Comments on: Challenges Versus ‘Learn By Death’ Frustrations

By: BrendanT

BrendanT — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:48:35 +0000

Frustrating difficult gameplay is no longer engaging to people who play them. Gamers have grown up, and enemy AI hasn’t grown up with us. Enemy AI is still lacklustre and until it improves, both easy and difficult games are going to feel like they were poorly thought out. The only way the most gamers of yesteryear who enjoyed high difficulty will get their kicks from multiplayer vs, with the exception of achievement addicts.

By: Mr Waffle

Mr Waffle — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:30:26 +0000

"But in the ten hours I played GTA IV I didn’t once have a nail-biter moment (at least I don’t recall many)."

What? A lot of the later missions are, because having to sit through all the cutscenes and driving to all the stupid places and all that was infuriating. I gave up on GTA4 because it was incredibly annoying having to do the same damn things over and over. I just want to play the game and finish the missions, not have to memorise every single stupid little scripted event to survive.

I'm sick of games that are "har har you died too bad go back to the start of the level". Resistance is currently doing it to me now, and it's making me hate the game. It's brillantly atmospheric, sucking me in... until I die, having to start again, which absolutely RUINS any feelings of enjoyment and immersion I had. The checkpoints are too far apart if you're trying to play it 'properly' (absorbing all the story and atmosphere)...

Half Life 2 Episode 2's commentary on how to design a gameplay experience that is fun but not frustrating should be required listening for EVERY game developer.

By: G Dog

G Dog — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 07:31:28 +0000

The bank heist mission in GTAIV nearly killed me. I must have done it 20 times. For me there were plenty of nail-biting moments in GTA.