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Marko also brings up a good point though. Games these days are still an outlet for wish fulfillment. The average gamer doesn't want to play a game where the solution to a conflict is to shoot their son in the head. They want unlimited ammo and the ability to mysteriously carry 40 guns at once. They don't want to run away and hide by a river, waiting for the sun to set. We're still a long way from The Road The Game.
That said, I agree that the medium can and should attempt to push forward and challenge tropes. I believe that it is possible to strip the need for reward and wish fulfillment from games, while still making a product that is compelling and "fun." It might require some people to challenge their notions about what "fun" is and about what they expect to get out of games as a medium, but I absolutely believe it's possible."
But it also pioneered a lot of really essential mechanics for modern 3D action games, including lock-on targeting. It nailed the fundamentals of fighting with a sword and shield in 3D, and because of that it has a pretty far-reaching legacy. I think modern games owe to its innovation. But modern games also kind of blow it away."
That said, the game received a pretty stunning graphical overhaul, so it looks beautiful in regular old 2D, which is how I've mostly been playing."
Rob, you've made me want to pop this thing in again. There's nothing quite like it."
It's a shame so many people are turned off by the challenge, because it's not a cheap difficulty by any means. There is only one unavoidable death in the entire game, and it's put there to move the story forward."
Your article actually brings up something I find incredibly lacking in a lot of my favorite games. Bethesda games, for example, have you talking to people who robotically stare straight ahead at you during a conversation. The character animations in Oblivion and Fallout 3 are so stiff that I find it's hard to connect with characters in those games at all. You have to rely solely on the writing and the acting."
