Jimquisition: Linearity versus Replayability

Lancer873

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Oct 10, 2009
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The truth is strong in this one. I know I've played through Cave Story plenty of times, (at least five times with the good ending) and it's still fun. Though it is certainly nice to throw in a few scraps of items that you have to replay to get (like the three different main guns in Cave Story) it's still the game itself that matters most.
 

Woodsey

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Aug 9, 2009
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Totally agree.

Seeing people refuse to buy games that are purely single player (and even when they're exceptionally well-received) because they have no "replay value" is mind-boggling.
 

MowDownJoe

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Apr 8, 2009
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Great. I thought I had Ace of Base purged from my head. I hate you now, Jim!

(Just kidding... and I did laugh when you started singing The Sign.)
 

Moonlight Butterfly

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Mar 16, 2011
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I thought this episode was slipping back a little bit in style but overall I thought it was okay.

The points he made where good but I would like to add something. My friend said he can't play through multiended games more than once becuase he is decisive and he picks what he think is the 'correct' way. So even if a game has these options in it, they can still dissapoint as a replayability option.

To me what adds replayability to game isn't multiplayer (which is kind of an empty premise for me as I like story) but the ability to play through with different styles or 'specs'

Like playing through oblivion as a theif then a mage then a knight character. It's somnthing that a lot of games don't need, but somthing that helps me to enjoy the game another way without not much else changing.

PS: The use of the 'duh chin' made me laugh a lot, makes me wonder if Americans do that too. xD
 
May 5, 2010
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OK Jim, here's the thing: I agree with you about 95% of the time, but....listen carefully here...YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACT LIKE A DICK TO BE ENTERTAINING. It's not like if you stop ripping off Yahtzee we'll all just lose interest, OK? You're a smart guy. PLEASE start acting like one.
 

orangeapples

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Aug 1, 2009
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You know what games like Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D need? Online Multiplayer.

The problem with online multiplayer is that some people are paying monthly for the service and feel cheated if every game doesn't use it in some form. Especially on 360 where most of the gamers on that console are on XboxLive, then if the Xbox 360 players get an online multiplayer then the PS3 players would feel cheated. If they don't to sell a game without online multiplayer it is either going to be really good solid campaign, or committing video game suicide.

Unfortunately Online multiplayer is not always the decision of the developer, but the publisher. They say "This game will have online multiplayer, or we will not be funding your game." Publishers do not understand that not every game is designed for multiplayer.

If you are making a game designed for single player it cannot be half-assed; gamers will know.
Conversely, if you are making a game designed for online multiplayer then who really cares about the campaign? The single player mode is just there to justify selling a new game *cough*CallOfDuty*cough
 

TheDooD

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Dec 23, 2010
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I remember when cheat codes and new game plus was enough to get gamers by but now it seems that there's a need to shoot a friend in the head to validate a gaming experence. I blame to dumbass masses that seem to just got into gaming because of a certain FPS. Then fact producers are so damn spineless to their publishers to tell them no to tacked on MP because it's gonna make the game shit because it doesn't work.
 

Mikodite

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Dec 8, 2010
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The problem is there are a lot of people who wouldn't read a book a second time and wouldn't watch a movie a second time regardless of quality, and therefore wouldn't reply a video game. These people are likely the minority, but they are a loud minority.

It probably doesn't help that some games have a bad single-player mode and the only thing carry them is an achievement system and the multi-player. Too many of these games exist t give many players the idea that a linear single player mode isn't enough to make someone want to play the game again.
 

Phlakes

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Mar 25, 2010
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"Timmy, what did you learn today?"

"Cuntmushroom! It's my new favorite word, mommy!"

OT: Completely agreed. I want to see a CoD game that has no competitive multiplayer, then it can go back to the awesome campaigns from 2 and 4.
 

Syntax Error

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Sep 7, 2008
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The next one would probably be a Jimquisition edition of Jim's article titled "The Path of o Divergence", which is linear vs. sandbox.

Great video, but I could do without the permanent scarring that is Kuja's man-thong. eurghhhhh
 

Hdawger

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Jun 8, 2010
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Man I look forward to this every Monday! I've always liked you Destructoid and I also love you here too! I agree with you a lot on this issue, especially when games with multiplayer tacked on lose the single player/narrative focus I'm used to. Take Assassin's Creed Brotherhood for example; it had an exceptional multiplayer with new and inventive gameplay, but the single player lacked what I expect from an Assassin's Creed game.

Thats just my 2 cents; keep it coming Mr. Sterling!
 

Kahunaburger

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May 6, 2011
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Wow, so replay value is replay value? Good thing we have the hard-hitting jimquisition to tell us that! Keep aiming for those challenging targets, Jim. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAT15I-QnBY]
 

punipunipyo

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Jan 20, 2011
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usually I don't comment for your shows, but this, this is good, I agreed! thumbs up for you~


but I DO have to argue, yes, I never play DeadSpace-Muti, but I think Dead space2 top the first game, and BioShock2 toped the first one (not in story, but) in gameplay! BY FAAAR! other than these... yeh totally !~
 

Rylot

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May 14, 2010
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I definitely agree. Even when you know the story some games are just really fun to play. I've never really understood people who can play COD for eight hours a day. Sure you get matched up with different people each time but it still boils down to the same damn thing each time. It's just my opinion but with a limited number of maps and combinations of weapons and game play modes it just feels so repetitive to me.
 

pheipl

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Jun 24, 2010
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I sorta agree, BUT (plz read b4 you troll)

While I love linear games with a strong narrative, I cannot play them twice. Yes most people see a good movie more than once, or listen to a good song more than once, or read a good book several times, but ... not everyone does. I never watch the same movie twice unless I have nothing better to do, and even then I lose interest about half way through. If I listen to the same song too much I lose interest in that also. A very good and complex book deserves several reads.

What I'm trying to say I suppose is that:

1) Not everyone thinks the same, some can't do repetitive tasks (go trough the same story twice)
2) Replayability is helped by being an open game, hindered by being linear (not saying linear games CAN'T be replayed just not as easily as open world games)
NOTE: Only referring to strong narrative games (not sonic or mario)

Ex: I bought Metro 2033 on impulse but I loved every single second in that game, convinced my friends to get it, tried to replay it ... couldn't. For SOME, a linear game with no variation on story (story driven games only) except maybe minor endings that can be googled have NO REPLAY VALUE WHAT SO EVER.
(P.S. I also don't like adding mutlyplayer to games that should never have mutlyplayer ... metro last light, I'm looking at you!)
 

42

Australian Justice
Jan 30, 2010
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Sylocat said:
I'm still waiting for him to make any points that haven't already been covered better and funnier by ZP and/or EC.
How Nintendo America, How bout Metacritic? actually, now that i think about it game localisation has been bought up in ZP, but that's only usually in a brief second or too. because ZP is a REVIEW show. i find your comment quite silly. still sterling doesn't need me defending him from the haters when his ego is as big as Godzilla

EDIT: woops forgot to quote.
 

Coldster

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Oct 29, 2010
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Am I the only one who really enjoyed the Bioshock 2 online? I thought it was really creative, fair, fun, and original. I loved the campaign and I enjoyed the online enough to get to level 40. I don't understand the amount of hate it receives as somehow being the reason why some people *cough* Yahtzee *cough* didn't enjoy this sequel as much as the first.