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The holy grail of games development these days seems to be creating a non-linear experience. Well, pardon me, but I don't see what makes this so much better than anything else. Look at the great games which we've seen in the past: Half-life, Grim Fandango, Quake 2... all basically games that follow one set path. They do what they do well, and the end result is an enjoyable experience. There's nothing wrong with a strictly story-based game at all, and often they are better than their free-form counterparts. Some people said great things about Blade Runner with its multiple endings, but I found it shallow and lacking in direction, and enjoyed Realms of The Haunting (a much older, linear, adventure) lots more. Let's think very carefully about where we're going, and let's not assume that things actually ARE good becuase they SOUND good in press releases.
I agree with you in some points, multiple endings can make the egame seem shallow, but dont you think it makes the game more longer. Like trying to beat all endings. I feel some games are so non-linear, that it looks like programmers just wanted the player to make the game to the end. I think non-linear games are the future if they are pulled off correctly, do you agree with that?
The holy grail of games development these days seems to be creating a non-linear experience. Well, pardon me, but I don't see what makes this so much better than anything else. Look at the great games which we've seen in the past: Half-life, Grim Fandango, Quake 2... all basically games that follow one set path. They do what they do well, and the end result is an enjoyable experience. There's nothing wrong with a strictly story-based game at all, and often they are better than their free-form counterparts. Some people said great things about Blade Runner with its multiple endings, but I found it shallow and lacking in direction, and enjoyed Realms of The Haunting (a much older, linear, adventure) lots more. Let's think very carefully about where we're going, and let's not assume that things actually ARE good becuase they SOUND good in press releases.