What’s with developers’ compulsion with complexity in 21st century gaming? Why do we spend untold hours levelling infinitesimal aspects of a character who never even speaks? Why isn’t Skyrim on my list for that matter? Well believe me I’ve tried, and despite my adoration of Bethesda’s latest Fallout games, Skyrim’s dead-eyed, humourless void just scares the hell out of me. What exactly am I supposed to be doing? A vital question which this epic RPG, so exciting and ambitious in theory, is unable to answer. Maybe I’ll just go for a walk instead, or read a book. I’d get more out of it. What Skyrim apparently lacks, is challenge. Not in the sense of difficulty, but a hook that grabs you by the eyelid and makes playing exciting.
Every great game I’ve ever played, no matter how grand in scope, has undoubtably been built around a single, and often immaculately simple gameplay mechanic or concept that proves to be compulsive. Fallout 3, with it’s kill or be killed world of pain. Metal Gear Solid’s finely tuned stealth scenarios. 2D Sonic with it’s twitchy, raisin eye-inducing speed (which only required one button and a d-pad). Enter, Portal 2, a HD gen game with simplicity to rival Tetris and the disappearing blocks.
Portal 2 – Valve
Into a short 8-10 hour story, directed by a humble two speaking characters (neither of which are human I might add), Valve injected enough masterful gameplay design to fill a science museum. fundamental force altering gels, monolithic pneumatic marble runs and mousetraps, and, lest we forget, psychotic robo-turrets with weight issues. None of these elements outstayed their welcome, often only appearing once or twice before the next dementedly creative gameplay element rolled off the conveyor belt. And the game was brain-achingly hard at times too. Seeing the end credits signalled a true sense of sweet, sweet achievement
And still, when you boil it all down, you’re just a single person, traversing white rooms with the ability to teleport from point to point. Your goal is always blatantly obvious. Once you enter that lift, all that matters is the next test. If only more games were this blissfully simple. After all, a game should be a game, not another world as directionless as the one we all live in.
