fozzy360 said:
No, you'd be wrong. I love Saint's Row 2. It is easily one of my favorite games of this generation. The open world was just that--open. Lots of side quests with multiple tiers with lots of unlockables, a simple story that played to its own ridiculous strengths, great controls...and I found it immersing. Why? Because every bit of it worked well and created it's own ridiculous world to get lost in. It knew what it was and played out accordingly so. I was immersed because each of its elements worked together to create one awesome package. I love action games...if I get into them. Just Cause 2 was fun for a while, but didn't have that lasting appeal that Saint's Row 2 had. It felt a bit more shallow, which is why I didn't get as into it, which is why I don't play it often (despite my liking it).
And what do you mean "action packed gameplay?" Doesn't that describe most every game out there? Because Red Dead Redemption is incredibly action packed and was completely immersive.
It depends how you define immersion. If you mean that bull crap "I can spend hours on and not get bored" that's not immersion, that's just fun with a different name. Immersion is when you truly feel like the character dictated in the game
Immersion does not equal fun. If you you think it does then why don't you call immersion, fun? Less characters and has less syllables so it's quicker to say
I found Red Deads Immersion to be poor at best. I just felt ridiculous shooting people even though I am supposed to be a family man seeking redemption. Along with that, the uselessness of doing anything in the world (why play cards, for more money? I already have millions), it was far far too easy and just dull. As a result of these things I never felt like a Cowboy but some God who can can shoot anything, not give a crap and then sometimes over do my slowing down time power too much so it stops time and the game itself.
Immersion is so easy to fake as well. Look at all these addictive causal games, want to know why people play them? Because they fake immersion so gamers lose track of time. Immersion isn't a hard thing to do, most of the time it's really based on a users luck of the game engine (red dead crashed on me several times) and it's really not a good sign of a good game
You don't need to get into a game to enjoy it in fact I think immersion is a completely bullshit term that gamers throw around.
I remember in the ps1 era immersion didn't exist and was a lot easier to find a game fun. While games now try so desperately hard to get everything right, unintentionally bad writing, poor voice acting and realism that just isn't there.
Of course not every game can be described as action packed for example look at; puzzle games, music games, RPG games etc. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words, how about cinematic?
If a game has bad or no depth, then that makes it a pretty boring game if you ask me. It may not be horrible, but it won't have that lasting appeal. I don't mean just story when I talk about depth and immersion. There's nothing wrong with a simple action game (Saint's Row 2) so as long as the game can get you lost in it's own world.
You play a game for the purpose of fun. Why do you as a gamer need motivation to do anything? If you aren't enjoying the process of playing a game maybe you don't find games fun.
Look at multiplayer of the Call Of Duty games. There is no story, there are loads of realistic faults and generally it is the lest constructive and there just isn't that much immersion. It is still a lot of fun
I honestly can say I have never been properly immersed in a game, I've had fun but I've never felt "I am said character"
TL;DR?
Immersion doesn't equal fun
Immersion is a bullshit word used by reviewers and marketing men to disguise people having fun. Manipulating what people want, fun being too childish and stupid while immersion is more mature. Same way these people say that a product is an experience
