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Top Ten Game Cliches

Posted by Zonk on from the stuff-we've-seen-before dept.

1up.com has a piece examining game cliches that are just done. Really. From the article: "2.) Pushing crates. Note to evil masterminds everywhere: We understand that you're trying to run a business, which involves receiving equipment and food somehow. But leaving those giant crates just lying around your warehouse for any one-man army to use for supplies and climbing? It's no wonder most startup criminal organizations fail within the first five years. Even seen in: God of War (PS2) 4.) Ridiculous portrayals of females. Women have breasts. Get over it. Even seen in: Soul Calibur II (PS2/XB/GC)"

2 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Uh... by Surye · · Score: 5, Insightful

    #5 Unnecessary stealth

    If you want to make a stealth game, then make a stealth game. Don't give us guns and bombs and swords and fast cars and explosions and then tell us to be quiet, just for a bit! If we want to sneak around, then we'll play a game that's designed for doing just that. In your game, we shall blow stuff up.

    I call BS. First, this kind of narrowminded view of game making is why the industry is so piss poor right now. Variety in gameplay is good thing. Second, even if this was a bad idea, it's a recent trend, not a cliche. Exploding barrels, that's a cliche, or predictible boss fights. I liked a lot of those points, but #5 just didn't check out.

    1. Re:Uh... by skadus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I was about to say the same thing when I saw your comment.

      Really, the best of both worlds is to offer a way to pick the best option that works for you, and offer rewards or challenges based on which scenario you pick. I think Fallout does this a lot. Want to try your hand at stealth? Great, you get 200 more rupees at the end. Feel more hack and slashy? Okay, but you have to fight an extra-hard guy at the end.

      I'm all for adding 'variety' to games, but when you throw a major genre-curveball, it's nicest to make the scene optional, like the fetch quests in Zelda that require split-second timing just to wind up with the best sword in the game or an extra heart container. It's fun when you finally accomplish the goals in these through determination. It's frustrating as hell when it's required and doesn't seem to do anything gameplay or plot-wise besides show that the developer is a sadistic bastard.

      I suck at stealth, I hate having to use stealth, and I especially hate it when the mission resets because somebody saw me out of the corner of their eye. When the guy is alerted, let me go on my murderous rampage and move on, m'kay?