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[Captain Hero]

Revisiting old game made me wonder how big the differences between the new games and the old ones . I’m not talking graphically or technically , but the way you immerse your self into a game in ways you can’t find it in any game nowadays . Games like MGS , Silent Hill , Fatal frame , RE , Parasite Eve and so many other games , all of them offer the fundamental core of gaming for me which is ( you’ve been driven by a story , characters and a world we throw your ass to discover , solve and find the way by your self ) . Good old games take time to be finished even if it’s a 10 hours game or less , still .. searching for a clue to find another clue to close another goddamn clue is pain in the ass but it’s fun and satisfying .. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about .



why the differences are too big ?! . yes everything changed but games are fun so why changing that method completely by an easy one so new comers play without fucking effort ! . Don’t get me wrong I’m happy with games now but it’s not interesting anymore, not like old games . Are you with me ?

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I love old games, but this gen has a glut of exceptional games (some of which pay homage to old games).

I think the lesson is that quality stands the test of time, while glitz and cutscenes and big-name brands fade away.

 

[Mmnow]

The obvious answer to anything like this is that you're not a kid any more. You have higher standards, less time and a worse imagination.

But I think you're right. There has been a change. It comes down to what people buy and what they put effort into. A game like MGS or Ff7 would take so much effort to turn into a fully featured modern game, and there's alway the chance nobody buys it.

In the PS1 days, nobody knew what sold. You created a game and hoped for the best. Now you can have a shopping list of features that'll guarantee a level of success. Look at how Ubi have been putting out games the last seven years.

There are still games that give a great sense of adventure. Ori was the last one for me. I just think they're fewer and further between.

 

[teezzy]

As someone who plays old stuff as much as he plays new stuff:

There's absolutely just as much garbage then as there is now. If anything, you've become jaded and are more privy to what you do and don't like.

If you think gaming focuses too much on cheap cinematic tricks and not enough on actual gameplay - may I suggest not buying a Playstation next gen? There's nothing wrong with games like that, but it absolutely has become their niche.

 

[CrysisFreak]

rose
tinted
glasses

 

[Zambatoh]

It's quite simple really. The biggest change from back then to now, is the invention of the "Objective Marker".
Back then you always had to figure out what to do through organic means. Usually a clue from either a cutscene or a note left in game.
Today's games (most of the big ones anyway) don't follow an organic approach. They just straight up tell you what you have to do on screen.

 

[jshackles]

I dunno OP, there are a lot of current gen games that I get that same immersion feeling with in the story. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was a big one for me - because the game is fun and vast and complicated but also compelling and interesting and I couldn't stop thinking about it when I played it. Similarly, I've been getting that same feeling lately from Genshin Impact - a free game - but once a game like this gets its hooks in me I instantly transform into a kid again and I love exploring the world and the characters and the game's systems. I've also felt that way about Octopath Traveler, Ni No Kuni 2, and Ghost of Tsushima.

It sounds like you're maybe just playing the wrong games.

 

[Ellery]

My advice is to be very selective about games. I know what you mean and you are clearly looking for a sense of achievement and reward in terms of doing things on your own instead of being held by your hand and shown exactly what you have to do.

I avoid many open world games, especially those that feel like assembly line products with modular components jammed into one big file size only for you to find out the world is empty with soulless quests and not having any meaningful interactions or actual challenging gameplay.

Many people found a lot of love in indie games nowadays. And like a lot of others have pointed out it is nostalgia and growing older means you are harder to be amazed by the magic behind all of it. Also I think a lot of it comes down to that games back then were created with passion instead of a business oriented approach. A (sadly) great example of that would be what happened to Blizzard after activision bought it and what Mike Morhaime recently said after he announced Dreamhaven.

 

[Aggressive Carrot]

The biggest difference I noticed in old games versus some of the current games is they feel less imaginative (and overly simple by design). Especially characters. I think a lot of indie developers have picked where old games left off. I play a lot of old games, feel many are better than what we have now, but at the same time there are current games that immerse me they way they did when I was little. It's all about finding the right games.

 

[Eternal21]

It's quite simple really. The biggest change from back then to now, is the invention of the "Objective Marker".
Back then you always had to figure out what to do through organic means. Usually a clue from either a cutscene or a note left in game.
Today's games (most of the big ones anyway) don't follow an organic approach. They just straight up tell you what you have to do on screen.

The best approach to organic discovery in recent years was in Outer Wilds. Their no-hand-holding approach to presenting knowledge you gathered was nothing short of briliant.

 

[teezzy]

Idk jshackles - are we really gonna sit here and pretend as though we were more invested in the plot of Witcher 3 or Red Dead Redemption 2 moreso than mother-fudgin' Bad Dudes?!!

 

[Airola]

rose
tinted
glasses

I've witnessed many people who've played Resident Evil 1 & 2 for the first time in the past few years loving those games. There's just something in the game design, challenge and flow in those games that hit some certain pleasure spot, and it seems it's somewhat unique to games from a certain time period and that really isn't there that much today.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

The moment games became as mainstream as film and books it all went downhill. Mass taste is always shit.

 

[Elektro Demon]

Gaming used to be much more experimental, studios willing to try out new ideas and that led to some amazing games. Nowadays, every publisher and dev won't take any risks and the industry is lacking that experimentation. That's why so many modern games feel the same. It's the same old tired formula without taking any risk.

 

[Maybe It's Medicine?]

I think it's just a matter of diminishing returns. Game designers from decades ago had to figure everything out from scratch. There were no templates, only ideas.

Modern designers can look at what worked and what doesn't and make incremental improvements to the formula. That's why a game like prey, which is mostly a better system shock, will never see the praise system shock received. It's not groundbreaking, it's been done before.

Sometimes modern games come off as "dumbed down" but here is the thing. Back in the day, devs threw in everything and the kitchen sink. It part of the reason older games feel overwhelming. That's not a good way to design games. Complex is fun but complicated isn't.

Lots of older games suffered from being overly complicated and in turn never had wide reaching appeal they needed. Just look at how many of those "classic" devs went under because yes while they were innovators, they were also unrefined and unappealing to your average person.

I've kind of skimmed over my thoughts on the matter but you could have an hours long discussion on the topic.

 

[teezzy]

 

[Captain Hero]

I don’t think old devs were wrong but the thing is nowadays most of gamers want to finish that game without any complicated gameplay , straight from point to point without taking that path ( old ways to open a door or a box ) . Nevertheless , there are games now that have the same vib of olds but you can see that as you said changes are way too big and obvious .

 

[teezzy]

Are you saying my disabled daughter shouldn't be able to play Dark Souls on easy mode?!

 

[Ellery]

I don’t think old devs were wrong but the thing is nowadays most of gamers want to finish that game without any complicated gameplay , straight from point to point without taking that path ( old ways to open a door or a box ) . Nevertheless , there are games now that have the same vib of olds but you can see that as you said changes are way too big and obvious .

Yes many genres are basically non-existent nowadays due to that. RTS games, point and click, dungeon crawlers and many more.

Though I also have to be honest and say that there are lots of genuinely good games out there. In recent years I've had a blast with many modern games and especially FROM Software has put out a lot of great great games

 

[Airola]

If that game was made today, there would be a pause and a tutorial box when the ball comes past the middle line, telling that you have to press up and down to move the paddle up and down. Maybe there would even be a mandatory tutorial level, showing different trajectories the ball can take and you having to correctly complete each example situation.

And each time the ball hits the paddle the screen would shake and there would be all kinds of effects particles or whatever flying around the screen.

And you would have a button for rewind if the opponent happens to get a point.

Additional colors can be added by buying them from the dlc store.

Trigger buttons make the paddle take fast swipes up, down and even forwards. I'm sure they'd figure out more mechanics for the rest of the buttons (and would even use something for pressing the control sticks too).

There would be a cutscene after each match.

The game also would check the trajectory of the ball and would show the player the point where it's about to land so it's easier to get the paddle to the right spot. If you go too far from the spot the game would bump the paddle back to the correct direction and show a text box saying you're going to wrong direction.

 

[mr.dilya]

I’m replaying the bioshock series on pc and having a blast. I like playing old games.

 

[Xeaker]

Most old RPGs are sooooo much better than what we get today.

 

[rofif]

yeah that's why I play souls games and old games more than new stuff. Thanksfully revisiting those in 4k etc is great usually

 

[Captain Hero]

Yes many genres are basically non-existent nowadays due to that. RTS games, point and click, dungeon crawlers and many more.

Though I also have to be honest and say that there are lots of genuinely good games out there. In recent years I've had a blast with many modern games and especially FROM Software has put out a lot of great great games

Oh yeah absolutely there are great games out there, yet I’m almost interested in old school .

 

[tsumake]

It’s simple : games aren’t “better” today then they were in the past. A good game is a good game. We may agree there times where quality games were rare, but a good game then is usually a good game now.

Is Tetris inferior to current puzzle games?

That said, I think retro gamers realize or are realizing that you don’t need the latest title to enjoy your hobby. In fact, far from it.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

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