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If a game even remotely looks like a chore, I’m passing. I don’t have time to just mosey around limitless planets, mining for resources to build a gun or some shit.
Unless you let me swing around like fuckin Spider-man. Nothing’s a chore when you get to swing from chore to chore like fuckin Spider-man. Fuckin cool ass bitch with the pendulums and zipping and swinging and shit. Fuckin love Spider-man.
Edit: Spider-man
I like games to be a chore on my terms. Will I grind for a mirror in path of exile, yes. Will I complete a battle pass, do my daily quests and get my log in bonus? Fuck off.
Yeah this is me. Tell me "Find 10/25 Bloblins in the area to continue" and I get upset, but instead tell me "There are 25 Bloblins on this map", and if there's an cool optional prize with it then you bet I'll spend time scouring the map for Bloblins.
I enjoy things the most when I can set the goals with just some hinting from the game. If it's just something trying to manufacture attention to the game it's a big turn-off.
So many of the responses to this (and the original video) boil down to "me like good games that I like, no like bad games I don't like".
I promise there were boring, repetitive, grindy games all through gaming history. This isn't a "modern gaming" thing.
MMO games have been doing this shit since WOW became a thing
If you think the WOW grind is bad, you should've seen Everquest or Ultima Online.
I mean I remember grinding for loot and levels in FF1.
Pretty much from the dawn of gaming. There was another video posted just the other day about ADOM and how it's pretty much unplayable unless you're willing to put endless hours in to learn and memorize all the inscrutable details it makes use of, mostly by dying constantly.
While I agree with the title, this particular analysis is kind of shallow. It's one thing to analyze predatory game design, but here it's mostly "I don't like this so it's bad". It's also very narrowly focusing on AAA open world. Old AAA open worlds were much worse. Remember how empty and soulless the first Far Cry and AssCreed were?
I laughed when the author makes a bunch of examples where he calls cutscenes a waste of time. I don't like action games for example and I can't find any enjoyment in Dark Souls, but I'm not going to argue that it's a waste of time or ignore the fact that people genuinely like it.
And then he goes on to say that modern games are made by random people in tech that aren't into gaming. I mean, bro, have you tried applying for a fucking job as a game developer?? Participated in a lunch break at a gaming company where 90% of people only talk about videogames?
And then he goes on to say that modern games are made by random people in tech that aren’t into gaming. I mean, bro, have you tried applying for a fucking job as a game developer?? Participated in a lunch break at a gaming company where 90% of people only talk about videogames?
Yeah. I guarantee there's nobody in game develop that isn't into gaming. Not only is game development much harder than regular web development you also get paid less and are usually treated worse. I love gaming but I wouldn't go into game development because it's just not worth the effort for me. I'll much rather do my cushy regular tech work and have more time playing games.
There was another video post to this community last night at around the same time (although was later deleted) saying "Why aren't games fun anymore?"
This entire thing feels shallow as hell and just one angry dude who's pissed about things not being like they used to be so he's whining about it to other people who are angry.
There is literally nothing objective about this. It's all using heavy skewed data to try and prove its point. He has absolutely no clue what he's talking about. He's just angry and saying things that he thinks are intelligent to try and back up his point.
Only thing I've discovered from this post is another "analyzer" to avoid at all possible costs.
This type of nostalgia porn is pretty popular on Youtube, but usually they at least make some valid point. Not in this case though.
It's also funny how Skyrim is presented as one of the 'cool' games, glossing over the fact that it has a massive, slow exposition dump at the beginning, which was criticized ever since it launched.
I'm having just as much or even more fun than I had 30 years ago.
I do however refrain from buying any overhyped AAA game when it comes out and wait maybe a year or two until people's reviews on it are out.
Then under those conditions I can avoid heavilly monetised games like the plague: not just microtransaction crap but also things with Season Passes and even games with lots of DLCs as lots of those are usually a bad sign.
In the last few years I also just avoid MMORPGs because I don't really want to have responsability towards other people (such as guild members to go on scheduled raids) and prefer setups were I can do things when I feel like it and can do it.
Basically give yourself time to find out from others how the game really is, then avoid anything with even the slightest wiff of having a business model that gains from people spending a significant proportion of their life in the game as those tend to have lots of grindy stuff, scheduled events that you "cannot miss" and lots and lots of disguised (and not so disguised) sales push - for the whole work for a living whilst being constantly under pressure from sales pushes trying to sell you useless shit, there's already Real Life.
Funnily enough, I end up mainly playing Indie games and older AAA games and I do mean it when I say I have as much or even more fun as I ever did gaming - it probably helps that I've long transcended being dazzled by whatever passes for hyper-realistic graphics at the tech level of that time (I'm from the days of Pacman) and care way more about gameplay since that's were the fun is and I play games for fun, not for artistic appreciation.
First off the idea that "other people share this opinion" is some form of validation of said opinion is...less than persuasive. "The earth is flat and you can find lots of people online saying the same thing" is an example of why you can't just rest on other people agreeing with you as being the primary support of your positions. And it's one of the first things brought up in the video so clearly this person feels it's important to bring up.
Secondly the idea that older games respected your time or weren't grindy is ridiculous. From core MMO designs, to JRPGs there are plenty of examples of old games that waste your time in some way or another.
It also sounds like he is saying that all games need to be simple games like Tetris. No story/cutscenes and no complicated game design that someone had to spend time learning. That's certainly an opinion, but I don't agree that game developers should only make games that target one specific person's taste.
There are definitely games that are designed to pull as much money from the player as possible, just avoid them. Don't buy them, don't play them.
theres always been games that feel like a chore
donkey kong on n64 had you what go collect bananas or something? is that fun? some werent even found until a few years ago
ghostbusters on nes is an entire chore made into a "game"
donkey kong on n64 had you what go collect bananas or something? is that fun?
I don't know what caused people to all of a sudden complain about this game (maybe a dunkey video?). This game is still fun by modern standards regrdless of whether you 100% it or not
Hey, I liked NES ghostbusters. You got to design your own car, bust ghosts, and worry about your business' finances. Of course I haven played it in over 30 years so I imagine the rose-colored glasses might be a problem.
Dude is spot on with Starfield. I've played the shit out of so many Bethesda games. I was SO excited for Starfield. But I just didn't have the time. I didn't even get to that planet where he does the quests, I just quit and I'm afraid that if I pick it up I'll accomplish nothing in the little time I have.
(Preface - I've not yet picked up Starfield, though I have hundreds [far too many] hours in other Bethesda games; Cyberpunk 2.0, though, has thoroughly captured my attention.)
I hear what you're saying, but the YouTube commenter apparently loves Elden Ring, which I found to be an awful game and painful to play. Man, I love complex, deeply explorable games, but I played Elden Ring for 8 hours and never felt like I was making an inch of pleasurable progress. The commenter complains about games being a chore, but what about games like Elden Ring that aren't chores, but are literal punishment?
I guess I had trouble accepting the commenter's point of view after he rah-rah'd for Elden Ring...
The point of elden ring and its siblings is the feeling of earned progress through effort and skill. You learn how to kill a boss slowly, and you fight and grapple for every level to build that strength. You do a similar thing with the environment.
The complaint of chores is one of tedium, not challenge. You dont learn to complete the chore list, you just fill time with it.
If you dont enjoy the challenge souls games offer you, its not your type of fun. But I feel the same way about car games, doesnt mean theres fault in the racing genre.
I tried Elden Ring because the kids were loving it. I gave it about 3 hours and I still didn't really know what was going on.
Elden Ring gave me the most buyers remorse I’ve ever felt
Elden Ring really scratches that exploratory game itch for me. Every meter felt worth visiting. You never really know what awaits in the next corner. If you’re lucky it might be the entrance to a completely unique area, all with its own set of enemies and bosses. It’s a game that dares to put an optional secret area behind a secret area behind another secret area.
Even on second play through I was caught off guard by some new surprises.
Compare it to Tears of the Kingdom for example. Wherever you go, you will find the same sets of enemies and often even the same environmental assets. After you’ve visited a few of the sky archipelago islands there’s few other surprises to see there. Encountering the first Flux Construct is a fun challenge, but after the 20th one it has turned into a mindless chore.
Elden ring was such a great game for me, I'm really sick of these movies with extra steps kind of game. To each their own I guess.
I always considered myself a dedicated gamer, like gaming was my sole hobby. Lately the last game I really could get fully into was stardew valley because I could fit in a single "day" or two in my schedule and finish on a hype every time.
Last RPG I played I had to make note of what was happening because by the time I picked up the game again I forgot what was happening.
I’ve boycotted all GaS and live service games. I’ve never been happier and now I play the games I want to play not because I have to
Yes, because 22 years ago nobody thought Animal Crossing felt like a chore.
Nah, I enjoyed Baldur's Gate 3, Elden Ring, Tears of the Kingdom, and yes even Starfield enough to give them up just because rage-bait Youtubers told me to.
Just like I'll eventually probably pickup Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Spiderman 1 and 2 at some point along with many other AAA games that I think I'll have fun playing in the near future.
It's not just the playing, even the buying can be a chore, as you'll have to dig through dozens of different versions, DLC, and season passes to figure out what you are even buying, most of the time the actual online shop doesn't even tell you, you have to search around forums to figure out what you get. Starting one of those Ultimate Edition that includes everything also means spending 5min clicking though dozens of "You just bought DLC" notifications.
Getting late into a game series is also always "fun", as you can't even tell what is a prequel, sequel, spin-off or whatever, as most content no longer puts a number in the title. That's another trip to Wikipedia, as I have yet to see any online shop providing that information.
Needless to say, I stick mostly with older or indie games. I can't stand how every modern game needs to have skill trees, collectives, level ups and hundred different weapons that all look and feel the same.
That said, chores can also be quite subjective. The Riddler trophies in the Batman Arkham games can certainly be seen as chore when you just want to reach the end fast, collecting them takes around three times as long as the main game. I however found them to be the best part of those games, as they are very old school and based in exploration and puzzles, as opposed to just running from cutscene to cutscene. They give the player a lot of agency and freedom that is missing in the main plot.
Both new Zeldas and Baldur's Gate 3 don't feel like a chore to me. They're awesome games. Same with Red Dead Redemption 2.
Oh boy, the new zeldas' have tons of collectibles and they don't feel special at all. The fact that you have a menu telling you how many you got makes it worse.
Woodland critter counter
Poe counter
Shrine counter
Stable points
Fall challenges
And so on. It began as fun and as I progressed I started getting sidetracked and by the end it just wasn't as fun anymore. The new zelda lack focus. And it's intentional too, I just hate that.
I feel this way too, I'm currently doing all the riddles in Batman Arkham Knight, and although some are fun, most of them are boring.
I think most current games don't even consider the fun factor anymore 😆
Remember when we could wreck the game with cheats like in GTA San Andreas or alike?
I used to just mess around with a buddy in the city doing whatever we wanted in the most uncomfortable form of local multiplayer that the PS2 offered.
Modern gaming? I'm playing war thunder since 2016 (with interruptions) and it feels like a chore since 7 years. Now as I think of it, the chores began for me back in the 90s in a point and click adventure on a 286 PC.
I clicked it and the ad (Before my ad blocker kicked on) was for Eve online.
So slightly less modern games are chores as well!
Stop buying exclusively AAA games then. They rarely try anything new and their primary design goals are to get you hooked so you buy more crap.
Truck Simulator players would disagree.
I rrally dont have much time for it but I love gaming. But over the past years, I started to play less and less because most of the games requires so much time and patience. Sometimes, you litteraly have ti spend hours learning stuff before you can actually start playing and enjoy. Or you need to spend half of the games managing inventory. I cant invest dozens and dozens of hours in games anymore, and I feel like simple, easy to play for short session games are disappearing.... So even if I'm often tempted by AAA games, I usually now go for snall indie title, and it's a good thing in the end. I'm still gonna play the shit of Baldurs Gate 3 next Summer tho.
Starfield has too many loading screens to be fun. I have the game on an SSD, but it's still way too much.