If were talking for kids like tv show licensed games then it depends, for pre teens or teens I don't mind as they offer enough of story telling, worlds and gameplay. There is a reason many all ages tv shows are still appealing to adults is the way the dialogue/worlds and situations are really well done and appealing or intended for adults/teens not just whatever childish jokes/acting and stuff I find boring in some western animated movies dumbing things down.
If were talking platformers or other genres and a kid rating game then no way am I ignoring them, I love them the gameplay boundaries actually are good in many cases I find then 'oh were mature tone/language and the gameplay is really safe' so why wouldn't I want to play a game for all ages that pushes gameplay, of course I want to play them I'm all about gameplay.
It's why I'm excited for Astro is because it pushes variety of gameplay, other games can fit a fair line of variety or focused but good enough in scenario or using weapons/what enemies you beat but not good enough sometimes if no vehicles or whatever your doing as a goal in say a shooter. Or like i find in some cases boring open worlds with 'boring dialogue, boring core moveset and boring mission design because oh the dialogue but what am I 'actually' doing" not something fun that's for sure.
A game can have anything and it can be a minigame or it can be something silly with a world of being shrunken to walk around a house/outside below the grass. Or it can be probably platforming on dishing sprayed by water, it makes no sense but if it's fun it's fun. If it contextually makes sense I don't care what fantasy/sci-fi it offers compared to realism I want that fantasy/imagination to be taken advantage of in a good way not grounded all the time.
If the scenario is compelling I don't mind but I prefer the technique/gameplay. Same with music if the instrumentation or electronic samples are mixed well I'm interested, or the vocals are good enough in how they sound or the lyrics being of a cool scenario like a movie love story then just 'whatever generic love song concept insert here' or others.
Which is why I think Discoholic - Movie Love is great the lyrics are used well for setting a scene for a romance movie thematically, I think it's a fair play on the idea then just 'i feel this way of happy, depressed, I don't know what to think about it' 100 different ways. Unless the words are varied enough to convey it or the singing complements the backing. But most times i want to hear the instrumentation/electronic samples or the structure of them then the human element of someone just singing and thinking about the lyrics and distracting from it. Especially if the instrumentation of the drum patterns or others is really complex and interesting, or a few complex quirks (it can range) not dull and TOO focused on the vocals so the backing is boring, they better be good enough or else it's a pass from me.
Same can be said for game design if the game design and scenario is boring of interactivity I'm not interested. Why have a reputation system if the characters in the world are limited on how it effects things, having the quirks of a Minecraft cauldron in the nether while fictional is fun but the bucket is realistic in the nether. Quirks make games fun. Imagination makes games fun, just what is real world familiar is boring. Or what is only common enough tropes of fantasy reused can be a bit boring sometimes too when more can be explored, especially if we know that work/are weird but if they blend in they blend in but when over used can be 'yeah done this before you have anything else creative to offer' no, ok then moving on.
Even the all ages ratings of racing games then just stories or damage models/explosions and so on, if the damage model works for gameplay like Burnout I'm fine with it for takedowns/after touch to fling it into another. But I'm usually in it for modes, not just wow car brands, I want content and use cases for the cars the same as I would an animal character or any other human character, if the moveset sucks why would i want to play it.
So good content not brand pushing soulless safe mode racing games we have most times then the rare ones of Ride 4 (Forza Motorsport 1 & 2 region system done differently, I think that's cool, the game's AI is hard even on very easy unlike Ride 1-3 but still the mechanic is cool) or WRC 2023 (I think has a car builder, not Pure (ATV game) or Sega GT on Dreamcast levels but still, it's better than nothing) for big ones or Indies doing well (not the nostalgia ones I mean ones actually pushing good new ideas for them), it's why I go back to older eras when they ACTUALLY tried. Not just oh it has a story that's for teens. It can have that but I don't really care. I can take a fair motorsports story or a underground ladder climbing one but if the content sucks it's an easy pass.
Give me a racing game with touge/hillclimbs, gates for time trial/point scores or other things, pink slips (win the car or lose the car and a bet for how much money), among others not just 'wow races, time trials and drifting, where are the more interesting mode ideas?' Gone ah I see.....
In terms of in front of others when buying not sure. Like buying an R rated anime/live action tv show or buying a R rated game (it depends on the content not the rating, I mean things like the management game PB Mansion or others) I mean I question it but still would play it cool 'enough at least XD' but a FOR toddlers game no unless it has something of worth in it to be worth picking up. I prefer the Nintendo or all ages Sony games/Xbox games types by first or third parties. Licensed or otherwise. I'm fine buying a Stitch game why not.
I enjoyed Monsters Inc Scare Island for the trampolines, slingshots and speed ramps as much as the core gameplay, sure scaring robots isn't much but the rest of the features and the general levels were good enough.
Spyro 1 has moments that can be tough not just of too many lizards in a room aka Misty Bog but level design super charge moments like Tree Tops are annoying levels for challenge but so well made I can't hate them as I love them now. The minigames and gameplay in 2 & 3 have their fun, frustration or not so fun about them besides adding complexity.
Mature games have their benefits but when they push tone and generic gameplay many times I find them hard to care about. Like complexity of skill trees and whatever mature tone to me is not FUN it's boring. When other things can be done. If were talking older and motion skips (or same for accessibility) then sure, but if were talking themes and how to present those themes well they just need to present them better sometimes, not just jokes (or can be if smartly written) but just offering cool scenarios to fit the darker tone to use the mature audience appeal well then just 'mature' but really not pushing it that well, being to cheesy or not adding to the themes/rest of the game and cheaply used.
I get the if older audience and what they can keep up with (and many jokes, many action vary in adult rated games) but if the age rating is for teens/young adults or whatever is optional, skippable moments or otherwise then why just menus for complexity and whatever mature themes, gameplay wise the scenarios can offer a lot more then wow mature dialogue/themes how mature of you.
Why not demonstrate the blood/fan service scenarios or locations if entering buildings but make the gameplay worth it not just it's hear for this mission, dialogue, or starting the game 'like the Saboteur did' like sure..... Ok.... Didn't offer much but sure. Even if I guess fit the time period.
A game can be edgy but if it still does a lot of fun in gameplay I'm buying it so like The Darkness the tone is fair, the monsters on you in certain situations are fun gameplay elements for combat and level design segments,
Vexx (kid edgy for a platformer) or Darksiders being Zelda/God of War of old elements or others I enjoy them. If it's just tone and dark and not fun I won't care for it.
Conker/Naughty Bear I think present their content well enough besides their cute at looks, but mature tone. But we rarely see them.
Can't say for Lula 3D or Leisure Suit Larry or Postal.
But a Gal Gun (being silly and a fun rail shooter with fan service),
Senran Kagura (musou/beat em up, character designs and an armour breaking feature),
Demolition Girl/Gun Gun Pixies (small character fighting bigger one shooters/small character fighting bigger one shooters),
and Conception as an JRPG with ok soldier types creation or 'recruiting' system by well mixing with dating sim dialogue to um do things with a particular cutscenes (cut or heavily edited in the western PS4 version) then a minigame (that or like a Criminal Girls or other fan service games would offer) as that was cut in the port/remaster,
YAY, and fair random dungeons (not that amazing but with Coded Arms earlier to Conception later for PSP pretty fair dungeon systems I'd say for the hardware) with a 4 sides turn based system that makes me want to play it more than the typical menu selection turn based JRPGs sure I don't mind.
Last edited by SuntannedDuck2 - on 06 August 2024
