Are there games that you tried but just couldn’t get into because they feel outdated? Games that, in theory, you would enjoy, but don’t because the controls, graphics, writing, or mechanics just don’t feel good anymore. Games that, compared to today, just don’t hold up to your standards.
I recently tried playing Heroes of Might and Magic III, and I realized that a lot of the invisible language used through game design from that era, I do not understand. There are many things that the game didn’t explain, and I assume they were just understood by players. Not only that, but I imagine there was a lot of crossover between video games and board games back then, so maybe that language was used as well. I ended up downloading a manual and putting it on my second screen and I get it and played it, but it just wasn’t for me.
I also dropped Mirror’s Edge, but this time it was because of the graphics. It looks and feels great, but the graphics give me a headache. There is way too much bloom, and for some reason, there are some parts that look like the imaginary lens has been covered in Vaseline. This didn’t bother me before, but my eyes are not used to it anymore.
There are also games like the first two Tony Hawk Pro Skater games that I can’t fully get into because they’re missing mechanics from the later games. The levels and controls feel great, but they don’t feel complete without those mechanics. It keeps me from enjoying the games as much as the others.
Please share yours!
Re: Morrowind
The difficulty in mechanics was the point. Everything is really hard when you start, not just for your character but for the player too. You master the world as your character masters his skills. You learn the map as you do quests with no fast travel. You get faster and stronger slowly, over time, and it takes patience and skill. This is an RPG, something even Bethesda has forgotten in their new “just give the player whatever they want and never challenge them” design philosophy.
The draw distance is a technological limitation but more importantly it is a limitation that the game was designed around. It’s a fundamental part of the game that limits your ability to see into distant biomes or spot cities that are supposed to be on the other side of the game world. Seyda Neen is right beside the biggest city in the game but the draw distance prevents you from noticing that, thus avoiding the confusing mess that is Vivek until ready.
The OG graphics are of course dated and were rough even for the time, but they have their charm. I hate texture overhauls that make all the NPCs look like dolls and anime characters.
If your starter character moves too slow you’re welcome to select Steed as your birthsign.
I’m sorry a lot of these points come down to “get gud” but it’s true. There’s lots of retrospectives calling Morrowind trash because they couldn’t hit a mudcrab with the tutorial knife when their short blade skill is 10, lmao. The game is a masterclass in presenting so many well thought out interlocking mechanics — everything hooks together so well — making it probably the greatest open world game ever created. No one has even tried to recreate something so complex, not even Bethesda themselves.
Very true about the weapon skills though. You win on that one. There’s few good spears so you’re kind of shit outta luck if that’s your major weapon skill. Medium armour has the same problem but I dress for style not to metagame the highest stats and medium has the best looking armour.