The past year looked like a disaster for video games. In fact, the past few years looked awful. Remember how awful Battlefield 4 was at launch? Remember how Skyrim was basically unplayable, especially for PS3 users? Remember how Assassin’s Creed Unity somehow managed to be laggy on the PS4? How is that even possible? Oh and don’t get me started on how Call of Duty is basically the same Call of Duty as every Call of Duty. Okay, yes, obviously part of me is being sarcastic. The surprising number of buggy launches is a serious problem, one that all parts of the video game industry are going to have to address. And the gradual creep of microtransactions into $60 console games is a serious concern as well. BUT, take a moment to seriously think about the games that we are speaking out against. This is the golden age of video games. I’m not exaggerating or being sarcastic either. Video games now are the best they have ever been. Take a moment to think about the games that are considered the biggest disappointments of 2014. Titanfall, Watch Dogs, Destiny, The Elder Scrolls Online, Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Now take a moment to think not about these games’ failures or shortcomings but about their accomplishments. Assassin’s Creed: Unity is an easy one. It was painfully buggy on release, basically unplayable. But this game features a fully rendered three dimensional version of Paris during the French Revolution. The whole freakin city. And it looks beautiful! It includes four player cooperative missions, the ability to quickly jump down from ledges and buildings, and those murder mysteries! Or what about Titanfall. The biggest problem with this game was that the campaign was disappointing and there wasn’t enough content to keep people playing for more than a month. But you know what, think about the fun you had when you were playing it. In an age where we complain that Call of Duty is the same game year after year, Titanfall came crashing out of the sky on little firework explosions, picked you up by its giant robotic hand, and put you in the hotseat of combined infantry and mech action. It was smooth, it was fast, and it was a hell of a lot of fun. But AAA games aren’t always everyone’s cup of tea. Maybe you’re getting tired of those big budget games and want to try something completely different. Then how about small budget and indie games. Everything from The Walking Dead to Five Nights at Freddy’s to Hotline Miami. Want a survival game? There’s a slew of them right now. Prefer a more conversation-based RPG? Got a few of those too. There are plenty of games that take risks and deliver new content in almost every category.
But you know what? Screw those games. They’ll never be as good as the classics. Baldur’s Gate, Alpha Centauri, Doom, you kids don’t even know what you’re missing. Except that this is also the age of updating classics and making them playable on modern technology. GoG has a full library of updated, functional titles including the original Fallouts, the Baldur’s Gate games, and even some Star Wars classics. Apogee and 3D Realms have re-released many of their old titles as fully functional downloads. Even Grim Fandango is getting re-released. My point is that you, right now, are living in what may very well be the best time for video games. The creativity is flowing freely and as a result there are plenty of games for all audiences. I manage to play over 50 games a year and I still can’t keep up with all of the amazing titles, past and present. I encourage constructive criticism of games, after all they can always be better, but make sure your criticisms are always constructive and not just bitter.
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Lol
2/29/2016 12:48:57 pm
Lol
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The Legendary Carmine
Andrew Clayton (a.k.a. The Legendary Carmine) is SSG's Executive Editor. He toils at the stone to make sure this site brings its readers valuable content on a daily basis. Like what we do? Want to see more? Donate to the site using the button below!
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