Once hailed for its attention to detail, fascinating back story, and historical accuracy, the Assassin’s Creed’s legacy has slowly begun to diminish. As a fictional universe, it can be expected that not all historical features will be completely accurate, but has the furthering of plot and milking of the franchise begun to corrupt the series as a whole?
Analyse the historical periods that the franchise has covered as well as which games most effectively combined the assassin trope within its historical context. This article would also try to avoid “playability” as an argument (e.g. Black Flag: is it fun to play? Sure. Are assassin’s and pirates accurate? No.) From this regard, an article like this could also look into what the true identity of Assassin’s Creed is and whether game-play and the templar plot-line is more crucial than its historical back drop. It would also need to consider whether Assassin’s Creed Origins was an attempt of getting rid of the series’ baggage and whether its new format can help bring the series back to its former glory.
As a die hard fan, the idea that the series is diminishing is not something I like to hear. However, I'll admit that Origins was, for me, a low point. Speculating on what the new title "Assassin's Creed: Odyssey" needs to do to reignite the series would also be interesting. – ValleyChristion6 years ago
I think Assassin's Creed is more a victim of "the one year between release" formula was used until recently. Taking a year off before the release of Origins was a good thing, which helped develop interest in the franchise and the addition of more RPG elements changed up some gameplay. – Sean Gadus6 years ago
Usually, articles with "the rise and fall of" in the title are predictable and unattractive. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Throughout literature and games studies there have been many kinds of heroes (such as the Romantic hero and its offset the Byronic hero) and different hero archetypes (the unwilling hero, the anti-hero, etc.) However, amongst these categories for characterization, has Bethesda in its Elder Scrolls Series created a new heroic archetype? With the start of every game, the player starts off as a prisoner of unknown cause. By the completion of the main quest line, they are renowned as a hero for the ages: (The Agent, The Nerevarine, The Hero of Kavatch, The Dragonborn, etc.). Analyze the significance of "the prisoner" archetype as the starter for all major heroes in the Elder Scrolls Universe.
A great place to start in terms of research would be the Elder Scrolls podcast: Written In Uncertainty which deals with the metaphysical aspects of the Elder Scrolls. Episode 10 talks about this while listing in-game and real-world sources that would be of great value to consider. Other areas of research good include looking at the moral ambiguity players can embody and whether these correspond with existing archetypes.
Would recommend that Pamela Marie considers some of the most successful intro mods that have been introduced into the Skyrim game. Also, consider the different archetypes available in the Elder Scrolls universe. Why can't we be a ruler? A deposed ruler? A father who lost his son (LOL Fallout)? A brother? A War Veteran? Obviously the construction of giving us a backstory is that we ourselves cannot reimagine one, which ruins multiple playthroughs, but I totally agree that it would be nice got Bestheda to reimagine its start. It's with discussions like these that I wish more games adopted the Dragon Age Origins approach of six different origin stories. Man, Bioware were dedicated back then.😢 – andrewherlinger426 years ago
Analyse how videos games released around the 1900s-2010s were better suited for youth than today's modern ones.
Are they? There might be something here the problem is the way it is written. I think you mean the 1990s not 1900s. Also, 2010 does not seem all that long ago. – Joseph Cernik6 years ago
I'm not sure if old school video games are better than modern video games. Can you clarify what you mean by "better suited" and did you have any specific examples of video games in mind for this topic? Maybe you can also explore how old school video games influenced modern video games or how the video game industry has grown throughout the years. – jay6 years ago
Need to make sure you have clear criteria for both old school and new. This is a topic that may be heavily different for people who grew up in the 80s and 90s vs. growing up as a younger person in current generation, so be wary of nostalgia/rose tinted googles clouding perceptions. Try to be as objective, use as objective categories as you can like gameplay, mechanics, controls, player agency/responsibility to eliminate as much bias as possible. – Sean Gadus6 years ago
What I mean is that there are video games in today's world that are definitely more violent than before. Video games along the lines of Mario Bros., Pacman, etc. are not as violent-related as the ones we know now (e.g., Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto). Arcade games could also be added if the writer who writes this topic finds it suitable. – Yvonne T.6 years ago
I left some revisions about the context of the game and the time. Although it has been marked as revised, the topic still remains the same. When you find a moment, please edit your topic so that the dates are correct and it has more substance. – Pamela Maria6 years ago
There is still a lot to be refined on this topic in order to be discussed. The topic makes no mention of violence, however, your comment below does. I think there are two potential articles here - one regarding the increase in the depiction of violence in games throughout the years; consideration of rendering capability, maturity of the art from itself, external influences from literature and film, and expectations of the audience. The other side to this again takes into consideration technological developments but more of a focus on the design of game mechanics. We now have more processing power and capability to integrate more and more complex systems, however, often the simplicity of earlier game mechanics meant a greater degree of accessibility for the audience, thus seeming more succussful – CAntonyBaker5 years ago
Last week it was announced that the development of Metroid Prime 4 for Nintendo Switch would be completely scrapped due to quality concerns and restarted with Metroid Prime Trilogy developer Retro Studios. The game joins a long line of games have that went through multiple versions and studio changes. This includes monumental failures like Duke Nukem Forever (moving game studios and engines multiple times), or the acclaimed Fall Out 3 (move to Bethesday Studios and completely overhauled). This article could examine the successes and failures of these drastic moves and the merits of changing studios/starting over from scratch.
Another interesting thing to consider in this is player access to these lost files and whether they decide if they were worthy of being further developed. For example with Bethesda, the Elder Scrolls is notorious for cutting fully developed questlines, options, etc. Players later overhaul these as mods and in some instances, people harass the developer for cutting this content. – Pamela Maria6 years ago
EA is one of the biggest, if the biggest video game company in the world. The company has an exclusive 10 year deal with Disney to make AAA Star Wars video games. Their run has been marred with controversy and critical disappointment. The 1st Battlefront game was launched with a limited amount of content, which drew negative attention from many critics and fans. Battlefront 2 was mired with an enormous loot box/micro transaction controversy, which contributed to disappointing sales (compared to EA's expectations). EA also cancelled and closed Visceral Studios and its Single Player Action and Adventure Star Wars Game, an idea many fans were excited about. There is now a rumor that another Star Wars project has been cancelled. Why can't EA make Star Wars, one of the most profitable brands in the world, reach the massive heights that many expected in terms of sales, game output, and critical reception?
With the release of Spiderman, I keep hearing comments on how brilliant the narrative is. Do you think the back story of a narrative video game has to be compelling to play it? How much does it affect your enjoyment?
I think this is an interesting topic and one that has arisen a number of times here, but has never been fully discussed. The concept of narrative in gaming is very different due to its modular narrative, and we see that games with great reviews, awards and fan bases often have strong narratives. Yet we also have a myriad of popular, "blockbuster" games that don't even bother. So I agree how much narrative is needed? – SaraiMW6 years ago
Love the topic. I suggest looking at God of War 2018 as well. It's just begging to be compared to spider man PS4. Both are PS4 Exclusives, with iconic heroes, and deep/detailed backstories. Some would say both subvert our expectations of their established canon, ala a Kratos trying to raise a son/be a good father, and Spider Man not at the beginning of his career, Norman Osbourne Mayor, Mary Jane as a journalist. God of War has one of the most compelling stories from a game this year. – Sean Gadus6 years ago
The Last Of Us has also been praised, both for cinematic storytelling and the crafting of a brilliant narrative and strong character development. – ValleyChristion6 years ago
Fore me it depends on the genre. Any RPG, whether it be turn-based, open world, or tactical, needs to have a great narrative and story. There are elements of RPGs that I love, such as level grinding, character customization, and level progression, but story is what makes want to finish the game. Platformers, shooters, and other types of games can have a lackluster story and still be playable. Spiderman is that type of game for me. Most will play because they are fans of the Marvel Universe and would play the only thing available to do was swing with spidy webs and kick bad guy butt. – Richard Krauss6 years ago
I think it all depends on the individual. Many gamers prefer well-done mechanics and couldn't care less about the narrative, while many other games, usually more casual, tend to prefer a good story. I'm more of a casual gamer myself, but I do know that there's definitely a divide between storytelling and gameplay preferences in the gaming community. With the success of games such as The Last of Us, the Uncharted games, Detroit: Become Human, The Witcher series, God of War 2018, etc. it's become more prevalent to wider audiences that games are a medium capable of storytelling. (I'm aware that there are many games before these that have had good stories, I'm just referring to more recent games that presented this to the mainstream). Proponents argue that the games show that video games can be art (which I think they are by default, regardless of a strong narrative or not) However, there's also been some pushback and complaints that video game studios are focusing too much on being "interactive movies" with their emphasis on photorealistic graphics and story-driven projects. I see valid points on both sides, and personally, I just enjoy a game that's fun to play. I think it comes down to the team creating the game and how they want to approach their production. Some games set out to tell a good story, others care more about gameplay, and many others have achieved both, though all that's subjective of course. Personally, it depends on what I know about the game in terms of its genre and what I expect from it. I enjoy The Witcher 3 and Uncharted 4, which have great graphics and engaging characters, and also like a game such as Shovel Knight, a pixelated game which itself has a simple story but also has beautiful art direction and good mechanics. And of course, Nintendo games such as Mario Kart and Super Mario Party never fail to bore me. – ImperatorSage6 years ago
I'd highly recommend that the person who tackles this topic look into Narratology within the field of Game Studies or Digital Media Studies. There's lots of good stuff out there to support arguments made! – Pamela Maria6 years ago
Analyze the negative reception of Bayonetta's attire, behavior, in the games she is featured. She is resurfaced as a playable character in the Newest Smash game, and though she is provocatively dressed and mischevious in morals, it can be argued that she is well aware of these qualities and is not being forced to dress this way. Therefore this character isn't a sexist interpretation because the character is aware and okay with who she is. Her appearance represents her expression of self, not a female character with no reason wearing revealing armor.
What makes a horror game scary exactly? Is it the gameplay, story, atmosphere, music or a combination of all the above or a mixture of one or the other? Personally I believe it is a combination of all the above. The gameplay and atmosphere should play off each other. For example the first 3 Resident Evil games captured a level of horror that they have not been able to recapture until RE7. The static camera angles combined with the tank controls and the horrific things you encounter in the Spencer Mansion all play into each other. The sheer fact that you can easily mess up your movement and be killed if you panic and do not stay calm and navigate around the obstacles that are the enemies was a great formula for horror.
Combine that with the ink ribbon system and the limited ammo and healing items and you feel like you are unwelcome in the mansion. This isn't a place you should be in, and whether or whether not you survive is all up to you. The music and story; while campy, all aid in the creation of a horror filled environment that create waves of unease and terror as you try to stay alive and solve the mystery of what exactly happened there and try to get out as quickly as possible.
I'd be interesting to compare the first person perspective in RE7 to the older games over the shoulder third person perspective and how they can create tension! – Sean Gadus6 years ago
Well, fear is subjective. I believe people have to be conditioned to become scared of certain moments. A personal example for me was in RE 4 when I ran into the regenerator. I became scared of it due to missing the thermal scope so I would keep dumping ammo into it with hopes that it would die. I eventually ran out and had to fight it with a knife. So after that everytime, I would hear its heavy breathing I would get anxious. This is why I believe most people get annoyed with jump scares as first of their surprising (not scary), but also you can predict them. Fear does not just happen it has to be built upon. You cannot just insert a background music that sounds spooky and expects people to suddenly become scared. there has to be a reason for the fear. Its why games like Silent Hill 2 and Alien isolation work. As you are playing as a character in a dark oppressive environment who is not suited for combat being chased some form of monster. It is why RE 5-6 do not work as horror games. You're loaded up to the teeth with big guns and ammo. Anything that comes your way in that situation is going to have a closed casket funeral. – Blackcat1306 years ago
