Industry Appreciation Day: What do you LIKE?

[stevesan]

There's a lot of hate out there in the world. GamesRadar recently posted "78 things GamesRadar hates about Gaming." All valid points, and I agree with most of them...

..but c'mon! There's a ton of stuff the industry does right, and sometimes it feels like they just don't get enough due praise. So my challenge to you is: First, think of a recent trend you really hate. And then, think of another trend that's somewhat related, but that you really like.

For example, I really HATE escort missions, but I LIKE having more helpful NPCs (HL2:Ep2 would be a prime example).

Not so easy is it?

 

[REDPill357]

Regeneating health.

A mixture of both.

 

[defcon 1]

I guess I don't like games that don't stand out and repetition, I love games with a good soundtrack to go along with the gameplay(HL2:E2,CoD4). I also love new ideas that work out for the better. Lastly, I love games that don't load every time you die (Bioshock,CoD4)

 

[StatikShock]

I really hate GTA Clones, and I really hate movie tie ins. But I really liked Spider-Man 2 (the movie game). (Maybe because it only vaguely ripped off GTA, and it only vaguely followed the movies plot? Oh, and that crazy concept called "fun")

-statik

 

[mshcherbatskaya]

I love games because they are yet another medium for telling a story, even if that story is a very rudimentary one. I also love the fact that soundtracks seem to keep getting better. I ended up chasing down and actual copy of the Dreamfall soundtrack, I enjoyed the songs so much, and I rarely go for soundtracks of any sort.

 

[defcon 1]

Oh, and that crazy concept called "fun"

That reminds me, I would like to play a horror game. Along side fun, fear(emotion, not the game) sounds cool

 

[werepossum]

The wonderful mix of suspense and frantic action in F.E.A.R. Thanks, Monolith.

The wonderful AI in Half Life 2. Thanks, Valve.

The wonderful feeling in Call of Duty (all of them) of actually fighting in a squad or platoon, while still being central and necessary to the mission and the action (and without having to command them.) Thanks, Infinity Ward.

 

[OneHP]

Momentum: created by well designed levels and enemy spawns. It's those moments where I've dispatched a group of enemies and just as I sprint round the next corner there stand more foes and I dive into the perfectly placed cover as I down the first soldier with a well placed burst from my gun. This feeling is multiplied many times over when it is online versus human players and the design of the map just allows you to flow forward leaving a trail of bodies in your wake.

 

[Tortured Liver]

Hate JRPG characters, only a handful are slightly bearable. Don't know if this is a trend though, because there aren't too many people who keep making those types of games 'cept for the originators.

I guess a trend would be keeping consoles completely locked and not open to the public for software development. Cell phones are finally stepping away from it. Sooner or later there'll be one or two cell phone development platforms (android is already gaining popularity). Gaming should go in the same direction, the hardware shouldn't be so important (look where Nintendo sales have gone with that attitude).

 

[richtm]

Great likable characters with decent dialogue:
Half-life 2, GlaDOS! Psychonauts

Great original soundtrack that fits well with what you're doing:
Bully(who else persecuted the preppies just to hear that awesome song?), Okami, Chrono Cross, God of War 1+2, Final Fantasy X

Great Atmosphere and Storytelling:
Bioshock is king here for me. I need to go check out system shock 2 sometime though. Half-life series, Okami, God of War gets points for its massive setpieces, Crysis (for atmosphere not so much for storytelling)

Pacing:
Never getting bored because you're always moving forward and doing something new and interesting just when a gameplay section was starting to get stale: Half-life series, God of War series

Not going it alone:
It's nice and different to have some useful allies in a game. It's especially nice when you have help in genres you don't expect it. In Zelda or Zelda-type adventure games you tend to take on evil all by your lonesome while "allies" contribute nothing more than advice or an arrow or two before they get backhanded by ganondorf. I was really surprised in Okami when you got to have a 2v1 and 2v2 bossfight with notable NPCs fighting alongside you.
There was a 2v1 moment in Devil May Cry 3 that was almost really cool except that you lose whatever style you were using along with devil trigger(WTF?) and the boss sucks to begin with. He's just sort of in the way of the conflict you really want to see.

Perhaps most importantly of all for me... if it's a console game and doesn't have quicksave... USE FREQUENT CHECKPOINTS! I grew up on PC games and have a very low tolerance for repeating sections I've already beaten.
It's also nice if you can "quickload" aka quickly hit select and reload the last (AND RECENT!) checkpoint when things are obviously not going your way in a long multi-staged boss fight or something. Suiciding just so you can start over from a winnable position is very irritating and demoralizing. God of War is really awesome about this and that's the only reason I made it through god mode and titan mode without smashing a controller.

 

[Strafe Mcgee]

I love the moments when I sit slack jawed at what's just happened on screen. These moments of pure awe are what keep me playing games:

--Some SPOILERS!!!--- (Only if you really dwell on them)

Looking down from the high church in Assassin's Creed
Meeting Andrew Ryan in Bioshock
Pretty much all of HL2
Finding out who you are in KOTOR
Meeting Shodan in system Shock 2
When the three statues are pushed out of alignment in Final Fantasy 3
The Portal Song
Elite Beat Agents (For making me grin)
Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (For helping me make up new swear words for my mates)

...I love games

 

[stevesan]

Some great replies. Lemme add some more:

I hate load screens. But I love streaming. Thank you Naughty Dog, God of War team, GTA3, etc. for spearheading the death of load screens!

I hate it when I need to "bind quick save and load to the right and mouse buttons" (thanks ZeroPunc - it's funny cuz it's true ). But I love well-placed auto saves and checkpoints. It's always a pleasant surprise when I die, but then I get respawned at a wonderfully reasonable spot. God of War, HL2:Ep2, Portal...so many games do this right these days! Fuckin' love it!

 

[Anarchemitis]

Flying things.

 

[PhoenixFlame]

I love simple concepts and games that are hugely successful, because they prove that while it takes a lot of work to make a game, it also sometimes doesn't take a complex background or concept - case in point, Tetris, Portal, even Smash Bros.

The simplest things are sometimes the best.

 

[Hey Joe]

Portal. All of it.

The Orange Box. All of it.

Grim Fandango. All of it.

Tim Schaefer. All of him.

 

[ZenMonkey47]

I love it when a game distills a gameplay element down to it's purest form. Like Dynasty Warriors in beating up legions of mooks

 

[Shamtee]

The only think I find annoying in gaming is cliff hanger games. I don't mind if there going to be a sequal if I enjoy a game i'd buy it but why get people really into a game then switch it off half way through. Sure it makes you want to buy the sequel after killing whoever's idea it was the end the game there especially when it was starting to get good.

 

[stevesan]

The only think I find annoying in gaming is cliff hanger games. I don't mind if there going to be a sequal if I enjoy a game i'd buy it but why get people really into a game then switch it off half way through. Sure it makes you want to buy the sequel after killing whoever's idea it was the end the game there especially when it was starting to get good.

...And you clearly did not read the original post, you hate mongerer.

But I'll add a related trend that I like to this: awesome sequels. God of War 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Half Life episodes.

 

[Melaisis]

Zombie Panic: Source.











Oh, that's right: Its independent.

Nevermind then, industry!

 

[Minky_man]

Hate the Even numbered DMC's

Love the Odd numbered DMC's