We all knew this time would come. As if the gaming landscape directly opposes our financial world, we are on the cusp of perhaps the most anticipated video game season of our generation.
In the past, we have counted ourselves lucky for one or two truly incredible titles any given year. Now we are faced with multiple potential AAA-rated releases every week! So how does a gamer with limited resources decide how to spend their money? In this editorial, I’ll give you a peek into my decision system.
I gauge a video game on several criteria. Just like a judge on the Iron Chef America, I have a few categories which a game can earn points and ultimately my gaming dollars. The first, and most important, is immersion. We have reached the point in video game development where we should expect to feel like we are an active participant. If I am playing a game of Madden ’09, I want to hear and ‘feel’ the crunch as a wide receiver gets floored by a safety coming in full tilt. When playing BioShock, there were times when I experienced goose bumps at the thump of a Big Daddy in the distance. That is atmosphere done right, to the point where I feel like I’m an integral part of the game, not just a gamer playing it.
The next factor I look for in a game is a story or a reason to play it. I want to feel personally vested in the game. A good story is like a high quality fishing hook. The hook has a sharp point which makes the initial setting painless and almost instantaneous. Then the barbs set in, which makes it near impossible to get loose from its grasp. A good story makes you think about the actors, the setting and actually care what happens. You develop a vested interest and find it difficult to put it down, looking for that one more chapter, that one more checkpoint before retiring for the night. If a story can get me in trouble with the wife for playing too long, it’s a good story.
Finally, even the most well thought out game, with a great story and script to match will fail if it is not technically deployed with mastery and finesse. Immersion is lost if a developer throws an overwhelming HUD at you, or if you have to actively think about how to work the controls as you play. The best story ever created is lost if you are fighting the camera scheme used to present it. I look for a game to wow all my senses. A game that is visually stunning is lessened unless the soundtrack is matched to the game. Great sound effects don’t mean just loud explosions, but subtle background noise where appropriate as well. However, if all that is muddled in the delivery, then it is all for naught.
There are many other factors that influence our purchasing decisions – fanboi hype, biased review sites, and media blitzes that make the presidential campaigns seem mild. However, at the end of the day, its for each of us to decide what we truly care about, and make sure the games we buy show those qualities in spades. I for one can’t wait, as there are a few on the near horizon that are showing promising signs of earning top marks on my personal scorecard…which games is a topic for another post.
