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Nimh · 2014.01.30, 07:56 AM

I agree, Glath. Portal 1 was a genuine novelty, and learning the rules was a constant, and enjoyable, process of trial and error. Portal 2 had a few new wrinkles but the same basic rules as Portal 1 so it was much easier.

I just finished playing F.E.A.R. for the third time. Love that game, and it reminded me of something that games used to NOT do, and that's overload the playing experience with these constant "achievements."

Is there a way to turn off the "achievement" indicators? Part of the tedium of playing Bioshock Infinite was being reminded every time I picked up a Voxophone or looked through a telescope that there were 80 (or 36 or whatever) of these things total, and that I gotta get 'em all to get the
"achievement" of getting them all. That is SO annoying.

F.E.A.R. doesn't do any of that. There are phone messages and things that you can listen to, or not, and it's your choice, and the game doesn't tell you how many there are and it doesn't track your progress as you answer each one. It just plays the messages you wanted played, and you get on with playing the game. That is so much more immersive than those stupid achievement popups.

I know gamers who get obsessed over achievements and feel like they have to earn every one of them. What's the point?!?!? I've got nothing against it, if you've got the time and the interest. But I'd prefer not to be told by the game, constantly, that I'm somehow "doing it wrong" by not jumping through arbitrary hoops that have nothing to do with the main gameplay or narrative.

2014.01.30, 07:56 AM	#531
Nimh Administrator Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,093	I agree, Glath. Portal 1 was a genuine novelty, and learning the rules was a constant, and enjoyable, process of trial and error. Portal 2 had a few new wrinkles but the same basic rules as Portal 1 so it was much easier. I just finished playing F.E.A.R. for the third time. Love that game, and it reminded me of something that games used to NOT do, and that's overload the playing experience with these constant "achievements." Is there a way to turn off the "achievement" indicators? Part of the tedium of playing Bioshock Infinite was being reminded every time I picked up a Voxophone or looked through a telescope that there were 80 (or 36 or whatever) of these things total, and that I gotta get 'em all to get the "achievement" of getting them all. That is SO annoying. F.E.A.R. doesn't do any of that. There are phone messages and things that you can listen to, or not, and it's your choice, and the game doesn't tell you how many there are and it doesn't track your progress as you answer each one. It just plays the messages you wanted played, and you get on with playing the game. That is so much more immersive than those stupid achievement popups. I know gamers who get obsessed over achievements and feel like they have to earn every one of them. What's the point?!?!? I've got nothing against it, if you've got the time and the interest. But I'd prefer not to be told by the game, constantly, that I'm somehow "doing it wrong" by not jumping through arbitrary hoops that have nothing to do with the main gameplay or narrative.