Intriguing video imo.
Mixed feelings on it...below, I'mma type some stuff that perhaps wasn't mentioned in the video, but I feel still is related to it's content:
I don't quite like cover systems in TPS games in general, like Gears series, etc...as I suck in general at picking the right cover to use at the right time. Even if I do, I'm often swarmed by bullets from all directions and the like...so I don't feel properly "rewarded" for picking the right cover spot if that makes sense.
That's why I ended up LOVING the way cover works in Time Crisis series, where going into cover is as simple as removing your foot off the pedal (in arcade ver.s typically). Given it's an on-rails shooter, you as the player don't need to worry about picking the "right" cover, as it's decided for you where you're gonna take cover, which is extremely helpful for me tbh. Going into cover in them, besides giving you the chance to avoid enemy fire completely (I believe that's the case...if I'm right about that, then yea it helps me avoid the problem I have with TPS games w/ cover, being swarmed by enemy fire all around me, even when I pick the "right" cover to hide behind), also lets you reload your gun automatically. Being in cover in most or all Time Crisis games I believe is governed by a time limit in each area, so that prevents the player from staying behind cover forever I believe.
In general though, I'm MUCH MORE fond of run-n-gun style/games that don't rely on cover system shooting games (like RE4, Metal Slug series, Doom 2016 demo, etc.)...feels more...satisfying and action-like to me to freely run about and gun down enemies and/or not having to worry about picking the "right" cover...and in RE4's case, besides enemies w/ crossbows and sometimes rocket launchers and sometimes enemies stationed at Gatling guns, a vast majority of the enemies in that game are equipped w/ either melee weapons (which some of them can throw at you I believe) and/or throwable weapons...to me, I much prefer being the one w/ an arsenal of upgradeable weapons against hordes of mostly melee oriented enemies...much more satisfying to me. That sounds overpowered in theory...but the way aiming works in RE4 is such that like previous REs before it, you can't strafe while aiming. So that makes you as a player vulnerable to melee strikes from those mostly melee oriented enemies when aiming...so I consider that a sort of balance to avoid the overpowering of you as a player with a vast, upgradeable arsenal of firearms vs. going up against hordes of mostly melee-oriented enemies.
Not to mention, for the most part, I dislike alot the general...aesthetic...of cover in games. Most of the time, the covers stick out like sore thumbs and ruin otherwise at least passable atmospheres in many games w/ them imo. The exception I can think of at this time is Uncharted 4, which to my knowledge at least has some "natural" covers that seem like they fit into/are a part of their surroundings, and thus don't stick out like sore thumbs. Unfortunately though, IIRC, a good chunk/most of the game I've played so far still predominantly features what I consider "over-designed" cover, the type that sticks out to me like sore thumbs and as a result I consider them to ruin otherwise passable atmospheres (although I consider most of Uncharted 4's atmospheres BEAUTIFUL, which makes me even more mad when those "over-designed" covers appear in them :/ )
So yea, those are my thoughts related to this video, why I dislike cover in most TPS games and why I typically prefer run-n-gun shooters/shooters that don't rely on cover...I think I've covered everything, but very well could be missing something or somethings. If I find that to be the case, I might edit this post later on. If one or any of you read either this whole long post or a part or parts of it, I appreciate it haha!
