Well, looks like next gen didn't kill Switch third party support

[The_Liquid_Laser]

CarcharodonKraz said:

curl-6 said:

I don't get the fixation on "AAA" games. I enjoy some of them as much as the next guy, but I also really enjoy stuff like Ori, Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Trine 4, Hotshot Racing, FAST, Art of Balance, etc.

i think i can provide some further insight on the "fixation on AAA games".  Note, i'm attempting to speak to the preference and focus of AAA games, and not attempting to categorize or define them (although i will use some references as a tool).  Off the top of my head i think i can explain in best in 3ish points.  Time, money, a particular emotional response and the relation between the 3 (that's the ish).  As well as the demographic i may likely represent. 

When i'm spending $60-$70 on a game, there's a certain expectation of that games value proposition.  Last of Us 2 and mega man 2 are two games that have great gameplay.  But, i think it's fair to say $60 for mega man 2 is a bit of a reach.  A big reason for this is the length.  Last of us 2 took me about 40 hours and 2-3 months to beat.  Mega man 2 is going to last me 2 hours tops.  Maybe 6 if i'm a new comer.  Looking particularly at the time aspect for this example, last of us 2 is clearly the better value for that $60 price tag.  Now, i'm not blind to the fact that you can't base value on time alone.  That's why i picked 2 games i really like.  I'm sure you would have no trouble coming up with your own example that parallels those parameters. Side note, i often compare the time a game provides with movies.  I often go see a 1.5hour movie for 5 dollars on tuesdays.  So i don't think it's too much to ask for a $60 game to provide me an equal value of time of 18 hours. 

Next, let's make a more controversial comparison with 2 lengthy games. Both of which, again,  i really enjoyed.  on one hand we have octopath traveler.  Another game that took me about 40 hours to play and a game that had fantastic gameplay.  Yet, when i got to the end, i didn't feel like i got my money's worth.  I really focus in on 2-3 reasons for this. 1- the slightly outdated artstyle (which really did feed my nostalgia) and complete lack of full motion cut scenes failed to immerse me into the game world.  In addition, the team chose to string together a series of side stories you will often find in jrpgs like this instead of including them in a grander overall story.  These detractions failed to elicit that emotion i mentioned.  This feeling of being sucked into something epic and/or grandiose.  It felt more like a novel amusement.  Now, look at a game like shadow of war.  Again, i really enjoyed the gameplay here.  And the full motion cut scenes and voice acting really immersed me into the story of the game. The work put into the character animations went countering attacks really brings talion to life.  when i got to the end i felt like i really got my money's worth out of the experience.  Like the game really deserved to be as expensive as it was and that alot of money and effort was put into making me feel that way. And when your an older gamer with not that much time to begin with, focusing your gaming time on anything else feels like a waste.  

Now, I would underlline this next statement 7 times if i knew how.  *there is nothing wrong with smaller or indie games*.  Hell, shovel knight is the best NES game that was never made. But when i play those games i do so as a pallette cleanser between the AAA games i focus my gaming attention on. For myself and people like me, smaller/indie games are the cool opening act at a concert that we may really enjoy, but there not the reason we went to the show.  

Hope that was helpful.

This was a helpful post and I like to hear this perspective.

I personally do not like cutscenes in action games.  They do not immerse me more in the game.  They break my suspension of disbelief.  I think about Uncharted 4, which did something good and something bad.  They had a fair amount of cutscenes, where I just sit there and watch, which to me is frustrating in an action game.  But they also have parts where the characters talk to each other while I'm moving around.  That is cool!  It also adds to the immersion instead of taking me out of it.

So, even low budget games can have cutscenes (and often do).  But also the cheap games are more likely to offer compelling gameplay, because they realize they can't really compete with AAA on cutscenes.  To me, that makes the low budget games better.  I (usually) don't like the cutscenes anyway.  I feel like I am paying extra money for something that makes the game worse.

For example, I personally value Mega Man 2 higher than The Last of Us.  I only rented Mega Man 2, back in the day, but I regretted not buying it (my budget was tight, so it was a tough decision).  I later bought the NES classic and it was one of the first games I played.  It took me less than 6 hours to beat, but I think it took me a lot more than 6 hours back in the 80's, because it takes some trial and error to know what order to play the stages in.  I paid about $20 used for the Last of Us to see what the hype was about, had an ok time with it, and then sold it back to Gamestop when I was done.  In the end I probably lost about as many $ buying/selling The Last of Us as I did renting Mega Man 2 (when adjusted for inflation). 

I can tell you I enjoyed Mega Man 2 a hell of a lot more though.  The gameplay on Mega Man 2 destroys The Last of Us.  It's nonstop fun.  It also has better music.  People say The Last of Us has a great story, but I feel like I am watching a zombie movie.  I've never been wowed with the story in a zombie movie.  No one ever told me that World War Z was the next Citizen Kane.  But then they turn World War Z into a video game, and I'm supposed to think it is Citizen Kane now.  I just don't see it.  The game is ok, but nothing special to me.  On top of that the gameplay is not as good as Mega Man 2.  Most 3D games have a slower pace, because everything is spaced out more compared to a 2D game.  That makes Mega Man 2 feel a lot more intense in comparison, and intensity is what I want in an action game.

I am currently starting to collect NES games again.  I will probably buy Mega Man 2 at some point for whatever people are charging nowadays.  I am never going to buy The Last of Us again though.  

Last edited by The_Liquid_Laser - on 24 March 2021