Linear vs Non-linear games. Which is better?

[Michael-5]

A mix of both.

First of all, all linear games need some non linear aspects to the game. It's can't be like FFXIII where you follow one set path during the entire game, you need some freedom. XenoBlade Chronicles has a set path during the game, but various sidequests, some as interesting as the single player itself, require you to go back to other cities. Games like Mass Effect are fairly linear (well 3 and 1 were), but you can re-arrange the order of some missions.

The point of a game is to tell a story, but tell a story that follows a logical path. If you think going in X direction makes more sense then going in the Y direction, but the game physically prevents you from going in the X direction, that's bad structure. That's one thing I hate about most FPS's, is that there is a set path which is governed by invisible walls or baracades. Crysis was good in this aspect because you always got to choose how you went to your next target.

However at the same time too much non-linearity can ruin a game. Fallout 3 is an excellent game, but not because of it's main plot. It's a fun game because of the unique atmosphere, diverity in the game, and the quality of the side-quests, many being more interesting then the main game itself. Still an amazing game, but it could have been better had there been more emphasis on the main plot. Same with Mass Effect 2, the game is so focused on gaining the loyalty and aquiring the crew for the final mission, that it doesn't really emphasis the importance of the mission much, and really the main plot is kinda short and shallow. I mean what is a Human Reaper, why would the Reapers use organic DNA to make a Reaper when they can just make regular Reapers fine on their own.


The thing is, as long as the game sets out to do what it's suppose to do, then it's good. Lost Odyssey was linear, but when you reached a city, you were tasked to explore the city on your own before you discovered the main objective, and most of the time, you could still finish the side quests before going on with your main quest. Lost Odyssey was linear, but had no invisible walls, and no baracades. You can go to the first area in the game anytime you want after you finish it. FFXIII was linear, but it was terrible because the entire game you run down a narrow coridor. There aren't any branching paths, and obsticles required you to go around them in 1 way every time (e.g You can't scale a cliff, you have to walk around or use the ladder, and you can't stray from your path on branching pathways because people or obstacles block your way).