I’ve always found myself bouncing off hard on “make your own fun” type games like Minecraft or the newer Zeldas. This extends to any type of game that has no clear goals or motivators.
Turns out I’m just an extrinsically motivated gamer. For me, it’s about the destination, not the journey. I enjoy games that keep me going with rewards promised at each step of the way. When given the choice to be creative with the tools I’m given, I’ll just find the most efficient way of getting it done.
I’d like to hear what type of gamers y’all are. What type of games bring you joy?
It’s gotta be a mix of both. If there aren’t frivolous side tasks I can do, a game feels empty to me, but without a primary set of goals, it feels aimless. Games that combine the two are my white whale. I want to defeat the big evil with fishing minigames and trading quests.
ah man, ive given up on AC a while back, is Valhalla worth the time? I was under the impression they were all mostly the same with a different coat of paint
I’d say there’s roughly two different AC “vibes”: Pre-Origins and Post-Origins (Origins is the Egypt one). Pre-Egypt is still very assasin focused. While you can bruteforce your way through, it’s very clearly not the intended way, and it’s a lot harder than doing the stealth stuff. Post-Egypt is far more openworld, choice focussed. You can still play the Assassin, but because they need to allow many different gameplay styles (including ramboing in), levels/areas aren’t quite as tightly designed for cool assassin type stuff.
Both versions are good in their own right, but it’s really important to come in with the right expectations. Both sets are somewhat similar to other games in their group, with little switch ups.
Basically it depends on what your issue was with AC. Even if they are a little same-y, the gameplay is (can) be very fun, and as a history fan, there’s simply no other franchise that’s tackled so many different eras in such an immersive way.
Finally, my purely subjective recommendations for a “new-comer” would be:
- The game whose era interests you most
- If you like openworld action RPGs, Odyssey. A fun filled journey with a lot of worthwhile things to do
- If you want a solid assassin game, Syndicate. At least from a gameplay and engine perspective, it perfected the formula
It’s worth the time to me, but I can definitely understand why others might not feel the same. Personally, I don’t love the Viking “honour and glory” theme but I do like the zany “mystery” side quests and the overall game structure. As for whether it’s a rinse-and-repeat of previous games… yeah, it is, in most meaningful ways. Since Origins, they’ve relied on a lot of the same mechanisms, but that’s not a deal breaker to me. I like (modern) AC because of the visual polish and atmosphere, not necessarily unique gameplay. Odyssey was my favourite of the “new” gen of AC games, and I think Valhalla made a lot of tangible improvements to the mechanics and gameplay loops since that title.
I love good stories. For me, the atmosphere and plot are vital. It feels like after work I just don’t have enough time and mental capacity to put a lot of effort in a video game, therefore I avoid things like Minecraft or the whole survival genre, even though I used to enjoy that kind of stuff when I was a teenager.
I most like sandbox games that allow me to do the journey my way. I very rarely do anything the optimal way.
Often if I am playing a linear game people will get frustrated with my because I’ll pass on a better weapon because I like the one I currently have. They say take that sword it’s better but I’m not playing the game to reach the end. I don’t care if a better weapon makes it easier I want a cool sword that fits my playstyle and that I have fun using.
I almost exclusively play games where I can set my own goals, or do my own thing, or experiment. I also gravitate towards immersive games. I assume that means I’m more intrinsic?
I really don’t like games that treat leveling as an obstacle to the “real game.”. Makes it seem pointless.
“Extrinsically motivated” games I like: I’ll play it once, beat it, play a bit of post game, drop it.
“Intrinsically motivated” games I like: make my own stupid-ass goal, spend dozens and dozens of hours on it, finally do the stupid thing, progressed 1% further through the game, get bored, drop it, but then I pick it up again thinking about doing another stupid-ass thing.
