does next-gen make "emerge" you into the game?

[IEatFriedPikmin]

I dont feel it. I dont really get more into gears of war than i did with halo 2.

I dont know if you guys know what i mean... but i havent really felt like i was apart of the game since the SNES. it may have been because i was younger than... and i let my imagination get involved. i guess Wii Sports might be the exception, but other than that? I cant remember any recent titles that have actually pulled me in and made me feel like i was apart of the story.

this is a dumb thread, but im gonna post it anyways.

[speed stick]

I know what you mean. Its probably because of your age. I feel the same way. All I know is that I am loving this generation way more then the last mainly because of Xbox Live. I just finished playing some GoW and its still amazing.

I have not played any games with a good story since something like Condemned which I got really into.

[venomv]

The Fanal Fantasy sersies is the only thing that has ever managed to do that to me, and it still does.

[masteratt]

MGS 1/2/3, Half-life 1/2 and FF: X (haven't played any other in the series) were the games that really 'drew' me in.

This gen so far is just dull as a mo'fo for me.

Dead Rising was the only game that felt next-gen and so therefore exciting because of the 'next-gen feeling' but even that wears out soon and it didn't really 'draw' me in. It was just good to pick up and play when I was feeling tired or something.

But yeah, MGS 1/2/3, Half-life 1/2 and FF: X FTW.

Dead Rising FTW so far for this gen.

[koten]

I have never felt "Immersed in a game."

Much like movies or books, I have always felt like an outside observer when playing a game. I just have the ability to help move and shape the story as I play.

[Ivory_Soul]

I'm usually always immersed in a game, but ONLY if it has a good story. If it has a crap or generic story I won't get immersed.

[the poe collector]

The games I've felt the most immersed in were Metroid Prime, Stars Wars-KOTOR, and now I'm playing Shadow of the Colossus. I guess the games that I get the most involved in are ones with a whole world or worlds to explore. Metroid Prime had these different areas you could unlock and all kinds of secrets you could find just by looking. Star Wars had that and I could make my character follow the path that I wanted, and so far I like Shadow of the Colossus because all you do in the game is fight these epic bosses and you don't have to worry about any other enemies.

[Derrick Barra]

I've been immersed like crazy this gen (but then again I prepared myself with an uber rig).

[TheGreenElf]

Ocarina of Time and other top N64 titles were really the last time I felt it. I think the whole "better graphics = more immersive games" is absolute bs by fanboys.

[The Dude]

I think every year there are maybe only 1 or 2 truly immersive games.

[gljvd]

I dont feel it. I dont really get more into gears of war than i did with halo 2.

I dont know if you guys know what i mean... but i havent really felt like i was apart of the game since the SNES. it may have been because i was younger than... and i let my imagination get involved. i guess Wii Sports might be the exception, but other than that? I cant remember any recent titles that have actually pulled me in and made me feel like i was apart of the story.

this is a dumb thread, but im gonna post it anyways.

Its all about xbox live . When I'm playing GOW or Graw or rainbow six online with a squad of my friends I really feel like i'm in the action . We shout commands , we give heads up on something and there is nothing more thrilling than making a plan of attackin in graw and hear gun shots and then go "Pooch ... Pooch ? .... dude ..... Oh shit .... I think i'm the only one left" and then come back and win it . It really gets the heart pumping .

Just find a group of good players and get to know them

[Boggy700]

I think the whole "better graphics = more immersive games" is absolute bs by fanboys.
I think so too.
Although sure, better graphics equals greater potential for immersion.
But no one's saying that.

Too many developers are caught up in the technical aspects of videogames.
The world needs more creative people in charge.
Technical people in creative roles just waste our time.

I usually only realise a game's immersion after I finish it.
It leaves an emptiness in me.
I feel homesick in the second person ('guestsick' if you will.)
Like getting out of the pool or beach or bath.
I don't want the experience to end.

Here are a few in my list.

The Zelda series of course.
Grim Fandango
Psychonauts
The Half Life games
The first three Splinter Cells (I haven't yet played the latest)
The first three Hitman games (I haven't played much of the latest)
The two Max Payne games
Fahrenheit (or 'Indigo Prophecy' to some)
The first Deus Ex (the second one not being nearly as good)
Prince Of Persia (Sands, Warrior and Thrones)
and GTA3 and onwards.

[Crosman]

Like wonder said.

Resident evil 4 was the last game I can remember that actually gave me that feeling. Twilight Princess didn't even have a little effect on me and it was suppose to be the all mighty Zelda game.

Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time both moved me. The pokemon games still work out for me. World of Warcraft has a good lasting feel (for about 2 months.....wait 4 months, then play again).

I am eagerly awaiting Resident Evil 5, Pokemon Battle Revolution, Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, Fable 2, the new Mortal Kombat and to add to the list, I am considering giving Mario Galaxy and SSBB chance of redemption. Yes, I think the Smash Brothers idea should pick step it up a notch. (From what I have seen so far, they may have did just so.)

Some other games that have had a bit of an appeal to me.


Mario Kart 64 - lasted year.
Mortal Kombat 2 - Still gets me fired up.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in time - Classic
Luigis Mansion - Really hit the spot for me, one of the very few for the cube.

Playing X-Box live with good people has a good side to it, until you start playing with morons and the Microsoft gaming nerds.

[Zeep]

"Does next-gen make "emerge" you into the game?" That's something I'd expect some sort of drunken bum on the street to say. Also, "emerge" means "to come out of " which is the exact opposite of "immerse."
[/grammar nazi]

The answer is, occasionally. There are some great games, like Zelda, Metroid, RE4, etc. that will make me completely forget about everything outside of the game world. But there's a difference. there are quite a few games, like phoenix wright and the recent hotel dusk, where I always still feel like i'm just playing a game, but it still manages to pull me into the story.

[venomv]

How can better graphics not be an aid to immersion, sure they need help like good gameplay, believable characters, and a good story, but to say "I think the whole "better graphics = more immersive games" is absolute bs by fanboys" is just stupid, sorry, but like someone else said, we have gotten older, it is hard to pull us in.....

Yay, for run-on sentences!

[D3adcell]

Some games really pull me in. It all depends on the storyline and how the game pulls you along for the ride. I know a really cheap game you can get on Xbox called Breakdown, one of the most fun and immersive games i have ever played. The game was awesome but sold poorly, it saddens me.

I don't remember the last game that really immersed me, probably FEAR on PC. But there are still alot of immersive games out there, just depends on what your playing and if its something you can get into or not.

[Boggy700]

How can better graphics not be an aid to immersion, sure they need help like good gameplay, believable characters, and a good story, but to say "I think the whole "better graphics = more immersive games" is absolute bs by fanboys" is just stupid, sorry...

Better graphics can aid in immersion, but that is different from the statement,
"better graphics = more immersive games".
That is to say that if a game has the best graphics, it is the most immersive game.
That is completely untrue.
Halo has better graphics than Link's Awakening, but I still found my Halo experience to be distant, formulaic, boring and lacking emotion.
This is just my personal experience, and maybe some people will actually find Halo to be more immersive because of it's graphics, but my point is that the statement, "better graphics = more immersive games" is not a universal truth.
The fact is that graphics have a miniscule effect on how immersive a game is.
A game could have photorealistic graphics and still be an incredibly alienating experience.
Suppose you take a non-immersive game such as...
I don't know.
Let's say Pong.
Say you take Pong and update the graphics to simulate a photorealistic table tennis scenario, but don't update the engine at all, how much more immersive is the game?
'Slightly' is the answer.
But because it still lacks a story, characters and improved gameplay, it is still just Pong.

Good gameplay, believable characters, and a good story aren't "help".
They are the fundamental element of an immersive experience.
The graphics are the "help".


...but like someone else said, we have gotten older, it is hard to pull us in.....
Yes we are older, but not all of our expectations change in exactly the same way.
As I have grown older, I no longer care about graphics getting any better.
They could've left them at the level of Half Life 2, and I would be happy with that.
As a matter of fact, as I have grown older I find that there are less videogames that interest me anymore because too many seem to focus on technical superiority rather than making a fun game.



"better graphics = more immersive games"
That is like saying about women,
"better looks = more interesting personality"
Which is far from true.

[TheGreenElf]

How can better graphics not be an aid to immersion, sure they need help like good gameplay, believable characters, and a good story, but to say "I think the whole "better graphics = more immersive games" is absolute bs by fanboys" is just stupid, sorry, but like someone else said, we have gotten older, it is hard to pull us in.....

Yay, for run-on sentences!

What I mean by that is that I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a game so much only because it has top-notch graphics and mediocre gameplay. Star Fox Adventures is a perfect example of this...the game was among the best looking on any console at the time, but the gameplay wore paper-thin within the first 15 minutes that graphics also didn't matter. The game isn't bad by any means, but it just goes to prove my point.

Another example is games like Socom...yeah theres a whole lot wrong with the series and the games are some of the ugliest of last-gen, but I still play it (Combined Assault) for 3-4 hours a night at least because the team aspect and cooperation between players is an experience that graphics do not affect.

Zelda: Twilight Princess is another. I've heard statements such as "one of the most immersive games ever" and it isn't anything other than a Gamecube port graphically.

Thinking back to games like RE4 you must consider...although graphics were second-to-none, with games like Gears of War and Crysis coming out, will people forget about that game? No, because gameplay was incredible and the story and atmosphere (not graphics) will hold up for years to come.

Also, go play "Alone in the Dark" today. Even though graphics are primitive and unflattering, you can still be scared sh*tless by it.

If you need more examples I'd be happy to provide them...I'm not saying good graphics don't help at all, but it's minimal. HD, high powered systems and videocards...it all wears thin.

[Mr. Witt]

The new Zelda sucked me in pretty nicely. I also got it from Prey, Earthbound, and Deus Ex. It takes a weird combination of storytelling elements to get me immersed in a game.