I've noticed over time that there have developed two schools of thought about what constitutes a proper "game."
It first started when the The Last of Us and The Walking Dead came out. Though successful, critics claimed that linear, scripted zombie games had poor design, and were little more than interactive movies. A game with limited interaction could barely ba called a game, after all. Fans claimed that this made it easier to tell a story.
Conversely I've heard people criticize Mario and Zelda for their lack of story or characterization, while fans praise their tight controls and well constructed level design. Hence the mechanics are brilliant, and the game is well designed. According to these people, games are separate from film, and should focus on things other than narrative.
This made me realize that people have very different ideas about what makes a "game." Other titles, like dark souls, seem to have found a middle ground. So what do you think constitutes a game, and what are the most important elements of a game? Should game mechanics be sacrificed for story, or is it just icing on the cake?
It first started when the The Last of Us and The Walking Dead came out. Though successful, critics claimed that linear, scripted zombie games had poor design, and were little more than interactive movies. A game with limited interaction could barely ba called a game, after all. Fans claimed that this made it easier to tell a story.
Conversely I've heard people criticize Mario and Zelda for their lack of story or characterization, while fans praise their tight controls and well constructed level design. Hence the mechanics are brilliant, and the game is well designed. According to these people, games are separate from film, and should focus on things other than narrative.
This made me realize that people have very different ideas about what makes a "game." Other titles, like dark souls, seem to have found a middle ground. So what do you think constitutes a game, and what are the most important elements of a game? Should game mechanics be sacrificed for story, or is it just icing on the cake?