Commentary on JRPGs, WRPGs

[hrudey]

For me at least, the quality of immersion is different. It's a different sort of immersion. In a game with a good story (Last of Us, let's say), I'm very engaged with the characters and the story. I care about Joel and Ellie, and I want to see what happens next. I'm immersed in that sense. But with RPGs (I think of Fallout, Skyrim, or Mass Effect), I'm immersed in the world itself, and I feel myself a part of the world. It's a different type of immersion. It's not so much about immersion in the story as about immersion in the world.

What you say!? You do not enjoy games exactly the same way I do? We must kung-fu fight!

But yeah, I see what you're saying. I often end up not getting immersed in the open world type games because it all too frequently seems more like a bunch of random generic things to do - oh, look, another dungeon to raid, more planets to ride the Mako on and do mostly the same things we did on the last several planets, etc. Now, to be fair, with Mass Effect, there were often fun little sidequests that seemed somewhat distinct in those areas, and I imagine that there may have also been some with Fallout / Skyrim, but it ended up feeling like a chore trying to go around and clear out the map. Even if I enjoy the world, it's often not enough to keep its hooks in me - something like Elite Dangerous, for example, I played a f***ton of for a couple of months but then I don't think I've intentionally started it up for a whole lot longer than that now.

 

[Andy]

What you say!? You do not enjoy games exactly the same way I do? We must kung-fu fight!

But yeah, I see what you're saying. I often end up not getting immersed in the open world type games because it all too frequently seems more like a bunch of random generic things to do - oh, look, another dungeon to raid, more planets to ride the Mako on and do mostly the same things we did on the last several planets, etc. Now, to be fair, with Mass Effect, there were often fun little sidequests that seemed somewhat distinct in those areas, and I imagine that there may have also been some with Fallout / Skyrim, but it ended up feeling like a chore trying to go around and clear out the map. Even if I enjoy the world, it's often not enough to keep its hooks in me - something like Elite Dangerous, for example, I played a f***ton of for a couple of months but then I don't think I've intentionally started it up for a whole lot longer than that now.

Yes, I think it's a combination of the world itself -- how interesting it is for you, how much you enjoy just poking around and exploring it -- and the other parts of the game that keep you engaged, like the characters, the interactions, the quest lines, the overall story, the combat, and/or the levelling up process. Lots of stuff can draw you into a game and keep you there. I suppose it's different things for different people.

Anyone who listens to me yap about games knows I love a good story and good characters. Bethesda games have neither of those, and yet, I'd rank their games as the most immersive for me. They make me feel like I'm a part of the world and inhabiting (rather than "playing as") that character in a way no other games do. The story and characters seem secondary, and the average combat doesn't bother me a bit. Odd.