S.t.a.l.k.e.r.

[Grey M@a]

To prove a point, the majority of my mates and myself will easily bin the latest and greatest games for the likes of rampage, asteroids, robotron, joust, Sinistar, Jet Set Willy, Chucky Egg, Sensible Soccer, Moonshine.... shall I continue a list of 20 years of games .

Sorry but what people have to realise is that graphics do not and I repeat DO NOT make a game, its all gameplay, look at ut2k4 graphically stunning but its nothing more than a patch to 2k3 and they suckered people out of their cash. Look at half life, by todays standards, graphically, its crap but the story is so gripping that it keeps you interested and i would easily say that this game is still the bench mark of the last decade story/script wise. Doom 3 is graphically stunning, story is a little dull the furhter you get through. Half Life 2, hyped to death and although it will sell I think you will see the odd case appearing where its a major let down for others. Lets just hope it has a storyline to match HL1 or better it.

Graphics do not make games good, neither does the most mind bending physics, Imagine Half Life two running on a script made by the tellitubbies writers, would you still enjoy the game due to the graphics? A game has to set an atmosphere, a world, a surrounding, giving the player the notion that they are part of it which all falls down to a good script and storyline. On the other hand you can't have a storyline without playability, if you cant play the thing you could have an oscar winning script and story but its harder to play than snooker with your nostrils.

You see the prolem today is that they think lets throw graphics and physics engines at them, back in the day of the atari, spectrum, commador, amiga they couldn't do this so in todays standards its minimal but they are addictive as the gameplay is fast, furious and fun. The game I would say that could possibly bring back my faith in newer games is Half Life 2 (all depending on the story if it can better on HL1) and Stalker, from the video's and interviews with the developers and gamers who have been gifted the chance to test it at the shows. Its all based on atmosphere and it really sucks you in.

All in all games developers are slowly running out of idea's and you are seeing more cold turkeys hitting the shelves in order to gain some pocket money for themselves. Its always movie spin off's, sequels and cartoon cross overs. Nothing is original anymore and anyone who can bring a game out that isn't running off a tried and tested method is generally forgotten about as no one wants to know, they are happy with their UT's command and conquers and quakes to much to care.

[dkmech]

I DID NOT say that the graphics make the game. The graphics are getting better and they are reaching levels when it will be harder and harder to improve them. Which is great! If you can't make graphics any better you will not bother, you will concentrate on other things, like the story, the game mechanics (and i don't mean how a plank of wood falls when you shoot it, i mean how you can affect the surrondings, what you can and cannot do (in older games you couldn't crouch, now you can, it may be a small change but it makes a difference to gameplay, and there are and will be many other small changes which will affect the games and will change them, hopefully for the better). And the physics engine will not only look cool - it will let YOU do cool things, which is what games should be about.

As for UT2k4 - yes i bought it. And guess why? Not because of fancy graphics, not because of token improvements it might've made over 2k3. Because i wanted to play Red Orchestra. Because i wanted to have that rather authentic ww2 experience on the Russian Front. And UT2k4 made it possible. And i don't just mean it let me play it. It made it possible for Red Orchestra developers to make it. They had the engine and they didn't have to worry to make the tools to make the game look good. There are also other mods for UT2k4. One of them is deathball. It really is a rather simple concept. But its great! I love it. It gives me a chance to have a quick game full of non-stop arcade-like action. And you know what. I thank UT2k4 for making it possible. I think it was money well spent, considering that UT itself is not a bad game either.

Lets focus on developers running out of ideas. I am sure they are. Do you know why? Because a LOT of new ideas were made into games between Asteroids and UT2k4. Not all of them were done well, granted, but these may yet be improved on. And if a shameless sequel turns a mediocre game into a masterpiece through a bit of evolution - i will be happy. If it doesn't - I won't buy it and it will not bother me too much.

I have an idea for a game. I don't believe its been done the way i want it yet. But yesterday i had a letter from a developing/publishing house asking me to fill a survey. They had a list of scenarios for a MMORPG - and guess what, the one I want was there. Along with a number of others. Here's hoping they make it.

I think we are all spoiled. Spoiled by having played a lot of games, having seen it all. And also spoiled by the availability of information. If someone makes a game we know about it. And we know what will be in it for a year before the game comes out. The idea of the game is going to be old by the time it comes out, and not because its been done before, but because we knew about it for far too long. Maybe if Valve didn't show us the object manipulator thingy we'd find it a lot cooler when we play it. As it is we may have had enough of it before we started playing it. And yet its a new idea. And i think its a good one.

Sorry for jumping about with my thoughts a little. But i still think theres plenty of good games, even if they are shameless cash-ins. You just need to know where to look.

[Grey M@a]

Its a shame because you are getting such powerhouses as ID and Valve just cashing in on what they have already done with the biggest offender being EA. I think the problem is exactly how you say it. The majority of us older gamers have been playing since the days of defender asteroids and the like and have seen the game generations expand and improve.