Bring back mystery and self discovery in video games

RangerOfIthilien · Mar 01, 2017 1:56 AM

This is the first of two (maybe three) threads I wanted to make on various topics of video games that have been on my mind a lot lately and I've come across a lot of good coverage on. I encourage everyone who's interested in these topics to watch the videos I link to, but not necessary to reply to any of my threads. I would love to talk about these topics with you guys if you have anything to say on the topic, but most importantly I just wanted to share the cool and interesting stuff I've found.

First thing I wanted to talk about (which the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has revitalized my interest in) was how much games (and culture) have evolved to take any sense of wonder and self discovery away and replace it all with hour (or several hour) long tutorial portions that are little more than hand holding, and take any creativity out of the experience. I encourage you guys to watch any of these three videos, but if you were to pick only one, watch the Noclip one. It's a fascinating documentary.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did and I look forward to discussing this topic with you guys!

EDIT: I realize now "self discovery" is not the word I'm looking for. I'm referring to finding things out by yourself, not finding yourself in a philosophical sense

Last edited by RangerOfIthilien (Mar 01, 2017 1:59 AM)

EricChristianOlsenFanatic · Mar 01, 2017 3:44 AM

These are interesting thanks for linking them!

Mr. John · Mar 02, 2017 7:00 PM

Rangerofthilien you are correct. I mean having a tutorial for how to play a game is grand but there should be the chance for the player to Expirience it themselves see things and do things by themselves.

thetruefan · Mar 04, 2017 8:15 PM

Everything today is accessible and very easy to use. It's good and bad at the same time. That's why I simply go back to my old games- for instance, even Spyro. It's fun.

Paranoia · Mar 05, 2017 12:39 AM

I agree wholeheartedly. This is why I loved older games and series' like Metroid and Dark Souls. Some games do it well, while others shove tutorials and hints down your throat like you don't have a brain. I'll definitely watch those videos on a slow day at work, then I might have more to contribute to the topic.

I've been pleasantly surprised by Breath of the Wild so far though! It's a very hands-off experience, which is a vast departure from hand-holdy Skyward Sword (Fi got on my nerves really fast). BotW is so open and fleshed out it gives me the same feeling of being outside and exploring nature, which is awesome.

Sheep · Mar 05, 2017 10:50 PM

I agree very much with the point you're making!

My most prominent experience with this would be Skyward Sword - how I remember first reading an interview where Eiji Aonuma talked about how they were experimenting with changing the dungeon-overworld structure, and I took it to mean they were making it more like the very first game, and perhaps making the dungeons less enclosed and linear. Then came the first screenshots:

▼Hidden text

And I really liked how the game looked, and thought how amazing this would be as an open, sprawling world, similar to both TLoZ and ALttP - but in 3d - a lot like Breath of the Wild, but less empty kind of open, instead more compact, with hills and trees and ruins neatly crammed together to make a truly joyous landscape to explore.

Then it turned out they'd done the complete opposite - every region of the overworld was strictly separated from every other region, and rather than being open, explorable playgrounds with mysteries to uncover, they were mostly just semi-open linear pathways with one obstacle after the other, functioning much like dungeons they contain.

Breath of the Wild does look really good, but I would still rather have something a bit more compact and labyrinthine. Too open plains kind of take away the prospect of discovering new things around every corner - things you couldn't see from a distance. Of course, it could be that such places really do exist in the game, and I just haven't seen them yet tongue

#1 Mar 01, 2017 1:56 AM

Bring back mystery and self discovery in video games

#2 Mar 01, 2017 3:44 AM

Re: Bring back mystery and self discovery in video games

#3 Mar 02, 2017 7:00 PM

Re: Bring back mystery and self discovery in video games

#4 Mar 04, 2017 8:15 PM

Re: Bring back mystery and self discovery in video games

#5 Mar 05, 2017 12:39 AM

Re: Bring back mystery and self discovery in video games

#6 Mar 05, 2017 10:50 PM

Re: Bring back mystery and self discovery in video games

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