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[John Kowalski]

I didn't decide that. Games like Everybody's Gone to the Rapture are walking simulators.

You didn't? That's a shame.

Because it's been decided regardless.

 

[hemo memo]

Is Pokemon rock-paper-scissors simulator?

 

[Rembrandt]

Walking simulator IS a pejorative, they picked that "descriptive" term for a reason. There are plenty of better ways to praise Uncharted's slow and character building parts, but they used that one for clicks and controversy. That's the issue.

not to everybody.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

For UC4 I'd say that's an accurate assessment. The best parts of UC4 didn't have any combat or very little of it. Also based on the Encounter list out of the 15 hours of content there's like 30+ minutes of forced shooting and like a hour worth of stealthable sections.

 

[Yautja_Warrior]

Eurogamer really have put some rubbish out lately, especially when they single out one game, when the article could be aimed at a lot of games.

Click bait bollocks of the highest order.

 

[YianGaruga]

not to everybody.

It started as a dismissive term and still is.

If people can't find a better name for a type of game they like and have to adapt one that people use to make fun of them, that's their problem. I'm sure the dev of Dear Esteher isn't calling it a walking simulator.

From the reactions it's obvious what many people think about "walking simulators".

 

[Ratrat]

Uncharted 3 had waaay too much of this. Uncharted 4 has too much as well.
Still, I'd call it a 'cinematic' game. Its basically a playable movie. Naughty Dog are intent on controlling every aspect of the experience.

 

[entremet]

Eurogamer really have put some rubbish out lately, especially when they single out one game, when the article could be aimed at a lot of games.

Click bait bollocks of the highest order.

Why?

Why should they single out multiple games? They want to talk about U4, let them discuss U4.

Also you use single out as a like this is a hit piece.

Read it, it's not a hit piece. It's a piece on how certain game design elements have influenced U4.

 

[hodgy100]

Walking simulator IS a pejorative, they picked that "descriptive" term for a reason. There are plenty of better ways to praise Uncharted's slow and character building parts, but they used that one for clicks and controversy. That's the issue.

It used to be used as a pejorative for games that focused on storytelling over gameplay mechanics. but I think people have begun to embrace it as a descriptor.

 

[GametimeUK]

I wouldn't call it a walking simulator, but I definetly agree with a lot of what they're saying. I brought it up in discussion to my friends that the game is structured in a way where it feels you spend way too little time engaged in "standard" gunfights. It feels way less than previous games and maybe some of it is down to the pacing, I just don't know, but it doesn't feel right.

Also, the third act is my favourite because that's the act where it feels like I'm playing a game. Don't get me wrong, I love the game, but a lot of the action and gameplay takes a backseat to story telling, exploration and on rail segments.

I would have preferred this game to have more "arena" shootouts.

 

[Necro900]

not to everybody.

Well, you realize it's not an actual genre, right? It's a pejorative term for narrative-driven games with little player agency.
I like that type of games too, but I would never call them walking simulators. They're just Story-driven Adventure games, that's all.

 

[R3TRO]

Certainly feels like it so far. I shut it off yesterday because it bored me to death so I hope it picks up because if not dear god...

 

[m4st4]

They lost me at 'walking simulator'.

 

[Widge]

Is clickbait the catch all phrase for "article whose title I disagree with"?

 

[D4Danger]

And, quite frankly, that's usually the case for downtime in action games. I shudder to think of how many times I've encountered a banal narrative-heavy sequence in a game where no one actually gives a toss about that side of the equation. Can you imagine if Halo or Doom spent approximately 40 per cent of their running time trying to tell a story or mixing up their core mechanics with lightweight platforming or puzzle elements? Chances are it wouldn't be good.

somebody needs to play Half-Life

 

[FantasticMrSnake]

I wish The Last of us and Uncharted came without combat. They'd be the greatest exploration games ever

set it on very easy mode?

 

[Rembrandt]

Eurogamer really have put some rubbish out lately, especially when they single out one game, when the article could be aimed at a lot of games.

Click bait bollocks of the highest order.

what other games fit the qualities they write about in the article?

It started as a dismissive term and still is.

If people can't find a better name for a type of game they like and have to adapt one that people use to make fun of them, that's their problem.

From the reactions it's obvious what people think about "walking simulators".

definitions change

these reactions don't prove anything. most of them come from fanboys that didn't even read the article and would react the same if EG used an entirely different term.

 

[jiggles]

Hes kinda right though. A lot of uncharted scripted events have very little interactivity. yes thats so they can pull it off and have it be intractable at-all and still be fun but there is very little interactivity as uncharted climbing is pretty much hold direction and mash X.

Even moving along a linear path and clearing obstacles by pressing X is way more interactive mechanically than pressing a button to play a line of dialogue. The claim that it's "no more interactive" than that is fuckin' ludicrous.

But the reason this is such a stupid point to bring up now is that the game's moved way beyond that. Even if you ignore the grappling hook and the winch and the piton and the multiple routes through most sections in the game, the act of climbing is only a "mash X" affair if that's how you choose to play it. An awful lot of the transitions from one handhold to the next can be done without leaping at all if you position Drake correctly and stretch his hands out in just the right direction. It's a more tactile and pleasing way to move around, and it looks much better because the animation's great, but it's entirely optional.

 

[YianGaruga]

Is clickbait the catch all phrase for "article whose title I disagree with"?

Usually a controversial statement framed as a question.

Like in this case

most of them come from fanboys that didn't even read the article and would react the same if EG used an entirely different term.

can I borrow your crystal ball?

 

[SmokedMeat]

Article is actually pretty good, but Uncharted is no walking simulator.

 

[pastrami]

I wish they hadn't gone with that title and I don't agree general premise, but it was an interesting read. It's a bit too reductive and simplistic an argument to make in my opinion.

 

[Jawmuncher]

I wish there was more gun fights in this game.

 

[pupcoffee]

Uncharted 4 was part Point-And-Click Adventure at times. There were times where you could just "Look At" stuff in the environment and get optional extra info about it, or talk to a character about it, and it was all there for flavour.

 

[Rembrandt]

Is clickbait the catch all phrase for "article whose title I disagree with"?

pretty much.

Well, you realize it's not an actual genre, right? It's a pejorative term for narrative-driven games with little player agency.
I like that type of games too, but I would never call them walking simulators. They're just Story-driven Adventure games, that's all.

http://store.steampowered.com/tag/en/Walking Simulator/#p=0&tab=NewReleases

can I borrow your crystal ball?

no.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Yeah and as i state I get why its still largely on rails for those sections (avoiding frustration) abd yes uncharted does to it better than most games. but it is still limited interactivity.

If we talking about UC4 the set pieces are even more interactive than before .

 

[YianGaruga]

http://store.steampowered.com/tag/en/Walking Simulator/#p=0&tab=NewReleases

Steam tags are given by users

Is "Illuminati" a genre as well?

http://store.steampowered.com/tag/en/Illuminati/#p=0&tab=NewReleases

 

[Jackpot]

For better or worse, QTEs are nothing like a "walking sim".

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

No way, Uncharted 4 is not a walking simulator it's the best game ever, the game of the year and it makes me feel like a real manly guy-man when I shoot the bad guys.

 

[hodgy100]

Even moving along a linear path and clearing obstacles by pressing X is way more interactive mechanically than pressing a button to play a line of dialogue. The claim that it's "no more interactive" than that is fuckin' ludicrous.

But the reason this is such a stupid point to bring up now is that the game's moved way beyond that. Even if you ignore the grappling hook and the winch and the piton and the multiple routes through most sections in the game, the act of climbing is only a "mash X" affair if that's how you choose to play it. An awful lot of the transitions from one handhold to the next can be done without leaping at all if you position Drake correctly and stretch his hands out in just the right direction. It's a more tactile and pleasing way to move around, and it looks much better because the animation's great, but it's entirely optional.

hmm yeha the general climbing gameplay is way more interactive than in previous games, but I believe the article was referring to the more on rails setpiece moments.

That being said ND totally set the bar for interactivity in scripted events.

If we talking about UC4 the set pieces are even more interactive than before .

and i'm not disputing that. But limitations on the interactivity are still put into place. I'm not bashing the decision to reduce interactivity in scripted sections but simply making a statement about how control is reduced during those moments. and its done to prevent the player from becoming flustered during chaotic moments.

 

[Scrawnton]

The Legend of Zelda is as generic as it gets. It stars a heterosexual while male who is on an adventure to save a princess.

 

[Lemondish]

Betteridge's law of headlines helps me avoid so much shit in gaming journalism.

 

[mjp2417]

It started as a dismissive term and still is.

Just because it started as a dismissive term doesn't mean it still is - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_fallacy. There are a host of walking simulators (and I don't remember the devs of Gone Home, The Stanley Parable, Firewatch, etc. fleeing from the genre designation) that have reaped huge critical and sales success.

 

[Rembrandt]

Steam tags are given by users

obviously. but it shows not everybody has a problem calling it those.

 

[Oneself]

What a stupid article.

Indeed. Pointless clickbait.


Edit: so I clicked on it since some people here told me it was not a stupid article and they were right. This OP is misleading and so is the part of the article posted here.

 

[J 0 E]

Read the article guys, the title is misleading.

they are discussing how Naughty Dog perfected these slow sequences to add more depth to the game.

 

[John Kowalski]

For better or worse, QTEs are nothing like a "walking sim".

They're pretty much like all the games called walking simulators, in that neither is simulating walking in the first place.

 

[YianGaruga]

Just because it started as a dismissive term doesn't mean it still is - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_fallacy. There are a host of walking simulators (and I don't remember the devs of Gone Home, The Stanley Parable, Firewatch, etc. fleeing from the genre designation) that have reaped huge critical and sales success.

I'm not saying they are bad games

obviously. but it shows not everybody has a problem calling it those.

What makes you think the tag isn't given by people who dislike the game?

 

[DISSESHOWEDO]

More here



Gaming journalism on a roll, lately.

Eurogamer is a joke and they continue to prove it with articles like this! For more than a year i only visit their site for DF articles!

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Just because it started as a dismissive term doesn't mean it still is - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_fallacy. There are a host of walking simulators (and I don't remember the devs of Gone Home, The Stanley Parable, Firewatch, etc. fleeing from the genre designation) that have reaped huge critical and sales success.

I have never heard anyone call UC a walking simulator .
It's a action adventure game or TPS even if they are some slower parts .
Anything can be call a walking simulator with the point he trying to make.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

Indeed. Pointless clickbait.

I know, I clicked on it thinking it would be a mildly controversial attempt to harangue some Uncharted fanboys who are on high alert against anyone denigrating their favouritest game ever and instead it was actually an interesting article.

I'm outraged.

 

[Loudninja]

Even moving along a linear path and clearing obstacles by pressing X is way more interactive mechanically than pressing a button to play a line of dialogue. The claim that it's "no more interactive" than that is fuckin' ludicrous.

But the reason this is such a stupid point to bring up now is that the game's moved way beyond that. Even if you ignore the grappling hook and the winch and the piton and the multiple routes through most sections in the game, the act of climbing is only a "mash X" affair if that's how you choose to play it. An awful lot of the transitions from one handhold to the next can be done without leaping at all if you position Drake correctly and stretch his hands out in just the right direction. It's a more tactile and pleasing way to move around, and it looks much better because the animation's great, but it's entirely optional.

Yeah I felt this difference pretty quick.

 

[hank_tree]

Nice to see a good discussion by people who have actually read the artcile.

Oh wait, this is gaf.

 

[pastrami]

what other games fit the qualities they write about in the article?

Someone already mentioned it, but Half-Life is the first game I can remember doing something like this. The first ~15 minutes of the game is basically a "walking simulator." Or maybe tram-ride simulator.

It would be a better article if instead of focusing on the Uncharted series, it examined the rise of walking simulators, and where its roots lay (adventure games, Half-Life intro, Uncharted bits, Indigo Prophecy, etc).

 

[Necro900]

Even moving along a linear path and clearing obstacles by pressing X is way more interactive mechanically than pressing a button to play a line of dialogue. The claim that it's "no more interactive" than that is fuckin' ludicrous.

But the reason this is such a stupid point to bring up now is that the game's moved way beyond that. Even if you ignore the grappling hook and the winch and the piton and the multiple routes through most sections in the game, the act of climbing is only a "mash X" affair if that's how you choose to play it. An awful lot of the transitions from one handhold to the next can be done without leaping at all if you position Drake correctly and stretch his hands out in just the right direction. It's a more tactile and pleasing way to move around, and it looks much better because the animation's great, but it's entirely optional.

This.
All this looks even funnier when you take into account that traversal was actually made more interactive in U4.

I think we should step up EG's game:
Are WRPGs talking & walking simulators?
Are Ubisoft games scavenger hunt simulators?
Are rhythm games whack-a-mole simulators?

Oversimplify a game mechanic and every game looks stupid.

 

[Bioshocker]

I still find the shooting in Uncharted 4 as dull as in the previous Uncharted games. Luckily they added stealth this time and told a story better than in any Uncharted game before. Clearly Naughty Dog learned a lot from The Last of Us.

 

[entremet]

I have never heard anyone call UC a walking simulator .
It's a action adventure game or TPS even if they are some slower parts .

Well the point of the article is not call U4 a walking simulator.

The author is making a point that gameplay elements found in those games may have influenced U4, and that's not a bad thing!

 

[RedAssedApe]

can't really blame people who not wanting to read the article since the title reads like click bait but they actually say good things lol

 

[Cyborg]

I did read it and only I can think is: Opinions! Let them be, respect them.

 

[Yautja_Warrior]

Why?

Why should they single out multiple games? They want to talk about U4, let them discuss U4.

Also you use single out as a like this is a hit piece.

Read it, it's not a hit piece. It's a piece on how certain game design elements have influenced U4.

I did read it and what they talk about happens in a lot of games, so talking about mainly Uncharted just seems like click bait to me, you know how fan boys get in the comments, they will be all over this.

what other games fit the qualities they write about in the article?

Quantum Break, Alan Wake, Gears of War, Assassins Creed, The Last of Us, plenty of games have walking sections. Not saying the article is saying it's a bad thing, but like I said above, fan boys will be over this for the title of the article alone.

 

[mjp2417]

I have never heard anyone call UC a walking simulator .

That's the point of the article. If it was common knowledge that Uncharted influenced and then borrowed from genre X, why would anyone feel compelled to write an article about it?