Game cliches you've seen entirely too much of

[lun4tic]

Globehopping, ie. The tendency for games to jump from one locale to another just to fit in every environmental cliche into the narrative, with no regard to representing a somewhat consistent experience. Whilst once acceptable (say, in the early 90s when blue hedgehogs were commonplace), it gets my back up in modern games.

Two such games spring instantly to mind: Halo, which crams all the Sonic cliches into one place only narrowly omitting the 'quirky bouncerific pinball machine zone' and Unreal 2 which basically just tried its best to become Halo and failed on the level that Halo could never be mistaken for being even a tenth as utterly crap.

I'd like to refute you but I'm not sure of which Halo game you're referring to. I'm unfamiliar with Unreal so I wont bother with that. You don't hop from one local to another in the Halo series just for the sake of diversity. Turn your sound up or something because they're definately telling you why you're there.

Anyway, half of Halo 1 was the other half backwards, and half of the levels in Halo one were the same room texture repeated over and over and over and over...

This statement is definately a cliche.

 

[Jintor]

But it's a true cliche.

 

[Wanted Bob]

5 there is nothing new that any other game hasnt done before.

So are you saying that if it has NEVER been done before, its not a cliche?

Cause you can pretty much put every game in that category in that case.

Also, I should admit is part of the reason I was annoyed was cause it was immediately Halo that came up. Why not any other game. FEAR was loaded with cliches, like:

- Drab office interiors
- Slow-mo combat
- Creepy little girl (reminisent of the Ring)
- Basic Weaponry
- Typical Scare Tactics
- Boss Fights

Why not mention this game at all? In fact, Ive almost never heard this game bashed, but of course Halo is the game that springs to mind. Share the blame around, eh?

 

[AmishSlayer]

I think all talk of Halo should just be banned from this forum as a whole :|

The moment the word "Halo" is uttered it just spawns a hailstorm of derailments and side-threads about how people hate the game.

 

[giant384]

ugh im not going to bother with the halo arguments anymore. people are such fanboys of it

 

[Wanted Bob]

Fine by me. I guess the things I mentioned for FEAR are overused cliches also....

 

[AmishSlayer]

ugh im not going to bother with the halo arguments anymore. people are such fanboys of it

People here came to criticize your arguments against Halo, not to come rushing to Halo's defense.

But I'm glad you're putting down the Halo argument. We've had way too many waves of Halo fights on these forums. Every argument for and against it has been said and at this point, we could all just link to a previous post instead of writing anything about the game.

Fine by me. I guess the things I mentioned for FEAR are overused cliches also....

FEAR fell into a lot of cliches but it did get some damn good combat and AI in the process.

 

[A True Canadian]

One cliche I'm getting tired of is the double-cross.

And to make matters worse, it's usually the first friendly character you meet in the game. The guy who sticks with you through thick and thin, then suddenly, towards the end of the game, does a complete 180 and turns into a heartless bastard that would like nothing more than to kill you and take over the same entity you spent the whole game trying to defeat.

The problem is it's getting used so often that it's becoming a bit predictable.

 

[AmishSlayer]

One cliche I'm getting tired of is the double-cross.

And to make matters worse, it's usually the first friendly character you meet in the game. The guy who sticks with you through thick and thin, then suddenly, towards the end of the game, does a complete 180 and turns into a heartless bastard that would like nothing more than to kill you and take over the same entity you spent the whole game trying to defeat.

The problem is it's getting used so often that it's becoming a bit predictable.

True. When character twists like this are done in games they're completely predictable and cheesy. When they're done in some books/movies however it can be pretty kickass if done right.

I have yet to see a good friend->traitor twist that was unexpected in a game though.

 

[Jintor]

The problem probably lies with the inherent difficulty of writing for a game and yet giving the player as much freedom as possible...

 

[15357]

Your death.


Seriously, in almost every game I played, you die. Not just once, but multiple, multiple times.

How cliched is that?


Also, situtations where the cops/soldiers/other side is yelling at you to surrender and drop your weapons and they won't kill you.

I complied multiple times, but in no game has they ever not killed me. WTF's up with that?

 

[staticprimer]

Also, situtations where the cops/soldiers/other side is yelling at you to surrender and drop your weapons and they won't kill you.

I complied multiple times, but in no game has they ever not killed me. WTF's up with that?

Its called 'social commentary'. Duh.

 

[Bad^Hat]

One cliche I'm getting tired of is the double-cross.

Yeah, not too fond of this. Sometimes it's done relatively well, but if you see it coming, or if you decide to play through again, it's so hopeless knowing you can't actually do anything about it. It would be so awesome if they'd let you somehow call their double-cross and turn it around on them for a change.

Also, situtations where the cops/soldiers/other side is yelling at you to surrender and drop your weapons and they won't kill you.

I complied multiple times, but in no game has they ever not killed me. WTF's up with that?

YES! This is one I was thinking of before posting this thread. God I hate that, it'd be so nice just to have the option of surrendering. Infact, just better overall AI for authority figures would be good - cops, town guards in RPG/Adventure games (over-sensitive much?), etc. They always seem to get the ass end of things.

 

[knut]

I'm not going to make this a Halo argument as I've got a fair share of points I dislike about the game, but these points below need replying to and setting straight because I'm pretty stoked at what the hell they mean.

where the enemies walk is not a cliche.

also everything is halo is basically a cliche.

1.fight big baddie aliens
2.super sci-fi weapons that arent a big deal
3.fighting behind a sheild and having rechargeable health.

You call people Halo fanboys, but in saying these points alone just makes me think of you as the typical bangwagon Halo-hater because all these points are done in pretty much every other game at the moment. Hell, you're looking forward to Crysis of all games which has the first two points already. Big aliens with silly weapons, anyway.

But still, 'super sci-fi weapons that aren't a big deal'? I can tell straight away you've no idea what you're talking about as this point doesn't even make sense. You fight with an arsenal of human and/or Covenant weapons, all of which are pretty standard, with the odd big weapon (Spartan Laser/Covenant Fuel Rod) weapon thrown in for support to each forces military. No shit they aren't a big deal - they aren't meant to be a big deal.

Fighting behind a sheild is a dumb point, too, esp. one to suddenly pull against Halo of all games. Pretty much every game (save, lets say, Project Reality) gives you more than enough health to survive beyond the realms of realistic/fun so you could call anything a shield but once again the knowledge some people have of the game they are slating still amazes me. You are a soldier in the goddamn future, your shields are there to protect you.

4. the gameplay hasnt changed one bit since the first game
5 there is nothing new that any other game hasnt done before.

Forge? Editing maps whilst games go on around them without the means of some downloaded engine to chip your own way to a games files?
Theatre? Watching a 20 minute game you played 2 weeks ago with the ability to freeze, fast forward, switch cameras and take clips out of through recording without the means of some downloaded video editer, or motion capture card, but if anything by a so much easier and precise way?
As for the gameplay, what about all then ew equipment? Taking out a whole room of guys whilst they try to disarm the bomb with the Power Drainer, immeidietly taking down their shields for a few quick kills and a bomb save? The Bubble Shield? The Radar Jammer? Flares?

Tell me, have you actually played Halo 3 in depth, or are you just going by popular opinion? It has it's flaws, but it's got a hell of a lot more to it if you give it time.

This argument shouldn't really matter. You're saying all these things then looking forward to Crysis so... well, enough said.

Theres my cliche point, actually. Games that focus more on graphics and technical ability than actual gameplay. Just... stop, and think for a goddamn second, devs. Think about the game itself, not how it looks.

 

[Kyorisu]

Can people please shut up about Halo already. Even if you have a valid point your just enticing people to de-rail the thread. Good work.

 

[Sparta]

I hate it when the chick you're saving falls in love with you.

Its so ****ing annoying.

I also hate it when a certain character is this close to death when all of a sudden something happens and they're saved. (FEAR dodged this at the end however)

Funnily enough these things happen in the Half-life and Halo games but they just happen to do it right. Or at least they do it with the least amount of cheese as the whole falling in love thing is only implied.

When you say goodbye, i say Halo

I believe he was talking about the single-player, not multi-player and not Halo 3 but the first two games. But he would still have a point if he were talking about the single-player in Halo 3.

 

[knut]

My point was that his points were completly non-sensical. Sci-fi weapons that mean nothing? I don't evem know where that has come from, or what it means to be honest. Narrowing down 'having shields and shields that recharge', and having the enemy as a big baddie alien, to Halo games alone? I thought they needed addressing, and so I did.

 

[Wanted Bob]

One cliche I dont like is when there is some sort of omniscient power/being, that obviously has the power to kill you, but in fact you are never in any real danger, as either you are saved by someone or something, or its just implemented to instill a sense of fear into you.

 

[Kyorisu]

1. Realistic difficulty settings that are not realistic: i.e. you take one shot in the head and die. The enemy takes 10 shots to the head and is perfectly fine.
2. You are spotted by a guard on duty, CALL IN THE TANKS/CHOPPERS WE NEED FIREPOWER TO KILL ONE GUY.
3. Similar to two, the entire camp of enemies is alerted to your presence without anyone raising an alarm.

 

[Wanted Bob]

2. You are spotted by a guard on duty, CALL IN THE TANKS/CHOPPERS WE NEED FIREPOWER TO KILL ONE GUY.

I agree with 1 and 3, but for this one to be fair it depends on who your character is. If its some super strong hero like MC or Gordon, then they will have already heard of the destructive power of these characters.

However, I totally agree if you are one puny soldier that no-ones ever heard of.

 

[AmishSlayer]

I agree with 1 and 3, but for this one to be fair it depends on who your character is. If its some super strong hero like MC or Gordon, then they will have already heard of the destructive power of these characters.

However, I totally agree if you are one puny soldier that no-ones ever heard of.

When I read #2 the first thing I thought of was Far Cry The moment somebody near a radio (or has a smoke grenade) spots you they call for air support right from the get-go.

 

[giant384]

When I read #2 the first thing I thought of was Far Cry The moment somebody near a radio (or has a smoke grenade) spots you they call for air support right from the get-go.

haha i thought the same thing when he said those points.

 

[ríomhaire]

What about "OMG ALARM" for 2 minutes and then you move on to the next area/wait a bit and everyone has forgot you were ever there.
Also, enemies looking directly at you but failing to see you from just a few metres away.

Looking at you Metal Gear Solid.

 

[Eejit]

I have yet to see a good friend->traitor twist that was unexpected in a game though.

I found Yoshimo's betrayal in BG2 unexpected. Though maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, I didn't even have him in the party a lot of the time before that.

 

[Hellrider]

When you have three glowing dots on your head and yet no one notices you in the dark.
Or,when you have a barcode on the back of your head and no one gets suspicious, yet when you run they do.
Yeah you know who I'm talking about ..

 

[EEngi]

If we fixed everything you guys complained about, we won't have a game. We'd have a real life simulator.

 

[Gray Fox]

Most of what you people mention aren't a cliches, it's just something you disliked about a particular game.

 

[Warbie]

I'm fed up of playing as an uber hard army dude or the quiet brooding type. That includes Sam fisher, Garrett, Agent 47 and that twat in FF8.

 

[Stigmata]

"We need to take out that enemy encampment over that hill, but you're the only one of us who can do it!"

Immediately followed by:

"Oh shit, tanks! You've got to take them out, you're the only one who can do it!"

 

[Remus]

When you have three glowing dots on your head and yet no one notices you in the dark.
Or,when you have a barcode on the back of your head and no one gets suspicious, yet when you run they do.
Yeah you know who I'm talking about ..

Erm... Splintercell and Hitman?



What I'm fed up with:

1)Indestructible objects that should be destructible. Example:

Locked wooden door, you've got a rocket launcher and C4 explosive, but Nooooo you have to find the key FIRST!

2)Vehicle sequences in FPS where you can't get out of the damn vehicle.

3)The Rock, Paper, Scissors, game mechanic. Sure it makes PERFECT sense for a few soldiers with MACHINEGUNS to destroy a tank, while it's firing explosive shells at them but does negligible damage...

 

[Hellrider]

Erm... Splintercell and Hitman?



What I'm fed up with:

1)Indestructible objects that should be destructible. Example:

Locked wooden door, you've got a rocket launcher and C4 explosive, but Nooooo you have to find the key FIRST!

2)Vehicle sequences in FPS where you can't get out of the damn vehicle.

3)The Rock, Paper, Scissors, game mechanic. Sure it makes PERFECT sense for a few soldiers with MACHINEGUNS to destroy a tank, while it's firing explosive shells at them but does negligible damage...

I actually like the two games I mentioned,and about #3, thats like that in about every CNC lol..

 

[L3adCannon]

When you have three glowing dots on your head and yet no one notices you in the dark.
Or,when you have a barcode on the back of your head and no one gets suspicious, yet when you run they do.
Yeah you know who I'm talking about ..

The three glowing dots serve as pointers which way your char is looking, how he`s positioned, etc and are like the games trademark or something like that. Same thing with the barcode. Love those games.

What I hate are games where weapons have real life descriptions on them like blah blah blah this anti-tank rocket can penetrate any armor know to man and destroy a tank in one hit blah blah blah but it takes 3-4 rockets to kill a soviet tank (BF2).

 

[Jintor]

I hate the Overspecialization Cliche. WHY DON'T TANK SHELLS KILL INFANTRY INSTANT? WRRRRRRYYYYYYY?

 

[Remus]

I hate the Overspecialization Cliche. WHY DON'T TANK SHELLS KILL INFANTRY INSTANT? WRRRRRRYYYYYYY?

Yeah I complained about the same thing. Although I'm making a RA2 mod and it's like that there too:x, so guilty as charged LOL. The problem is that if tanks were as powerfull as they are in real life then avarage soldiers would become useless, unless you use soldiers with rocKet launchers in an ambush situation (city environment).

 

[Raziaar]

I agree with 1 and 3, but for this one to be fair it depends on who your character is. If its some super strong hero like MC or Gordon, then they will have already heard of the destructive power of these characters.

However, I totally agree if you are one puny soldier that no-ones ever heard of.

Isn't that itself a cliche and entirely too common?

Army of one capable of so much destruction without dying first. No such thing as a Rambo in this world, unless it's through the use of others and politics.

 

[venturon]

Bikini armour designs. Seriously, most female armour in games looks like it came out of a lingerie department headed by a metalworker.

Long sword +n. This is just plain uncreative. If a piece of equipment is somehow much better than the rest, at least give an explanation why.

The gnome inventor/eccentric.

The silver-tongued halfling rogue.

Exotic weaponry, because it's almost always completely out of place. It pisses me off when katanas are in a game just for the sake of it.

 

[Raziaar]

Bikini armour designs. Seriously, most female armour in games looks like it came out of a lingerie department headed by a metalworker.

Man... that's a good one, and used all too often. I completely agree. I hate bikini armor.

I play the game Soul Calibur 3 a bunch with my brother and cousins when we get together. I have a female character who I decked out completely in armor. She doesn't have any head-gear, but she's stylishly donning a protective suit of armor, where no exposed part of her skin is bare for 'sexual' reasons. Heh.

Damn that game is fun... I wish we had a thread here where people could post their character designs.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

I have yet to see a good friend->traitor twist that was unexpected in a game though.

When Sam turned on you and Paulie in Mafia that was pretty unexpected, at least it was to me.

Anyway, shit I'm tired of seeing: Hero going after to save someone (Read: A girl) that you spend all of 2 minutes interacting with beforehand and who does nothing but complain or scream. Yes Prey, I mean you.

 

[Saturos]

A couple of links I think you all will enjoy related to game cliches.

http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/10/10/video-game-cliches/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theshadowsun.net%2Fcollection%2Fview%2F138&frame=true
This one is particularly hilarious. Also, here's a list specifically for RPG's,

http://project-apollo.net/text/rpg.html

Cheers,

:cheers:

 

[Jintor]

"The Chosen One" is a pretty annoying Cliche. Just once, just once, I wish a party member was the Chosen One, not you. Or somebody else entirely, that'd be cool.

Oh, and there was another one... shit, I forgot what it was.

Every man and his dog giving you quests after you randomly break into their houses, that's pretty weird...