Face Off: The Slowdown Game

It's all aim?

Thresh
Well, here's a dead horse. Realism vs. Fun all over again? Anyone who's talked to me about Quake II knows my opinion on the matter. I couldn't give a hairy horse's ass about realism if it detracts from the enjoyment of the game. Let's talk about "the experience." You seem to think that it's all about being stuck in a realistic world. I say screw that. The experience of playing a game is in how it makes you feel. Doom grabs hold of your attention and never lets go, because there's never a dull moment. Walk around in a Quake II 1 on 1 and there's constantly tension, which definitely adds to gameplay, but overall the intensity isn't quite there. Half of the time you're walking or crawling, or just standing still to hear your opponent's footsteps, or just vying for position. When you do see your opponent, it becomes nothing but aim - at that point what's left of the strategic game flies straight out the window.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just what I feel. I'm down with variety, but the trend towards slowing down is taking the "action" out of action games.

Kenn
Well, you may say that Q2 isn't the strategic of games, but watching some of your PGL Finals demos, I would have to disagree. What were you doing the whole time, charging blindly? Give me a break. The reduced speed in that particular made obvious the need for stealth - it magnified the need to play strategically. In fact, I would be so bold as to say that playing Doom depended more on aim than Q2. Think about what the hell you're talking about when you mention strategy. Rainbow Six multiplayer is ALL about strategy. A game even slower, Eidos' Thief, requires a hell of a lot more than aim - it's entire focus is on stealth and strategy.

If you want proof of a game that's slower than Doom/Quake, but still action-packed, look at Half Life. It's got completely exaggerated footstep sounds, item respawns that are louder that hell, and yet it still packs a hell of a punch in the action department.

Thresh
Are you kidding? While there's no doubt it's fun, all of those hitscan weapons in Half Life make it a total aim contest. I do think it's a blast however, and HL has a number of features that make up for its speed. The long jump makes it possible to cover the smaller levels in a matter of seconds, and the awesome Gauss gun makes the slow-down player cringe.

I'm not here to bag on slower or strategic games, I actually think they are really fun and entertaining. I try to play any game I can get my hands on, but spending too much time on other games can seriously whack up the Quake skills; and the reason I mention this is because I believe that there'll be a trend going back towards the faster paced games. Just look at Blood 2! From what I have seen, I have to say that Half Life DM is definitely fun, and Thief, while only Single-player, is still pretty damned pimp, especially while trying to evade multiple guards or zombies.