Topic: Anyone else want more dynamic elements or interesting game mechanics in games?

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The more games I play and the more I look at mechanics/scripted moments from old games to how new games present themselves. I kind of have expected more from games. As many people do but I guess in some different ways.

While I enjoy new games don't think this is a modern games hate thread it isn't. I'm playing many 2022 games I didn't get to experience. Some AAA, some AA, some Indie.

I ust find myself curious on what games can do these days. To evolve. To say the same.

What ideas can be brought back, or what potential hasn't been covered yet. At least to me.

Everyone has their wants from games of course. Nostalgia has no part in this either I just want the best from some games and others well just differences I see between games I'm comparing that's all.

This will be long. I may put numbers to each section. 99% of people won't read because too long I guess anyway. If you disagree in my thoughts that's totally fine. Just making my thoughts open.

Stories and graphics have gotten betyover the years but I also find animations kind of played out and the same they don't feel interesting. The Steam game trailer In sometimes as a tactical shooter. I thought it was just that FMV or a trailer/CGI. Why are shooters so done to death of the same strict animations.

Same with many games. we get some interesting mechanics but others aren't anything that different they are familiar similar with a theme/story/setting and can be pretty eh to me at least as a gameplay seeker.

1.With Rift Apart I got to thinking about the rifts. Blizar is a great level. But it got me thinking about how they could be better. Crack in Time got me thinking oh we have an aftermath, a in battle/in progress changes and a fixed reality. Even Spyro 2 had the flag change when you beat the boss for the homeworld besides the 2 versions of levels, the high resolution and the low resolution for it's level of detail tricks they pulled off and it was cool.

My point is more on the flag change part sure it's just an asset that can appear under certain conditions it doesn't 100% revamp the level like they could have with the skybox changing or the level repainted or whatever but you get my point hopefully on making things feel like they changed and it's use case but at the same time the Crack in Time approach sold a good story while also making gameplay suit it, not much but it still was compelling even if you solve a battle or play a seed for vines to grow years later and come back to see it grown. It's really cool stuff I like about Crack in Time.

I'm not expect survival game level of dynamic here where things just happen as they are. Some scripted moments are really good while others can be too boring, too handholding or too seen it before/not as exciting. Or too much restrictions than the right amount of restrictions.

Using an item in a game with certain can use and can't use (like Portal) makes sense or say using lasers in Ratchet games or Zelda games or whatever.

Racing games with drivetrain, no upgrades, 500HP and up, whatever car size and so on event restrictions to make players think about how to approach the game not just run through, shoot, run through jump a few platforms/walk up steps and that's it what a platforming challenge that was. XD

While also making the Forza Motorsport 4 approach of a 'all events for those that want to go for anything' or a '3 events curated approach' and the game can tell the player who isn't crazy about cars or more info that's too much to understand and simplify it for them to what they can and can't do.

If they are looking for new tracks to race on, looking for something of the car class their current cars offer, or whatever part restricted race they can enter. Something that's easy then something overwhelming (or the overwhelming for players that want that).

A good balance for both a newcomer/less interested in technical things player and one for the players that are open to doing anything. Wile nowadays racing games are so dumbed down or so many garbage systems that it's kind of boring these days and too restricted or too basic, too many incentives and not fun. Less flexibility to be fun and replayable just the same experience all 20+ times the same as the 1st time, how fun.

Even games offering a skip puzzle/combat button or having separate puzzles for those wanting more difficulty puzzles or those wanting the basics one (or just the basic one as the only one needed for progress and skip the others that offer a trophy for example).

Days Gone skip feature at whatever points in the game I liked that.

That way it works for both skill levels or those players that didn't sign up to a game with puzzles at all and just wanted combat/platforming or story. It's always been a thing I think about when puzzles are in action adventure/shooter games a skip feature or the basic one offered and skipping the rest to leave for players that do want more/to do it later.

2.Portal 1 & 2 had me thinking oh you can shoot your portals anyway they may be static in a way levels with the odd gel or whatever things stationed around it but I have player control over the portals and whatever limits of how I can use it.

Even Imortals of Aveum is the most excited I've been for a shooter since Titanfall 2. Even if level design it won't compare the magic focus I hope is more than just reconextually shotgun, pistol/Submachine gun and so on. Please be more than that. Otherwise what a waste of potential.

or Atlas Fallen hopefully as the Darksiders 2 successor I want. Biomutant/Forspoken were ok in some elements but not others.

3.Even Biomutant I was like why not make us different animals like Space Station Silicon Valley, instead it's customiation for the stats of your character which is fine if it weren't for oh you get a glider/jet ski, why not make us be a bat or turtle or something???? Sigh. The imagination or grounded-ness can be disappointing sometimes.

It works for players getting alternate methods later if a bat well you have a glider built into your character, turtle you have a jet ski/swimming built into your character and to get the glider/jet ski you can as an alternative but have other areas you can go to first.

Besides just that Zelda or Ratchet scale use an item to do things in the world even if it's a roadblock.

1.What I think was lacking from Rift Apart to me at least is the ability for us to even if not portal level manipulate portals as it's hard to do and make suitable other than a tech demo (I wouldn't even expect that scale it's too much) but more in a boss fight have levers to switch between portals, or even have the game automatic force us to jump between portals. I mean player control over some things, or the game itself doing a lot more to feel organic if that makes any sense. Not just a very scripted, it's done and happens every time and you can see past the design pretty easily.

Like sure the Uncharted 2 train is on a rail but honestly you could play it and never know it's going on a track around a circle if you play it and keep moving then stand there, and of course it goes through the tunnel and so on. I mean Ratchet 2 had the trucks go on their path in a more similar form but not Uncharted 2 scale of course.

Not the Nefarious City 'brief thrown to the Monk/Hover Boots level that's likely cut off and well has invisible walls and I saw threw immediately how scripted and restricted it was and they throw you back' it's not other levels it's the same area every time which to me was disappointing and I'm honestly kind of sick and tired of scripted segments.

They have a place but sometimes they are really boring and like I said I saw through it immediately so the marketing which I wasn't believing anyways was very not vibing with me. 2009 PS3 HDD game is more exciting then a PS5 2021 game with an SSD using it for pretty typical things yeah not appealing sorry. Running faster is fine but at the same time it's not really doing a lot interesting with the hardware.

I mean even the yellow rifts are stationed at certain places, imagine a gadget aka portal gun like to different areas around small arenas. We have the evade like/dodge ability but stationed yellow rifts, it just doesn't really help with the flow of gameplay to me and limits possibilities in combat even besides just good story telling. Not to mention barely made me feel it pushed the hardware it's so scripted.

Heck we don't even have the Deadlocked upgrade system anymore but the Tools/Nexus/2016 skill tree again, sigh. Sick to death of it.

5.Even playing Valkyria Chronicles I'm always interested to go 'what obstacles/tutorial', will they offer me because I really like the way those games challenge the player, the parachute bombs in 4 really tested me and I just had the wrong sniper I had to get the better zoom one. XD

To just a snow storm, I'm stuck on the last or second last with the ship shooting at the ice that can crack and not leaving your units on the ship because they can die when the ship dives (really hate that and it's why I stopped playing I was at the end and I was happy not with awkward design to have whatever units to hit a ship when they I think are maxed out units I just have to deal with a particular strategy that's going to take a while and be too 'precise').

But at the same time I do enjoy the more strategy then just 'only combat' focus and more level design focused obstacles whether it be a bomb, whether it be verticality to use ladders on buildings or mountains.

Combat and skill trees and boring dialogue experienced it all by now what about other marketing points of level design or other things going on in the game to put on the box/digital page.

6.It's why I like Disagea's throwing/defend or the geo panels to have different buffs/debuffs it makes a chess game feel like many places on the board/map can be as dangerous as a temple with traps everywhere and just making sure I disarm them, lead the enemy into them, out of them if they are on invincible spots, use the invincible spots myself if need be. I just find it more exciting.

Tactics Ogre has been alright but part of it's design with hitting allies on accident because I can't shoot over (at least no idea how to avoid that yet), to just the flow of the game itself just isn't really doing it for me. It is a classic and I can see that but eh it has its moments that I am not fond of besides expectations of other games yes.

It's a fine game and a classic for sure but some of it's game design I don't want to say is bad or too old but I do think it's more realistic in a way or more particular design is something I need to get used to but did annoy me at first.

The buffs that appear on the map are fine but not as exciting as Disgaea's are where I have control over the geo cubes/panels to break them/use them, in Tactics Ogre Reborn it's just an item pickup blue or red easy to get or ignore on the maps, or a buff/debuff in Tactics Ogre Reborn and easily avoid picking them up or needing them at all (probably forced to use them anyways because of level cap grrr) so I just don't care about them. Besides the annoying level cap which is just silly.

Besides that well fast forwarding is fine, guests are fine but eh.

And missing Disgaea 5's dual wielding to go between 2 types of weapons then a well dual weilding in the shooter sense like Halo had then ditched it and I wish games did it even if VR allows it (not a fan of reloading in VR it's dumb, just work not force me to motion control over to it I didn't have to do that in Red Steel 2 and it's my favourite motion controls shooter ever, motion to aim.

7.Not motion to do every thing with gyro tracking not being good for too realistic actions devs used to not making motion controls when we had PS3/Wii to learn how to do it with a balance of motion and button yet it feels like we went back to 2006 with Red Steel 1 or others and embarassing desifgn again what are GDC talks even for/fan feedback and without an IR camera or something else for the tracking.

Yet we have awkward reloading attempts, grabbing doors, climbing is fine but not that fun. What about smart aiming with a big scope that fits in a sci-fi way but is fun to use like Borderlands 2 VR, not this realistic scope aiming in I think it was Sniper Elite VR it was awkward to line things up). Even the gloves in Half Life Alyx make sense for VR and also work like the Gravity Gun so why not.

8.Or how games can have more interesting elements of mechanics, physics systems like the Wind as an updraft in Breath of the Wild, maybe you can use wind to push fire which I doubt is a thing. Using the environment to fight not just oh typical melee, ranged, magic.

How about using magic with a good physics element to push a rock, use wind and ice to push icicles or make a snowstorm, combine earth and ice for a hardened attack, make steam with water and fire to make hot area of effect attacks.

Use water currents then just whatever water damage. Make it used for navigating the environment. Kya Dark Lineage or Zleda Wind Waker use wind sources in linear game design and Breath of the Wild having wind for updrafts is like seeing similar use cases be evolved years later.

9.The Battlefield 2 Modern Combat (PS2/Xbox) having a swap feature to get around the map, imagine open worlds with that feature as your fast travel or for a challenge. That game literally uses it's mechanic for a jump from soldier to soldier around the map sort of time trial which is really fun besides being useful in combat, switch soldiers if out of ammo, to the helicopter if need be, to a soldier with another set of weapons.

10.Whatever Driver San Francisco does of it's feature people talk about in that game that's really cool I don't know enough about it.

11.Even then having the ability to make your own car in Sega GT on Dreamcast for custom events or even regular events then just licensed cars all the time. Supercar Street Challenge you can use presets to model it however you want then it being only a livery/body partst thing I think. Apex not sure how far it goes.

12.RPG upgrade systems by Milestone with Alfa Romeo Racing Italiano or even Corvette Evolution GT or whatever it's called. We see more PP/PI type focus then actual skill points to the driver or to the car. Just level up bars in GT5/Forza Motorsport or even then manufacturer discounts which are nice but isn't that exciting anymore.

Besides that I just don't like the way either of them do progression at all for singleplayer anymore/online required anyway. There linear focus is fine but never want to play them because their design just isn't for me at all it's too restrictive on what I want out of a racing game progression system of events.

Of level system and well roulettes or rewards for level ups just not being exciting no matter how many fast cars are given I just don't care I didn't earn it I was given it. I want to earn it by doing races not playing for a level system with quicker incentives.

Am I alone in wanting to see better level design, environmental uses, physics and animations used dynamically. Probably because people are content with games, won't read it because it's too long, about their favourite games and what not but I mean I'm sick of games staying the same I've played many and their getting stale. Maybe the behind the scenes is just too much and I can't take it because it's just so predictable design.

13.Or even then more craft it yourself feel to items. Tomb Raider modern trilogy did this well of just using a can as a grenade, or whatever with molotovs. I love Pitfall Lost Expedition for using Ice Picks to spin attack and climb, the canteen to drink/fill up (using the right analogue stick to do it is so satisfying). Using a wooden mask to deflect attacks from monkeys throwing things at you and break spikes (besides the you can't swim with it dialogue line is funny).

Not saying realism at all, I'm far from interested in realism I like gameplay to go beyond realism, having goofy spins on things or gamey angles is more exciting to me and do whatever it can to make it fun I couldn't care less if it's realistic graphics and seeing a survival game look that way but have quality of life building mechanics like Enshrouded does. Having very Minecraft/Terraria style buidling for small chipping away, but modular like Ark and others.

But I mena mundane items with a crafted feeling is tmore exciting to me then the 100th sword, bow, gun and well magic spell sometimes to me.

Is it just a me thing? Enjoying some old mechanics or thinking some games ideas while fine could allow for me? I know this is 'A LOT' of different factors but it has bothered me more and more over time.

While old games may have what they have and I do enjoy many modern games some design elements get more annoying to me over time and with many improving systems it's fine but when they can feel like PS3 games still at their core just improved I don't find myself having fun or buying any of the sequels/IPs when they just don't do much of anything that exciting to me other than a few that push level design, that do push more interesting ideas.

Having sequels on the market doesn't make me buy them unless they do something exciting.

I bought Valkyrie Elysium because it was different. Not against it's prior entries at all. Having fun with it. I'd buy any spin off of a game series of it interested me even and not play the mainline entries I'd they don't appeal as much as the spin offs.

Also kind of sad only so many games you can tag because more obscure ones (as expected but still) or even something like Battlefield 2 Modern Combat isn't even listed that's unfortunate.

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A fair good response I hadn't thought about that as much but I do agree the CPU/GPU do play a lot into it. RAM bandwidth as well.

I also agree that Devs are still getting used to the consoles, their engines being tweaked but you do have to question some 'hole in the wall' techniques shouldn't be used still because of the lack of hardware either. For some things sure but as prominent you'd hope not for current gen only titles. Same with elevators. Contextually for the level design of course but as loading solutions no they shouldn't need to be used anymore.

In some.cases yes the hardware, I won't deny with optimisation for FPS it does limit things as well.

I won't say we need motion blur, and cinematic focus all the time to be close to 24FPS with 30FPS (not saying 30FPS is a bad thing either not everything needs 60FPS that or cutscene at 30FPS gameplay 60FPS is fine) but either way it is what it is for creative decisions to be like a movie sigh sick to death of it just make a game the games look good enough we are past movies in games doing what they can so appealing like it's a movie to me is just kind of odd if games literally as a medium have surpassed that so other than audience appeal to the mainstream I do find it kind of odd even as a marketing angle/to match another medium in their games then just a TV show/movie already doing that better.

It's the more eh keeping within what audiences understand level of annoying and kind of silly. I know games come in many forms and we do get the made as just games types of course but when the big focus pulls from movies animated especially or live action I do wonder.

Animation focused ones are very said got to be inline with expectations there can't have something be out of line. Like come on it limits the games potential but got to blame the audience for whyq E can't have good games go further. Can't have a Conker. But Indies can have their own mature character animated direction because it has to be safe as ever. Or even parodies anymore. Not saying the 2000s animated movie era was that good there was some awkward moments but at the same time I do think some things are limited and many average stories, average tone, average emotional whatever and character motivations or gameplay get limited.

In others I do think it's the creativity limits or trends we see also being a factor also can be disappointing.

Even then with so much realism or following other formula design or whatever we see a lot of similarities then much pushing the bar.

I blame Sim fans in the racing space for why games in the genre suck. Do companies set things yes they do but I think some people just don't care. Arcade Racers are great yet we either get bad ones or so much garbage tire and physics focus does it showcase hardware yes but do I care no I can't tell the difference or literally do not care how they model a tire just a good game. The sim.gwnre wasn't even about being a literal Sim it was about the championship focus career structure like real racing but not 1 to 1 and real cars not pushing the word further but whatever. Got to be realistic and awkward progress design to make eh games nowadays.

Like will I deny that Mass Effect Andromeda or Starfield (if not for the MS mone it would be a very differently scaled game for sure finished by now I assume) would have done a No Man's Sky scale game/procedural gen no.

I think the procedural generation was too much effort or money beyond the company scopes. But while not the same as a Daggerfall or Disagea level generation of dungeons understandably it is odd how much big a scale the games tried or have become compared to when Indies scale it, have the people that know the algorithms to achieve it, can make it happen and not over expand on the possibility of it being so graphically relative of their other projects. It's interesting but also annoying. We had Noctis, to Haven Call of the King to Star Wars Battlefront 3 (besides it's state of development issues), Elite Squadron sacrificed some elements of it.

To No Man's Sky (the survival and space combo and many AAA barely even approach the survival game genre at all many RPGs can benefit from the lessons learned there (even strategy RPGs while good it is odd we have those and Tower Defence so combat focused and sub genre of strategy in a way with so much depth

Even if Strategy RPGs have done enough of their own thing with RPG elements and of course city builder/Tycoon games are the other half I guess? Which I did forget about.

Even the rhythm and other genres combo trend has been interesting so far. Of shotoerz dungeons, hack n slash, strategy and more.

But they have what buildings and radiation but not much deeper elements Indies have made, you get Song of the Deep a Metroidvania by Insomniac but I mean not much else I can think of really pushing for small scale projects as much in hit Indie genres (Pentinent sure it does work for an adventure game/point n click in a way of old and that's mostlya genre done by fans or veterans) probably due to competition or understanding them.

But AAAs will gladly copy and fall with Redfall when a team isn't known for making something and expected to learn and well they can't replicate it but got to look at numbers and possibilities and a company forced to make something they literally can't pull off as it's too different and can't have that same appeal or excutiion.

Other than Hogwarts Legacy I can't think of many going from made Cars 3 in 6 months after being somewhat dead to then revived by Warner Bros and taking 5 years to make a game even if smaller regions then other games smartly designed around it's licensed world and mixing a good amount of aspects into the world and they never have made a game in that style ever before and pulled it off really well so some exceptions exist for sure it's just the right team of people and the right looking deeper I guess or understanding the book/movie IP to in its case I guess. Or a storing enough idea to execute it besides well the marketing also helping with expectations as well or against the game but I'd people rely on the marketing too much I think it can be bad some games are better than the marketing people follow too strongly when it doesn't even need to match the marketing and it's better not paying attention to it in some.cases) to Starfield differently scaling it. Which 1000 then the highest number integer makes sense as well too. XD even 100 would have been enough depends on the scale of the planets and things to do on them we don't know yet. I assume around 20 or so are tand 90% are resources or randomised quests or something or many are lifeless or with life but untouched and only have fauna and flora or are dead and just rock/whatever biome or combo of biomes then lives in for quests/bases/stations/whatever.

Or nostalgia/safeness can be a problem I find and not a fan of it.. I follow things because I think their cool even if my favourite genres I don't play platformers because I'm nostalgic. Or old consoles with old games it's because the old games peoyignroe have great ideas in them worth experiencing/exploring at least to me nostalgia marketing annoys me I have experienced enough of the things I like already don't need it shoved in my face. If I see appealing elements I'll pick it up simple as that. I don't take towards nostalgia marketing and emotional manipulation of marketing or appeal. It's why many stories I doycare for they don't do anything for me because the emotional weight is just whatever and not interested. Besides a character earning it not trying to make me feel something when I don't so stop forcing it companies I may be in the minority but forced emotional story telling is the most annoying thing. I feel something myself not by their command or as easily by some cheap attempt or trying too hard.

Some aspects on games AAA or Indie differ of course. But it depends.

I do find some.games ideas get left behind when to me it's the marketing not the games ideas itself so companies leave them which sucks. They weren't bad just people didn't pick it up at all from never hearing about it. On consoles people didn't buy. People just don't hear about things. It's not the game's fault or the studio's fault it's whatever gets pushed the furtherest or is very much better targeted marketing and appeal wise then the games being bad and under noticed. Or so realistic it gets boring.

While yes for some it can be down to hardware I do think it's just many looking around more or thinking up better solutions.

I mean the Bayonetta 3 mochi quote is the most dumb thing I ever heard. Symbolism is one think and a ah ha moment sure. But I mean any other field to engineer to even creative hobby can look it up or experiment then some food moment of pulling it apart like why it just sounds so dumb.

Spectrobes on Wii, to Astral Chain Platinum's other title has a better second character control solution yet Bayonetta 3's summons have the worst controls like DMC5' the character V having 2 others to control (then Bayonetta 's 1 summon) and it's horrible. But Bayonetta Origins they fixed it I think but their mindset is kind of hilarious when yet it took me no time at all to go these games did it. Or how can I think up a control scheme solution I can in this this and this way.

A Tale of Two Brothers did it. With both analogy sticks..the other two games I mentioned did with specific buttons out of the way from the main controls. Or even then switching characters made enough dense than half and half nonsense.

Others did it in many ways to use right analogue sticks, or individual control or few buttons that make sense then some weird combo that doesn't work bettween wo characters.

So their quote is the dumbest thing of symbolism I ever heard and no buttering up how particular it was to come to that conclusion.

I know some can that way. Calculator buttons to a Gameboy/Game & Watch but others I mean enough has happened since then for me to go yeah that was your solution when thinking about the problem properly to other games solved it years ago. Why have GDC talks or actually think. Like why????

Some creativity/outside the box thinking and testing just doesn't happen sometimes and players see the solution immediately through other games or how natural it can work by playing it.