Gaming What makes a game fun?

[fireballs619]

1. Length. There are games out there with more plot than a Tolkien epic.

I counter that with the fact that no story can have more plot than something written by Tolkien. Moving on...

I agree that the storyline can save a truly horrendous game. If you look at most games that sell well out there, they all have riveting storylines. Heck, Halo 3 felt like a movie at some points- it was that good. I'm not sure about you guys, but I was actually sad when Price got 'killed' at the end of COD4 (yes, I know, they resurrected him in MW2). These games really capture you and make you want to know what happens at the end.

But, there are games out there that I like more than those mentioned. One in particular, called Limbo, is what I want to talk about. This game has basically no storyline. I mean sure, the description says you are saving your sister, but you don't even see her until a few levels in. The first few levels, you are just moving along (trying to go right), without a clue what this game is about. Then, about halfway through the first level, when you are trying to proceed, you activate a trap, and a body falls from above, hung by the neck. This really stuck with me, because the body looks like that of a boy's, similar to your character. Did you kill him by trying to proceed? Was he already dead? The game doesn't answer, so all you know is that there is a body hanging in the forest because of you. Without an iota of plot, that game became one of my favorites.

 

[Izack]

Also, @Izack...what happened to my follow-up?! :lol:

You posted while I was writing.

Actually I do have a video to describe it:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0vF-ixYAjY"]YouTube- ‪PCB Lunatic, Stage 6: Yuyuko Saigyouji‬‎[/ame]

Brutally difficult, with really bad art but pretty cool music. It's only deep if you think about it too much, which is one of the series' weird charms...it's like a fractal. Also has loads and loads of fanart, but that's a different story altogether...

 

[River Crab]

Good choice...
妖々夢　Stage 6 moves me to tears...
The story, the patterns, the music, the atmosphere...all manifests here...
The stun of lunatic mode kind of turns people off though, but what the heck.
Don't think it's too hard people, take me for example...

I have to disagree about the art, and also PCB is a bad example. I thought MoF was beautiful. By the time of UFO, character art is the only part that needs work IMO, but it grows on you. Or maybe it's getting better?
Anyway, when you're not looking at it, it's a bit like [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_Mountain"]Akutagawa Ryuunosuke's　Akiyama[/ame]. Somehow the overwhelming beauty comes as one reflects on what they saw, but not as they see it.

:hail:ＺＵＮ

Ah, yes. I didn't mention...the Touhou series is made by Team Shanhai Alice, which consists of ONE man. A bit like our Dr. Martin.

Also, some of the "Fan art" (I don't call it that, but whatever) is so nice, as to infiltrate an office, make a large print of it, frame, and hang on my walls...7 times. :lol:


Also:

Cellar Door

Quality in a story. :thumbup:

 

[jedidia]

Actually I do have a video to describe it:

looks a lot like Raptor, R-Type or Firewind when I used to play them back in the day... except, I don't get quite what actually hurts the player. I mean, there's an impossible amount of stuff on the screen that COULD be enemy fire, but it doesn't seem to hurt the player...?

For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.

Widow sells hunting rifle. Used only once.:suicide:

 

[River Crab]

looks a lot like Raptor, R-Type or Firewind when I used to play them back in the day... except, I don't get quite what actually hurts the player. I mean, there's an impossible amount of stuff on the screen that COULD be enemy fire, but it doesn't seem to hurt the player...?

It's ALL bullets. One hit kills you.
You have an extremely small hitbox in Touhou games (which is visible when focused, the little circle), and so do some special bullets, plus, this guy is a lunatic. Usually you can just move a little to dodge streams of bullets (streaming), and you get points for cutting it close (grazing). Bombs can help you in a pinch. But as you can see the patterns get much more complex than most shooters- in fact, there is a spinoff game, "Shoot the Bullet" where you have to take pictures of bullets. :lol: It's quite fun, actually.