Evolution of Computer Games!

The Evolution of Computer Games

For the good and the bad!

We all know that since the first video game release that there has been significant improvements in hardware and software. This allows the makers of their games to keep on improving on their titles in the sequels of the game. In this article we are going to talk about how some titles have changed so much that they are losing the essence of what their original game once was. As well as how games have remained unchanged over the years and what has happened to their fan base. And games that have managed to just upgrade their titles to keep them fresh without major upgrades that could change a title.

Game that have changed drastically

Resident Evil

The first game that comes to mind is Resident Evil that began as a zombie survival horror game. Even the Zombies were removed from the game at one stage which was the main part of the game and was heavily incorporated into the story. Many gamer's were quite angered at this change because they liked the game because it was a “zombie” survival horror game. But they didn't even stop there when they took the “survival” out of the game too. If you ever played Resident evil 1,2 or 3 you will know how tough it was to keep a good size cache of bullets and herbs (for Health). If you managed to keep a lot of these items you felt quite safe and that it was easy to survive but because of the lack of bullets and health the need to survive was a lot harder. Even when you shot a bullet at a zombie and the bullet hit the wall you would feel quite annoyed because it was a waste of precious bullets.

But now Resident evil games have turned into “Call of Resident Duty”.

The game has changed so much that bullets and health are dropped every few seconds by zombies. From the start you are given an M16 assault rifle instead of the original starting weapon which was a knife. This has made resident evil more into a shooting game like Call of Duty instead of what Resident Evil games were many years ago. The puzzles that made Resident evil so tough have also been abandoned to make the game “easier”. But this took out some of the enjoyment of the game. My favourite memories of the game was when it took you a couple of hours to complete a puzzle and finally solving it.

The people that played this game years ago have even stopped, with a good amount of people refusing to buy their new titles until they decide to go back to their classics.

Games that have remained unchanged

Call of Duty

I think most people would agree when i say that Call of Duty has never changed over the years. The game has always been a shooter and that's all it will ever be and what the makers will ever want it to be. Each new title that is released is basically the previous game with upgraded graphics and maybe 1 or 2 new mechanics that you would use rarely. These games are continuously made and the only differences are new maps and a new campaign storyline.

Some fans play these games so much that it takes over their lives and wouldn't want the games to change even slightly and its great for them. But for some gamers buying the exact same game over and over for €60 isn't  worth the money for different maps. So i believe games like this have a lifespan regarding how many more people it can attract as opposed to the amount of people they are losing each year. Because its the exact same thing being produced each year.

Fifa

Another game that has never changed over the years is FIFA. Where

i can only remember one change to the mechanics of the game which was the tackling a couple of years ago. But just like “COD” (Call of Duty) there are only slight changes in FIFA like changes in players stats and transfers. They have almost identical fan base as to COD because they have the loyal fans that will never want the game to change and will continue to buy it. But fans that need more of a change each year to the game in order to spend €60 each year.

Games that continue to get better

Metal Gear Solid

From the start metal gear solid was a tactical espionage action game, Which means a stealth base game. Since metal gear solid 1 they managed to include certain functions in the games that we have never seen in computer games before. When fighting a certain boss you would have to put your Playstation controller into the second controller slot. This is because that boss “could read your mind” and anticipate your movement if you did not change sockets. This boss could also read your memory card and tell you(during the fight) what games u have played. This was like no other game ever made.

During the years metal gear solid have managed to keep the game fresh with updates but nothing too extreme, and to leave the main core of the game in tact. Even with metal gear solid 2, the main character (Raiden) didn't get good rating from the players. So to combat this the makers decided to put Raiden into the 4th game as a non-player character and make him a futuristic ninja who has some pretty cool moves when fighting. This changed peoples minds on whether they liked Raiden or not.

Mario

Mario is another game that has withstood the test of time and this is down to Mario trying to market any game they could possible. Games like Dr. Mario to Mario 64 to the original side scrolling 2D Marios. When Mario got something right they went with it and continued to make games for that market. This is why Mario still makes 2D side scrolling games for the gamers who enjoyed them. They also make the 3D Mario games like Mario 64 to Mario Galaxy. Nintendo can afford to have a few flops with the franchise and this is why there are so many Mario games. Because if one game flops, the chances are there are 4 more successful Mario games being made.

New games the get everything right from the start

The Last of Us

From start to finish the last of us manages to keep a perfect balance of gameplay and storyline. The character almost seem real and the emotions from the characters in the game are so believable that it pulls you into the story more. The relationships between the main characters almost feel like you are watching real life situations occurring between people.

But the last of us is not a game that is covered with cutscenes and small amounts gameplay. It brings the player into the story more by letting them play the parts of the game that other creators would have made into cutscenes. They have put in a few upgradable weapons that each player will use differently. You can go into a fight with all guns blazing or stick to the shadows with a stealthy arrow shot from a bow.

I believe that this perfect combination of story and gameplay has made this title into the unbelievable game it it. This is what every game should aim to be. That perfect balance.