Rant Area. Please, don't actually discuss this part. They're only my opinions.
[spoiler]FPS
- Call of Duty was decent before... *I'm not going to explain*
- I think Battlefield was a lot shinier than CoD, but the games have a number of problems (disqualifying them for "exceptional quality" ) which I'm too lazy to point out right now. BF3 does little better.
- Halo 4 might be okay (I'm more of a Halo fan, although t I don't have any serious opinions for Halo 4 yet. Halo 3 was awesome though).
- Ghost Recon Future Soldier. I'm not so sure about this (I haven't played the beta or anything) but by the look of it, I think there might be a few flaws with some of the new game mechanics. Regardless of gameplay, I'd call it decent.
RPG
- Square Enix is killing the meaning of "RPG." I think all of their recent titles are completely worthless (I would even say, spanning back for quite a long time actually. At least 4 or 5 years)
- Mass Effect... yuck.
- Deus Ex. Same as above.
- Skyrim is decent. I don't know how to explain my problem with this either. Its lore lacks in a way contrasted to the Lord of The Rings. Its visual and mechanical (as in events/facts related to the player e.g. skills, marrying people etc) immersion also seem to miss my spot. I'm sorry I can't put it better.
RTS
- Looking pretty!
[/spoiler]
Although I really like computer graphics -- I find them extremely interesting and consider them as powerful elements for improving the overall effect of a game -- I'm willing to give away all of this shininess for games that are actually worth my time (old games!)
I don't merely count such worth by a little thrill or excitement (or any non-holistic constituents of fun), but of personal value. Valuable as in: something which creates a special experience. That's why I believe video games have potential to be the ultimate media. They combine interactivity with (hopefully) visuals and sound. More importantly, good game designers work to create experience in an incredible range of aspects. Besides aesthetics, emotion, adventure, lore, profound aspects (i.e. deep stories) and so on; this also involves the player's skill, and their dedication to the mastery of their involvement: being a player, and the reason why they are. (note that I said "to create experience" and not "to create an experience")
What do you think? You can state your opinion, but I mostly prefer your thoughts related to game design.
Side Note: Yes, as apparently; some of my thoughts were invigorated by
From the Editor: E3 2012 - The E3 of Disillusion
I strongly agree.