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Anyone else feel they've outgrown linear experiences?

The problem isn't all linear games I feel, but today's linear games. Even linear games pre-COD4 gave you a certain level of player agency you don't really see today. They weren't built out of scripted events where you had to do exactly what the game wanted you to do at exactly the right time. Take Resident Evil 4 for instance: Very linear game, but you never really feel restricted in terms of what you can do in combat encounters. The game has QTEs, but no long segments where your control is restricted for the sake of the storyline. Even Half-Life 2 -- a game made of scripted events, mostly pulls them off better than today's COD4-inspired shooters. All of HL2's events and set pieces are built from the environment around you and never try to restrict your actual controls. Sure there are essentially cut scenes you have to sit through happening around you, but you're never forced to walk slowly, do a QTE, or do anything else that feels disconnected from the standard control scheme. The whole story is written around you always using the standard controls. Even COD4 itself mostly understood this, but it's progeny do not. I would also say Uncharted 2 and 3 (and to an extent TLOU) do a decent job of this.
 
The "I am a grown man with a job" excuse for outgrowing open world games is just as silly as what the OP is saying.

I am 33 with a full time job, a kid, etc. All that means is that the open world game that took me 1-2 weeks to beat as a teenager takes me 3 months now. If I feel like a particular game has too much padding to be worth my limited time, I stop playing it and move to something else (or at least stop doing optional stuff and focus on the main quests). No one is forcing you to 100% every game.

I still like all sorts of games. Sometimes I am in the mood for something linear, sometimes I want something with a lot of exploration. Both can be full of needless padding. I've played 40 hour games that went by too quickly, and 8 hour games that felt like a drag. Linearity and length have nothing to do with it.
 
I used to think that open world games were the coolest things, but as I got older, I decided that linear games are much better.
 
DC1 said:
I'm not sure if I can take anything you type seriously now.

You have somehow backed yourself into multiple corners with just two sentences.


*Eagerly anticipating your clarification statement.
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Liking something different than you is "backing myself into a corner now" :) teehee.

It's a simple zombie survival story. I believe that it wouldn't get any attention at all if it was a TV series or a movie.
 
kswiston said:
The "I am a grown man with a job" excuse for outgrowing open world games is just as silly as what the OP is saying.

I am 33 with a full time job, a kid, etc. All that means is that the open world game that took me 1-2 weeks to beat as a teenager takes me 3 months now. If I feel like a particular game has too much padding to be worth my limited time, I stop playing it and move to something else (or at least stop doing optional stuff and focus on the main quests). No one is forcing you to 100% every game.

I still like all sorts of games. Sometimes I am in the mood for something linear, sometimes I want something with a lot of exploration. Both can be full of needless padding. I've played 40 hour games that went by too quickly, and 8 hour games that felt like a drag. Linearity and length have nothing to do with it.
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Thats the thing though, 3 months to do fetch quests in an open world is boring.

When I have time to relax i dont want to roam an open world for hours.

Id rather spend a week or weekend beating something like the Order or Hotline Miami.
 
I haven't out-grown any genre. Games like The Order aren't terrible because they're linear. They're terrible because they aren't well made games.
 
Absolutely not. If you'd asked me ten years ago? I would have said yes, but now?

I love open world games (very much so), but I've found myself leaning more and more toward playing linear games as they don't require anywhere near the same amount of commitment of time to fully enjoy.

I still like to play the occasional open world experience, but given the choice, I'd prefer a linear game that can be enjoyed in short burst and doesn't require a 50+ hour commitment to get the most out of.
 
Nah, I still play linear games if they catch my interests, though I prefer open-world. If it a game is open-world it immediately gets serious consideration for a purchase for me.
Pretty much the only reason I have any interest at all in Witcher 3 is because its open-world.
My favorite games of the last gen were:
GTA 4
Saints Row Original
Dead Space Original
Red Dead Redemption
Borderlands 2
Farcry 3
Assassins Creed Brotherhood
Dragons Dogma
Dark Souls 1/2
 
I generally do not enjoy narrative-focused games, but that does not preclude me from enjoying linear gameplay-focused games like Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising.
 
kswiston said:
I am 33 with a full time job, a kid, etc. All that means is that the open world game that took me 1-2 weeks to beat as a teenager takes me 3 months now. If I feel like a particular game has too much padding to be worth my limited time, I stop playing it and move to something else (or at least stop doing optional stuff and focus on the main quests). No one is forcing you to 100% every game.
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I don't 100% anything, but those games are a lot of fat and gristle to chew without much meat. At some point you're talking about 3 months' worth of nights and weekends to play a game that is 60% bloat, 40% fun.
 
kswiston said:
The "I am a grown man with a job" excuse for outgrowing open world games is just as silly as what the OP is saying.
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The OP isn't even talking about open world games. There are non-linear games set in enclosed spaces as well, games like Mass Effect and Alpha Protocol. Even Deus Ex:HR and Dishonored would fit this category. I would consider all of those games to be more substantial and worthwhile than The Order, Uncharted, God of War, Gears of War, Binary Domain, etc.
 
Also it why commit three months to one game with one gameplay type. You can play a few shorter games in that time.

I usually dont even start games that would take over 15/20 hours
 
Falk said:
I've outgrown open world experiences.

:|

:gettingold:
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Yeah, I'm kinda getting bored of the sandbox nature of games, it's nice to have sometimes but after a while it's gets boring and you just want a good straight forward experience.
 
Lol at the wording in the op.

I have definately been well past my saturation point for.... years now, but I wouldnt say anything like 'outgrown' it.

Same with 5-6 sandbox style open games, where they just extrude geogrophy from a height map, or build a block system, and litter crap in it.

I have been pining for a solid level 3-4, where its got the freedom of open world, but also the tightness of a hand designed experience. Unfortunately these games are a lot harder to make than straight linear games, or sandbox open worlds, so they cant be cranked out factory line style, which is why western AAA publishers havent haven't touched them in over a decade for the most part, and they remain relegated to bite size indie 2d metroidvania style games.
 
Kama_1082 said:
I'm all about quality, not quantity. Make side quests relevant to the story. Don't make grind useless quests just to get more power. Have substance behind the side stuff to make it worth playing.
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I see the ability to walk around and explore an open world and it still be entertaining, as a mark of quality. People bash Mafia 2 for its world because it "had nothing to do". Mafia's 2 city was a great place to explore, brimming with little details that made the world feel alive.

If you can strip out all the extraneous side missions and the open world is still compelling to be in and experience, that's a good open world IMO

Then again, I value exploration and atmosphere a lot. I spent hours just walking across RDR's West and taking in the sights of Los Santos
 
Games either respect your time and energy and skill, or they don't. Games are either engaging or they aren't. Quality experiences can be either open world or linear. An open world game can waste your time with terrible miniquests and collectables, and a linear game can be too easy, feeling like you're on a conveyor belt. It's all about the specific game's design and how well its done.

OP -- It sounds like you should stop watching other people play games and play them yourself. It sounds a bit like you're being affected -- distancing yourself from games, so to speak, is affecting your ability to connect to them. Games are about the experience, and when you watch someone else play (while it can be entertaining) you risk losing a lot of the elements that make that game unique, and everything can start to feel more same-ish. An easy example might be losing the feel of weapon kickback, but multiply that loss across lots and lots of disparate gameplay elements.
 
I get really overwhelmed by open world games I enjoy them but I can never really commit myself to explore everything, linear experiences I know I can finish are more enjoyable to me
 
Opposite for me. I prefer a more focused linear game.

I don't feel like I have much time for open world or vast games anymore. If anything they're often too overwhelming for me that I don't get the drive to play them.
 
Sotha_Sil said:
The OP isn't even talking about open world games. There are non-linear games set in enclosed spaces as well, games like Mass Effect and Alpha Protocol. Even Deus Ex:HR and Dishonored would fit this category. I would consider all of those games to be more substantial and worthwhile than The Order, Uncharted, God of War, Gears of War, Binary Domain, etc.
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Funny cause I couldnt be assed to finish me3, deus ex and dishonored, but i did all the others.
 
I'm certainly not a fan of the COD/Battlefield style of linear game. Walk down this hallway, push this button when we tell you to, push that button when we tell you to, hammer this button when we tell you to.

But Last of Us reeled me in like few other games have last gen. Not being able to explore at will isn't necessarily a terrible thing. It allows the creators to really put tons of loving attention into everything you see and experience, and to make sure it's a cohesive, atmospheric experience.

As others have pointed out, let's face it: Lots of open world games are just barren and/or copy-pasted and full of pointless fetch quests.

For me, stuff like Last of Us and Gears and Uncharted is as satisfying as the Skyrims and Fallouts. I can love either type of game when they're done well.
 
IMO shifting gaming tastes, like any other hobby, has alot to do with where one is in life at that given moment. I won't harp further on the (mis)use of 'outgrown' as that's been done in this thread. I've gone from platformers to fighters to RPGs to shooters and back again over and over in 30 years of gaming.

It's always possible for a particular genre to wear thin that you once loved, or for you to reach a point in your life where time is limited and by result certain genres become unviable gaming options. Even preferred method of delivery can shift depending on certain factors. I'm at a point in my life, the whole 'married, fulltime job,kid, mortgage' thing with a single TV in the house and daily home life responsibilities, where handheld gaming has become more practical for me as I can play in short spurts, put the game in suspend mode, rinse and repeat, and doesn't isolate me from my family as I can sit in the room doing my thing while they're doing theirs on the main TV.
 
I just don't think they have enough depth for me. Too much hand holding when I like options and choices. I've been playing deep open games since the 80's like The Bard's Tale series, Baldurs Gate, Civ, X3, the Ultimas, etc etc that going to some short linear cinematic game makes me feel like I'm losing IQ points.
 
elelunicy said:
I usually completely ignore the main quest in open world games. I played Skyrim for over 100 hours, and in terms of the main story I just did enough to get out of the cave at the beginning of the game. Same for Watch Dogs. 50 hours logged on Steam and I'm still in chapter 1.
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More_Badass said:
Haven't gotten past the first heist in GTA V, too much fun exploring and getting into car chases
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I do this too early on. My daughter is further along in Watch Dogs than me, but I have more skills than she do. I do more side quests than her, just spend time getting skill points.

I also like to just drive around in games like those. Exploring the city, etc.
 
Preference change all the time I guess. Linear games can tell amazing stories that cannot be found anywhere else. Open world games are kinda like linear games with lots of side missions really, but oh man those side mission (even fetch quests) can be fun too.

It changes all the time.

BUT JRPGS ARE THE BEST!!!
 
I feel like I've outgrown how stories are told in most games and the quality of stories.

Now I just want games where I make my own store cause I just find that more interesting from an interactive medium. otherwise I'll just get my stories from good books and movies.


The game needs seriously good gameplay for me to be into it now.
 
Nope, I prefer linear games. Every open world game rehashes the same tropes and structure and bores me to tears. Everything is of such little consequence, it's all fluff.
 
Corine said:
I just don't think they have enough depth for me. Too much hand holding when I like options and choices. I've been playing deep open games since the 80's like The Bard's Tale series, Baldurs Gate, Civ, X3, the Ultimas, etc etc that going to some short linear cinematic game makes me feel like I'm losing IQ points.
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those games had just the right graphics to prevent you from sensory overload.
with the newer games, both linear and open-world I feel that after a few minutes vision and hearing become so engaged that there isnt any actual room for game action. Or if there is, a great part of that energy is taken away from graphics and sound
 
What kind of bad taste haver can't appreciate Hard Corps Uprising, DoDonPachi Saidaioujou, Super Mario 3D World, and Bayonetta 2?

I like big worlds and making a character and branching plots but we haven't hit the point where open-world games are doing everything as well as the ones with narrower stages and more open mechanics.
 
I dont feel like I will ever outgrow a good game regardless of genre. If a game is linear I want either amazing gameplay or a strong narrative and Im sold.

Ruling out an entire style of game because you somehow feel too superior to enjoy said style is pretty much a hipster attitude.
 
"outgrown"?
what do you mean? and to me good games are good games, examples of recent linear games are Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 2, Wonderful101, The Last of US, Resident Evil Revelations 2, etc.

I would be missing damn good games if i was worried they were too "linear"
 
No, in fact I tend to appreciate them more as I have less time for gaming.

I still enjoy pretty much all types of gaming, but I've completely stopped playing anything in the competitive multiplayer genre. I got into Starcraft II for a bit there, but I just don't have time to get any good at these games.
 
Mainstream games, especially in console space, have become increasingly safe and dull in design whether they are linear or open world. Depending on what someone is currently tired of, they may feel they now dislike the root category itself. But it's more that so many games, period, are lifeless affairs that just check off a bunch of boxes in order to adhere to what marketing and focus groups say should be the next big hit.

Kosma said:
Also it why commit three months to one game with one gameplay type. You can play a few shorter games in that time.

I usually dont even start games that would take over 15/20 hours
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There's no law that someone has to play X number of games within X timeframe. If someone plays a deep game that takes some time over the course of months they may get more out of it than playing ten brief games that amount to little for what they want out of gaming.

Personally, I think the modern environment of marketing and hype for major games has been corrosive to the attitudes of players in general. People are pushed to keep up with every big game, with the pitch that THIS. GAME. CHANGES. EVERYTHING. Be there on day one or be left behind; especially with so many games having a tacked on multiplayer mode that will be dead in a month.
 
Linear games can be boring if they're just scripted and have little to no gameplay. But then again there are open world games that are extremely buggy and have little to no objective. Sometimes confinement really benefits a game, would The Last of Us be better if it were open world? I don't think so, linear games allow the developer to design specific gameplay opportunities rather than design a world and have you go from point A to point B.

I personally think we need both linear and open world games, if you think you're outgrowing linear games then you're simply playing the wrong games. Play something like Super Mario 3D World or Rayman 2.
 
Actually for me the problem might just be what we see as "standard AAA game design." It's done a disservice to both linear games and open-world games in my opinion.

I already described how today's blockbuster linear games have bored me, but open-world games are also being done wrong these days, particularly by Ubisoft. Instead of letting you explore a mysterious world doing whatever you want to do, most of these games today just vomit a ton of "content" for you to randomly pick up all over the map. Instead of just exploring and stumbling upon secrets, you're immediately given the location of every tiny chest or collectible, often after climbing a tower or defeating an enemy base. From there it just feels like a checklist of stuff to go grab. Maybe they let you turn off the map icons, but the game is still designed around you having to use them. Tomb Raider 2013 did the exact same shit. What these developers forget about exploration is it's based on a sense of mystery in the environment.

Skyrim has another problem where it will just throw a waypoint on the map for each quest. I haven't played Morrowind but I've seen the difference in how it actually describes where you need to go for each quest based on clues. There are mods that make Skyrim do this, which is better for immersion since you have to navigate the environment the same way an actual person in that world would. I don't know how Dragon Age Inquisition handles quests.

I really hope The Witcher 3 doesn't fuck any of this up. CDProjekt has gone at length about how they're not doing fetch quests and how you'll be able to turn quest indicators off. I think it also said you'll be able to find your way based on descriptions but I'm not sure. If we're really lucky, TW3 will do the open-world RPG correctly and other developers might learn from it.
 
I like all types of games, some more then others. Recently I have an itch to play more linear games because more and more games are becoming open world. Problem is most of these games are just bloated with extra stuff that doesn't really add to the experience. If you asked me right now what I would rather play, it would be a linear game.
 
I feel the exact opposite. I've really outgrown open world experiences. I'm really burnt out on the collectathon/fetch quest type games. I like my games story driven and semi linear, because it's all about the pacing to me. I just finished RE:Rev2 and I loved how linear and story driven it was imo.
 
I think a lot of the experiences being expressed here can be boiled down to to people being tired of BAD and poorly designed games in respective genres.
 
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