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[Loudninja]

Eh nvm.

 

[entremet]

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

After a while it just becomes meaningless posts, though.

No one is really taking about the articles content, just why they hated the click bait headline (welcome to the internet).

Why even discuss the article at all then? The thread might as well not exists.

 

[jellies_two]

I would say it's a chimpanzee simulator. There isn't much walking. Witcher 3 is a horse riding simulator. Fallout 4 is a walking simulator. Racing games are a driving simulator. Elite dangerous is a flying simulator.

 

[YianGaruga]

Would you call ICO a walking simulator? No.

But the article would have been recieved much more positively if the author stated that Uncharted takes inspiration from the slow paced Adventure games like ICO.

"Walking simulators" didn't invent slow pace and story telling. They just took it to the extreme, which many people dislike. Uncharted really doesn't seem inspired by those at all.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

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!

They have been slower parts in games for a long time .
Take RPGs for eg but i guess you can say stuff like that is coming into other genres.

 

[TheOfficeMut]

I redact this post because I am an idiot who only read the brief cutout in the OP and after reading the actual article, I understand the author's stance.

 

[Draft]

press forward for awesome.

 

[shmoglish]

Is DOOM a walking Simulator in the moments without shooting?

 

[Loudninja]

Great way to foster discussion, by highlighting the one controversial comment of the article, and making it the thread title.

GAF indeed.

The title is from Eurogamer though.

Yup, 'made up' by Eurogamer.

 

[Raylan]

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.

 

[mikefrails]

The beginning slog through Nate's uninteresting life really brought my hype back down to earth. It was my least favorite part of 3 and ND went and double downed on it.

 

[GeordieMark]

Reading the responses here, it's pretty evident who bothered to read the whole article. It's got a bit more about it than "Uncharted is a walking simulator".

 

[SomedayTheFire]

Let's assume that Uncharted was actually a "walking simulator," which I completely disagree with: why should it be vilified for that? There are so many genres of games and yet not only is Naughty Dog being accused of making a walking simulator in Uncharted 4, but the suggestion is that they aren't allowed to make a walking simulator. What if they fucking wanted to? What if they wanted to script everything? Games like that exist, so what exactly is the problem?

Oh, is it because there are bits and pieces of action, as a rebuttal would serve to say, and that it's not a full blown scripted game? Well, too fucking bad, that argument doesn't have ground to stand on either because video games don't have to be just one way or the other, they can and should be unique. Naughty Dog made a specific type of game, like any other developer, therefore set your expectations. I feel like the author's criticism is akin to playing a horror game but wanting it to be Call of Duty instead.

So you didn't read the article but you still thought this post was a good idea. Why?

 

[pastrami]

"Walking simulators" didn't invent slow pace and story telling. They just took it to the extreme. Uncharted really doesn't seem inspired by those at all.

But it was, and Richard Lemarchand even admits it in the article.

"I thought that in the same way that The Graveyard had created a space for me where I could reflect, so could our village."

 

[Palculator]

Is DOOM a walking Simulator in the moments without shooting?

No. It doesn't refer to merely the literal act of simulating a person walking.

 

[Portugeezer]

This is exactly how I imagine someone writing an article about Uncharted being a walking simulator would look like ;p

New Watch_Dogs protagonist.

 

[stargateheaven]

Just a troll article to get clicks.

DON'T look at it.

 

[mjp2417]

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.

The fact that someone might have to take into account the feelings of bought-and-sold idiots before writing about a thing like genre influence in a video game says an awful lot about the medium's audience.

 

[travisbickle]

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!

The article says that these elements were in the first Uncharted in 2009 and were shocking at the time for an action game. But are now more known in the "walking sim genre" yet the ND devs have kept with a similar formula for Uncharted 4, with refinements.

 

[Rembrandt]

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

who would tag 100+ games if they disliked the genre?

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).

there is obviously more than one, but there's not a lot of games that perfectly balance it like the article praises ND for. yeah, that would be an interesting article, too, but this was a pretty good article considering the recent release. it's much better/interesting than the Drake is a mass murderer ones.

Just a troll article to get clicks.

DON'T look at it.

embarrassing.

 

[EviLore]

Isn't it pretty well-established that Uncharted 2+ openly sacrificed player agency in the name of cinematic immersion, to degrees beyond what was typically considered acceptable anywhere else? That's pretty much Uncharted's USP.

I guess I'm supposed to be upset because Uncharted 4 is good and "walking simulator" sounds reductive or maybe not a positive enough descriptor for the thing that needs to be everyone's GotY, so I'm never clicking on Eurogamer links anymore and stuff?

I'd consider utilizing a little emotional divestment here.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

I think the premise is poor only because you can strip even the most complex of games down in this manner and be left with nothing of worth. We don't generally do that because we buy into and play the package, rather than each element on it's own.

The answer is certainly no, I have never heard it even suggested as such, and I don't know anyone that would pull such impressive games down to a singular mechanic.

 

[Moosichu]

I think the premise is poor only because you can strip even the most complex of games down in this manner and be left with nothing of worth. We don't generally do that because we buy into and play the package, rather than each element on it's own.

The answer is certainly no, I have never heard it even suggested as such, and I don't know anyone that would pull such impressive games down to a singular mechanic.

It's a positive article though...

 

[entremet]

Would you call ICO a walking simulator? No.

But the article would have been recieved much more positively if the author stated that Uncharted takes inspiration from the slow paced Adventure games like ICO.

"Walking simulators" didn't invent slow pace and story telling. They just took it to the extreme, which many people dislike. Uncharted really doesn't seem inspired by those at all.

Maybe that wasn't his intent?

You can write that article if you want. He chose his examples and terms and is free to do that.

ICO is also a dated example. He needs to consider the audience.

 

[BeforeU]

I finished it yesterday, while I kind of agree there is just too much walking and jumping. Its still hell of a game. Since now this is the only criticism anyone can find, people will beat this topic to death.

 

[Spring Drive]

set it on very easy mode?

I do, but it dosn't remove combat entirely

 

[jellies_two]

Reading the responses here, it's pretty evident who bothered to read the whole article. It's got a bit more about it than "Uncharted is a walking simulator".

Then why put bait in as a title? Shouldn't the title be the main point you are trying to make, not one designed to get annoyed clicks?

 

[Moosichu]

Would you call ICO a walking simulator? No.

But the article would have been recieved much more positively if the author stated that Uncharted takes inspiration from the slow paced Adventure games like ICO.

"Walking simulators" didn't invent slow pace and story telling. They just took it to the extreme, which many people dislike. Uncharted really doesn't seem inspired by those at all.

Have you read the article? It's saying Uncharted did this before it was common. Saying it probably helped inspire them, not the other way around.

 

[mjp2417]

Let's assume that Uncharted was actually a "walking simulator," which I completely disagree with: why should it be vilified for that? There are so many genres of games and yet not only is Naughty Dog being accused of making a walking simulator in Uncharted 4, but the suggestion is that they aren't allowed to make a walking simulator. What if they fucking wanted to? What if they wanted to script everything? Games like that exist, so what exactly is the problem?

Oh, is it because there are bits and pieces of action, as a rebuttal would serve to say, and that it's not a full blown scripted game? Well, too fucking bad, that argument doesn't have ground to stand on either because video games don't have to be just one way or the other, they can and should be unique. Naughty Dog made a specific type of game, like any other developer, therefore set your expectations. I feel like the author's criticism is akin to playing a horror game but wanting it to be Call of Duty instead.

Now, legitimate criticism could come in the form of the game not working well with as many scripted events, which is an entirely different argument and one that is valid, but denigrating the game for being the way it is is very weird.

Reading is hard

 

[Newtype-001]

I like it

 

[Mariolee]

Usually when article headlines are phrased in a question, the answer is "no".

 

[Raziel]

Isn't it pretty well-established that Uncharted 2+ openly sacrificed player agency in the name of cinematic immersion, to degrees beyond what was typically considered acceptable anywhere else?

Nope.

 

[Rembrandt]

I finished it yesterday, while I kind of agree there is just too much walking and jumping. Its still hell of a game. Since now this is the only criticism anyone can find, people will beat this topic to death.

it wasn't a criticism in the article. it was them praising it.

 

[shiftplusone]

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.

Probably a lot of crossover with the "last of us isn't a zombie game and you're being disrespectful to the naughty gods!!!" crowd

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Isn't it pretty well-established that Uncharted 2+ openly sacrificed player agency in the name of cinematic immersion, to degrees beyond what was typically considered acceptable anywhere else? That's pretty much Uncharted's USP.

I don't remember that .
Uncharted 2 was known for making things that would have been cut scenes interactive .
There set pieces , tps and it's auto platforming .

 

[haveheart]

You have to distuingish fact-based objective reporting from opinion pieces like this essay. Journalism should be critical. Why would you want to read how great U4 is, how awesome Naughty Dog is? Just read their press releases. I do love the new angles Eurogamer tries to present us over the past couple of weeks.

And U4 is a very linear game, you have no choice, you do what you are supposed to do. If you don't do it the "right" way, you will fail, the game will tell you so and you have to start over. Even if they try to give you a glimpse of freedom by allowing you exploring some levels (but you don't have to).

I think it is just fair to point that out. And this doesn't mean that U4 is a bad game.

 

[ps3ud0]

Arent they just talking about pacing? I dont see how U2s lulls in action (introduction to Tibet in particular) isnt anything but to perforate the action and allow the player a breather. I swear I watched a Game Makers Toolkit video about this where they were mainly talking about Life Is Strange and how well used is the idea of just escaping and sitting down to dwell on whats happened to emphasis those story beats.

I just dont see how what happens in U2 really was the early stages of the walking simulator myself - seems to be used as a descriptive phrase to mean something different that what most take it as...

ps3ud0 8)

 

[RealityCheque]

Holy clickbait batman!!

 

[Rich!]

Eh, it's the same as Tomb Raider reboot for me. I'm not a fan of the linear setpiece based progression nor the Hollywood esque tropes ND bases the story and cutscenes around.

I mean, I'm the kind of person who can't stand "cinematic" styled games, so my distaste for it makes sense. I found Uncharted 2 and 3 to be, quite simply, tedious.

I can definitely see how Uncharted is popular in the same sense a big blockbuster film would be.

 

[KORNdoggy]

i really don't see the comparison between uncharted and everybody's gone to the rapture. one is interactive start to end (traversal being the minimum). the other has non.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

Holy clickbait batman!!

It appears you have not read the thread or the article.

Congratulations.

 

[mario_O]

Click bait title. Must be slow day at Eurogamer to post this level of crap.

 

[GeordieMark]

Then why put bait in as a title? Shouldn't the title be the main point you are trying to make, not one designed to get annoyed clicks?

Why the fuck would anyone be annoyed by it? It's an opinion, and the writer explains themselves pretty well. It's far from a negative piece. if that annoys you, you really need to get some perspective and grow up a bit.

 

[hodgy100]

Nope.

care to elaborate rather than just post a one word dismissive reply?

Uncharted 2 does reduce player agency for the sake of its set-pieces. Thats a fact.

 

[Rembrandt]

Probably a lot of crossover with the "last of us isn't a zombie game and you're being disrespectful to the naughty gods!!!" crowd

definitely some crossover.

I don't remember that .
Uncharted 2 was known for making things that would have been cut scenes interactive .
There set pieces , tps and it's auto platforming .

that's a lack of player agency. which is what they're talking about.

 

[Nozem]

I just finished Uncharted 4 an hour ago. Loved the game, but I would have liked to see more combat.

 

[OléGunner]

Seems some Gaf folks clearly wanted more shoot bang at the start of the game which automatically made it boring for them.

I'm surprised at this mentality, thought more people would appreciate a gradual ramp up in action while allowing the story to develop at a good clip.

New Watch_Dogs protagonist.

Lol ok this one got me!

 

[KORNdoggy]

definitely some crossover.



that's a lack of player agency. which is what they're talking about.

i'd argue U4 has a lot of agency in it's traversal this time around. seeing as you have much more control. be it the "pick", rope, or the option given to you to traverse in different ways to get to the same location. i'm not sure how a game is supposed to give you more control in climbing around then U4 does tbh?

 

[MrHoot]

I mean...they're not wrong. Uncharted and TLOU to an extent were always about huge scripted setpieces that give the illusion of agency while in fact you're being put on a airport treadmill to move things onwards regardless of your agency. You get to look around and maybe take a step forward to gain some time but you can't get off the beaten path and if you try to go backwards the system will fight you

 

[barit]

I like it

The walking part? Yeah me too