Random thoughts about games part 1

Is it just me or do modern games feel like they're just not quite refined as they should be. I really don't recall ever thinking that Deus Ex, Baldur's Gate or Diablo are lacking something. But now the thought pops up while playing just about any game. This lack of refinement can be seen in the amount of bugs but also in bad design choices. Some games don't know what they want to present the player with and some just mix as much stuff as possible together and suck at every part.

Let's take Mirror's Edge. The main concept of running around in and on tall buildings is cool as hell and different. But they decided to add a half-assed combat system that just isn't fun. So now even the basic running parts aren't all that fun because you're constantly being shot at and just waiting when is the next MANDATORY fighting sequence going to come along. This was really a game I wanted to like, but sadly it's just bad. And the most annoying part is that I can't help but to think how awesome this game could have been.

The only games that seem to be consistent are racing games. Take GRID or Sega Rally or PGR 4 or whatever but they are what they are from the beginning to the end. Not once have i thought that GRID would be better if it had like explosions and some quicktime events and some sexy dialogue. It's consistent so even if some parts are weaker than others they really don't stand out and it offers a wholesome experience.

Don't get me wrong, there has always been bad games but the difference is that now there are really bad prestige and AA-class games. And usually the concept of the game is great, but then it's just fucked up during the design and implementation. It reminds me of the movie industry and the serious emergence of independent movies from 60's onwards. I think there is a similar trend going on with games at the moment.

I guess we're living in a phase where videogames are evolving in their cultural and business context. It's like the business part forces games to be published unfinished and not fully thought through and the developers aren't really artistically ambitious enough to fight back. Hopefully this will be just a phase that can be set aside in the future. In the end it would be best for everybody that games would realize their full potential.