Any major aspect of gaming that just... passed you by?

[Jonnas]

This might be a weird, or overly specific topic, but the subject has been on my mind for the past week or so.

Since we regularly discuss various aspects of the industry and art form, we are all plenty aware of several industry trends, popular genres, and even fandoms of cult classic titles. We all have our favourite niche, whether that be a specific series, an entire genre, or just a specific aesthetic.

Now, surely, we can't like every type of game, or every genre, but... is there a part of gaming that feels important or major, but you just never engaged or interacted with it at all? Like, maybe everybody knows what a Metroidvania is, but you never played one yourself? Or you have somehow never played an RPG with random encounters?

I'll give a couple of examples of my own: I have never played a Soulslike game. This type of game sounds appealing and all, but somehow, not a single one has ever made it to my backlog (unless you count Blasphemous, which is 2D). I have played Dandara, which takes heavy inspiration from it (but it's clearly not a soulslike), and I have once played the opening minutes of Bloodborne, which is no time to learn anything about it. As such, I have this weird gap in my gaming curriculum: I have no idea whether I like Dark Souls or not.

Besides that, I still don't really know what a "Ubisoft Tower" is. I never really found Assassin's Creed appealing, and my reduced gaming time means I don't really play many modern open-world games, if any. As such, I don't really picture what people mean when they say they're tired of "Ubisoft Towers". Are they easily-climbable towers to get a view of the world? Beacons you can set yourself? Mission checkpoints? I know all about concepts like save points, fast travel, and skill trees, but "Ubisoft Towers" kind of escapes me.

So yeah, is there any aspect of gaming (major or otherwise) that somehow feels entirely unknown to you?

[Glen-i]

6 hours ago, Jonnas said:

Besides that, I still don't really know what a "Ubisoft Tower" is.

Simply put, it's a place in a (usually open-world) game that the player interacts with to reveal some kind of map feature.

Have you played BotW/TotK? Because that's exactly what the Sheikah Towers are. The only difference is that Zelda doesn't then litter the map with icons showing you where any "interesting" gameplay is, like Ubisoft games tend to do.

It's not always a tower (Xenoblade X's probes comes to mind), but functionally, they're one and the same.

[Dcubed]

I guess the Souls games are the biggest hole in my gaming repertoire.  I've tried Dark Souls before, but I just didn't enjoy it all that much; not because of the difficulty, but because of the Dn'D style trappings with all of its stats and inventory management.  I'm just not much of a Dn'D fan and I don't find generic Tolkien esc fantasy all that interesting (Outside of LOTR itself... which Dn'D is basically pure copyright infringement of).  Ultimately I just found the game kind of boring outside of its basic combat mechanics.

That being said though, I do like it when games mix in actual dice roll mechanics into their gameplay, like with Crimson Shroud or Disco Elysium; so I can gel with games that attempt to simulate the tabletop RPG format in an abstract manner.  But I have never enjoyed western RPGs and I don't like Dn'D (and lets face it, all western RPGs are just reskinned Dn'D to some extent).

Actually, maybe Dn'D is the biggest aspect of gaming that has just passed me by?

Edited July 18 by Dcubed

[Hero-of-Time]

6 hours ago, Jonnas said:

Besides that, I still don't really know what a "Ubisoft Tower" is. I never really found Assassin's Creed appealing, and my reduced gaming time means I don't really play many modern open-world games, if any. As such, I don't really picture what people mean when they say they're tired of "Ubisoft Towers". Are they easily-climbable towers to get a view of the world?

Pretty much.

Assassin's Creed introduced towers in each of the game's areas that can be climb. Once at the top you can synch with it and this clears the map for your and shows you points of interest. As Glen pointed out, this usually litters your maps with various icons but it was never that bad when it was first introduced. After the success of AC, Ubisoft then added it into some of their other franchises, Far Cry being one of them. Since then, lots of other developers have used this system as it's a handy way for players to uncover the map. 

As for the question of the topic, off the top of my head the only game that has been really big that I can think of that hasn't reeled me in is Genshin Impact and all the other games that miHoYo have produced. On paper I should like each of their games but the inclusion of gacha mechanics and FOMO means I have never played any of them. It's a shame because by all accounts the games are really good but being wrapped up in all of those things means I've never been inclined to try them.

[Cube]

Battlepass systems. They started cropping up in online games after I'd given up on playing games online. They sound horrible, especially ones you buy where you have a limited time to complete. You're essentially buying some gear, but you can't use it without grinding meaningless challenges.

 

I suppose I've technically slightly interacted with it in The Avengers, but I just played the campaign offline and didn't look at stuff like that.

[bob]

I've got so many gaps, it might be quicker to just list the games I have played. 

 

I never played any NES games. Or SNES games. Or any Megadrive games. Or pretty much anything older than the N64.

I've never played a Sonic game. I've never played a Metal Gear Solid game. I've never played a Tomb Raider game. I've never played a Final Fantasy game. I've never played a Gran Turismo game.

 

I've never played a Soulslike. I've never played a 2D beatemup. I've never played a JRPG. 

 

Given the amount of time I have for gaming these days, I don't think any of these are going to change, but you never know.

[Dcubed]

59 minutes ago, bob said:

I've got so many gaps, it might be quicker to just list the games I have played. 

 

I never played any NES games. Or SNES games. Or any Megadrive games. Or pretty much anything older than the N64.

I've never played a Sonic game. I've never played a Metal Gear Solid game. I've never played a Tomb Raider game. I've never played a Final Fantasy game. I've never played a Gran Turismo game.

 

I've never played a Soulslike. I've never played a 2D beatemup. I've never played a JRPG. 

 

Given the amount of time I have for gaming these days, I don't think any of these are going to change, but you never know.

Have you even played a video game before?

[Jonnas]

4 hours ago, Glen-i said:

Simply put, it's a place in a (usually open-world) game that the player interacts with to reveal some kind of map feature.

I see. So, a highly simplified version of the map&compass from Zelda games, applied to the world map?

Would the map stations from Metroid count? Both the 2D games and the Prime series feature them.

[Cube]

4 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

Would the map stations from Metroid count? Both the 2D games and the Prime series feature them.

I'd say that map stations in Metroid are often designed to be the opposite, you're required to do a lot of exploration yourself before you can reach the map stations.

The tower mechanics is a very obvious location to make a beeline for when you reach a new area.

[drahkon]

2 hours ago, bob said:

I've never played a Sonic game.

I've tried one or two of the original ones and hated them.
Don't see the appeal at all

[Glen-i]

2 hours ago, Jonnas said:

Would the map stations from Metroid count? Both the 2D games and the Prime series feature them.

What @Cube said, but Map Stations also differ in that they don't tend to show you everything, except for the Prime games.

And as for the traditional Map/Compass, the same thing applies, it's not immediately obvious where they are, so you have to do some exploring of the dungeon beforehand.

Naturally, the open world Zelda's suck, so the dungeons there give you the map and compass immediately.

Anyway, to actually answer your question, no, I don't feel like there are any gaps in my gaming history, at least not as far as entire genres go. If I've not played something, chances are because it looks incredibly unappealing to me. In absolutely no way does anything I've seen of Dark Souls or it's contemporaries look fun. So I don't play it. If I want my attack animations to last a million years, then I'll play with the Great Sword in MonHun, which I won't, because that weapon is boring.

Of course, there are individual games I want to play, @Dcubed's currently tormenting me with stereoscopic 3D Baldur's Gate 3, and I hate it!

EDIT: Forgot to quote @drahkon, but 2D Sonic is a fine example of a concept (high-speed platforming) being an awful fit for the dimensions it's limited to. Playing 2D Sonic at any sort of speed is an exercise in frustration. Those games are better when you're not going fast. (Try Sonic Mania, BTW, it's great)

Ironically, I think the 3D games do that concept better, because you can actually see where you're going.

Edited July 18 by Glen-i

[Ashley]

Aside from helping my grandad with his Xbox/360 and testing RROD while at Game I don't think I've ever really played a Xbox console. I've certainly never owned one (if that wasn't obvious) and other than a brief fad of colleagues buying a 360 when it came out* I can't even recall anyone I know IRL having one either. 

*One colleague did constantly point out how EA was pushing "realistic sweat" in it's titles on the console. 

[Dcubed]

6 hours ago, Ashley said:

Aside from helping my grandad with his Xbox/360 and testing RROD while at Game I don't think I've ever really played a Xbox console. I've certainly never owned one (if that wasn't obvious) and other than a brief fad of colleagues buying a 360 when it came out* I can't even recall anyone I know IRL having one either. 

*One colleague did constantly point out how EA was pushing "realistic sweat" in it's titles on the console. 

The OG Xbox and the 360 were nice machines, with a bit of their own identity, but the Xbone and onwards are basically just low-end PCs in a box.  You aren’t really missing all that much, especially since Sony and Microsoft consoles from 2013 onwards are basically identical machines that mostly play the same games and offer the same gameplay experience.

Going back to the OG Xbox today? It has some pretty nice exclusive SEGA titles, as well as the best versions of Outrun 2/SP (which are worth the price of the console by itself), as well as some great support from Tecmo (especially Ninja Gaiden Black) and a couple of noteworthy exclusive western titles like Crimson Skies, but otherwise? Unless you’re into Halo (which I’m not), it’s mostly a better version of the PS2 with some (at the time) console exclusive PC ports which are largely redundant today.  I’d still say it’s worth checking out, but don’t pay too much for one; hell, you can even get modded ones with expanded hard drives for pretty cheap these days (I nabbed one for around £50 on eBay a couple years back or so).  The hardware itself is quite nice and generally well built, much nicer to use than the kinda janky PS2, so it’s a good way to experience a decent selection of the biggest multiplatform games of the 6th gen; and a console that also offers some noteworthy exclusives.

As for the 360? It was really something you had to experience at the time, as it really did offer something compelling with its robust online network, groundbreaking initiatives like Netflix (the first non-PC device to offer support for the service!), downloadable movies etc and the rather excellent XBLA; as well as things like custom soundtracks and the best versions of most multiplatform games of the day.  It was a pioneer of many of the online services we take for granted today.  But going back to it now? Almost all of its exclusive titles have now either been ported to PC/modern consoles, or are backwards compatible on modern Xbox consoles, while almost all of its unique identity has been stripped away with subsequent system updates and ports away to other platforms; so there isn’t much value in getting one today.

Edited July 19 by Dcubed

[Jonnas]

4 hours ago, Dcubed said:

Going back to the OG Xbox today?

The main game I remember from that console is the "complete" version of Splinter Cell, while PS2 and GC had to settle for an inferior, unfinished version.

But I think the Xbox Splinter Cell also released on the PC, and is now the version you can purchase on Steam and GOG.

[darksnowman]

Without having played Assassins Creed, so I don't know how bad these towers are, I think I'd have welcomed them in Lego City Undercover and Immortals: Fenyx Rising. In those games, you have to look around in first person for things to do. I reckon it would have been handy to get everything plonked on the map, then filter for the kind of activity you fancy. In BotW, I didn't get all the towers because they didn't serve any real purpose.

Re: battlepasses. I'm happy enough getting the unpaid unlocks from occasional play or when there's something free going on like Winterfest. I'd a go at a full pass when Fortnite gave them away when it was pirates and cannons. I can see the attraction if you want to put in the time. Going in with a view to completing a challenge makes you look at the game differently—the battle royale is just something that's happening while you go about your business, storm cloud permitting. I would have been tempted to stump up for quicker unlocks in Splatoon 3.

Aspects that have passed me by... gamerscore, PlayStation Home, avatars, kinect, move, basically I'm happily oblivious to all those gritty, cool, mature aspects that haven't been on a Nintendo machine or PC decades ago. Raising a chao. I've only got (some) achievements in the likes of Mega Man 9 on Wii and the odd other game that's had them. 

Yet to play Dark Souls but I don't know if I've missed out on any of its aspects. I've created characters. Assigned skill points. Been beaten by bosses. Went back to collect my stuff in Shovel Knight.

Still don't think I've ever purchased DLC for anything, let alone the dreaded season pass of please-play-this-game-forever content... I vow to get all the Theatrhythm songs before the eShop closes this time.

The Pokémon Unite genre has passed me by. Immersive sims... walking sims... to the extent I couldn't name one or imagine what they'd be like to play.

1 hour ago, Jonnas said:

The main game I remember from that console is the "complete" version of Splinter Cell, while PS2 and GC had to settle for an inferior, unfinished version.

But I think the Xbox Splinter Cell also released on the PC, and is now the version you can purchase on Steam and GOG.

GameCube didn't detract from my enjoyment of Splinter Cell—loved them! Top games.  

[Julius]

Great idea for a thread @Jonnas 

I think generally speaking I'm pretty good at getting out of my comfort zone with the games I play, I don't mind going back and playing older games which maybe aren't talked about as much and am happy to pick something up absed purely off my own curiosity or a recommendation, and don't mind dipping my toes into older franchises - played my first 2D Zelda to completion for the first time earlier this year, for example, and had a great time with it. 

If I had to nail it down to any particular sort of genre? The biggest gaps I'd point to are probably character-action games (the likes of Bayonetta, Devil May Cry...but even then I've made time for the original God of War, now that I think about it?), and a bunch of 2D things: outside of Smash (which I don't think would count) and a few times being at arcades or friend's houses with cabinets growing up, I haven't really sat down and drilled into a traditional fighting game, and 2D beat 'em ups have passed me by in a similar way outside of arcades and cabinets growing up. But even then, I'd say these genres were by and large out of the mainstream by the time I was growing up or old enough to experience them, for example there are a lot of 2D platformers I'd like to go back to. 

If I had to talk about particular franchises or companies, there are definitely some noticeably bigger gaps. Some of these are down to being raised in a strictly religious household, others because I simply didn't really know they existed, and others are ones on my shelf waiting in the wings; I've never played:

• A GTA campaign (to completion, played like a couple of hours of V's in fairness)
• An Assassin's Creed game
• Speaking of...any modern Ubisoft game with towers? 
• A Bethesda...anything? 
• A Resident Evil game
• A Diablo game

The list could go on, but I think the main gaps I'm interested in doing anything about right now are getting around to playing more WRPGs (which would include Bethesda and Diablo titles; seen it mentioned a few times in this thread already, but outside of Mass Effect and then Baldur's Gate III last year, they really hadn't been on my radar - generally, I'm much more interested in JRPGs) and Resident Evil is on my list of pledge games for the year, but that just seems like a smart one to save for October

On 7/17/2024 at 11:29 PM, Jonnas said:

I'll give a couple of examples of my own: I have never played a Soulslike game. This type of game sounds appealing and all, but somehow, not a single one has ever made it to my backlog (unless you count Blasphemous, which is 2D). I have played Dandara, which takes heavy inspiration from it (but it's clearly not a soulslike), and I have once played the opening minutes of Bloodborne, which is no time to learn anything about it. As such, I have this weird gap in my gaming curriculum: I have no idea whether I like Dark Souls or not.

It's not for everyone and I think that's fine, and it's come up a few times in this thread actually, but I'd definitely be interested in hearing the thoughts of yourself and others if you do ever get around to playing any of the From Software titles. I think Dark Souls, for its place in modern gaming history, would probably be the one I'd recommend over others, it just feels like the quintessential Souls title in so many ways, even if perhaps it isn't the best considering the titles which have released since. 

On 7/18/2024 at 6:47 AM, Hero-of-Time said:

As for the question of the topic, off the top of my head the only game that has been really big that I can think of that hasn't reeled me in is Genshin Impact and all the other games that miHoYo have produced. On paper I should like each of their games but the inclusion of gacha mechanics and FOMO means I have never played any of them. It's a shame because by all accounts the games are really good but being wrapped up in all of those things means I've never been inclined to try them.

Yeah, think I'm with you on this one H-o-T - the monetisation aspect can do one but otherwise it does seem like the sort of thing I'd be into, and, funnily enough, I've listened to a number of tracks from the Genshin soundtrack and they're freaking ridiculous and right up my alley. 

For whatever reason this got me thinking about MMOs and JRPGs - and given the number of Final Fantasy fans around this place, I imagine Final Fantasy XIV is a huge gap in a lot of gaming experiences. Though I totally get it, the time commitment and it being an MMO is enough to put me off, as much as I hear great things about the story and love what I've heard of the soundtracks 

On 7/18/2024 at 12:17 PM, Glen-i said:

Naturally, the open world Zelda's suck

 

[drahkon]

I forgot something:

Beat 'em ups

As with the Sonic series, I've tried a few (most recently Streets of Rage 4) and they bring me no enjoyment whatsoever. I'd rather eat brussel sprouts than play those games.

[Glen-i]

2 minutes ago, drahkon said:

As with the Sonic series, I've tried a few (most recently Streets of Rage 4) and they bring me no enjoyment whatsoever. I'd rather eat brussel sprouts than play those games.

I actually don't particularly enjoy them either, but TMNT: Shredder's Revenge was incredible. It didn't feel as cheap as others (Probably thanks to the dodge manuever giving you reasonable invincibility frames), and the multiplayer being mad fun.

That one's worth a try, but the Switch version doesn't have crossplay, otherwise I'd offer to tag along.

[Hero-of-Time]

5 minutes ago, drahkon said:

I forgot something:

Beat 'em ups

As with the Sonic series, I've tried a few (most recently Streets of Rage 4) and they bring me no enjoyment whatsoever. I'd rather eat brussel sprouts than play those games.

You didn't like Streets of Rage 4?

[drahkon]

5 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

I actually don't particularly enjoy them either, but TMNT: Shredder's Revenge was incredible.

Didn't like it.

2 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

You didn't like Streets of Rage 4?

[Glen-i]

18 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Didn't like it.

OK, then H-o-T is right, you are lost.

[Ike]

I'd be more surprised if drahkon did like it 😝

[BowserBasher]

Simple. PlayStation and XBox. 
 

Being a Nintendo fan since the NES and GameBoy days I just had no interest in them and there was never really anything on those consoles that would warrant me buying one. The closest I probably came to a PS was when the WWE games stopped on Nintendo consoles. I think they were at the Smackdown! stage of names and I really wanted to play one. But I just never got around to it. 
I have been having an urge again as once again no WWE games are hitting the Switch and I’m in desperate need of a F1 racing game or any other realistic ones for that matter (GRID Autosport scratches the itch a bit) and I have been looking at options. I feel like the PS5 and Series X are just way too much for what I’d get out of them. I’ve thought about the Series S (is it that) but it’s digital only and I just don’t want to go that route. So I’m stuck hoping the Switch 2 will start getting those games.  
I did have a friend who had SEGA consoles so played a few of them. 

[Hero-of-Time]

5 minutes ago, BowserBasher said:

Simple. PlayStation and XBox. 
 

Being a Nintendo fan since the NES and GameBoy days I just had no interest in them and there was never really anything on those consoles that would warrant me buying one. The closest I probably came to a PS was when the WWE games stopped on Nintendo consoles. I think they were at the Smackdown! stage of names and I really wanted to play one. But I just never got around to it. 
I have been having an urge again as once again no WWE games are hitting the Switch and I’m in desperate need of a F1 racing game or any other realistic ones for that matter (GRID Autosport scratches the itch a bit) and I have been looking at options. I feel like the PS5 and Series X are just way too much for what I’d get out of them. I’ve thought about the Series S (is it that) but it’s digital only and I just don’t want to go that route. So I’m stuck hoping the Switch 2 will start getting those games.  
I did have a friend who had SEGA consoles so played a few of them. 

The early Smackdown! games were awesome but I still feel that both No Mercy and Wrestlemania 2000 were the better games. Both series play so differently to each other though. The N64 games were slower and more methodical, whereas the Smackdown! series was faster paced. Loved them both. 🥰

[BowserBasher]

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

The early Smackdown! games were awesome but I still feel that both No Mercy and Wrestlemania 2000 were the better games. Both series play so differently to each other though. The N64 games were slower and more methodical, whereas the Smackdown! series was faster paced. Loved them both. 🥰

Oh No Mercy was the best. I’m sure there’s mods of that still about today adding new characters all the time.