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HoloDust on 14 November 2023
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SvennoJ said:
HoloDust said:

This one is the one that I remember oh so well - and not in a good way.
Fallout 3 launched and, while enjoyable and fairly solid RPG, it was a pretty shoddy Fallout game. FO1/2 are some of my all-time favourites, and it was painful to see what Bethesda did with the IP.

But there were some other good sequels/"sequels" - Fable II, Tomb Raider Underworld, Mario Kart Wii, LEGO: Indiana Jones and LEGO: Batman.

Also start of plenty of great new IPs - Mirror's Edge, Left4Dead, Little Big Planet, Dead Space, Mount & Blade.

Two games stood out for me that year - SPORE, another Will Wright's life simulation game, taking you all the way from single cell organism to galactic civilization with what is, basically, five games in one tied all together (though the last, galactic, being a bit overwhelming), While I like most of his games, I consider SPORE to be in his top 3, along with SimCity and Sims. This one is my favourite from that year.

The other one was Braid - not only it was a superb puzzle platformer with fantastic aesthetics, but it is, arguably, THE game the started the whole indie revolution, so my vote goes to Other: Braid.

Spore was a polarizing game, many, myself included, expected so much more of it. The first game was basically (the excellent) Flow copied, then you make your main character style(s) in what didn't feel like evolution at all. I don't remember if it mattered much what you made, I tried some different designs, didn't seem to matter. I found the simulation part of Sim Earth and Sim Life more interesting at the time. A character editor rather than a simulation in Spore.
Turning it into distinct games was also not what I expected, a more Civilization style progression would have been better, organically changing gears instead of distinct ages. It was still a good game, but paled in replayability compared SimCity and Sims.

Braid was awesome. Dunno if it started the indie revolution, certainly popularized Indie games. I would sooner attribute that to Geometry Wars in 2003 starting of XBox Live Arcade. Not indie itself (from the makers of the PGR series) but it started the interest in smaller games, which opened the door for indies on consoles.

Yeah Fallout 3 lost a lot of the series identity. It gained it back in atmosphere but I rather consider Fallout 3 a reboot of the series instead of a continuation. From Fallout 3 and onwards it's a very different series compared to the first two games.

It's an odd year, a lot of good sequels and interesting new games. Yet those new games wouldn't go on to make great sequels themselves. LBP2, Mirrors Edge Catalyst, L4D2, Dead Space 2, Valkyria Chronicles 2, all weren't as good as the originals. Or maybe I was just getting increasingly tired of all the sequels.

I played a lot of SimEarth and SimLife, and really loved them, but I find them to be very niche compared to SimCity, Sims and SPORE - which is fine, I like them just the way they are, and, if you're actually into that thing, find them deeper "simulation" experiences than the 3 I placed as his Top 3. The thing is, I find those 3 were both very satisfying sims, and very mainstream friendly. I actually played a lot of SPORE (but nowhere as near as nearly as much as my older son) and found that there are quite a few differences while making your creatures.  Yes, it had its problems, it didn't live up completely to its promise, but for me it was really entertaining and replayable.

There were other "indie" games before Braid, and "indie" revolution was cooking for some time with XBLA and STEAM, but I distinctly remember when it launched and sold a lot, everyone started noticing out that "guy without a publisher made a game and earned...WHAT MONEY?!?!?".

"Braid is considered the definitive title that launched wide interest in independently developed video games starting around 2008 and onward.[115][116][117][118] The Guardian considered the game as the "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" of indie gaming, a potent symbol for the saleable potential of non-mainstream productions".[119] Joshuah Bearman for The New York Times called Braid the "Easy Rider moment", showcasing how a small developer can be as successful as a large one.[120] Indie game studios Playdead, Supergiant Games, and Amanita Design stated that Braid was not unique as it was released on newly-created digital distribution services alongside other successful indie titles like Castle Crashers, World of Goo, and Super Meat Boy. However, they continued, Braid's financial success without aid of a publisher showed that small teams could achieve mainstream success, paving the way for many future indie games developed out in a similar manner."