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[Killjoy-NL]

Just play God of War, and you should be happy. It's a simple corridor game that holds your hands all the way through.

For a game like GoW that's perfectly fine.

The last thing I want in a narrative-driven game, is disctraction and needless backtracking for the sake of artificially extending playtime.

In a open-world game, I don't really mind it (branching paths, backtracking etc).

 

[RoboFu]

And that's why games are now just linear interactive movies because there are a lot of you pansies.

 

[kubricks]

Old JRPG has it worst. Many branching paths leads to nothing or serve simply as resources check.

Fuck Sekiro

Wait what? I remember most of the paths are meaningful in some way?

 

[crackajack]

I hate it in linear games.
When the left branch joins with the right branch just 10 m down the way, so you have to walk one of those at least twice to "explore" stuff.

 

[Paasei]

Bro. Who the FUCK has time to replay games?

I've always wondered that. People with tiny backlogs? People who play two genres?

I always wondered why people are so obsessed with a backlog. I play games for the fun of it, not because I have to. I play whatever the fuck I want even if that means not playing a game I have lying around for a while. Once I want to play that, I’ll get to it.

 

[cireza]

Great testimony of the level of stress people endure nowadays. Don't get stressed over a game having branching paths, you are supposed to have fun. You didn't explore a path ? Who cares ? Is this your job to begin with ?

All of this is happening because publishers/developers have been turning our games into fucking jobs. They made us check boxes in infinite lists of stupid things to do. Fuck this, have fun.

 

[crackajack]

I always wondered why people are so obsessed with a backlog. I play games for the fun of it, not because I have to. I play whatever the fuck I want even if that means not playing a game I have lying around for a while. Once I want to play that, I’ll get to it.

Backlog are games we want to play, for the fun of it ... there's just too many. It's not that we randomly buy shit and then complain about a huge backlog we fail to downsize ever.

 

[Hrk69]

I always wondered why people are so obsessed with a backlog. I play games for the fun of it, not because I have to. I play whatever the fuck I want even if that means not playing a game I have lying around for a while. Once I want to play that, I’ll get to it.

Backlogs are a dickmeasuring contest. "Look at all the games I still need to play!"

Bonus points if you complain about your busy life and that you have no time.

Same goes for pre-orders.

"Ooh look at me, I'm such a huge fan of this game, I already pre-ordered it before any footage was shown"

 

[winjer]

This is why we get crap level design in modern games.

 

[Mephisto40]

 

[MujkicHaris]

I love branching paths. I love the feeling of being lost in a game's world. Especially when the devs reward me with a bit of environmental storytelling at the end. This is why Oblivion, Fallout 3, Gothic II are some of my favorites. And these games spoiled me so much that I can't enjoy a lot of modern ones anymore.

You can't get lost. Everything is explained, marked with poorly designed UI elements. No mystery, subtle exposition, sense of exploration, nothing.

 

[TheSHEEEP]

It’s when there’s no map and the paths all look the same and just keep branching that it gets frustrating.

So you hate bad level design.
That's perfectly normal - it has nothing to do with branching, though.

If you don't like bad pizza, that doesn't mean that you don't like any pizza.

 

[Paasei]

Backlog are games we want to play, for the fun of it ... there's just too many. It's not that we randomly buy shit and then complain about a huge backlog we fail to downsize ever.

Just make a decision and not worry about whatever's left to do? Still seems like an issue/problem for some people that just isn't there.

 

[brenobnfm]

Old JRPG has it worst. Many branching paths leads to nothing or serve simply as resources check.



Wait what? I remember most of the paths are meaningful in some way?

They are, it's just too mentally exhausting when you're fucking tired from trying to survive.

 

[BossLackey]

Backlog are games we want to play, for the fun of it ... there's just too many. It's not that we randomly buy shit and then complain about a huge backlog we fail to downsize ever.

Holy shit THANK YOU! I feel like people are being intentionally obtuse.

 

[deriks]

Not alone, mate

The real problem tho is when those different paths don't lead to a different end result. Cyberpunk was proof that this sucks

GTA also should change the police stuff to be harsh in the long run if you lead the "mean path"

 

[Kamina]

Branching paths can be nice as long as I can differentiate between branches and the main progression path. Nothing is worse than trying to explore but accidentally progressing the story and being unable to return.

 

[consoul]

Branching paths and exploring are good. Getting locked out of exploring a path sucks.

You plan to check out one path and then come back for the other one, then as soon as you set off on the first one: cutscene, saving icon and you're unable to go back through that door because reasons. Fuck that. I hate that.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

I wonder how you do in real life then, infinite possibility and beyond !

Pick your GIF

 

[Trilobit]

I nearly started crying out of frustration when I couldn't backtrack to the ship on one of the planets in Jedi Fallen Order. I even looked through walkthroughs and still wound up going the wrong way.

So no, I really don't like confusing paths I have to memorize.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

I highly recommend FF13.

Beat me to it.

This is a typical map in FF13.

START-------------------------------------FINISH.

 

[Humdinger]

What I've done is adopt a strategy of always exploring left-hand paths first. I always go left first, then work my way right. That helps me keep my bearings. Granted, if the pathways get too complex, I still get lost.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

I thought this was about games with multiple, mutually exclusive branching paths that lead to different endings. I would agree with that.

But multiple paths to explore? I like that, even if it can get a bit confusing.
There’s an extreme with that though, and that’s the old-school labyrinths that only really disappeared in the 6th gen. You know the ones, those where every corridor and door and wall looks exactly the same, and if you’re lucky you get a top-down map to get your bearings. But so many of those games didn’t even give you that. I could never play those without a guide today.

 

[IAmRei]

Looks like im minor here, i like being lost