 10 years.

Despite all the fancy effects we have these days, i still find the atmosphere and music in this game more creepy and unnerving than anything i've ever experienced within a game.

I really miss games like this, i fear that they are well gone by now. :(
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You sound like you're having a similar experience that I'm having playing through Resident Evil 4 :)
 
Orenard said:
Do we think perhaps devs had to work harder to create an atmosphere when the graphics weren't as advanced? It's a pretty regular thing in art to achieve more when working against some resistance.
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It's all about money it seems to me. Look at how successful the FPS market is, even though the vast majority of FPS games are mediocre at best, they sell well.
 
CaptainRAVE said:
Agreed, this is why I am bored of pc gaming...just too dumbed down and mediocre these days. I remember a time when we had many fantastic game releases each week. We are lucky if we get a half decent release every few months now.
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I remember going into Game and getting John Madden(The first one) for my Megadrive. Lovely artwork and huge manual to read on the bus, it was an event, and it just so happened that me and my bro loved it.

Don't get me wrong, there are still class last gen games out, and no doubt we'll be treat to some beauties in the near future. *off topic * One of the main reasons I have a PS3/4 is because of the Limited Edition Steel Books and figurines and stuff, my PC games are all codes, nothing physical.

*Back on Topic.*
 
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