Grassclipper
Member
MOD ABUSE: Please post what game the image you are posting references.
I don't know if I'm alone in this but I absolutely love when you have access to your characters home in a game. I've been thinking about this for some time and there are a number of reasons I can come up with. The one that is most important to me is that it kind of grounds your character and give him or her (or it) a place in the world. In a lot of open world games I usually save and quit in that specific characters house even if it isn't needed.
Another aspect that I think is important and that have become more and more prevalent is that it can build the personality of the character and even further the story without actually having to say anything outright. Croft Manor in the Tomb Raider series is a good example of this, even if the game hadn't told us Lara was rich we would've figured it out based on her home. There are more examples of this but you get the general idea.
And last there is the pure gameplay aspect of it. Now again Croft Manor lets you platform and Legend and Anniversary had a quest tied to it. Various GTA-games have let you do things ranging from playing video games and workout to surf the internet, in Sleeping Dogs it allows you to change clothes and go to the bathroom.
Even if it does non of these things I still like the character I play to have a home or a base and it is usually one of the first things I wonder about when an open world game is announced, that Just Cause 2 doesn't have one is in my eyes almost its greatest flaw.
Here are some of my favorite homes in gaming.
Croft Manor - Tomb Raider Anniversary
I couldn't find a good exterior shot so this will have to do. It is almost identical to the one in Tomb Raider Legend but there are few more rooms open in this game. There is a nice little mini-quest where you have to turn of the alarm to access a room that quite nice as well. Probably the best part of the entire game.
Villa Auditore - Assassin's Creed 2
I guess this is kinda cheating since this also included a small town, but it's my thread so whatever. It was great seeing how the Villa changed over the course of the game, from being run down to a really nice place. There are several unlockable secret areas throughout the town which you can gain access to by upgrading it, and just walking around in the house looking at the paintings you've bought and the armory you've collected is a treat. In general upgrading the town was a nice feature.
Beecher's Hope - Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar has always had great homes and save points in their games, but Beecher's Hope is my favorite. One of the first thing I really took a liking to in the game is that when you save out in the open you start a small campfire, which was great for building up the atmosphere in the game. Beecher's Hope is similar in the way it builds up the atmosphere. There isn't anything substantial to do in this house aside from a few missions so it's greatness comes from the part it plays in the story.
End game spoilers to follow.
I don't know if I'm alone in this but I absolutely love when you have access to your characters home in a game. I've been thinking about this for some time and there are a number of reasons I can come up with. The one that is most important to me is that it kind of grounds your character and give him or her (or it) a place in the world. In a lot of open world games I usually save and quit in that specific characters house even if it isn't needed.
Another aspect that I think is important and that have become more and more prevalent is that it can build the personality of the character and even further the story without actually having to say anything outright. Croft Manor in the Tomb Raider series is a good example of this, even if the game hadn't told us Lara was rich we would've figured it out based on her home. There are more examples of this but you get the general idea.
And last there is the pure gameplay aspect of it. Now again Croft Manor lets you platform and Legend and Anniversary had a quest tied to it. Various GTA-games have let you do things ranging from playing video games and workout to surf the internet, in Sleeping Dogs it allows you to change clothes and go to the bathroom.
Even if it does non of these things I still like the character I play to have a home or a base and it is usually one of the first things I wonder about when an open world game is announced, that Just Cause 2 doesn't have one is in my eyes almost its greatest flaw.
Here are some of my favorite homes in gaming.
Croft Manor - Tomb Raider Anniversary
I couldn't find a good exterior shot so this will have to do. It is almost identical to the one in Tomb Raider Legend but there are few more rooms open in this game. There is a nice little mini-quest where you have to turn of the alarm to access a room that quite nice as well. Probably the best part of the entire game.
Villa Auditore - Assassin's Creed 2
I guess this is kinda cheating since this also included a small town, but it's my thread so whatever. It was great seeing how the Villa changed over the course of the game, from being run down to a really nice place. There are several unlockable secret areas throughout the town which you can gain access to by upgrading it, and just walking around in the house looking at the paintings you've bought and the armory you've collected is a treat. In general upgrading the town was a nice feature.
Beecher's Hope - Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar has always had great homes and save points in their games, but Beecher's Hope is my favorite. One of the first thing I really took a liking to in the game is that when you save out in the open you start a small campfire, which was great for building up the atmosphere in the game. Beecher's Hope is similar in the way it builds up the atmosphere. There isn't anything substantial to do in this house aside from a few missions so it's greatness comes from the part it plays in the story.
End game spoilers to follow.
When you first gain access to it John is happy for the first time in the game. Seeing his wife, child and "Uncle" go about their day on the farm gives it a real sense of warmth. After John, Abigail and Uncle dies you're left alone with Jack in this big empty house. He is still sleeping in his old room and the place that just represented warmth and happiness contains nothing but sorrow and emptiness. For the first couple of hours I played with Jack I actually avoided it, lame as it may sound. Rockstar showed exactly how something simple as your characters home can become something that plays into both the story and helps build the world.
