I recently finished playing Remedy's Control on PC. Since 2015 there are only a handful of games I've completed -
- Device 6
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- Dishonored 2
- Shadow Complex
- Inside
- The Lion's Song
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- Control
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
That's nine games in almost five years. Far too few. I've started on others in this time but have failed to play them till the end. This very trivial statistic has been on my mind for some time now.
It would appear that the experiences I'm looking for are increasingly rare - possibly commercially less viable as a result of a shifting paradigm of the mainstream video gamer. Esports is dominant, followed by MMOs. Those looking for a non social experience are primarily limited to open world games and rogue-likes. Each of the social and non social categories have a common thematic overlay - a heavy emphasis on skill and repetition. By moving the spotlight on to these two aspects, game studios are able to get by with an anemic story. For a methodical and introspective mind, the constant demand for quick reflexes can be overwhelming. And busy-work quests, with no connection to an overarching narrative, are simply boring. I found Dead Cells to be quite fantastic for a while but the novelty did not last. Fury, with its extremely exacting combat system, wore me down fairly quickly. Celeste, although absolutely beautiful, had me frustrated as a result of the severely punishing nature of a precision platformer. This is where Inside is an outlier. An intelligent side-scroller, with an intriguing story and haunting atmosphere. The game mechanics are not necessarily novel but make very clever use of the world itself. Shadow Complex is a fantastic run and gun adventure with elements of exploration and interesting upgrades. The difficulty curve in combat and enemy design is fairly balanced. Mark of the Ninja and Gunpoint are two other games that come to mind as great experiences.
For certain narrative driven games today, on the other hand, one may find them sometimes lacking interesting game-play mechanics. "Walking simulators" are an example of limited player interactivity in a fully realized game-world with a rich history and lore. Lucas Pope changes our perception of this genre with his brilliant Return of the Obra Dinn. Armed with a pocket watch that allows you to time travel and a journal, you are entrusted to solve a mystery. The game rewards a keen sense of observation and logical reasoning and tells an interesting story. It gives the player a very strong sense of satisfaction as they see the plot unravel based on their deductions. It's a very directed experience that, however, does not compromise on exploration or study of an environment.
I enjoy first person action adventure games. Of the several releases over the last few years there are only two that stood out for me Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Dishonored 2. Both are so-called "systemic" games and engages players as much as with their mechanics as with a decent story and excellently designed environments and an atmosphere that is genuinely interesting. Both games allow enough freedom for players to accomplish objectives in any way they choose. The restrictions imposed are non intrusive world boundaries that although make overall progress linear, also enable the game to have a well developed plot. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, on the other hand was a decent shooter with a level design that felt uninspired beyond the first half of the game. Although the franchise under Machine Games has done significantly better that the 2009 reboot, nothing has matched the tense adventure of 2001's Return to Castle Wolfenstein. In RTCW, there was a great balance between stealth and action. Also, stealth was not merely an optional trope. There were levels that required the player to remain undetected and in others direct confrontation often lead to a swift death. The design of each of the levels were unique and the atmosphere was far richer and a story better told, in-spite of a lack of NPCs to interact with. Weapon design and use was also far more deliberate. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a glorious example of how a game focused on first person combat can excel in spite of a small game world and limited weapon sets. The well designed maps, presentation and mechanics make for an immersive and deft shooter.
Batman: Arkham Asylum was the first superhero experience in a game that truly stood out. Voice acting, character design, combat and story buildup and pacing were masterful. So was the world. The Asylum itself, although contained, provided for enough vibrancy and opportunities for exciting gameplay. This, till today, stands as an example of how relatively small environments can lend themselves to developing interesting stories and mechanics if they're architected with enough thoughtfulness. Each distinct area / level deeply entrenched in the lore of the world and serving a distinct purpose and possibly introducing a new game mechanic / ability. The follow up, Batman: Arkham City, was a much larger game world but I don't believe it added much more in terms of gameplay.
Control released in August this year and is a great example of how architecture can be a core driving theme in a video game. "The Oldest House" is a world that draws the player in with its sheer beauty and ingenuity. The structures that form the architecture of this space all seem to exist for the purpose of hiding a mystery. A story is told implicitly by this architecture which supports the more direct narrative direction of the game. The combat mechanics and weapons are also interesting. However, combat and enemy variety become repetitive fairly soon. The story also falters. However, the atmosphere created by the building itself makes for an experience rarely seen in recent AAA titles.
Gaming is an increasingly social activity and a very nascent platform for human interaction. For the single player experience to remain relevant there needs to be an emphasis on interesting storytelling and smart presentation that drive the gameplay. Games such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Half Life 2 left a very deep impression on my mind. That was a long time ago. The new Hitman series is one I'm enjoying significantly now. I look forward to playing Outer Wilds and Disco Elysium, both of which have received universal critical acclaim for their narrative, world building, level design and gameplay mechanics.