Cliches in Gaming

[SkullCap]

When a child brings home a picture of a poorly Crayola-drawn house from Kindergarten a parent will usually hail it as if its a lost El Greco painting. Why? Simple, because it's the first time they've seen them draw a house before. Now what if the child continues to grow and every year brings back drawing after drawing of the same house only difference is their artistic quality has improved. It may be interesting to see the improvement of how they shaded the venetian blinds or used pencil strokes to add emphasis on the door, but only for 3 seconds because ITS STILL THE SAME HOUSE!

This is my analogy for video game cliches. Over and over again developers use the same aspects of story/plot from past games only now with better graphics in their new unoriginal games (which wil leave as much lasting impression as your shoe has on your calf from sitting Indian-style for several minutes).

For example: The Missing Love Interest cliche.
Offenders: Bionic Commando, Dead Space, Gears of War 2, Mario Bros. (guiltiest of them all), Silent Hill 2, and FPS #8234. (Why can't I name more? Because they're so dull in story that I couldn't care less!)

Yahtzee used the best examples concerning the Powerful Armored Space Marine as a good cliche in current gaming.

But what do you think has become a cliche in video gaming?

Name some offenders.

 

[Chaos Bringer]

Health powerups. They're never there when you need them

 

[Ace of Spades]

The boss's big speech before the battle about how much power they have acquired, and how you stand no chance, only to have the crap kicked out of them shortly afterward.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

My favorite is still the Locked Door Can Only Be Opened With X, X Is Way The Hell Over There, There's A Bunch Of Bad Guys Between You And X, Go Get X scenario. 'Cause, you know, you can't just whip out one of your many, many rocket launchers and blow the fucking door open.

 

[Blair Bennett]

I think that the secondary character acting as your sidekick-type guy deserting/betraying you has become a grotesquely overused part of games. It always seems to happen (when the context is right. If the character is untrustworthy to begin with, fine, I can be lenient. But if they're all buddy-buddy with you for the first 2/3 of the game, it's just overused and nonsensical for the majority), but then people are all like, "Woah! I totally didn't see that coming!". It's at this point that you sort of have to say "Shut up! Of course you saw that coming. And you know why? Because it happens in every Goddamn game!"

 

[Jedamethis]

Only you can stop him.

Yeah, but that guy over there has a gun, I only have a stick...

 

[Noone From Nowhere]

Humans fighting off hostile near-all-powerful aliens or gods or whatever nonsense. Look, people, WE are the baddest thing on the planet if not the entire universe. Own it, already.
We could take a few fictional non-human protagonists to take us down a peg in a game or two. It won't make it so in the real world.

 

[Soren91]

A twist. Not every plot needs a twist

Tell that to M. Night Shyamalan lol

 

[MiserableOldGit]

RPGs that start with you in jail (usually for crimes you didnt commit), or living a simple life on a farm which is torn apart. Or living a simple life on a farm that is torn apart because you got thrown in jail for a crime you didnt commit.

International incidents and states of global emergency handled soley by either a fop-haired autistic looking spod with a big sword, or half a dozen grizzled power-armoured veterans armed with noisy guns and gallows humour.

 

[Naheal]

Cliches are so over used that there's a site [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage] dedicated to it.

Edit: *Shakes fist* DAMN YOU NINJA!

 

[gerrymander61]

The boss's big speech before the battle about how much power they have acquired, and how you stand no chance, only to have the crap kicked out of them shortly afterward.

What's even better is the part where you're running through their base slaughtering all their minions while the bad guy monologues at you.

It never annoys me, I just find it hilarious every time.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

Oh, here's the other one: RPG sidequests in general, especially towards the end of the game. If some scrawny silver-haired androgyne with a ridiculous sword is on the verge of annihilating the planet because his/her mommy didn't love him/her enough, then it doesn't seem like I should have the time to fly all over the world pulling cats out of trees or helping women find their lost wedding rings.

 

[TelHybrid]

Japanese main character being either loud mouth, or "emo". Often with hair that defies gravity.

 

[SkullCap]

It pains me to link you, but alas, i have no choice..http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VideogameTropes

Holy Tripe!

 

[the protaginist]

How's this for a cliche: The Helicopter is NEVER showing up.

When have you ever played a game where the thing getting you the hell outta Dodge has landed exactly where it was meant to at the pre-determined time?

 

[Gebi10000]

It pains me to link you, but alas, i have no choice..http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VideogameTropes

ah damn. just wanted to do that myself. It's like rickrolling but your stuck all day

 

[Yudas]

The mentor: A wise character older than the protagonist who will act as a voice in the ear during the game. As you progress through the story you learn more and more about him and find out that all is apparently not what it seems.

He will then turn evil and/or die. Yes.. He will do that everytime.

Offenders: (SPOILER WARNING)


Assassins creed, Metal Gear Solid, portal, mirrors edge, farcry, and countless others I have somehow forgot. These were not even the worst ones.


That guy who dies first: A shallow and stereotypical individual whose only development as a person is rigor mortis he will experience after his inevitably violent and gory death. He will be quickly disposed of to cover up his blandness.

Offenders: Almost every WW2 or Sci-fi first person shooter. The horror genre entire usually have quite a few of those per game too.

 

[badgersprite]

Your village was burned down/your family (or a relative you only knew for five minutes) was murdered. That, or some variation thereof, is usually the motivation in just about any fantasy story. Also, the guy who's there for the tutorial level will probably die in the first cutscene.

And the chick who either falls down and cries because she breaks a nail, or tries to shoot you in the skull on your first encounter is going to be your love interest.

I really don't think it's a problem with video games as much as it is with all entertainment media. The majority of TV shows and movies that come out of major Hollywood companies generally conform to the same sorts of stereotypes, and video games are only reflecting what's perceived as popular in culture.

I'm only going to say this once - video game companies need to stop copying movies and start using the interactive medium to start doing the sort of shit you can only do in a video game. Break the fourth wall every now and then, or suck the player the hell in and start fucking with their head.

This has been a public service announcement.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

3 words: 'The Chosen One'

 

[irishdelinquent]

How about how all doors in a dungeon have an identical lock, and can be opened by any key you possess, but your character can't seem to open a lock without destroying the key.

All credit to Katie Tiedrich of http://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php [Awkward Zombie] (not trying to advertise, just showing recognition)