This generation has been lacking overall. (Long read)

Let me just say that I do like this generation, all things considered.

Some games are truly timeless.

I was playing through Super Mario World a few weeks ago for probably the thousanth time. Obviously we all know the game was released almost twenty years ago, and honestly, nostalgia aside, the game holds up great after all these years. It retains its very fun platforming, visual charm, and catchy music.

And of course this doesn't just apply to SMW. There are several games that hold up very well; Super Metroid, Symphony of the Night, Deus Ex, Fallout, and of course Starcraft are just some among the many games that you can comfortably call classics, because they each do something either very progressive, or basically master what's already been nailed down.

The games this generation don't have anything of the sort.

Think about it carefully; there's really no game, on PC or console, that's like a Deus Ex in terms of progression in gameplay and/or design. Instead, while games this generation have most definitely improved on the interactive aspect of gaming, game design seems to have taken a few steps back in a few genres. The FPS genre, for being so saturated this gen, has progressed at a snail's pace. Actually that's probably an insult to the snail, as it probably has the drive to push further. Arguably the only two progressive titles this gen have been Crysis and STALKER, but at the same time, their progression hasn't really been enough to put up with some of the best shooters around. The year 2004 alone, progressed the genre more than this gen ever did, as Butcher Bay, Far Cry, and Half Life 2 were among the games released that year.

Then there's the stealth genre, which was practically destoryed this gen. When Splinter Cell Conviction ends up being one of the best offers for a stealth game, there's a serious problem. Then there's also the RPG genre, and even the RTS genre is taking a couple of hits.

Is it consolization? It really does feel like it's playing its "part" this generation, but the lack of progression is just one of the issues of this generation.

Games this gen also, for the most part age poorly. Grand Theft Auto 4 is one of the highest rated games this gen. Yet only two years after its release, the controls are terrible, the visuals are ugly, and the framerate becomes unbareable. Two years ago, it was one of my all time favorite games. If it manages to heavily rust over the course of only a couple years, can we be sure if we're going to find games like Red Dead and ME2 special five years from now, let alone fun? I'm aware that even some games last gen and the one before aged poorly, but there were always some games that ended up being classics.

There's yet to be a game this gen to really go above and beyond. I find that more developers seem to be aiming for stronger narrative instead of some truly unique, original gameplay like back in the day. The days of creativity and risk-taking doesn't seem to play as prominent of a role this gen compared to last or even the one before. The rising development costs may be a contribution to the issue.

And with that, I find that this gen overall has been lacking some true classics. I know I'm probably alone on this, but I'm interested in what the wonderful people at SW think of all this.

didn't feel like reading that because every day theres a topic on how this generation is lacking and you guys basically say the same thing, sorry man, if gaming isn't to your standards go back the the playstation 1 or nintendo 64 you have options. There are other hobbies out there than gaming, go find something else if its not satisfying and not complain about it. Sorry man but this is getting old, "all the topics on system wars have been the same thing now"

didn't feel like reading that because every day theres a topic on how this generation is lacking and you guys basically say the same thing, sorry man, if gaming isn't to your standards go back the the playstation 1 or nintendo 64 you have options. There are other hobbies out there than gaming, go find something else if its not satisfying and not complain about it. Sorry man but this is getting old, "all the topics on system wars have been the same thing now"

Chris_Williams

[QUOTE="Chris_Williams"]

didn't feel like reading that because every day theres a topic on how this generation is lacking and you guys basically say the same thing, sorry man, if gaming isn't to your standards go back the the playstation 1 or nintendo 64 you have options. There are other hobbies out there than gaming, go find something else if its not satisfying and not complain about it. Sorry man but this is getting old, "all the topics on system wars have been the same thing now"

mo0ksi

and again i say there is still the ps1, ps2, xbox, gamecube, nintendo 64, gamecube and lots of other consoles that you can play or pick a new hobby, i think this gen is the most progressive one "HD, 3D, MULITPLAYER, TROPHIES/ACHIEVMENTS, MOTION CONTROL "debatable" , PATCHES TO GAMES and etc, so i don't understand what your saying about this being the least progressive generationChris_Williams

That's not the progression I'm looking for, or even talking about. I'm talking about the actual games progressing; to shake up its genre and pave a way for new games to come in. Thai kind of progression.

"Progressive" or not, it's the generation I've had the most fun with.

We have many, many awesome games, from many genres and styles.

I couldn't care less if games are not "progressing" as long as I'm having fun with them.

So nope, I don't think it's been lacking, at all.

Just wanted to say SMG and SMG2 are still some of the best rated games in gaming history and are in this generation

GTA 4 too, but I haven't really played that =P

[QUOTE="Chris_Williams"] and again i say there is still the ps1, ps2, xbox, gamecube, nintendo 64, gamecube and lots of other consoles that you can play or pick a new hobby, i think this gen is the most progressive one "HD, 3D, MULITPLAYER, TROPHIES/ACHIEVMENTS, MOTION CONTROL "debatable" , PATCHES TO GAMES and etc, so i don't understand what your saying about this being the least progressive generationmo0ksi

That's not the progression I'm looking for, or even talking about. I'm talking about the actual games progressing; to shake up its genre and pave a way for new games to come in. Thai kind of progression.

didn't feel like reading that because every day theres a topic on how this generation is lacking and you guys basically say the same thing, sorry man, if gaming isn't to your standards go back the the playstation 1 or nintendo 64 you have options. There are other hobbies out there than gaming, go find something else if its not satisfying and not complain about it. Sorry man but this is getting old, "all the topics on system wars have been the same thing now"

Chris_Williams

[QUOTE="Chris_Williams"]

didn't feel like reading that because every day theres a topic on how this generation is lacking and you guys basically say the same thing, sorry man, if gaming isn't to your standards go back the the playstation 1 or nintendo 64 you have options. There are other hobbies out there than gaming, go find something else if its not satisfying and not complain about it. Sorry man but this is getting old, "all the topics on system wars have been the same thing now"

AAllxxjjnn

[QUOTE="mo0ksi"]

[QUOTE="Chris_Williams"] and again i say there is still the ps1, ps2, xbox, gamecube, nintendo 64, gamecube and lots of other consoles that you can play or pick a new hobby, i think this gen is the most progressive one "HD, 3D, MULITPLAYER, TROPHIES/ACHIEVMENTS, MOTION CONTROL "debatable" , PATCHES TO GAMES and etc, so i don't understand what your saying about this being the least progressive generationChris_Williams

That's not the progression I'm looking for, or even talking about. I'm talking about the actual games progressing; to shake up its genre and pave a way for new games to come in. Thai kind of progression.

[QUOTE="AAllxxjjnn"][QUOTE="Chris_Williams"]

didn't feel like reading that because every day theres a topic on how this generation is lacking and you guys basically say the same thing, sorry man, if gaming isn't to your standards go back the the playstation 1 or nintendo 64 you have options. There are other hobbies out there than gaming, go find something else if its not satisfying and not complain about it. Sorry man but this is getting old, "all the topics on system wars have been the same thing now"

Chris_Williams

"Progressive" or not, it's the generatin I've had the most fun with. We have many, many awesome games, from many genres and styles. I couldn't care less if games are not "progressing" as long as I'm having fun with them. So nope, I don't think it's been lacking, at all.So I don't think it's been lacking, at all. IronBass

umm, have you played uncharted 2? or little big planet? dead space? i've never played anything like those games last gen soo i just think i absolutely have no idea how you can say games aren't progressing. Consoles are becoming like a computer?, you know the original ps1 could play music cd's, i used that feature alot back in the day. Their just not know doing this, its just giving you more bang for your buck, if you have a prob with that then that sucks man

Chris_Williams

[QUOTE="IronBass"] "Progressive" or not, it's the generatin I've had the most fun with. We have many, many awesome games, from many genres and styles. I couldn't care less if games are not "progressing" as long as I'm having fun with them. So nope, I don't think it's been lacking, at all.So I don't think it's been lacking, at all. mo0ksi

umm, have you played uncharted 2? or little big planet? dead space? i've never played anything like those games last gen soo i just think i absolutely have no idea how you can say games aren't progressing. Consoles are becoming like a computer?, you know the original ps1 could play music cd's, i used that feature alot back in the day. Their just not know doing this, its just giving you more bang for your buck, if you have a prob with that then that sucks man

Chris_Williams

I agree.

There hasnt been many unforgetable games this gen.

This gen will be remembered fondly 10 years from now when everyone complains about future gens being lacking.

You are not alone my friend.

I think that there are plenty of unique great games this gen but they just aren't the most popular, if you're playing mario and CoD and expecting to see something new then I think you're kinda off. Although the game play might be very familiar to other games now days there seems to be an emphasis on presentation( not just graphics but the way the game makes you feel as well) this gen. Bio Shock is a very unique experience in many ways but also seems like old hat in other ways. The other main focuses seem to be HD online multiplayer and motion controls. I'm a fan of all of this except motion controls. Games like Dead Rising and Little big Planet have a familiar feel to some degree but also completely unique. I personally think last gen was far worse about this and mostly just presented better graphics.

Actually (for the HD consoles) I think this gen has the highest ratio of good games to bad games ever achieved.

I agree completely. There are so few games this generation that i will go back and play years from now because they are fun. The only games this generation that i can think of that was a totally new ip that tried something different were Portal and Left 4 Dead, and those were both made by Valve.

You know what is wrong with the industry now?
It is becoming like the Music and movie industry. Producers are making cheap thrill rides that will be forgotten in a few years time.

i got bad news for you there bud.

things were better when i was a boy talk is followed shortly by "you'uns kids get offa my lawn!" and "omg! there is a paper bag on fire on my front porch!"

beware the slippery slope! beeeewaaaarrrre!

I would have to agree with you poster. However I think there's an exception-- and that's LittleBigPlanet. I've been playing it again recently, and it just never ceases to amaze me. While the single story wasn't the greatest, the user created content has elevated gaming, seriously have you seen some of the creativty that LBP offers? It's amazing, and I think down the road, it could be a game looked upon that set the bar higher, although unfortunately not a lot of people even gave it a chance.

Great gameplay, unique visuals, strong community in terms of user created content, it's one of the most unique games to come in such a long time.

I think we've had some instant classics.

BioShock is one, Braid is one.

BioShock, for its originality; sure, in some ways it's a stripped down System Shock 2 in the gameplay arena, but that's more inspiration than execution if we were being honest, and the overall experiences are entirely different, though not in quality, as many posit.

Any failings in terms of gameplay are wiped away; the game will not let go, never quite collapses under the weight of its ridiculous ambition. t's story and setting are poignant, its atmosphere is haunting, and the entire game is actually quite insane, like a fever dream.

I've played System Shock 2 and BioShock back to back before a couple times now, and **** if I can decide which I like more. SS2 has advantages over BioShock and vice versa, but they're really just different translations of the same essential idea, or, as I've put it before, the nightmare of a scientist vs. the nightmare of an artist, which is to say that they complement one another.

Both are masterpieces, and I think BioShock will age just as well as SS2, honestly.

-

Braid gives me that tingle that Another World gave me at first, and still does.

It's one of the best puzzle platformers I've played, and it seems full of secrets. There is an air of mystery to Braid, even after you think you know it well, and that's what really makes it, aside from anything else.

It's a game in which the game "objectives" are forced into the peripheral. Sometimes, for just a moment, it feels like an true quest, like there might really be something to be gained, other than just "finishing the game", or an achievement, or any other carrot on a stick.

I felt that way with Majora's Mask, too.

-

Those are the two I feel pretty sure about, along with Silent Hill: Homecoming and Twilight Princess, though I won't bother explaining either of those choices in detail. Few people are willing to really dig deeper on Homecoming (which is very much a game of layers), and I haven't really changed many minds on the TP circuit either; I suspect I won't be able to, not until Skyward Sword is out, anyway.

As for others that I'm considering... eh, I don't know. Deadly Premonition made a very strong impression on me, but it needs more time before I can call it a classic. I need to play it some more. Dead Rising is there, but I've let a good bit of time slide between my last major foray with it and now; it needs a long sit down.

So, I guess I feel pretty optimistic about gaming these days. That's basically four instant classics in my book, and I've barely scratched the surface of this generation's releases.

If something like Deadly Premonition was hiding out there, imagine what else there might be.

There were a few legends

LittleBigPlanet

Super Mario Galaxy

Bioshock (though deriving from other games it still has its own flavor)

Demon Soul's (well if you can stand it)

Portal

All Bioware Games

I know alot of people who'll be playing these games 10 years from now

This gen blows away all other gens IMO

Timeless games for me this gen =

halo 3 even if reach comes out i will always love this game,

assassins creed 2 is a trully beautiful game with a great story you can just walk around a city doing nothing and enjoy the game the city is alive with all kinds of people just going about there business,

mass effect 2 great story great combat great graphics 10 out of 10,

gears of war 1 this game was everything to me when it came out i loved every second playing it and it will never get old i still wish the online community was around and not playing gears of war 2 now hehe,

bioshock 1 a very original game with a crazy twist ending great graphics and gunplay i love this series,

Super mario galaxy the red plumber never looked so good or been so much fun i can't speak for SMG2 as i have not played it yet but SMG will always have a place in my heart

these are just games i can think of off the top of my head this gen has had way more great moments in gaming that i will never forget compared to the previous gens of gaming.

This gen will be remembered fondly 10 years from now when everyone complains about future gens being lacking.

Juken7

Sigh another retro gamer who clings to the past to much.

Sorry but no this generation isnt lacking anything, this year is the best in gaming also. W/e i look at past games in the snes/nes era you want to talk about lacking? ok most of those games where travel to point A to point B, no story,no side missions and lacked in variety.At least games like Dead Space combines every horror aspect from video games to movies (Aliens the movie + RE = win), what did past genres do? nothing.

Two games just this year i wont never trade for a past gen game and those two are RDR and Starcraft 2 (although if i ever lost my copy of WC3 or diablo 2 i would probably trade RDR for one of em). I even owned a Snes back in the day and my first two games where X-men and Donkey Kong, yea i had fun but compared to today i can spend hours,days and weeks praising a lvl or mission in a game like Mass Effect,Geow or Starcraft 2.

I agree and yet disagree at the same time. To me there have been classics, innovation doesn't mean classic imo and I've enjoyed more games this gen than last so it's fine by me.. I'd like to see some innovation but it doesn't mean I'd overlook extremely polished experiences for it.

This current Generation will probably be relegated to the annals of videogame history as the generation of online frag-fests with barely potty-trained brats and, of course, the much ballyhooed High Definition graphics... not really particularly exciting, fun or innovative...67gt500

I agree, to a point. There's very little this gen that has captured me they way I was previous gens (Bioshock being one of the few exceptions), and I do think consolization is to blame for it to a point. It's not that console games are somehow inferior, because they aren't but certain things imply do not work on them (imagine playing StarCraft on a console, without a keyboard).

That said, I do like this gen, and I'm glad there's no end in sight.

I think more than a decline in quality, there's been a decline in really special games.

Games in general are better this gen: higher quality, more immersive, more content, more replay value, etc.

So you end up with a lot more games that are extremely solid and hard to find fault with, but fewer games that make a blind leap forward and just turn everyone's heads from their sheer ambition or brilliant design.

In short, this gen is about a lot of very smart developers with a plan and way too much money, rather than a handful of crazy developers with a dream and way too much time on their hands. There's nothing wrong with the former, but you get the feeling that things are going to go downhill without more of the latter forcing the whole industry forward.

Portal is probably the closest we've had this gen to a "classic" in that sense, at least that I can think of. It's odd to see so many people saying Bioshock...

[QUOTE="67gt500"]This current Generation will probably be relegated to the annals of videogame history as the generation of online frag-fests with barely potty-trained brats and, of course, the much ballyhooed High Definition graphics... not really particularly exciting, fun or innovative...locopatho

If games are aging poorly, that's only because their sequels and spiritual successors consistently improve on the predecessors. That's a good thing, isn't it?

I see where you're coming from, but there are a few games that I feel stand out this gen which include pretty much everything made by Valve this gen. L4D series Portal TF2 Mass Effect series Bioshock series (especially 1 as far as storytelling in games goes) Crysis STALKER series, especially SoC and CoP Mirror's Edge PenumbraGeneral_X

Mass effect doesnt stand out to me as it just feels like enougher TPS with some very light RPG elements added on.

Sigh another retro gamer who clings to the past to much.

Sorry but no this generation isnt lacking anything, this year is the best in gaming also. W/e i look at past games in the snes/nes era you want to talk about lacking? ok most of those games where travel to point A to point B, no story,no side missions and lacked in variety.At least games like Dead Space combines every horror aspect from video games to movies (Aliens the movie + RE = win), what did past genres do? nothing.

Ballroompirate

Are you seriously comparing the 8/16-bit generations to this one? Games really didn't have that kind of capacity to include all those aspects that you mentioned, and frankly nobody cared at that point. Where are we now? We're in a generation that just may focus a little too much on story and narrative instead of attempting to deliver something original and exciting in gameplay. I don't want a game like Dead Space where nearly all of its gameplay aspects and traits trace back to either another game or a film. It's pretty uninspiring if you ask me, despite it being a pretty good game.

Also, it's not like I don't think any game is worthy of being called a cl4ssic. If there's any game I can consider as a cl4ssic at this moment, it's Company of Heroes, because it progressed in its respective genre and still holds up well today. There's also Bayonetta, which I adore at the moment. It's just a question on whether or not I'll still adore it in the years to come. Braid was also mentioned by JV, and that's one I can be in agreement with actually because there's no puzzle game quite like it. Starcraft 2 will also more than likely hold up, for very obvious reasons.

Another thing I'll have you know is that I had Mass Effect 2, GTA4, SMG, and a few others as all time favorites. I just felt that they lost their flair quicker than I thought they would and how a game ages plays as a testament to its quality.

I've always thought that games this gen were never aging well after the honeymoon period. The lack of progression only came as a recent realization. Again this is still a good generation, but one that's yet to deliver a real knockout blow.

I wish we had more original games like Braid and Flower this generation. All shooters feel the same to me.

I would rate this as the best generation yet, a lot of the games can't have the same impact because its all been done before but there are still superior evolutions of every genre I can think of available. Maybe you need to take a break from gaming and when you next play try to not compare the games of today to yesterdays all of the time, its impossible to enjoy something if you are constantly sitting their reminiscing.

I just love how whenever someone happens to speak ill of this generation, he has to be clinging to the past. I'll have you know that I've played plenty of games released this year alone.

Are you seriously comparing the 8/16-bit generations to this one? Games really didn't have that kind of capacity to include all those aspects that you mentioned, and frankly nobody cared at that point. Where are we now? We're in a generation that just may focus a little too much on story and narrative instead of attempting to deliver something original and exciting in gameplay. I don't want a game like Dead Space where nearly all of its gameplay aspects and traits trace back to either another game or a film. It's pretty uninspiring if you ask me, despite it being a pretty good game.

Also, it's not like I don't think any game is worthy of being called a cl4ssic. If there's any game I can consider as a cl4ssic at this moment, it's Company of Heroes, because it progressed in its respective genre and still holds up well today. There's also Bayonetta, which I adore at the moment. It's just a question on whether or not I'll still adore it in the years to come. Braid was also mentioned by JV, and that's one I can be in agreement with actually because there's no puzzle game quite like it. Starcraft 2 will also more than likely hold up, for very obvious reasons.

Another thing I'll have you know is that I had Mass Effect 2, GTA4, SMG, and a few others as all time favorites. I just felt that they lost their flair quicker than I thought they would and how a game ages plays as a testament to its quality.

I've always thought that games this gen were never aging well after the honeymoon period. The lack of progression only came as a recent realization. Again this is still a good generation, but one that's yet to deliver a real knockout blow.

mo0ksi

I think you're actually disproving your own point. How many of these timeless games can you mention of previous generations? 8, 10, maybe 15 games at best. How many games of this generation have you considered a timeless game? 3? I dunno man, it sounds about average if you consider a "# of timeless games per generation."

Maybe because more games are coming out now than before that you have expectations that there should be more timeless games coming out?

I think you're actually disproving your own point. How many of these timeless games can you mention of previous generations? 8, 10, maybe 15 games at best. How many games of this generation have you considered a timeless game? 3? I dunno man, it sounds about average if you consider a "# of timeless games per generation."

Maybe because more games are coming out now than before that you have expectations that there should be more timeless games coming out?

XaosII

And it's true that that there are only a handful a games from previous generations you can call classics. Not every game has the potential to be timeless, not even the highly-rated ones. It just seems to have a slightly bigger absense during this generation's nearly five year span.

[QUOTE="General_X"]I see where you're coming from, but there are a few games that I feel stand out this gen which include pretty much everything made by Valve this gen. L4D series Portal TF2 Mass Effect series Bioshock series (especially 1 as far as storytelling in games goes) Crysis STALKER series, especially SoC and CoP Mirror's Edge Penumbratoast_burner

Mass effect doesnt stand out to me as it just feels like enougher TPS with some very light RPG elements added on.