by Ploxum » 21 Feb 12, 5:08 pm
- @ DoHo - You know, I can't agree with this at all. I started gaming well after the doom period, I cut my teeth on the n64 - which was definitly a generation or two (and a model dimension) on in terms of gameplay mechanic. And I played adventure games for the most part on it, aside from goldeneye multi. I was aware of games going back to a cousin's amiga 500, but it wasn't something I was paying attention to. I've played doom seriously because of steam - no other reason.
At the time PC gaming seemed to be far more dominated by flight sims and puzzle games than it is today. And that enviroment seems to show through in the FPS. These games gave gratification to the player through their actions, it's expected they'll figure out the techniques needed to be competent. Currently fps games seem to be an assault rifle saturated yellow brick road of wobbly camera perspective and excessive dialogue, and we apparently need Sam Worthington to read us a bed time story as we play.
In Doom, for example, one is flung into a maze with no way back and one way out. You'll be aware that you need to find a sequence of keys to progress - but it's a maze - any number of secret doors, toxic pits, hidden lifts and sunken rooms stand between you and escape. And thats without having fought any of the demons. Often the the keys or even the exit itself is on the on display right at the start of the level, and it'll be up to you to work it out. You'll have refer to your map often and you'll have back track, many frustrating attempts might stand between you and success. Player reward comes from exploring and discovering the 'how' of the labyrinth you've been cast into.
Much of this design seems absent from modern fps. Rather than a maze, the levels feel like a long corridor interspersed with one click interactive events. 'Immersion' (urgh) seems to come from progressing long and convoluted plots with large voice actor pools and dramatic fixed perspective moments. CoD (and all those types, MoH BF single etc...) seem more /primitive/ than Doom in play mechanic, more like Time Crisis with a strafe function than Operation Flashpoint lite (what they ought to be with the power available in 2012). Ironically I have the most fun in these titles during their on rails moments - firing drone missles and seeing something satisfying occur. Theres no 'how' in these games, only 'when'.
Theres no combat freedom, or repercussion in the new titles. One never feels the dread and anxiety of doom, when you've barely survived a fight and must scrounge the few remaining health packs and shells - dreading the denizens that yet lurk in the gloom ahead. You'll never feel the exhilaration of your first step into a seething mass of enemy, only to bait them back into a tight arena - where the crossfire compells the AI to turn upon itself, in an orgy of uncontrolled demonic slaughter.
Doom isn't only scarier, it's alot better. (soz to be so long winded)
