No game will ever be perfect, but according to IGN, they’ve been giving out 10 out of 10 ratings left and right, which I believe is pretty crazy. There have been games that have been outstanding, don’t get me wrong, but they are not perfect. If a game reached the perfect status then there would be no need to make another game. Every gamer would go out and by the so-called perfect game, and everyone will play happily ever after into the sunset.
Since no game will ever be perfect, well in my opinion, I have come up with a few things that I would like to see in my ideal game.
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1. Character Development
Why do people watch movies and television series?
Answer: They are emotionally connected to the characters in the movie or television show and they want to watch the next episode to watch how the story progresses.
The same applies to video games. I want my main charter to have flaws, and to have a goal. The goal needs to be almost impossible to achieve because if the goal was easy, there would be no point of playing the game.
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2. Controlled, Mixed Action Scenes
OK, I know it’s a lot to ask for, but I like my action and I liked it in a specific way. Let me explain, action movies are awesome because there have a ton of things exploding every second. That’s cool and all, but a little too much, especially if it’s all explosions. In my ideal game, I want a mix of action. I want some button timed sequences like in Heavy Rain. I want some hand to hand combat, similar to the new Batman Arkham City and I want gun fire, but not too much gun fire. I’ll make it similar to Call of Duty, but tone it down a bit. Running around guns blazing is fun, but there is no point to it.
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3. Simple, Simple, Simple
No one wants to play a game, when they don’t know where or what to do next. This is why games like Mario and Pac-Man are so popular. They are the essential pick up and play games. No instruction manual needed (even though they are not included in as many games any more). I want a game with a complex storyline, but please tell me what I need to do next. There needs to be a tips option in-case the gamer gets stuck because no one likes to be stuck and frustrated.
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Those are my choices for my perfect game. Let me know what you would include in yours!
vinnylanni 
I agree wholeheartedly about IGN being a little too charitable with its ratings. You raise a lot of interesting points about the nature of entertainment and immersive experiences as well. I personally think it all depends on what kind of experience you’re going for in a game. An FPS is all about that action stuff whereas an RPG is all about the characters and story. You can mix and match, but things can start to get overwhelming to a player if you do too much with a game. That being said, I wouldn’t mind playing your version of a perfect game.
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That’s a good point. My “perfect” game is kind of a stretch lol But I’m glad you agree on those crazy IGN ratings >:P
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Cool post, I do agree with you I don’t really like the idea that a game or movie can achieve a 10/10. Where is the room for improvement if that is the case?
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That’s what I’m saying! If it was the greatest ever, how could you ever top it and what would be the motivation to ever continue reach that next goal?!
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This is cool!
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Glad you like it!
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Character development and an interesting and preferably complex plot (although it doesn’t have to be complex as long as it’s is interesting!) are essential for me. I can’t play games that don’t have a good plot and emotional engagement.. I get bored fast. I don’t want too much shooting and punching stuff.. I need story! I treat video games a lot like I do TV and reading books.
And I definitely agree on the simple point, about knowing what you need to do. I hate wandering around for ages on a map confused about where I’m meant to go! (Thank the Lord for Google!)
Nice post!
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Thanks a bunch!
Exactly, games are like interactive movies now. If everyone gets abducted by aliens at the end and never come back why am I to care? lol
That’s why you need to make a connection between the player and character!
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Great list! I think simplicity is key no matter what kind of game we’re talking about. I’d add in balancing action with puzzles and problem solving, like what was done in the Uncharted, Metroid, and Prince of Persia games. All action all the time can be stressful and boring; and those are two things no one wants in a game!
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That’s true too, puzzles could be fun if they aren’t too too hard! I just hate getting stuck and having to look up the correct way to go online!
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All true points. But I don’t think the point about the perfect game being one that everyone plays from here on out makes sense. A game may be perfect to a specific audience but that doesn’t mean everyone is going to want to play it. Also even if something is perfect we may not want to play it forever, because there are different kinds of perfection. Some people like RTS, some FPS. There is too much variance in likes for everyone to agree that one thing is perfect forever. Something can be perfect for the time being, however, which is how it can still recieve 10 out of 10. Maybe they are too generous with their ranks, but I don’ think it’s fair to say that no game deserves a 10 because nothing is perfect- Perfect is relative.
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Well it’s all based on opinion and like you said it varies from person to person. My point of view is that no game should get a 10 out of 10 and my reasoning is that no game is 100% perfect. Even my favorite games still have minor flaws.
Heck IGN even gave PacMan Anniversary edition a 10 out of 10. A game that took Pacman and added some colors and modes to and it got a 10. Most of the reasoning for 10 out of 10 “perfect” ratings is all for under the table deals game review sites make with the publishers.
Games can be outstanding like The Last of Us and Batman Arkham City, but can always be improved (graphics, game play, glitches) in my book!
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I agree big on number one. Character development allows a game with a weak story to have depth. Even at the simplest of games, if the player sees the growth of the character from start to finish (or in some cases simply the illusion thereof), it is a sure fire way to get the player hooked.
As for your other two points, there’s a really cool video depth vs. complexity. Might be right up your alley! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVL4st0blGU
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Character development is the big one for me as well. It really makes a good game great!
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Thanks for the re-blog that’s pretty dang cool!
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Reblogged this on Game-To-Win.
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