Unfortunately for us aging gamers, our childhood treasures are being forgotten and replaced by endless cash grabs, clones, and sequels. Day after day, year after year, we are subjected to a constant stream of sub-par, pre-packaged nonsense intended to milk the gaming community out of their hard earned money. "Enough!", I say.
Enough with the yearly Call of Duty sequels, enough with the minor environmental changes of Assassin's Creed, enough with the endless failed attempts at making a decent Fable, and enough with the destruction of a beloved franchise that is so horrendous it warranted a three part rant that launched this very site.
http://deevolutionofvideogames.blogspot.com/2013/02/why-final-fantasy-sucks-part-1.html
Logically speaking, I understand the necessity of these aforementioned games. Some will make the valid argument that without the profit margins of these franchises, modern day video games may not be a viable business.
Well today I'm not interested in logic. We are going to forget, for a moment, those hard truths that we have learned to live with. We are going back to our childhood, when profit margins and marketing campaigns didn't matter. All that mattered was that one game we lost ourselves in, and the pure unadulterated glee we felt at the announcement of a new adventure.
These are not the games we need, but the games we deserve.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Alright, lets get one of the more obvious titles out of the way. For 15 years we have been enthralled with the city of Midgar and the battle of the Ancients. FF7 seemed to be the one perfect game to bridge the gap between the hardcore and the mainstream. It made Final Fantasy into a household brand, and is generally considered to be the best of the series.
FF7 is the first in the "PlayStation Trilogy", and I think we can agree that all three of these games (7-9) are great in their own respect, but FF7 holds a place in our hearts and minds as a representative of what Japanese RPG's were capable of.
For years Square-Enix has teased us with the possibility of a remake, and year after year we are left waiting for the slightest chance that we will get to revisit this beloved world in a full HD remake. As if only to whet our appetites, Square-Enix even release an HD trailer that recreated the opening scenes of the original game.
The trailer was shown first as a Technical Demo on the show floor at the Square Enix Party 2005, and then again at E3 in 2006. For those not fortunate enough to have witnessed the showing at E3 first hand, the response from the crowd could only be described as unrestrained adulation. Now, seven years and and several sub par sequels later, we are still being yanked around by our apron strings.
Quit playing with our emotions, Square Enix. There is a natural progression to things that should never be tampered with. The Cloud always comes before the Lightning.
Half-Life 3
Does this one really need explanation? Half-Life 2 was a genre changing phenomenon that left anyone who played it clamoring for the next chapter. Sure we have been given spin-off games such as the Portal series, and the episodic adventures of Half-Life 2: Episodes 1, and 2, but the success of these spin-offs has only proved that the audience for Half-Life 3 is alive and well.
Currently Valve seems to have their hands full with modern franchises such as Dota, and Left 4 dead. The team has also been busy refining Steam and it's affiliated console the Steam Box, but how does the long awaited sequel to your most recognized franchise not demand your attention?
Recently, fans were finally given a reprieve when a trademark for Half-Life 3 was seemingly leaked by Valve. Unfortunately, the latest reports suggest that the trademark may have been the object of a hoax and fans will have to keep waiting patiently, and possibly indefinitely, for a true sequel.
A Pokemon Game for Adults
The Pokemon franchise suffers from a condition that plagues many of our childhood favorites; The series simply didn't evolve with it's audience.
To be fair, the Pokemon games are doing just fine. It is a series that has transitioned well to later generations of players. The problem is that many long time fans, dating back to the original Red/Blue versions, are now in their late 20's or early 30's. We still love these games, but we run the risk of being alienated by the simplistic game play and cartoon worlds.
To be clear, no, I'm not talking about large breasted Pokemon trainers who violently murder one another and kick back at the end of the day with some booze and promiscuity, but the series is long overdue for a visual update.
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| Drool..... |
Let's take another page from this book and look at another beloved franchise. Who among us hasn't dreamed of a realistic, more mature Legend of Zelda? The idea is the same and while the younger audience doesn't have to be ignored, the older generation would appreciate a game that caters to their own wants and needs, and acknowledges the fact that we are the gamers that secured the success of these titles to begin with.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3
Ok, so KOTOR 2 may have been questionable. While it wasn't necessarily a BAD game, it was plagued with technical issues and a weaker story than the first. Still, Obsidian picked up where Bioware left off and fleshed out the combat and leveling systems, making KOTOR 2 quite an enjoyable game.
The biggest problem with KOTOR 2? It was the last game in the series! For years fans have been waiting for a conclusion to the story of Revan and the fallen Jedi order. The ending of KOTOR 2 was ambiguous and unsatisfying and I, for one, couldn't wait for the next game to tie up all the lose ends.
As with the other titles on this list, a new KOTOR game was benched in favor of newer titles. It didn't help that pre-production phases of KOTOR 3 went through development hell. Obsidian was all set to make the game, but it was subsequently put on "hold" by LucasArts due to layoffs.
But wait, Star Wars Fans. In case you've been living under a rock, you are probably aware that the Star Wars franchise has been acquired by Disney who have commissioned a butt-load of new games to be made. In fact, they have contracted BioWare (Creators of the original KOTOR) to make a new Star Wars RPG!!!
Oh man, I get chills just thinking about it. Could this finally be the long awaited KOTOR sequel? There has yet to be any confirmation on the nature of the game, but this may in fact be the droid we are looking for.
Reinstate Star Wars: Galaxies
Speaking of Star Wars, does anyone remember a fantastic little game called Star Wars Galaxies? No, not the ridiculous mess the game devolved into after the "New Game Enhancements" took effect. I'm talking about the original, un-corrupted game and it's subsequent expansion pack, Jump To Light Speed.
Star Wars Galaxies was one of the best examples of an open game play experience. From the moment you walked out of the space port with your new, fully customized character, you realized that you had taken your first step into a larger world.
The world was huge. Enormous. Gargantuan. Feel free to throw in any other synonyms for "big". The game areas consisted of sprawling cities that were seamlessly connected to vast areas of wilderness. There were no "zones" to transition back and forth from, and the only loading screens you saw were when you traveled to different planets. You heard me. Different. Planets.
Wanna spend your days as a moisture farmer on Tatooine? Go for. Establish and become mayor or your own city on Corusant? Sure, why not? Become a bounty hunter and take contracts on other players? Smuggle goods on your freighter? Follow the force and walk the long, lonely path to becoming a Jedi? HELL YES!
The key here is freedom, and players were given an abundance. Indeed, the force was strong with this one. Unfortunately, Sony Online Entertainment felt that they could reach a larger audience by simplifying the game into what was essentially a Third Person Shooter. Fans did not react well.
It was as if a million voices cried out in unison, and then were silenced forever. Sorry. I'll try to cut back on the Star Wars quotes. Actually, I should do, or do not. There is no try. Damnit.
PRO TIP: Fans of the game can still play the original, pre-NGE version of Star Wars Galaxies via SWGEmu. Hardcore fans and programmers have been working for years to reverse engineer the game in it's original form. While still in alpha testing, a large majority of the game is up and running. For more information, check out SWGEmu.com.
A NEW MMO
While we're on the topic, is anyone else getting sick of the current stream of MMO's? It's all kill and fetch, kill and fetch, run a dungeon, repeat. At this point, the setting doesn't really matter. Every MMO seems to be the same game repackaged in a new skin. Why do we keep paying for this?
I'm a big fan of fantasy and sci-fi, but enough is enough already. I'm burnt out on epic struggles and names I can't pronounce. Why can't we see something a little closer to reality? What about a historical MMO set in a particular, real world, time period?
I've always fantasized about an old west MMO, or something pirate themed. Or maybe a medieval setting with less focus on fantasy and more on history. The point is, we can only handle so many evil wizards or possessed kings before it starts wearing thin.
Really, I want MMO's to get back to their roots. Accessibility should not be a concern and the games should be catered to the hard core. Or, ya know.....zombies.
How do you feel about the current video game trends? Is there a long lost title that should be remade, or a sequel that's long overdue? Let us know in the comments below.
For questions or suggestions, please email us at devolutionofvideogames@gmail.com
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