Have games become too easy/mindless?

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by dAnceguy117

I wouldn't say modern FPS campaigns are mindless. even if players know exactly where to go, there can still be opportunities for exploration on a smaller scale. in the Halo series, for example, players can't just breeze through by running straight from point A to point B with guns blazing. it's often necessary to survey an area and figure out how best to pick off each enemy without getting shot up too much at one time.

that being said, I don't like the fact that key-and-door puzzles have been nonexistent in the genre for so long. maybe indie developers will resurrect the idea? we can only hope.

I feel like "games these days are sooooo easy" has been thrown around to the point of becoming trite. which games? on what difficulty? are they easy enough to complete without encountering any major obstacles, or do they simply not use the classic "lives" system that forces players to restart the entire game? of course it's easy to look back at the SNES/Genesis era and think, "those were the days." there were a lot of tremendous games that will hopefully still be passed down to future generations. if you're willing to expand beyond that base, though, there are many fun challenges to be had with today's games as well.

I don't think games have to be breakneck-difficult to be well-made, necessarily. I'd consider OoT an example of a game that isn't too easy and yet isn't too hard. Problem is that even on Halo, I *can* A-to-B it with little strategy, even on the hardest modes. Hiding spots are usually obvious and overly easy to utilize.

I do agree that exploration on a smaller scale might be the ideal compromise -- levels that are large but not to the point where you're backtracking constantly in a maze-like environment. *Some* degree of linearity is needed to keep the game flowing smoothly so you don't get lost and frustrated.

"Which games? On what difficulty?" I'd say "Most games, even on the hardest difficulties." Nowadays when I get a new game, I launch right into the hardest mode that I can. I find that while there are plenty of present-day games with adequate difficulty weights, too many of them are a bit watered down at the higher ends still.