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[Scapegoat]

I don't care particularly of the enjoyment of AI NPCs. Better to have useless teammates than a useless player, don't you think? And this is a false choice anyway, there are thousands of ways to make the player feel invested and important without dumbing down his companions.

But in this particular case how could you keep the player invested while not making your comrades useless? Your AI buddies can take out some of the dudes but not all? Or guys will keep respawning and your guys take them out until you reach a specific threshold of kills before the action moves forward?

The player is not useless in this situation... you have a gun, the player here just chose not to shoot at all. He could have shot and killed enemies if he felt like it.

It would be awesome if they had speech tied to this pointing out how your just cowering in the corner while they do all the work.

Flower

The interactive Screensaver

Put an elastic band on the controller to hold a button down.
The game will eventually finish itself.

I'd like to see a rubber band that could move the Sixaxis about for hours on end :/

 

[Barrel Cannon]

Uncharted 3, FF13, BF3, MW3 all come to mind right away

 

[Jimrpg]

people who don't play New Super Mario Bros. Wii correctly i.e. use the damn bubble! about 90% of the people who've played it...

i just don't get it - once you use it, whats the point of the game!! the game just gets harder and harder...

 

[Seth Balmore]

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is simply offensive in this regard. It's nothing more than a bloody mediocre action movie with awfully limited interactivity and some QTEs sprinkled here and there. I hated it.

 

[MutFox]

I'd like to see a rubber band that could move the Sixaxis about for hours on end :/

It'll bounce around the walls that push you back in.
Eventually finishing the level.

 

[Seik]

 

[Scapegoat]

It'll bounce around the walls that push you back in.
Eventually finishing the level.

...fair point, you are correct sir!

 

[ShdwDrake]

uncharted 3, sonic games and heavy rain

This post is just wrong.

 

[Valnen]

Uncharted 3, FF13, BF3, MW3 all come to mind right away

I'm sorry, but that's a load of crap. You not liking a game doesn't mean it "plays itself".

 

[Sickboy007]

But in this particular case how could you keep the player invested while not making your comrades useless? Your AI buddies can take out some of the dudes but not all? Or guys will keep respawning and your guys take them out until you reach a specific threshold of kills before the action moves forward?

There are lots of ways, many used in the cod series as well. They cover you while you take the special weapon/turrett etc and kill the chopper/tank etc, you kill the hidden sniper while they advance... i'm sure you can think of other examples. Or they could give your teammates health (with or without a revive mechanic) so that you can't simply coast on them.

The player is not useless in this situation... you have a gun, the player here just chose not to shoot at all. He could have shot and killed enemies if he felt like it.

It would be awesome if they had speech tied to this pointing out how your just cowering in the corner while they do all the work.

The player is completely useless in that level, he can shoot or not but it won't make a difference. The only significant interaction in the cod series, shooting at things, is optional. And it's not even designed in an intelligent way, like a stealth level or some sort of commentary. Player interaction is just an afterthought.

 

[KingK]

Super Smash Bros.

Spoiler

set all the players to cpu and watch the game play itself

 

[JJD]

Call of Duty: Black Ops.

 

[Anteater]

Uncharted and Enslaved. Is it even possible to miss a jump?

Automated platforming is terrible

Yea you could miss a jump in uncharted, not in enslaved as far as I know because it was limited by invisible walls so you don't fall off from rolling, I only played the demo though. Uncharted is limited by design like corridors however, so you're just looking for that "opening" you have to run/jump over most of the time while following a set path, automatic platforming don't bother me though, it bothers me when they are too long and becomes the main focus of the game, when they're just fillers (that replaces the running/traveling part of the game), then they're fine and just adds distractions.

Chase sequences are terrible because you know you can't "win" or close up on the target, so you're just waiting for it to be over while running through this corridor.

 

[Valnen]

Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Hitting buttons and dodging gunfire is not "playing itself".

Playing itself would literally mean putting the controller down, coming back, and the game being beaten.

 

[The Xtortionist]

Call of Duty: Black Ops.

I thought you could do that in most shooter levels, given the right combination of luck and skill

 

[JaseC]

Hitting buttons and dodging gunfire is not "playing itself".

Playing itself would literally mean putting the controller down, coming back, and the game being beaten.

It's clear by the OP's post that he's after examples of games that progress with little input from the player:

Call of Duty gets hated on sometimes for allowing the gamer to progress without them having to do much. But in real life it would happen as well, so what is the complaint?

I have dabbled in the series and just started the MW3 solo campaign.

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6PxRwgjzZw

That video is pretty funny but to be fair, that is the Easiest AI setting and that would never happen if you moved the control stick (no doubt an AI path finding bug that expects the player to actually move around)

The harder difficulty CPUs can be brutal (not to mention a decent human player!)

Same goes for Kirby's Air Ride.

While a lot of good examples have been mentioned of more modern games (Uncharted series, Enslaved, POP 2008, COD, FF12, FF13, Heavy Rain etc), I present an earlier example of this currently trendy mindset.

Starfox Adventures.

Whether it's one enemy...

or 6+ it doesn't matter. They'll always attack you one by one and you only have to MASH A TO WIN!!!! It's practically impossible to lose.

The rest of the game is pretty much as brain dead simple.

 

[Kujo]

I thought you could do that in most shooter levels, given the right combination of luck and skill

Plus it's the first level, those are usually more like tutorials. In Reach you can run through the first level only needing to shoot a couple of times

 

[dragonflys545]

Uncharted 2/3 and Enslaved both have this problem where you spend a lot of time just holding a direction and tapping a button to traverse.

Might as well add the Assassins Creed series. Hold R1.

 

[Black_Stride]

Any of the modern Sonic "games".

Several recent Sonic games.

uncharted 3, sonic games and heavy rain

Are you guys talking about the handheld versions of these Sonic games?
Cuz ive got Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations....i havent found these games to play themselves.

Would you guys care to elaborate?


On Topic

Forza 3 & 4 on the easiest setting.
Squeeze the right trigger and do minimal steering - The game does everything else

Bayonetta on retard mode.
Just keep pressing X, she will handle the rest.

 

[JB1981]

uncharted 3, sonic games and heavy rain

Uncharted 3? Ok dude

 

[Phonomezer]

Sonic games don't play themselves. Please just stop.

Might as well add the Assassins Creed series. Hold R1.

The AC games are set in large sandboxes with options and freedom of movement, makes it much more engaging, though no less repetitive.

UC, Enslaved and friends don't have the luxury of this kind of freedom. The environments might be large, but you're stuck on very narrow path that requires zero skill until the bullet sponges appear.

I often wonder why half of these "let's go from A to B, oh look, there is a mountain in the way, climb it" sections aren't just left for a cutscene, because they're pretty dull after the upteenth time.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

Games that play themselves - Any software where a good deal of the 'game' does not involve the player actually interacting and controlling the action happening onscreen via the controller.

 

[JonCha]

Any of the modern Sonic "games".

I'd strongly that Colours and Generations don't. I think the argument is pretty lazy imo.

 

[To Far Away Times]

3D sections in modern Sonic games.

 

[Black_Stride]

3D sections in modern Sonic games.

Care to elaborate?

Ive been playing Sonic Generations/Colors and Unleashed recently, and they definitely dont play themselves.

Are you talking about the handheld versions of the games?

 

[Risk Breaker]

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is simply offensive in this regard. It's nothing more than a bloody mediocre action movie with awfully limited interactivity and some QTEs sprinkled here and there. I hated it.

Beat me to it.

And yeah, the latest Sonic demos I've tried played themselves a bit too much for my taste. Uncharted 3 has too much hand-holding even compared to Uncharted 2 and Gears 3 has some sections where you can pretty much just enjoy the views.

Oh and NFS The Run, the second part of the demo was atrocious.

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

As much as I enjoy it, Peggle. Yes I know you have to aim shots and theres some planning involved but most of the time you're just watching.

 

[victreeb3l]

Mario Party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6PxRwgjzZw

this is awesome lol

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Red Dead Redemption
Call of Duty
Gears of War 2
LA Noire
Batman AA

What the fuck are you talking about man? Particularly Gear 2 and Batman AA, are you fucking kidding me?

 

[Dabanton]

What the fuck are you talking about man? Particularly Gear 2 and Batman AA, are you fucking kidding me?

Just ignore him. His trying to get a rise out of people.

 

[sublimit]

Unfortunately most "games" of this generation play themselves.All thanks to the "cinematic experience"trend and the idea that games should be copying movies.

 

[lastendconductor]

He's talking about games that play themselves, not games where you play with yourself.

 

[jett]

The fighter sequence alone in BF3 should garner it a nomination. That shit is just stupid.

Uncharted and Enslaved. Is it even possible to miss a jump?

Automated platforming is terrible

Uh yes? If you've never died from a missed jump in an Uncharted game then you've never played an Uncharted game.

I've so had it with people deeming Uncharted as an "automated platformer".

 

[Rapstah]

Arma 2 can play itself in certain missions as your squad goes ahead and clears the objectives. This is only really possible in the completely non-scripted missions though, and isn't really a negative because of what the game is trying to do.

 

[plainr_]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbLOFGSEDo&feature=channel_video_title

Joy Ride.

lol. This is priceless.

 

[ghst]

Uh yes? If you've never died from a missed jump in an Uncharted game then you've never played an Uncharted game.

I've so had it with people deeming Uncharted as an "automated platformer".

those animation triggering hotspots can sure be hard to find sometimes, that's almost a game within itself. like a beautiful onion.

 

[Shiggy]

 

[jett]

those animation triggering hotspots can sure be hard to find sometimes, that's almost a game within itself. like a beautiful onion.

Uncharted isn't Enslaved. You don't know what you're talking about.

I know it's in your nature to be a complete dick full-time, but try to fight the urges every now and then.

 

[NEOPARADIGM]

How 'bout the opposite?

Playing BF3 singleplayer, I have four AI squadmates emptying entire clips into a small alleyway, I eventually take a look around the corner and they're all shooting at one guy, who's just standing in the middle of the screen. I kill him and we move up.

Equally stupid, imo.

 

[ghst]

Uncharted isn't Enslaved. You don't know what you're talking about.

I know it's in your nature to be a complete dick full-time, but try to fight the urges every now and then.

no, you're right. enslaved atleast had andy serkis, naughty dog can only afford their store bought mid-30s half-tuck action-person to navigate the player through seven hours of cliches and bumbling auto-tardery.

 

[Manmademan]

The fighter sequence alone in BF3 should garner it a nomination. That shit is just stupid.



Uh yes? If you've never died from a missed jump in an Uncharted game then you've never played an Uncharted game.

I've so had it with people deeming Uncharted as an "automated platformer".

This. These topics automatically turn into "troll this popular game."

There are some legitimate entries here (LOL at that kinect racer) but saying solid games like uncharted, FFXIII, sonic, heavy rain etc "play themselves" just makes you look like a fool and a troll.

Hell, the official thread for FFXIII has dozens of people whining and complaining the combat was too hard and they'd never seen a "Game over" in an FF game before.

 

[Metalmurphy]

no, you're right. enslaved atleast had andy serkis, naughty dog can only afford their store bought mid-30s half-tuck action-person to navigate the player through seven hours of cliches and bumbling auto-tardery.

Who the fuck is andy sirkis? At least uncharted has emily rose and richard mcgonagle.

 

[ihearthawthats]

I think the issue with FFXIII's combat is that it takes far, far too long for it all to come together.

The combat is great by the end of the game, where you're actually presented with a challenge, but (beating a dead horse here) the first 20 hours it's just an endless stream of holding forward and spamming a button.

That was my FFXIII experience in any case.

yes, but even more-so because auto-battle. it's a shame too because ffxiii has one of the most complex battle systems yet in a mainline ff (probably the reason squenix felt they needed to include auto-battle). but a lot of people haven't experienced it because all they had to do to win was mash auto-battle.

they should have at least made it just an option feauture like bayonetta's 1-button mode. for squenix to make it the default option, they are pretty much calling their general audience stupid.


also... this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6PxRwgjzZw&feature=player_detailpage#t=44s

 

[Chronoja]

I'd strongly that Colours and Generations don't. I think the argument is pretty lazy imo.

3D sonic games are littered with boost pads, rail grinding, spring sequences and those rings that all hurl you forward in the one direction forcing the player to go in the specified direction.

I think if at this stage we are using only a couple of games to counter the arguement I think that says enough in itself, and besides, such elements are also heavily present in both these games also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-F0_BvcXpU

I think highlights the point since 90% of that clip is being forced forward by various things.

 

[AngryMoth]

Littlebigplanet

 

[PetriP-TNT]

Resistance 3 is guilty of this. It isn't mostly as obvious as on other games in the genre but it's pretty clear on repeated playthroughs. Most scenes are scripted for you to win (like "defending" the priest, he can handle all the grims by himself on any difficulty level, every scene where you are running away from something except some parts in the Satan-chapter etc.).

Actually I think that any scene where you have to make progress instead of defending something can be cleared without shooting.

 

[ihearthawthats]

3D sonic games are littered with boost pads, rail grinding, spring sequences and those rings that all hurl you forward in the one direction forcing the player to go in the specified direction.

I think if at this stage we are using only a couple of games to counter the arguement I think that says enough in itself, and besides, such elements are also heavily present in both these games also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-F0_BvcXpU

I think highlights the point since 90% of that clip is being forced forward by various things.

sonic has just become more of a time trial race moreso than before. leaderboards seem to indicate this. simply beating it is quite easy, but beating it quickly takes quite an amount of skill.

of course there are a bunch of "powerups" that boost you forward, but its not like the game will automatically place your character on them. you have to have good reflexes and react quickly.


also.... (too lazy to find a video this time), that kinect(?) racing game where the player drives completely in a straight line and the game corrects his turning.

 

[Hunter-Zero]

Tetris.
Wipeout.

Yeah, i´m late, but dude, what the hell are you smoking?

 

[JonCha]

3D sonic games are littered with boost pads, rail grinding, spring sequences and those rings that all hurl you forward in the one direction forcing the player to go in the specified direction.

I think if at this stage we are using only a couple of games to counter the arguement I think that says enough in itself, and besides, such elements are also heavily present in both these games also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-F0_BvcXpU

I think highlights the point since 90% of that clip is being forced forward by various things.

No, I disagree. Adventure and Adventure 2 as games don't play themselves at all, because you aren't playing as Sonic all the time. And even when you are, levels such as the Ice Cap level in Adventure required platforming where you actively have to be involved. Also consider the final Sonic level pre-Final Story: if you really think you can just hold forward, you're going to die.

Colours is heavily built around platforming. Boost all the time and you'll die. A lot. You have to actively be engaged and skilled. Generations likewise.

And I'm using two games to counter the argument that Sonic games play themselves, so the argument is debunked. To say 'all 3D Sonic games play themselves' is lazy. Heck, Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic 2 plays itself a lot and so does Hydrocity Zone in Sonic 3.