Topic: Unpopular Gaming Opinions

@Pizzamorg When I mention different audiences, I meant that it’s okay for games that alienate people to exist. The developers want to craft different experiences, and shouldn’t have to cater to absolutely everyone. Different generas exist because of this. If someone doesn’t like a game, they don’t have to play it. No one’s forcing them to. I hated Ni No Kuni, but did I ask Level 5 to get rid of it’s combat system? No. I just don’t play the game and admit it isn’t for me.

Yeah, let us not have this same conversation again. I dunno why you've started this conversation again, people get mad about me bringing this up and this time you just dragged me into it for no reason at all. I disagree, I think you are 100 percent wrong, let us leave it there. I dunno why you started this again.

@Pizzamorg Alright, but flagging someone’s argument as 100% wrong will only serve to get you no-where. There isn’t any harm in letting an experience only appeal to specific groups of people, but I guess if a game is made purposefully tedious to you, then it’s bad, but if it’s intentionally made easy, then you have no qualms.

I tend to be on the side of games being accessible as possible, but I'm also really tired of games whose core game design is made to fit into completely samey ideas out of some assumption that every single modern "improvement" to games is automatically good to have for every single video game, no matter what (especially with how many terrible assumptions AAA gaming companies make in general). Options are good, games compromised at their core are bad. As long as the game as presented isn't compromised though, whatever.

I don't have a 2nd opinion on this beyond just posting that one Celeste video again, and I only skimmed through this, so I'll just leave it there.

@Buizel I love the power-ups in SMB3. They add a lot of diversity to your play-style, depending on how you deploy them, and generally enrich the game.

tbh I've never found "cohesiveness" to be a massive concern of mine with Mario world themes. Certainly not enough to sacrifice design variety. I know people give Mario games grief for going through sequences of themed worlds, but it was new at the time, and works out insanely well in the context of that game. Way better than an entire game of samey cave, castle, forest, and plains levels.

SMB3 also had some really fascinating gimmicks, like that world where everything dwarfs you, or the level where the sun swoops down and tries to kill you. It was so creative and fun. In that regard, it still hasn't been equaled by any subsequent 2D Mario game.

Although SMW is hardly the only underwhelming SNES sequel. I heavily prefer the NES and GB Kirby games to any of the SNES entries. Super Castlevania IV is one of the lesser sequels in that series. And Contra III is probably my least favorite of the classic Contra games. Not to mention SNES usually got lesser versions of multiplatform games like Aladdin, Shadowrun, Mortal Kombat, etc.

@Pizzamorg Tales of Arise is still a linear JRPG, right? There's no value in a game like that playing coy with its progression structure, whereas a game like Elden Ring is built around its sense of openness and mystery. I don't think there's any contradiction in someone maintaining different expectations for different sorts of games.

I just get really bored of having this discussion seemingly every other day. Usually it is my fault in fairness, although I never set out for the absolute dogpiling I usually end up receiving but this time I did not ask for this. Void just started baiting me because I said the words Elden Ring seemingly (even though it was not about difficulty and never was).

And I still firmly 100 percent disagree, regardless of whether you believe you are correct or not.

Not played Tales, just an example of contrast of reviews. My understanding it is a linear game to a degree, but you explore large open areas as you move through the game.

I must have missed where any1 said the Elden Ring approach to world design should be used for every RPG....
I think I missed half of the relevant discussion, so perhaps we could go back a bit?

Someone mentioned not liking to replay dialogue sections in an RPG. Someone said "get good" in an unpopular opinions thread?????? (like seriously, what a clown). I responded to that, gave me own take on things I don't personally enjoy in that sort of umbrella, that I know are otherwise popular. Mentioned Elden Ring in passing for the ridiculous praise it is getting for having checkpoints that aren't straight of a 90s 8bit cartridge game and that triggered Void I guess to once again rant about my thoughts on easy games - even though this is the unpopular opinion thread, not the defend your opinion thread. If you just come into this thread to argue with people's thoughts in here, then I guess good job as you've confirmed they are probably unpopular opinions but if the thoughts make you mad maybe don't hang out in this thread? Or is that the kind of "gatekeeping" that isn't allowed, I can't work it out because their definitions are so ill defined.

And here we are, caught up.

Well, I saw something about the 'getgud' part, @Pizzamorg .... But I think it looked like there was mostly some misunderstanding going on about something
Elden Ring is mostly going to be compared to the previous Dark Souls games & that's where it's doing a lot of things better
But I haven't seen anyone suggest it's approach to world design should be the standard for every game from now on

Just a quick google my dude, surf on Twitter or Reddit and soak up the cringe.

There is this real vocal, but probably in reality quite small, contingent of people who think feeling lost and aimless in an open world game is the best thing ever. And I am like, you do you my friend, but don't push that crap on me. I want markers to life forever, or they just give the choice. And I guess if BOTW couldn't take the markers away, Elden Ring probably won't either.

You don't want Elden Ring's aimless world design pushed on you, but yet you're fully willing to push that all games should have easy modes and compromise the experience the developers want.

Edit: Whatever. This isn't even worth it. Nothing anyone can say will change your mind on this, but nothing you'll say will change the minds of the developers for these games as well. The people who like harder games like these won't have to worry about the developer's vision being compromised due to a small amount of people who are vocal about not accepting when a game isn't for them.

Oh, there'll always be some idiots, @Pizzamorg .... I'm liking Elden Ring a lot but it's approach wouldn't suit, say, Tales of Arise, which I also liked a lot
The latter is a very story focused game where nobody plays Elden Ring for that

I ain't pushed it on nobody, we in the unpopular opinion thread. The only person pushing is you every time you try and force me to defend an opinion I know is unpopular hence the thread I am in. Don't be a clown, I've seen you post some good stuff here, you are better than this.

@BruceCM Yeah, the people who say that all games need to be like Elden Ring are mistaken. Not all games can really replicate the experience, nor should they aim to. Plus, it doesn't work for more linear games like Tales of Arise, which is mostly just uber linear level design with a few branching paths.

Also, having an option for easier difficulty doesn't stop people playing on excruciatingly difficult nightmare ironman insta-perma death githgud scrub mode....
Quite, @VoidofLight ... As I said, I liked Arise a lot, as well but I hadn't seen idiots saying that every game should do the Elden Ring world design approach

@Pizzamorg I mean, I've seen you talk about this in many other threads outside of the unpopular opinions one, in the respective threads for these games. I've seen you express some stuff in the Elden Ring thread, which kinda has the tone that you don't really like Souls games, when complaining about some of the aspects of the game itself. Aspects that have been present in most of these souls-like games.

Yeah & it's why he didn't play those, @VoidofLight .... Elden Ring has proved they can make the game more accessible & less frustrating now, so that's now part of their vision as well

Exactly. I appreciate that "having an easy mode" in itself is fairly reductive answer to this problem. More granular options are the real solution. But people who act like an optional easy mode somehow ruins the game is such nonsense. A game has never been, and never will be, ruined by an optional easy mode. 'Buh my trophies!', you can kiss your trophies. Who even cares?

They don't have to play the easy mode, just like I'll never play the optional hardcore nightmare modes. But that optional hardcore nightmare mode even if the "intended difficulty" really has no bearing on my experience of the game, because I just don't play that difficulty. If you are there and can't enjoy a game because it has an easy mode in the options somewhere, then you probably have bigger issues you should get checked out.

I said Elden Ring was unrewarding, not too hard, in the Souls thread. In fact, I actually remarked several times that the game was way easier than I expected it to be. Margit kicked my ass but I had no committed to the grind and intend to go back. If you're gonna keep at this, at least get your information right.

https://gamerant.com/elden-ring-director-difficulty-apology/

Sorry for butting in yet again, I found this article, since I finally remembered, and I thought it could add to the convo? idk.

But he said his reasons for why he makes it as hard as it is, "I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.”

@Snatcher And that's why I like games like this. They actually make you feel like you earned your victory, instead of just handing it to you because the game doesn't require players to actually learn the game itself.