Games that are overwhelming (i.e. too much content)?

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goldenband
Posts: 766
Joined: April 8th, 2015, 10:29 pm

Re: Games that are overwhelming (i.e. too much content)?

Postby goldenband » May 23rd, 2022, 2:25 pm

Ultimately I suppose it depends on why you play games, or consume any media for that matter.

If you want to be able to immerse yourself in an endless world, and are yearning to spend hours and hours in that world, you have one set of priorities.

If you want to have a relatively brief and well-defined experience, in which you don't need to re-experience that media over and over again to avoid "missing out on something" -- if the idea of being done with a book, game, movie is satisfying -- then you have a different set of priorities.

I like the idea in principle of a game that's populated with seemingly limitless content, but in practice I invariably prefer the second option. Far, far better to have a short and meticulously crafted experience -- and especially, one where you don't find out later that "Oh, you didn't do it right" and have to have known in advance that you would need to make different choices in order to experience the full breadth of the game's content.

Ultimately we all have just so many hours in the day, and just so many days on the planet. I'm always troubled by modalities of game design that encourage people to exchange time for success, because they seem almost unethical.

It's one thing to reward skill, or to earn skill through hours of practice. But when a game expects players to do things like spend 50 hours collecting items that can only be acquired via random drops but are needed to craft that one special item to let them see the best ending, it grosses me out on some level, because it's time-wasting in the most literal sense.

You don't learn anything, or benefit yourself or the world in any way, from doing something like that; it's data entry disguised as fun.

Zack Burner
Posts: 1210
Joined: May 3rd, 2019, 6:01 pm

Re: Games that are overwhelming (i.e. too much content)?

Postby Zack Burner » May 23rd, 2022, 8:20 pm

I thought up another game that's overwhelming in my mind: Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. While there are some good moments, there are too many playable characters and some overly gimmicky areas, and some of the multiplayer modes aren't much fun. The classic trio is back and some new characters are cool like the Panda King, Dimitri, and on some occasions Carmelita, but the Guru is doesn't have much to offer, Penelope is borderline too gimmicky, and Dimitri can be a little awkward to use. One of the earlier stages the Australia stage, is pretty bleak, and the pirate stage is a mixed bag, some will like it some won't. There's also some new elements such as airplane flying, and ship voyages. Tries too hard to be like Sly 2 at times, which had the perfect length and balance. At least Thieves in Time, despite a decline in quality didn't feel overwhelming.

CaptainCruch
Posts: 662
Joined: July 17th, 2015, 11:26 am

Re: Games that are overwhelming (i.e. too much content)?

Postby CaptainCruch » June 24th, 2022, 11:50 am

Rayman Legends.

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pacman000
Posts: 1141
Joined: December 30th, 2015, 9:04 am

Re: Games that are overwhelming (i.e. too much content)?

Postby pacman000 » June 24th, 2022, 6:53 pm

Spore

Once I get to the final stage, I can’t decide what to do. Colonizing the Galaxy sounds fun, but I can’t decide where to put a colony, who to trade with, how exactly I should colonize the planets, etc. I get lost in the possibilities, so my colonies fail fairly quickly.

matmico399
Posts: 1419
Joined: November 25th, 2015, 6:11 pm

Re: Games that are overwhelming (i.e. too much content)?

Postby matmico399 » June 24th, 2022, 7:42 pm

I think the game that easily represents it the best is No Man's Sky.


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