(Blog) why Walking Simulators do not work and need to die
In this era of gaming, there's been a surplus of one particular genre that's been on the rise since TheChineseRoom's Dear Esther. A narrative driven game that focuses heavily on said narrative... and absolutely nothing else. And many other games that came out have been trying to work exactly as Dear Esther has. And each time, each game provides simplistic 1-4 hours of minuscule game time with pricing way above the necessary limits. 20 dollars, 30 dollars even. Time and energy has been wasted making a game that shouldn't be called as such. And its an insult to both the gaming community and the medium itself to call these genres as such.
Now I don't want to hear all this crap about 'its poetic' or 'its art' and 'its different' because these are not good excuses. They are never good excuses. And I honestly am ashamed to call myself a writer in a time where people look upon some of these as narrative 'masterpieces' befitting of literary influences. As a writer and as a videogamer, I feel I must set the bar to where it needed to be 7 years ago. I'm going to start it of simple:
Walking simulators have not been nor ever will be considered videogames nor should they be considered a genre in this medium.
Pretentious hipster nonsense made to appeal to a broad crowd of demographics that hardly match the numbers that have been existing since the late 1980s. They exist because they've been able to make money. And if they're making money, they have an audience. And this audience is one no game developer should appeal to. At all.
Lets look at the foundation:
What is a videogame? What constitutes as a game? What are the necessary elements needed to consider this a game?
Videogames are an interactive creative form of entertainment mean to appeal to people who want a sense of control. They also want an escape from the world that is reality from time to time, especially during stressful and uncertain times. Either socially or personally. Other times, videogames are just meant to be purely enjoyed for the player's interactivity. They're a hobby to enjoy. And so on and so forth.
Like a set of toys, it requires a mediator to interact with them. To make them come to life. To immerse in the joys that is your control and passion for them. When that controller sits in your hands, you've attained the reigns that this wild horse is steering you in. Whether linear or not, you still have a sense of control of immersion in the world you're playing in.
So what constitutes as a game exactly? What are the elements needed to consider it as such? Interactivity. Plain and simple. Pure in its form as it is. Interactivity and control. To give the players a world they can interact with. From point-and-click adventures to RPGs. First person shooters to platformers. Look upon these and consider what is missing. Absolutely nothing at all. (Although that depends on how functional and how stable said games are) You got the means to do what you want and the end in mind. You utilize those means given to you in every way the game allows you to.
Walking simulators, do not. They do not in any way shape or form utilize means efficiently as other games do. It is simply walking. Walking...walking...walking. Sometimes at a snails pace. Sometimes, Walking sims try to create this illusion that you have more control over the world than you actually think. There's not really. There's no control to be had. A Machine For Pigs is a great example. Aside from shamelessly trampling on one of my favorite games, The Dark Descent with this poor excuse for a sequel, it adds insult to injury by making you do simple actions that hold no water. Take out our hide your lantern. Hide yourself. Throw boxes or jump on them. You can't heal yourself and you can't contain your sanity. There's no inventory to utilize and use your thinking brain on. There's no abstract puzzle that makes you touch the world in the way you want to do. And the sharp contrast of TDD's non-linear exploration from one hub to the next, to AMFP's straight line. And a lot of walking sims are straight lines. Gone Home, Everyone's Gone to the Rapture, etc. All do the same thing.
I should really touch base on the narrative aspect now shouldn't I? Well here goes; you don't have to butcher a foundation just to appeal your zainy hipster tastes to make a (questionably) good narrative. Games have that without taking control away from the player at all.
Myst is a very good example of a well narrated story set in a point and click adventure game. Star Wars the Force Awakens 2 certainly has a lovely simple narrated story with action elements. Dishonored 1. L.A. Noire. The Deus Ex series. Homeworld 1, Cataclysm and 2. Ice Pick Lodge's Pathologic and The Void are the best, perfect example of decent narratives without having to completely shaft the player of control.
If you're making a game where their only involvement in this world is simply walking from point A to point B then you've lost all credibility of being called a game designer. Your 'game' has lost all the qualities to be considered as such. And if you are to price your game 20+ for a game that lacks the interactive pieces in a market already turned stagnant, you're just a conman.
There's no place in the market for these kind of genres and it takes focus away from actual games that have actual forms of gameplay. And I can guarantee you they are better narrated.
Now I don't want to hear all this crap about 'its poetic' or 'its art' and 'its different' because these are not good excuses. They are never good excuses. And I honestly am ashamed to call myself a writer in a time where people look upon some of these as narrative 'masterpieces' befitting of literary influences. As a writer and as a videogamer, I feel I must set the bar to where it needed to be 7 years ago. I'm going to start it of simple:
Walking simulators have not been nor ever will be considered videogames nor should they be considered a genre in this medium.
Pretentious hipster nonsense made to appeal to a broad crowd of demographics that hardly match the numbers that have been existing since the late 1980s. They exist because they've been able to make money. And if they're making money, they have an audience. And this audience is one no game developer should appeal to. At all.
Lets look at the foundation:
What is a videogame? What constitutes as a game? What are the necessary elements needed to consider this a game?
Videogames are an interactive creative form of entertainment mean to appeal to people who want a sense of control. They also want an escape from the world that is reality from time to time, especially during stressful and uncertain times. Either socially or personally. Other times, videogames are just meant to be purely enjoyed for the player's interactivity. They're a hobby to enjoy. And so on and so forth.
Like a set of toys, it requires a mediator to interact with them. To make them come to life. To immerse in the joys that is your control and passion for them. When that controller sits in your hands, you've attained the reigns that this wild horse is steering you in. Whether linear or not, you still have a sense of control of immersion in the world you're playing in.
So what constitutes as a game exactly? What are the elements needed to consider it as such? Interactivity. Plain and simple. Pure in its form as it is. Interactivity and control. To give the players a world they can interact with. From point-and-click adventures to RPGs. First person shooters to platformers. Look upon these and consider what is missing. Absolutely nothing at all. (Although that depends on how functional and how stable said games are) You got the means to do what you want and the end in mind. You utilize those means given to you in every way the game allows you to.
Walking simulators, do not. They do not in any way shape or form utilize means efficiently as other games do. It is simply walking. Walking...walking...walking. Sometimes at a snails pace. Sometimes, Walking sims try to create this illusion that you have more control over the world than you actually think. There's not really. There's no control to be had. A Machine For Pigs is a great example. Aside from shamelessly trampling on one of my favorite games, The Dark Descent with this poor excuse for a sequel, it adds insult to injury by making you do simple actions that hold no water. Take out our hide your lantern. Hide yourself. Throw boxes or jump on them. You can't heal yourself and you can't contain your sanity. There's no inventory to utilize and use your thinking brain on. There's no abstract puzzle that makes you touch the world in the way you want to do. And the sharp contrast of TDD's non-linear exploration from one hub to the next, to AMFP's straight line. And a lot of walking sims are straight lines. Gone Home, Everyone's Gone to the Rapture, etc. All do the same thing.
I should really touch base on the narrative aspect now shouldn't I? Well here goes; you don't have to butcher a foundation just to appeal your zainy hipster tastes to make a (questionably) good narrative. Games have that without taking control away from the player at all.
Myst is a very good example of a well narrated story set in a point and click adventure game. Star Wars the Force Awakens 2 certainly has a lovely simple narrated story with action elements. Dishonored 1. L.A. Noire. The Deus Ex series. Homeworld 1, Cataclysm and 2. Ice Pick Lodge's Pathologic and The Void are the best, perfect example of decent narratives without having to completely shaft the player of control.
If you're making a game where their only involvement in this world is simply walking from point A to point B then you've lost all credibility of being called a game designer. Your 'game' has lost all the qualities to be considered as such. And if you are to price your game 20+ for a game that lacks the interactive pieces in a market already turned stagnant, you're just a conman.
There's no place in the market for these kind of genres and it takes focus away from actual games that have actual forms of gameplay. And I can guarantee you they are better narrated.
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