Things you wish games would start.. or stop doing

[Shmeefly]

Ive been gaming a while now, 20 or so years, and theres things i expected would improve in games that just havent, anything you wish games would change as a whole? Please let me know

I have lots of suggestions, but mainly its audio, 2020 and audio in games is still really lacking in areas, one of my biggest issues as a whole is not being able to tune my gaming audio. Most games these days do provide a simple tune im aware so il be more specific... Guns... Guns in games sound AWEFUL, its common in a lot of games, like Mafia remake, Resident Evil series etc, games where you want AWESOME sounding guns yet im stuck blowing zombies heads off with pistols that sound like kids toys or spud guns... or shotguns that sound like theyve been wrapped in a duvet, all im trying to say is that if i have my headset on, with my volume cranked and im in a narrow hallway with a pumpy, I want my ears to weep when i pull the trigger... and i want to hear the echos when im in tight spaces etc  i want a tuning option in games that lets us raise different channels of audio, like a separate channel to let us crank gunfire audio and effects, or like in racing games a separate channel for engine audio, its almost 2021, its time we finally got loud great sounding guns in general, FPS games do a decent job sometimes but, i want to feel that immersion when im playing shoulder cam horrors too, its the only thing RE2 remake lacked, please like if you agree and add your own comments

Edited December 23, 2020 by Shmeefly

[DaivRules]

I want more games that have related smartphone apps that I can grind away at while I'm not able to get on my console.

 

For example, I'd love for Disgaea to have a smartphone (or Vita!) app that just has an item or class world that I can grind away at and then when I'm done, reconnect it and gain something in the console game. Knack had an app that let you play a Match 3 game to unlock jewels and gadgets. I liked the approach since I don't get a lot of console time these days. I see opportunities for this in just about every game.

[Shmeefly]

Thats a neat idea, would be nice being able to grind some of those miles on Grid while im out n about too lol

[pogo_loco]

Your enthusiasm for quality audio impresses me.  My ears almost started ringing while reading the original post.

 

I wish all games let you replay old cut scenes & conversations, especially open world games where it's easy to forget why you're doing what you're doing.  Log entries don't cut it. 

[Shmeefly]

9 hours ago, pogo_loco said:

Your enthusiasm for quality audio impresses me.  My ears almost started ringing while reading the original post.

 

I wish all games let you replay old cut scenes & conversations, especially open world games where it's easy to forget why you're doing what you're doing.  Log entries don't cut it. 

Lol thanks, i get a ramble on sometimes, something so simple that gets overlooked and would greatly add to the immersion of whatever were playing, seems only to be considered in FPS games which i find frustrating bc why limit awesome sounding/loud guns to a single genre, baffling

[Lava_Yuki]

I wish all games had the option to skip cutscenes, as for some reason there are still games that do not. I'd also like games to make saving an anytime anywhere thing, instead of having to wait until the next checkpoint or go searching for a save point. 

[ladynadiad]

My own list of features I think should be in most games

 

-Skipping or speeding up cutscenes.  At minimum should allow for this on subsequent playthroughs or with scenes already viewed.

-Save anywhere (though I can understand not allowing it during battles or cutscenes)

-Some sort of quick travel whether it's a skill to escape dungeons and visit previous areas or as in depth as a game like Trails where you can even quick travel to the depths of a dungeon or a specific shop in a town.  With sidequests definitely want a way to quick travel to the quest giver or it can be like newer Kemco games where you go into the menu and claim reward once complete.

-Avoiding weak random encounters in RPGs.  Definitely should always be an option for this that doesn't require purchasing some item that only works a few minutes.  This can be like the battle shortcut in Kemco games, or visible encounter monsters running away.  On the flip side, a way to summon enemy encounters is great too, like the items in Kemco games that give an encounter with every step, or the pillars in Kemco games that give you three encounters in a dungeon and adjust encounter rates or the item in MeiQ to summon monsters.  This should definitely be a requirement in any game with trophies that involve killing X number of monsters or winning Y number of battles.

-For any game with minimaps, give me a way to view the full map, zoom in, move around on it, etc.  Minimaps are downright useless if I can't see the full thing.  Also, some method to see where I previously traveled so if I'm interrupted with an enemy encounter, I don't forget what way I was going and end up going back.  I'm the sort to get lost easily and very often enemy encounters reset the camera or turn your characters so it's possible to accidentally go back the way I came.

[LoveInHell]

1. There should always be a skip button for cutscenes that isn’t “x”.

2. I never thought about audio but what you’re saying is totally true.
3. There should be a colourblind option in every game.

[AJ_Radio]

Games need to take more risk.

 

The amount of games, both indie and AAA titles, that have basically copied from older games while barely adding anything substantial is insulting. I have mostly gone to old AAA games that originally came on the PS2/PS3 and early PS4 era..... and some recommended indie titles because the new multi million dollar blockbusters have mostly failed to captivate my interests.

 

People nowadays will just look at games like Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II and Cyberpunk 2077 just by their graphics alone and state they are some of the greatest games mankind has ever given us. I almost don't consider graphics to be a real factor anymore. To the 16 - 20 year old college kid, sure, they're largely impressionable. But for someone like me who has spent close to 30 years playing video games, of all kinds of genres, both good and bad, I'm not that impressed.

 

The PS5/Xbox Series X generation so far looks like a direct continuation of the PS4/Xbox One generation, and the previous generation borrowed heavily from the PS3 generation. I think Ubisoft, EA, Activision, WB Games and Bethesda really need to come out and make a game that crosses the line. Make something that goes completely against the formula the path has been set and take a risk. But they don't. Publishers in this day and age have the ultimate say in what exactly goes into gaming. Usually, it's everything that already worked to success in the past. There's not really a lot I see that is new, at least in mainstream gaming.

 

Demon's Souls on the PS5 looks great. It is crisp, the graphics are solid, the game runs smooth like butter on the new PS5 hardware. But ultimately, it is a remake of what we already got over a decade ago. It is easier to take something that has already worked and market it than it is to create a new IP entirely from scratch, which is exactly what these companies and their publishers have been doing these past few years. Even new IPs sometimes look like they are an amalgamation of trending ideas that somebody just slapped together. Risk aversion seems to be the thing nowadays. The video game industry is starting to mirror the film industry with a bunch of sequels, remakes and "play it safe" adventures.

 

I honestly feel like Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone and Cyberpunk 2077, while all games worth playing and paying full price, are just walking the same path that's already been stepped on a thousand times. I remember when Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came out, how fresh it felt and how awesome it was to cause havoc in its sandbox world. Five years later, I was completely immersed with Assassin's Creed II, it's world, it's cast of characters, and sympathizing with Ezio as he hunted down the Templars responsible for killing his father and brothers. But now, over a decade later, I feel bored with a lot of AAA games. The graphics are awesome, the themes are sometimes great, Ghost of Tsushima especially, but I tend to lose interest far more quickly. The open world format is completely saturated.

 

We need something new. We need stuff that isn't afraid to take risks, and none of the giant corporations are willing to take such risks because they feel angry people on Twitter will grab their pitchforks, which may result in a loss of profits and a giant hit to their reputation.

 

This is the one thing I wish games would start. They need to start taking risks. Look at how gaming evolved in the 1990s and 2000s. We need that new, groundbreaking title that will have everyone overly excited and eagerly anticipating.

[Cal]

This might be more of a studio/developer thing but I would like games to stop being announced so early, Bayonetta 3, Elden Ring, the new Metroid game, Suicide Squad, The Callisto Protocol and a bunch of other games have been announced way to early the only thing we know is that they exits or they come out in a few years. Games should be announced once it's like 90 or 95 percent completed, Valve did a pretty good job with the announcement of Half Life Alyx they showed it off in November of 2019 and that it's released date was March of 2020 we only had to wait 3 months for the game and that was exciting. The problem I have with games being announced too early is that I am most likely going to forget the game exist or I simply lose interest  Cyberpunk 2077 is a great example when it was first announced I was like "Wow this looks great!" but as the years went on and on I just lost interest and no longer cared about the game, just work on your game and announce it when your nearly finished with it.

[RadiantFlamberge]

Games need to stop having unskippable publisher/developer logo splash screens at startup. It may be nice to see who made the game on the first load, but after that... it's enough. Let's get to the game.

 

Announcing a game's release date too early has become a real problem. People sometimes get too upset over delays, when in fact the delay is needed to fix critical issues or major annoyances. Sometimes I think "When it's done", as John Carmack said about Doom 4 (which became Doom 2016), is a good answer.

 

The "Press X to Not Die" variety of QTEs needs to die. Penalties for failing one should be minor, like losing a small bit of health or missing out on a bonus.

 

Requiring an internet connection to even play a game's single player mode needs to stop. I was interested in Godfall, but because it has that requirement, sorry... it's a no for me. If you buy Call of Duty's newer installments, stick with the PS versions. All PC CoD versions have mandatory online going forward from Black Ops 4.

[Shmeefly]

Would like to add to the logo thing @RadiantFlamberge i wish companies would stop printing bullshit policies or logo n advertisements on steelbooks or any other type of collectible ffs, i mean its a collectible, the nerve of these ppl in charge of deciding this stuff, like if they dont care doesn't mean we dont, i mean can they not slap it all onto a slip inside the case with redeem codes n other adds, n sony having the nerve to slap PS3/4 n im guessing soon ps5 logos all over some of the steelbooks/collectibles too irritates me to hell and back, sony its why were F'ing buying it, we know lol, basically just go away anything corporate really

And whover decided to force an online connection for single player games needs to be rounded up and paraded through the streets while every gamer on earth throws rotten fruit, ethernet cables n modems at him, SHAME, SHAME 

Everyone has such valid points, an intriguing thread

Edited December 25, 2020 by Shmeefly

[ladynadiad]

10 hours ago, Cal said:

This might be more of a studio/developer thing but I would like games to stop being announced so early,

 

That's definitely a developer thing.  Some games, usually indie titles, also release with nothing being said   Thing is, the latter doesn't tend to sell well and the games that are announced earlier and given type to build up hype tend to sell better.  Problem is there is really a balance there between announcing way too soon and not soon enough.  Three months actually isn't very far in advance, especially for console games with a physical version.  I think a year in advance is fine, but announcement shouldn't happen until there is a solid release date and they are ready to start taking preorders.

 

I also feel that players shouldn't be so awful to devs who delay games unless there are lots of delays and the final release is still full of major bugs.

 

Edit: Actually one thing I'd like to add that games should stop doing is tutorials on a NG+ playthrough.  I honestly think in general tutorials should be skippable from the start and let the player refer to a help menu or in game manual if they need it.  Something that especially is annoying is when games feel a need to explain a gameplay mechanic nearly every time you encounter it and there is no option to disable that.

Edited December 26, 2020 by ladynadiad

[StraightVege]

No more unavoidable damage! Fairness is paramount in action games for me.

 

For example, I'm nearly done with indie darling, Jotun, and several boss challenges in the game are heavily dependent on luck to succeed. In particular, Odin is atrociously designed for a no powers kill—if he happens to summon certain combinations of the other bosses, along with throwing his homing spears at a bad time, you're either dead or losing 90% of your health, no matter what you do. Half of my failed attempts weren't even my fault. Garbage!

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by ScarecrowsFate

[EcoShifter]

If possible, will definitely be adding more to this overtime, but for starters:

 

- Non-interactive movie games forcing player to watch its cutscenes by being unskippable (Sly series, Kingdom Hearts).

 

- Some games being way too story driven to the point where the gameplay apparently suffers for it.

 

- Games with unskippable credits (Dark Souls II, Assassin Creed iI)—especially the really long ones—and that don't even have a semi-compensating sped-up feature despite their existence in multiple (old) games (e.g., Pokemon, Jak titles) over the last several generations.

 

- Questionable lack of even minimal stealth mechanics in games that would be fine with it and that one would initially think has it (Resident Evil 3).

 

- Lack of waypoint markers in games with any detailed map and especially backtracking.

 

- Games that still don't separate even just the primary three audio features known as music, special effects, and speech. (Recent Shantae games).

 

- General lack of quality of life features, like not being able to name custom loadouts, sell/buy/drop multiple of the same items at once, non-existent fast travel in any relatively large openworld game, returning to the first section of a series of menus after backing out once, etc.

 

- Games with a plethora of cutscenes that don't store them somewhere to be watched again outside having to replay the game from start to finish.

 

- Games that still don't have enemies react and/or display the appropriate action when hit in certain limbs, even just the legs.

 

- Games that have a dismemberment system and don't go the full mile with the system as in dismembered enemies living after dismemberment (The Last of Us).

 

- A lot of games not—evolving—doing anything interesting and different with their day and night cycles gameplay wise (unlike Dying Light and Mad Max which actually does so).

 

- Games that don't have a chapter/episode/level select, especially non-openworld games.

 

- One good gradually more utilized feature I've been seeing in games with vehicular traversal is the realistic concept known as gas depletion (Mad Max, Dying Light, Days Gone). Compliments gameplay: extension of survival, exploration, etc.

 

- Another good feature are the not too many but increasing amount of openworld games' with non-immersion breaking fast traveling systems.

Edited February 22, 2021 by EcoShifter

[SaAlLoAg]

AAA developers: we got it, your game is HUGE, but please, just make collectibles actually fun to collect.

 

I'm sick of collectibles that require to just walk all over a map in order to get more than 200 (annoying) pieces of the collectible's set , without fast foward or a interesting mechanic, for over 20+ hours (after I finished all the other task of the game), just to have the honor of seeing a, at most, 2-3 minute cutscene/brief explanatation of what you just did that doesn't add any important story-related or gameplay-related aspect whatsoever. If you want me to enjoy your game at it's fullest, just make the collectibles interesting (and not tedious) to earn.

 

A good approach of what I mean with this it's in Spider-Man PS4. There, most collectibles are relevant to the charm that this game wants to provide us, whoever we are casual players, trophy hunters, or comic fans: "Landmarks" is just taking photos to buildings and will come naturally as you're exploring the map, as the photos can be taken from far away; the BC Stakeouts are tied-up with a story that continues in, and servers as introduction of, his own DLC (very decent form what I heard about it); The Research Stations have some of Harry's voice-records, where he talks about his family, his friends, and his Europa's trip (later revealed as a lie that will follow-up on the Sequel), etc, etc. The collectibles have personality and their own charm, and have a well deserved place in that fantastic game.

 

A bad approach of what I mean with this it's in AC: Unity. I don't need to explain this, just search "Assassin's Creed Unity map" and take note that the trophies requires you to collect every collectible. 

 

I just wanna get invested in the game, but bad-made collectibles always make me feel as I'm doing some sort of non-paid job. I'm not saying that collectibles shouldn't be difficult to obtain, but the process and paid-off must be fine enough to compensate that extra time dedicated towards the game: It has to be a valuable experience, as any other aspect of the game itself.

[Shmeefly]

Yea some dev teams really abuse cheap uninspiring ways to keep the player playing as long as possible while keeping development time and cost down to a minimum and collectibles are one of the easier solutions for them to do so, Ubisoft are a big abuser of this, almost every AC game has this, along with 100% synchronization, Ubisoft games are just designed to be grinded and its an unsettling thought to even start one, as ive done most ACs already. As trophy hunters collectibles generally become nothing more than a time wasting obstacle and only slow our progress which is why we tend to dislike them, that coupled with the fact weve scoured countless maps over and over in search of the next plat it just makes it all too monotonous most of the time, so i agree from a trophy hunting perspective, but im also for content, anything that expands the play time in any given game is welcome from a 'is the content worth the price tag' perspective, but i also agree they should be more engaging, like in the Batman series, the more collectibles obtained the more character lore etc you would unlock, so i felt i was learning more about the Batman universe which made hunting the collectibles worth it, and more importantly, bareable lol as oppose to what you mentioned already, spending hours running around picking up multiple pointless stuff with no purpose or reward... except that shiny bronze i guess, yea F collectibles

[DrBloodmoney]

I wish games would stop making it harder to see when you take damage.

 

It always felt counter-intuitive to me when games blur the screen, or put red tints or splotches, or 'throb', or fade to B&W when you are close to death - I'm trying to avoid getting dead here! I need to see more, not less!

 

I also wish games would stop adding 'VR' modes to real games.

 

Yes, I like games.

Yes, I want to play your game.

Yes, I want to experience all of it.

No, I don't want to wear a silly hat!

Edited February 10, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Shmeefly]

Completely agree, i dont bother starting a game unless i know i can 100% it, and Concrete Genie free this month has a VR only DLC, like really??... I either have to spend a huge chunk of money on something i dont actually want to finish your game or completely miss the game altogether... Great business idea from the Genie devs there!! I dont mind if they want to VR everything up, so long as the core game is made for a controller and nothing is trying to force us into the VR aspect, it should be an optional bonus for those who want to own one, Resident Evil 7 is a perfect example of how u can make an amazing AAA title with VR, VR is not the future, it may well be in the future in arcades and gaming stores, hell i can even see buildings being built in the futue like those escape rooms you can go to, except you pay to enter a room and the room itself is a huge screen simulation with rolling floors for you to run on the spot etc, n sensor suits you have to wear lol, but thats some futuristic shit... many many years away lol but even then though, hand held controls will ALWAYS be the root of gaming at home, and thats where we all game at the end of the day, to me VR is nothing more than an overpriced, and unrefined gimic

[Toast_On_Cheese]

For games specifically, focusing too much on graphics or size, I've seen games like mafiaIII go by, focused on fancy graphics and huge scale and the gameplay is overly monotonous rinse and repeat.

 

For consoles, start focusing on customisation, I have like 50 custom themes on my ps3, they're really great, and not being able to do that on ps4 sucked.

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by Toast_On_Cheese
Forgot to put start in "start focusing on customisation"

[AJ_Radio]

1 hour ago, Toast_On_Cheese said:

For games specifically, focusing too much on graphics or size, I've seen games like mafiaIII go by, focused on fancy graphics and huge scale and the gameplay is overly monotonous rinse and repeat.

 

I second this. I'm really getting sick and tired of open world games doing the same monotonous tasks in gaming. Were it not for the themes and stories a good number of them are practically the same. 'Go Here', 'Kill X Number of Troops', 'Escort NPC to Said Destination', etc etc etc.

 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was one of the few games that did open world right. Every sidequest felt unique. There is literally a sidequest to retrieve some old lady's pan in a house, you give it to her and the quest is done. Sounds boring, but it wasn't boring. I also loved collecting all the different Gwent cards in the vast open world of The Witcher 3, and deciding the fate of Keira, a female sorceress you meet fairly early in the game.

 

Every Ubisoft open world game has the same boring side activities, none of them unique or compelling. In Assassin's Creed Origins you could tell they tried to copy The Witcher 3 with all those question marks, but they felt tedious. Exploring the pyramids and tombs was fun, but there needed to be more of them.

 

In Just Cause 4 I had to do over 400+ stunts, and most of the side missions were overly repetitive. Mafia III at least has decent storytelling and takes place in an interesting time period, but suffers from monotonous gameplay and glitched trophies.

[peffsi]

I wish games would let you fully customize the controls.

Just let me assign which button I want to use to attack, jump, sprint, etc.

I hate using triggers to attack. I hate clicking in L3 to run faster. I hate having Interact and Jump on the same button, so when I'm trying to talk to somebody I just jump jump jump because the Talk prompt isn't showing up for whatever reason.

 

[funboy1246]

stop being incomplete buggy messes and start coming out as competent and complete games. stop loot box and other predatory tactics to get all the moneys. stop with the massive open worlds with nothing to offer, boring locations excessive amount of collectibles. stop season passes. just give it to us in the game or leave it out. 

[Kristen Danielle]

Episodic games need to end. If I wanted to wait for ages in between chapters of a story, I'd watch a weekly TV show. I need instant gratification— so much, in fact, that if I decide I like a TV show, I will often wait until the series finale is finished and get the DVD box set. It annoys me that Kingdom Hearts Union χ has existed since September of 2015 and they still haven't finished developing the dang story, yet they are making another entry called Dark Road which will likely drag on for years as well. I just want to be able to play the entire story of Kingdom Hearts from χ to III, thank you very much! lol

Edited February 22, 2021 by Kristen Danielle

[AJ_Radio]

5 hours ago, Kristen Danielle said:

Episodic games need to end. If I wanted to wait for ages in between chapters of a story, I'd watch a weekly TV show. I need instant gratification— so much, in fact, that if I decide I like a TV show, I will often wait until the series finale is finished and get the DVD box set. It annoys me that Kingdom Hearts Union χ has existed since September of 2015 and they still haven't finished developing the dang story, yet they are making another entry called Dark Road which will likely drag on for years as well. I just want to be able to play the entire story of Kingdom Hearts from χ to III, thank you very much! lol

I will admit that TellTale Games deserved some credit because they started the episodic game series that we know today. 
 

Now it’s just been beaten to death. TellTale got lazy and threw in the same formula every time. Life is Strange, made by a different company, was a nice change of pace, but I honestly don’t care about getting either Life is Strange: Before the Storm or Life is Strange 2. 
 

For both, people had to wait a long time for the games to come to an end. You had to wait months just for the next episode to come out. It was the same with Batman TellTale and Batman: The Enemy Within. I will be honest, I enjoyed both. But they were rather cliche and formulaic. 

Edited February 23, 2021 by AJ_Radio