Missing The Oldschool Games
 

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http://www.phipsisoftware.com/images/Ultima4_SS2.jpg
My idea of oldschool is kinda...... old... *cough*
Best game to date right there in my opinion though. Sure it's not pretty, but that game right there had one heck of a storyline

Then there were games like Wizardry, Autoduel, 2400AD, etc. [drool]

Older games were all about having imaginations, something I just can't seem to do very well anymore. Personally, I find it really hard to get into any game older than the SNES era. D:

I'd have to disagree with you. There are plenty of games coming out that still offer a challenge, and experience, and have innovative game mechanics that extend beyond that of a QTE.

When you base the state of the game industry on current AAA titles being released, you're going to have a very skewed view of everything. Big publishers don't want to be risky with new IPs or new game mechanics, so they focus on polishing the tried and true formulas they have. Deeper game mechanics can be hard to get into and master, and will end up appealing to less people.

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Wizardry Online is definitely a game worth avoiding though. It used references from Wizardry but the game was horrid... sheer grindfest :(

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I miss the good big imaginative games back in the Snes and PS 1 era! I actually play those games on my comp still~ I must say I haven't played any console games since the start of the PS2 era. I just haven't had money to spare to buy games. But I have noticed a lot of games online are just cookie cutter replicas... The only MMORPG game that I have seen that is somewhat different from all the others is Shin Megami Tensei Imagine which makes a game that challenges the player instead of grinding. You have to formulate on how you are going to tackle certain problems.

I do miss old games like Xenogears which focusses on plot, character, and creating new ways of playing an old game. I can't put a finger on it but newer games seem to focus on what the masses will play and make it quick so they can pump out more. I rather play a one game title that has taken years to make than a game of a huge series that has a new game added every year or half year.

I hope I made some sense.

Well the Online part was fine. It's just when they made the game they didn't really replicate the wizardry world, they let PvP happen game-wide yet the guards never helped you in towns, and you had to fight the same dungeon 50+ times just to level.
Other than that it had an amazingly deep combat system... unfortunately you can't use it when you're getting stabbed in the back by a player every 5 minutes. Oh and it had Permadeath risks, so basically if you were to die you could lose all your stuff (pretty awesome until you weigh pvp in).

Megaten? Hmm... good game, but not really as unique as you'd think. Loved the introduction of the pets though. The combination of how they built the game was great. Only complaint for me is when it takes 2 hours to get a group for anything.

@ Caleb: Bayonetta, Monster Hunter, and Dark Souls are some examples of challenging action games with interesting mechanics and a focus on gameplay.
Someone a few posts up mentioned SMT. The demon fusing adds a nice layer of depth to rather shallow combat (I'm judging this based off of SMT 3 though). I assume Persona is similar though.
Grand strategy games are alive and well, just look at Total War or Europa Universalis (holy crap the last one was in 07). The new XCOM game that just game out had good press, which is hopefully a good sign of a TBS revival. o:

Loved loom. And adventure to monkey island. I actually downloaded a DOS emulator so I could play them again.

But I have had a hankering to play me some 64 games. Like banjo kazooy and gex.

Poet in the first half hour of game play I was in a Silver run getting to lvl 20. It's easy for me to get into dungeon parties. Someone just bought me 500 curse stones so I can lvl my expertise in curse magic... I don't see any problem with this game yet.

On topic right now I'm going through a playstation 1 run where I'm playing all my old faves. Right now it's Star Ocean 2~

I've seen the CD for the monkey island one at my house but... I've never brought myself to play it...

Well it's definitely worth playing. Just be careful. Pick your skills with care :)
*wants to play that now and get their angel back*

Oh yeah I was told what skills to lvl. I also read guides daily.
I can't wait to be done with act 3 so I don't have to use this useless demon Ethrys.... It's so horrible! I was told just use it when I have to turn in the quests and use my better demons for combat. Which I am going to do after I do the curse magic run.

My child hood friend loved Monkey Island and Disc World~ We had fun time with Disc World~!

Why are you turning in quests with it exactly? o.o

I know when I played I stuck with the angel no matter what was better that came out ^^
I was full support though so it made little difference.

Well in Act 3 the npcs check if you have the Ethrys with you if not you can't turn in the quest. Anyway we are getting off topic if you want to talk more about SMT Imagine then post in my thread I made in this forum.

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I know I can't play the newer console games but I realized after the playstation 1 era games seemed to follow certain formula compared to the games in the Playstation 1 era. Back then each game I played had a different battle system and plot formula. Now companies see what they think the masses like and only make games to that formula. Now I understand there has to be a few that don't go that way but they seem to get thinner and thinner. Though I might just be getting old and the games that I played when I was young just seem new to me because how young I was.

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I agree with you on that! They just don't seem to think outside the box anymore it's all to please the masses and not figuring out what new thing they can create!

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You are making me drool thinking about a game like xenogears with all the new hardware and software available.... O.O Epic game there!!! >.> Too bad no company would be brave enough to make such an epic type game and I'm not talking a Xenogears remake just a game with such developed plot, world, and characters and enginuity that Xenogears had. They were way ahead of it's time!

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Are we only talking about adventure games? Because I don't disagree with you on how the industry is lacking adventure games that are on par with those from the 90's. With all the advances we've made in graphics in the last 10 years, aesthetics have taken the forefront of gaming and put everything else on the back burner. If feels like whenever devs want to create an immersive world, mechanics are not the first thing they think of.
In terms of action games, I am not convinced that the quality is lacking, especially when these games are fun. Basic or repetitive mechanics shouldn't be a negative when there is still a challenge for the player. Games like Bayonetta or Monster Hunter have visually appealing and fun gameplay, and that's what I personally look for in most games.
Repetition is an issue, but isn't that present in all genres anyways?

Lost Planet 1 and 2 were both good games, as is SOTC, but are those recommendations based on what a good adventure game is? Or are they based on the games I mentioned?

When I want actual mechanics, strategy is a good genre to stick to because those genres lend themselves to heavy mechanics. But I dunno, most of the times I do like something more visually stimulating. I can't really get into games like Wizardry, or Etrian Odyssey. :x

Thanks for replying, by the way.

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Yeah, when you put it like that, games in general have become easier. Not to mention how genre blending has more or less completely killed off the adventure genre. Adventure is now widely encompassing of all games where you seem to "do something" haha. Nowadays, mechanics seem to be a thing reserved for strategy games only. I have trouble remembering that this was not always the case, but you have reminded me of that fact.

Maybe you will agree with me when I say that I hate how the overall trend for popular games is moving towards "cinematic experiences" and away from actual gameplay. But that's really in the worst case scenarios, with QTEs and linearity.

I really shouldn't ask for recommendations, since I have enough games to play as it is, so I'll just be sure to check out the ones you listed in your original post, if that's alright with you. :P

So you do not really like Japanese rpgs? Or Japanese action games as well? I totally see where you are coming from, especially if you prefer gameplay over story.