When did linearity in games become a bad thing?

[MinionZombie]

Linearity has a time and a place. What makes it bad though, is when you're playing in a game and it really feels more like a corridor, than a game world, if you know what I mean.

[Tricky]

Linearity has a time and a place. What makes it bad though, is when you're playing in a game and it really feels more like a corridor, than a game world, if you know what I mean. I've found the latest Alien vs Predator game to be a lot like that, dont get me wrong I have been enjoying a lot of it, but it could have been so much better if it had been a bit more open world! Every level in the game feels like a small arena, you kill everything in that small area & then move on to the next bit, theres lots of barriers & locked doors that you cant get past & you have very little freedom to explore the colony, especially as the marine where if you hang about to look at something or try to explore a bit, you start getting hounded over the radio to stay on mission by that tequila character, leaving you wishing you could switch off your radio! Its slightly less linear as the Alien or Predator, but thats only because you can clamber all over the scenery, your still restricted to the same small areas. Linear AI characters annoy me as well, in AvP when your stalking marines as the predator or alien, they follow set patterns, only have a few lines in their vocabulary & even if they spot you, you only have to hide for 10 seconds & they just go back to their patrol routes as if nothing happened, its all ridiculously predictable! These days I like games where the AI is emergent & actually behaves more like a living character, and I know it can be done as ive seen it plenty of times in games like Arma 2, and even the Far Cry games

[darth los]

Don't forget the left 4 dead series as well. Imo the A.I. director is where games are going in the future. I swear i never have gotten the replayability out of any game that i have gotten out of that one. I'd easily pay 100 bucks for it.

[slickwilly13]

I'm still waiting on my copy from gamefly. It hasn't arrived yet unfortunately, but I tend not to listen to reviews. I'd rather judge for myself. I usually do, but in some cases I listen to the true fans and not Game Informer or IGN. Btw, I nutted up and bought it for PS3 20 minutes ago. I took it off my Gamefly list, since they are sending me the 360 version of Bully. I wasn't expecting that, since Bully was at the bottom of my 10 list. I was actually expecting either Mass Effect 2 or Bioshock 2. No big deal. If I get access to the beta I will keep everyone posted and discuss only what I am allowed to. Thanks for the feedback. Also, I am now on Spring BreaK.

[Eyebiter]

Linearity has a time and a place. What makes it bad though, is when you're playing in a game and it really feels more like a corridor, than a game world, if you know what I mean. Downtown DC in FALLOUT 3 is like that. Instead of moving along streets they use rubble choked streets, buildings with no doors, impassable chain link fences, and invisible walls to keep the player from going in a straight line. The saving grace for that game is outside in the wasteland there is room to explore and maneuver. Most games work best with an overarching campaign goal, then with various minor quests. Some have few consequences, others will directly effect how the character is viewed in the future.

[darth los]

I usually do, but in some cases I listen to the true fans and not Game Informer or IGN. Btw, I nutted up and bought it for PS3 20 minutes ago. I took it off my Gamefly list, since they are sending me the 360 version of Bully. I wasn't expecting that, since Bully was at the bottom of my 10 list. I was actually expecting either Mass Effect 2 or Bioshock 2. No big deal. If I get access to the beta I will keep everyone posted and discuss only what I am allowed to. Thanks for the feedback. Also, I am now on Spring BreaK. If you wanna get a new release from gamefly the only way to do it is to have it in your q before the release (obviously) and to have a game sent back before the releasedate so that you are gauranteed a slot. For example: I'm on the 4 game at a time plan. I have 3 at home and one slot free. That way next monday it'll ship to me virtually gauranteed. Also, make sure that there's nothing else in your q but things that are coming soon. Because as you have already seen, they will skip everything and send you a game that's way down on your list.

[MinionZombie]

Downtown DC in FALLOUT 3 is like that. Instead of moving along streets they use rubble choked streets, buildings with no doors, impassable chain link fences, and invisible walls to keep the player from going in a straight line. The saving grace for that game is outside in the wasteland there is room to explore and maneuver. Most games work best with an overarching campaign goal, then with various minor quests. Some have few consequences, others will directly effect how the character is viewed in the future. Aye that is a fair point. I'd find myself trying to avoid those areas as much as possible in the game, simply because they were more restrictive, and it was kind of annoying. Some rubble you could get over, other stuff you couldn't, and then you'd find yourself going "how the hell do I get from here, to there?!" and you'd probably have to go through a subway to get there - after which point I'd, naturally, just teleport there through my PipBoy thingymajig. Beyond that though, the world felt really open ... huge even. Very satisfying ultimately.