Immersion and imagination.

[Brinnmilo]

Hey guys,
I've been playing a fair amount of the new triple A releases since I got my new laptop as I finally have the power to run them. How ever I've noticed that they are a lot less immersive than they used to be (and by extension a lot less fun), having previously lost myself in the world of Fallout, Borderlands, Halflife 2 and Medieval Total War 2.

Is it just that I don't have to use my imagination as much now that textures actually have some definition and that gaming (for me) has found smooth edges? Or have you all had the same experience I have?

Another question: which game(s) did you lose yourself in the most?

 

[butternut]

It is an interesting point that a game can have graphics that are really bad by todays standards and yet still be as immersive as a clean and squeaky triple A title today.

Although what I think your experiencing here is less immersive because your running through a game for the second time so some of the initial "unknownness" is gone.

Also, I think I lost myself most in Dragon Age: Origins, I get way too attached to my characters in that game...

 

[oplinger]

It's probably not the imagination bit. It's probably because most AAA games try not to be immersive. They try to be engaging. The difference being immersion is when you lose yourself. Engaging just keeps you playing.

Most games now tend to have pretty lights and shiny things to look at. I've seemed to notice that a lot of games try to grab my attention when they already have it, and that breaks immersion.

So overall I'd have to say I've only every been immersed in a couple of games. And I don't even remember which. On a side note, it's hard for me to get immersed anyway, I'm one of those people who knows better, and I'm no good at suspension of disbelief...

 

[Brinnmilo]

The problem I've had has been with recent games like Rage (although considering how similar it is too Borderlands that may be a bad example).

 

[TheDuckbunny]

I think you're mostly right in that games of today show you alot that they used to only imply. This makes for environments and settings where everything is thrown at you so you don't have a chance to miss any of the stuff they've spent alot of money on instead of them relying on immersion and your imagination to fill in the gaps.

That said, the single most immersive digital setting I've ever visited is Morrowind by far. That game rises miles above any other attempt to create a well realised, unique, diverse living world in my opinion.