So, I've been doing this blog for almost four years now and it's dawned on me I never really discussed what exactly I look for when playing and reviewing games.
I probably should have started with this, but the cat is out of the bag now and I can't put it back in there without it trying to claw me up. So, I figure I will do this now, because why not? In all seriousness, I think it's important to understand a writer's mindset when reading their reviews. I have mentioned this before, but I think it's really important. Say someone accidentally stumbles upon my humble blog and sees that I highly recommend Suikoden II. Great! If that person is also a lover of RPGs, there's a good chance they are going to check the game out and come to the same conclusion. Maybe they won't like it as much as I did, maybe they will even like it more. Who knows? But if that person pretty much only plays Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, there's a good chance they won't agree with me/think I'm an idiot when they quickly get bored of it. That's okay, we all have our own preferences. But unless you know the preferences of the person reviewing games, you aren't getting the most out of said review. Hell, you may even find a reviewer where you read their stuff because you know you will most certainly feel the complete opposite. I can think of at least two editors from major gaming mags back in the 90's/00's who I would go out of my way to pick up any game they buried, because I knew I liked things about games they hated. Anyway, without further ado we start with:
Racing games
I've said before and I'll say again, I really don't like racing games. At least I thought so when I started this whole thing, what I've learned is that I really don't like realistic racing games. But regardless of what vehicle I'm racing in, things I look for include:
-Sense of speed. Does the game make me feel like I'm going fast? If not, I'm not interested.
-Course design. Are the courses interesting? Do they have varied elevation? Shortcuts? Or are they just glorified doughnuts?
- A variety of characters with unique stats. Do the characters feel different? Do they actually play different?
2D Platformers/Action Games
Mega Man, Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, you know the games. Look, you can't write a blog like this and not cover 2D platformers, they were damn near everywhere. The genre wasn't exactly known for its innovation, but some of the things that make them stand out to me include:
-Variety of Challenges. Sometimes these games get into a rut of forcing you to make the same jump or fight the same enemies over and over again. The best ones mix it up.
-Good hit detection. Getting hit when it looks like you should have avoided an enemy or falling in a pit when it looks like you should have landed flush is infuriating. These games need reliable hit detection.
-Tight controls. This is true of all genres really, but it's absolutely critical when trying to make precise jumps.
Fighting games
One of my personal favorite genres. From Mortal Kombat to Street Fighter and everything in between, I find most of the fighting games I enjoy, both 2D and 3D, get these things right.
-Balance. Unless you are talking about the top levels of the competitive scene, each character should have a chance no matter who they are facing. It's impossible to have perfect balance with some of the huge fighting game rosters we see today, but the more viable characters with unique playstyles, the better.
-Consistency. Another aspect that's important to every genre, but critical in fighting games. Special moves, combos, crossups, trades, whatever it is, it should behave the same way every time. We're not intense enough to get into frame data here, but from a casual point of view consistency is key.
-Easy to learn, tough to master. Fighting games should be easy to pick up and play. But someone that is picking up a fighter for a first time shouldn't be able to beat a top player. As a lifelong but casual fighting game player, I should be able to dispatch a first- or second-time player with ease or have a back-and-forth game with someone of equal experience and skill. But I should get smashed if I play someone like Daigo Umehara (maybe I could luck in to winning a round off him. Maybe).
First Person Shooters
The behemoth genre of the gaming industry, at least right now, it's impossible to avoid FPS'. The most successful ones to me offer the following.
-Well designed levels/maps. Whether you are playing a solo campaign or competitively online, level design is critical. Even the best game mechanics in the world won't save a game from boring or, worse, broken maps.
-A variety of viable playstyles. A lot of these games, at least nowadays, seem to come down to just sitting in one place for as long as possible while waiting to snipe people that cross your path. To me, that's equivalent to sitting in front of your window and pressing the fire button every time a car goes past. Of course, snipers should be able to punish players who take unsafe routes or don't pay attention to their surroundings. You should be able to impact the game in any capacity, sniping, running and gunning, melee attacks, whatever floats your boat.
-Consistency (again). Much like fighting games, consistency is key. Everything needs to behave the same way every time.
"Adventure" Games
This is such a broad genre. I've always considered this primarily to classify games like The Legend of Zelda. However, I also think stuff like Ico or Shadow of the Colossus fits here. I kind of think open world games all fit in here as well, almost like they are the next step in evolution for the genre. There are millions of these games out there, but the ones that appeal to me the most offer:
-Interesting, well-designed worlds. You are going to spend a lot of time just exploring in these titles. Having a fun, well laid out world to do that in is critical. No one wants to walk for an hour through nothing but open fields. At the same time, you don't want the world too crowded, or everything concentrated on one end of the map or anything like that.
-Variety. Part of what makes this genre stand out, for me at least, is the different number of challenges and different ways to attack those challenges. Honestly, it's what makes it stand out for all of the other genres I just listed. But having an adventure game where you are just doing the same thing over and over can be a huge chore.
-Something to do. It may sound self-explanatory, but a lot of adventure games devolve into walking simulators really quickly. It doesn't matter if its strong combat, fun puzzles, or anything in between, it just has to be something more than wandering around.
3D Platformers
3D Platformers have a lot in common with their 2D brethren, but their designs lead to some inherent gameplay differences. The most successful titles usually have:
-Good camera angles during platforming sections. I'm totally okay with having to move the camera around, but you have to be able to get it to a good angle when you are jumping. Too many of these games force you into blind jumps, which is a massive problem.
-Well thought out levels. 3D platformers need to have plenty to do in their levels, but you don't want them to be too big either. It's also critical they don't feel disjointed, a lot of times weaker games in the genre will just throw random collections of obstacles together, which is not great.
-Characters with interesting abilities. Your character has to be able to do more than just run, jump and shoot. The best 3D platformers offer characters with a variety of unique abilities to better meet their varied challenges.
RPGs
I've probably played more RPGs than any other genre. It's tough to distill it down into just a few things I look for, but some of the biggest ones include:
-Strong character development. I've come to realize this is even more important to me than story and plot in RPGs. Having likeable, well written characters that grow as they move through the story are what I feel makes these games stand out. Story is still important of course, but I have to be able to invest in the characters I am playing as.
-Balanced challenge. I have a general rule for how difficult I believe RPGs should be. Basically, you should be at the adequate level to defeat any boss with the proper strategy IF you fight every single encounter you come across and only run in emergency situations. If you are grinding, it should be for a special or hidden item. I'm okay with what I consider "grind once" games where you have to start out by gaining a few levels, but that's about it.
-Interesting Combat. You are going to be spending a lot of time in combat. Every system need not be perfect, but there needs to be something to keep you hooked.
Of course, that's just a small portion of what I look for in games. It's also a small cross section of all the genres you could possibly come across. Maybe I will go back later and do something like this for more niche genres like stealth games, survival horror, etc. But for now, I just wanted to give a little bit of insight into my general thought process
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