Trends in Modern Gaming That Drive Me Crazy - Retro Bird

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Games played: Sonic 3 & Knuckles (0:00), Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (0:14), Spider-Man: Miles Morales (1:00), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2:00), Air Zonk (3:30), The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (11:22), Nintendo Land (11:40)

[@kingedwin]

As I get older, I don't mind longer games, but they need to be structured so I can have short play sessions that fit my free time. If it takes several minutes to load the game, and I'm stuck watching cut scenes every few minutes, I'm going to give up, because I don't get much time actually playing the game. The same goes for games that have endless tutorials at the start.

[@Gamevet]

That's why I love the Saturn. It has a lot of quick, pick up and play arcade games.

[@EnLitenSkejtare]

Death stranding killed it for me

[@spyrojoe4721]

@@EnLitenSkejtare Death Stranding did for me as well til i came back to it when i had a little more time, and though it does require some commitment i will say it is definitely something worth playing through at least once in you life. And if you can avoid spoilers doing so even better!

[@nifftbatuff676]

This is why saving everywhere, even during a cutscene, should be inserted among the human rights.

[@HaloTropical]

exactly, I can't get anywhere in Metroid Prime 2 because of the lack of saving, the game expects me to put 2 hours into each session!

[@davidmorin2818]

Yeah, I hate the stigma against linearity in games

[@brianjl7477]

Quite a while back, I did some volunteer editorial writing for a gaming website, and I published one called "The 'L' Word" making the case that "Linear" was not a bad thing. I also lament that so many gamers think of it as such.

[@TrophyJourney]

Sometimes we are just too tired to choose. Don't make me choose, give me a clear path and put a gun in mny hand, that's all I ask.

[@Burnabyboy]

Final Fantasy 13 gets a lot of shit for being linear but I loved it for that very reason.

[@One21Jiggawatts]

This is why I love uncharted. I’m so glad they never took that open world.

[@notmethnx]

I think it's a scam so they don't have to pay writers..... Translators.... Localization ... Etc 😮

[@JulianWill]

One more annoyance - selling a collector’s edition of a game with a digital only code for the game, when they are also selling a disc version of the game! So annoying!

[@leeartlee915]

I’m with Retro Bird on this one. Back in the day, there just was no such thing as “down time” or “filler moments” in games. That’s why one of my favorite games of the 2000s was Geometry Wars. There I was in the middle of all these amazing 7th gen consoles and I was shooting circles and squares for hours on end.

[@shmackatrotsky5394]

oh god yes! geometry wars fricking rules!! we need a new one stat.

[@realguitarthur]

The saddest trend that us collectors are seeing is the slow (yet inevitable) death of physical media--from the packaging, to the manual, to the advertisements, to any special extras, to the game itself. There is just something special about the tangibility of games and their accessories that adds to the overall experience of playing and collecting them. A lot of the fun is being destroyed by modernization of this part of the gaming industry, and again it's just sad. Gather the physical media in all forms while you still have time! #RETROGAMING4EVER :)

[@joshhallam2253]

No manuals! That's definitely a trend I don't like.

[@BlockedByYoutube]

I kind of started saving all my physical media, with my emulators I've downloaded I went through my closet to dump the game codes (I own the media and I will do so) and it feels amazing to play some of these on my pc. I'm still working on it, but it's all going into a big old external drive. Also ported some of my ps3 titles as well, gotta pick up more before gamestop gets rid of them and while they're dirty cheap right now. It'll be nice to be able to plug n play my old collection whenever I want. Sadly my GameCube gave out so it's myonly way to preserve my GameCube titles and others.

[@MightySuperb1000]

@@BlockedByKZbin Agreed that’s the beauty of PCs and why very soon I’m going to build and/or buy a dedicated gaming PC. Can’t wait to take full advantage of things like Steam and Gog since you can outright own your games digitally forever and not have to pay monthly just to play multiplayer. The consoles really at this point are only good to keep around for the exclusives, and even those are dwindling.

[@residentevilclone]

This is one of the ways you can feel that games have become more about being publicly traded companies with big investments involved. It’s no longer just that a game needs to be successful, it needs to show substantial growth and a plan for long term monetization. Instead of adding things, developers/publishers have started to withhold them. Whether that’s content, manuals and art, or straight up a physical edition. It’s the expectation for everything to generate like a Fortnite or Roblox is gonna ruin gaming.

[@UltimateGattai]

I wish we could still get physical collectors editions for some PC games.

[@gregorys9629]

Agree on big budget modern games being too long - nothing wrong with a short, punchy game that doesn't overstay its welcome!

[@gelmir7322]

what I hate about modern gaming is that you have to first prove that you actually own the game. It's like asking your parents for permission everytime you want to play. It feels like you don't own anything, and there is that looming fear that one day you will not be able to play the game anymore, when there is no one out there to confirm stuff for you. The crazy thing of course is that it only applies to people who actually bought the game, these businesses treats their customers like they are criminals who needs to vetted everytime. Real pirates don't have to put up with such nonsense.

[@zealmilenio177]

Considering how this 'if you have nothing you fear, you have nothing to hide' attitude came about from the US government towards us citizens after 2001, it makes sense that companies would follow in that logic and treat their customers the same. If the government can get away with it, they might as well try as well.

[@Nightowl1981]

Yes! Lots of the side quests in newer RPG games can just feel needless and waste your time. I feel like older RPGs never used this tactic.Phantasy Star 4 and Dragon Quest V, I can replay those and complete them again and again and always with enjoyment.

[@matthewheupel8960]

Wow! You really hit the hammer right on the nail with this one. I never really thought about why I didn't care much for open world games before, but you articulated it perfectly.

[@balaam_7087]

•Platform holders that can’t compete on the same legit terms as their competitors and resort to monopolistic practices in an attempt to buy up everything and consolidate it under one roof in a feeble attempt to quash the competition, ruining things in the long term for the gamers •Always Online requirements •Multiplayer Trophies/Achievements •Digital games pushing out physical media •Discless consoles •the ‘push it out broken, patch it later…or not’ mentality of questionable developers/publishers

[@goon5544]

I like that there's always something new to be made with modern games. I want my games to prioritize quality, innovation and fun though which isn't always the case. Open world you're just walking around for 70 percent of the game so I'm only in the mood for an open world like every other year.

[@TwoOfDee]

I think a lot of game makers forget that the game play should be fun. That's where Nintendo excels compared to others. Too many gaming companies now days are more worried about graphics instead of fun game play.

[@augustusmilligan9244]

Nintendo is just as guilty. Nintendo cheerleaders are as bad as Apple cheerleaders.

[@terran0797]

I think all tripe A games are guilty of that to a point now. I’d rather have a shorter but way more fun game

[@dimitristsipis4841]

The thing is that is 2024 and with the cost of games constantly rising, we should have both fun and good graphics. Don't get me wrong I like Nintendo but if they want to charge their games at full price I expect graphics and performance along with the fan factor. If you cut one of these then cut the price as well that fair.

[@augustusmilligan9244]

@@dimitristsipis4841 As gamers, we all should be advocating for physical media. The ever-increasing price of games make me want to have my hands something.

[@dimitristsipis4841]

@@augustusmilligan9244 While I advocate for physical media, I dont have a problem with the digital ones as long as the price is right. I also play games on a PC and physical media there are a thing of the past.

[@ドリフト180X]

The “I’m dead come back later” cutaway joke had me laughing, that was good! The points you made in this video are spot on. With backlogs and wanting to replay games that you really enjoyed, I definitely wouldn’t mind more linear focused and dense experiences. A game being so large makes it hard to wanna go back to it again.

[@mattb6522]

I agree with all these points. I grew up during the 8 and 16 bit era, so I probably have a much different perspective than many younger gamers. I still generally prefer shorter pick-up-and-play games as I just don't have as much time to play as I used to due to adulting, so I still very much appreciate going back to replay retro games or even try some newer indie games. I do enjoy first-party titles, but many are definitely too long to go back and replay constantly like I can with many older games. I can't count the amount of times I've replayed classic Sonic or classic Mario games since they generally don't require a major time investment and you can literally just jump into it. I also just can never get into open-world games. I prefer a more linear "end-goal" experience that unfolds naturally and the challenge progresses at a decent pace. I know many people enjoy them as you can explore, but I just get a bit bored from it (especially if the area is huge). Even some older games are guilty of this. Like, I vastly prefer Banjo-Kazooie over Donkey Kong 64 or Banjo-Tooie for the simple reason that Banjo-Kazooie has quicker moment-to-moment action whereas Donkey Kong 64 or Tooie just have huge worlds that take awhile to get around (even with warp points). Bigger isn't always better in my book.

[@mandroid1813]

I’m DEAD. I laughed so loud when you were talking about being a loser and then showed the pic of yourself as a kid dressed as a cowboy on that pony. 😂💀

[@lilg8017]

I always think the great divide as the era of online multiplayer. That's when single player content started to become less important.

[@joespeigle1240]

Riding a horse in Shadow of the Colossus (Agro) added to the beauty of the lands that you had to travel and the solitary sadness of the character you played as. There was a "calm before the storm" element with it before each boss fight. I think many other games since then tried to capture that element, but lost something in their translations

[@Gonzalo_105]

They talk to much in modern games, they just wont shut up and let me play.

[@matthewheupel8960]

Oh, and then there's the "radio buddy" that won't shut up. I hate those.

[@tom13king]

A pet peeve of mine is the obsession with dull, realistic graphics. I know gamers have always been obsessed with better graphics, but I really don’t like the glut of grey and brown we got starting with the PS2 era.

[@CatFish107]

Yeah. Gimme some bright and shiny colours, please.

[@KayX291]

That trend started with Xbox 360 era actually.

[@frankhalgas3798]

I love Zelda Wind Waker. When it came out, all the influencers (magazines) said the graphics suck. However, they praised whatever life like game they thought would make them famous. If they didn't blow 95% of their $900 million budget on graphics, then maybe devs could make a good game again.

[@divinecomedian2]

I think post 360 is when it really started. 360 still had some great stylized games, but since then the focus on realism has gone into overdrive.

[@Autotrope]

I think you should make a video along the lines of "in defense of bad games" about how you don't need to only play a game that critics and/or most gamers liked, "bad" games can be real fun too. For all I know you may have made such a video already but yeah.

[@Autotrope]

Like, nobody likes Sonic Lost World but hey there's fun to be had in it

[@wtechdude]

Horses. Ah, horses, they can be fun as frustrating. When I first rode one on Shadow of Collosus, it was exhilarating.

[@JulianWill]

Such salient point made - every single one I agree with 100%. Also - I laughed out loud at the reference to the old guy with a goat thing, and the cashier! You’re a talent my man!

[@Trancymind]

Drinking goat milk will make your bones very tough like the old man. Just ask Daryl who knows who buys goat milk every single time.

[@catchall4574]

I like the funny faces you make gets me laughing 🤣 everytime

[@DoubleDguitar]

The bananas…😂

[@Crushonius]

there is a reason why chrono trigger is regarded as one of the best games out there and certainly is in pretty much every rpg top 10 its a 12-20 hour romp no filler no boring parts with some of the best artwork and music it is truly a masterpiece but it is not too long so people replay it over and over again

[@OtterloopB]

Trend that drives me nuts is sacrificing actual gameplay for a "game" that's little more than one long cutscene with QTE's and middling gameplay interspersed here and there. Looking at you, FFXVI. Your older brethren (1-6) understood that gameplay matters most.

[@franciscor390]

Sega is the only ones to pull off QTE in a fun way.

[@unsaltedskies]

Are QTEs designed in such a way to ensure that you keep your eye on the cutscenes at all times?

[@danbauer3669]

Isn't it sad in today's age that getting friends and family together in the same room is an unrealistic goal?

[@MrShadow2x]

It's almost laughable to me that I can have a better experience doing local multiplayer on a Nintendo 64, OG Xbox, or Dreamcast than modern consoles. Nintendo still champions that better than anyone, but it was much more common in older generations.

[@danbauer3669]

@@MrShadow2x it's almost like human beings are social creatures and to truly get that human experience, you have to experience things with other humans, socially. One player per console is anti social. It seems like a social experience until some strange kid voice, who doesn't know you and clearly doesn't care about you, starts dissing your momma over the TV speakers... at least on N64 you can smack your opponent for that kind of jibber jabber, which makes it a more enjoyable social experience for all involved. Another point to retro games being better than modern games.

[@nes_osterone6217]

Waiting for a game to come out before death comment really hit home here. I worked with a gal who was in HR that developed liver cancer. I actually introduced her to BOTW and she loved it. The cancer came along while the wait for TOTK came. She told me she hoped the game was released before she passed. After so many extended release dates, that actually became reality. She died a couple months before TOTK came out 😢

[@fondofpeace]

Dude great observation on the shift from making a game beatable based on talent vs just making a really long game. As I get older, I just don’t have the time to put into games like I did when I was a kid.

[@rotallyPumpered]

Oh, man. I'm such a horse boy in games. Epona and Agro made them a fundamental component in my idea of "grand adventure", and I'm reliably more responsive to games that have a strong focus on horsey stuff. I'm not sure I would have done any optional free roaming in Red Dead Redemption 2 if not for how convincing its horses were, and the words of endearment you could get from Arthur as he rode them. The little pink clouds of happiness as you fed and petted your horse in Breath of the Wild were my everything, and the stripped-down arrangement of the main Zelda theme fading in as you galloped through the wilderness was almost profound. Like that classical sense of adventure you were looking for was now something organic, and you could get it from being friends with horsey. I'm sorry you're tired of the trope. I'm keeping my HORSES ARE NICE shirt on.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Hahah. I smile upon your enjoyment of horses :)

[@Stathio]

I feel absolutely the same! The horses are my favourite parts of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom!

[@TonyonFireHouston]

The thing that gets me about modern games is how long it takes to learn how to play them. It's like you have to take a full course of wikipedia and youtube videos to understand what all the items in the game do.

[@joshcopeland]

I dislike how so many games have rogue-like elements, souls-like elements, farming, survival, gathering resources, crafting, cooking and so on. Also games with excessive RPG elements like skill trees, too many npc's to talk to, store's to buy things in etc. all of which just overcomplicates and dilutes the game. My favorite games are Metroid-likes, 3D platformers and racing games. Metroid games are the purest of them all. Every item is found not bought. No talking. No shopping. No crafting. Just exploration, combat, and puzzle solving.

[@fista1331]

A modern 3D gaming trend that really bugs me is that almost every game looks the same now a days. Mostly all we see is a big city, a big open woodsy/open field world or something similar. You put screenshots of these games together, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Now you get screenshots of Metroid, Punch Out, Mario 3, Sonic, etc.. you can easily distinguish which game is which as each game has its own identity… and each game has its own art style.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

This is an interesting point!

[@leeartlee915]

My idea of a perfect modern game is something like Resident Evil 2 remake. a) There is barely a dull moment in that entire game b) Has ton of replay value c) Didn’t take 8 years to develop d) Has a very specific story to tell e) Is the kind of game that could only be made today

[@Trancymind]

The original RE 2 is a way better game with gameplay. It is considered a masterpiece in gaming industry.

[@leeartlee915]

@@Trancymind You do realize that many, many people also consider RE2 remake one of the best games ever, right? Or do you just live in your own bubble?

[@Trancymind]

@@leeartlee915Resident Evil 2 the original is what made the game a masterpiece. Remakes are the ones looking for glory by milking cows. So creative (sarcasm).

[@leeartlee915]

@@Trancymind You know, it’s possible to think both things are good. You don’t need to tear down one of them to feel better about yourself. But something tells me that’s the kind of person you are.

[@Trancymind]

@@leeartlee915If I did, I would have been doing so with the entire gaming industry. In another words, be very grateful the original creators of resident evil were made and that I like playing horror video games.

[@eduardo0379]

Remakes. Not that I don´t want any remake of old classics, there are many that I simply loved (Trials of Mana, Link's Awakening and Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, just to name a few), but sometimes I feel like every other company lost their creative minds and descended into remaking classic games.

[@jfksdogmax]

"My copy of Contra made me promise not to put it in a home". Oh man, that was a great line😂😂😂😂🎉❤

[@bareq99]

5:46 I did NOT expect to get a Ken jumpscare here haha

[@SumKindofGaming]

We dislike the obsession with hyper realistic art styles. Sure its a great way to show off a systems capabilities, but art direction has just lost so much pazzaz recently. An interesting art style is timeless. Great video btw!

[@Riz2336]

I do kind of miss the days of “arcade style” games that are all but gone now

[@suntannedduck2388]

Same. Whether they are arcade feel or actual arcade ports (I don't mind Tank Tank Tank on Wii U yet it's one of the most underrated on the console. People over expected with the game. I'm not into realism for everything or cinematic this and that sometimes arcade fun or arcade feel is nice to have. Sure what you mean are different then the arcade experiences I've had as mostly arcade feel then actual arcade games whether high score based or just arcade ports to consoles but with enough features to them to be fun to replay. Tank Tank Tank is not perfect but for an arcade game my mind was already open to how arcade like it still is but on console everyone else misunderstands and judges it differently. Sure it can benefit from some tweaks but a 30-40 metacritic I don't think so. I had fun with it besides it's design. I can some back to it like an arcade game or I can try to get far in it just without any credits/arcade location atmosphere. I get a phone to console port similar perspectives but some do change them enough to convert it to be console suitable others not so).

[@CatFish107]

"Whatever it takes, get bothered." Hahahahahaha. Great delivery on that line, birdy.

[@STP.83]

That's why I still love the 6th console generation games. The last generation with tons of games that are easy to pickup and play some minutes here and there, without long intros or tutorials.

[@MetalJody1990]

The PS2 game Black says hi.

[@CatFish107]

Switch has a bunch of cool old games ported to it. I haven't had a home console since the Genesis, and I'm blown away with what's available on Switch.

[@bencox5994]

You have an amazing channel no matter what age. I'm 35, I agree with most of your opinions, although im still on the fence about bread clips.

[@bc454irocz89]

you nailed it man these games are SO LONG and its mostly filler. I remember when the xbox 360 came out and i was like yeah these games are awesome and they have good graphics but you just get sick of them, you cant play them over and over again like the old games

[@tonyp9313]

Yeah I agree with all your points. Trends I don't like in games is making these complex puzzles in them that you can't skip. If you played Resident Evil 4 remake, there's a ton of them in there. These puzzles are so hard that you have to look them up on youtube for solutions to them just to progress further in the game. What's the point of putting puzzles that aren't fun to solve if anybody can just look up solutions to them? Then another trend would be making games couch coop if you played these retro type games like Streets of Rage 4. Again not making this 4 player online coop is a huge feature that isn't there.

[@andrewdowell6474]

I hate riding horses in games so much that when I played Breath of the Wild the first time, I never even bothered to touch one. You can imagine my annoyance when I had to use a horse in the last fight and I had no clue how to play the game on a horse all the sudden.

[@dapperfan44]

Why? It's just a mode of transportation.

[@asilver50]

I haven't played a game where horses felt right. They are always clumsy and they get stuck on everything.

[@pixelpoppyproductions]

The one exception to horses being boring for travel: the Horse “car” in Daytona USA on the Saturn.

[@Marc_Araujo]

The modern trend that the price of being able to play console games online keeps increasing really annoys me (I'm looking at you Sony)...where Steam has never charged to play PC games online.

[@iheartdonut]

My discovery of Arcade emulation was a life changer. Suddenly I have thousands of easy to pick up and play games that I'd never heard of. Video games do not need to be such a major time investment to be enjoyable. I never got much into the online multiplayer matchmaking games, and miss the couch coop games, so after building a Mame cabinet, now parties at my place are perfect casual multiplayer gaming havens.

[@VladlustTV]

I have to 100% agree with open world games, I pretty much always prefer linear games, I hate that the word linear has such a negative connotation nowadays

[@NYCHeavyHitz212]

“Red ‘delicious’ apples are gross” - I never felt this way, but I’m glad somebody said it since it’s the Apple I care about the least.

[@ChaosGenerator]

I'm here for the obligatory bread bag clip and banana cameos.

[@danielordonez412]

All I wanted to acomplish in Ocarina of time was ride the horse.Totally agree with the scam of selling uncomplete games.

[@WithScienceAsMySheperd]

@1:55 Morpheus : "What if I told you that every game is RETRO, why would you wait long enough? "

[@BlankSpacePub]

You talked about this in another video, but it's not just "incomplete" games that make modern games suck. It's incessant updates that change the game-play. Good vid!

[@paulanderson3772]

Nice work man. Wholesome and humorous.

[@ethangregory1556]

Really appreciate your videos. Always entertaining!

[@nmnate]

Achievement hunting in the Assassins Creed games got me super burnt out on open world. Granted it was like 3 of them in a row, but somewhere after tons of hours in Brotherhood I just walked away. 😅

[@Stuffage15]

Thank you for bringing up the bread tie issue happens all the time for me.

[@michaellewis1039]

Just wanted to pop in and say that your videos strike the perfect balance of informative and humor. Every one of your videos has been very entertaining! I hope your channel continues to grow beyond your own expectations.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

That's very kind of you to say. Thank you :)

[@PatrickMacCready]

I’m just glad you’re getting to share your love of retro games with others. Very light hearted takes, no pretension. Love it.

[@Smashbro2013]

My friends and I, who know what it means to have a good time, often complain about these things too! I miss when games didn't have to be 50+ hours long and ongoing online experiences...

[@nicholashayes5773]

Another cool thing about replayability is you can master the game, getting better and better with each subsequent playthrough. There's something really satisfying about booting up an old favorite and seeing how fast you can get through it, because you know the game from front to back.

[@pollodiablo36]

We need more linear AAA games!! Sing it from the rooftops!! 10-15 hours is plenty of length!!! I’LL DIE ON THIS HILL!!!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Hahah. Sing it from the rooftops eh? You might've inspired a future cutaway of mine :)

[@shaggymcdaniel3216]

With games going digital, I feel like any remaining physical games will go up in price. Bring back the arcades!

[@tonyp9313]

Agreed

[@danbauer3669]

Oh, boy! Don't get me started on this topic! Grrr....... Great video, as always Mr. Bird!

[@alexorear7807]

Definitely relate to most of these points. The older I get the more I enjoy shorter games and look forward to replaying shorter games. 10 hours seems to be about max for me anymore.

[@ReinMixTape]

From what I remember hearing Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles became separate games because of a contract deal Sega had with some company. The deal fell through and we got a split package. As an adult, I don't have much free time for long games anymore and my patience for them is diminished too. Which is one reason I don't like long modern games because they go out of their way to be extra long like ya pointed out. For the most part I don't like modern gaming and I'm hoping theirs a pivot where it becomes more like gaming in the 90s. I do like save states though, because the arcade formula of popping coins which became life counters wasn't all that fun. Esp. when devs combined lived with making their game extra hard/extra cheesy with lame monster placements etc.

[@tonyp9313]

They do have retro style games like River City Girls, Streets of Rage 4, TmNT Shredder's revenge & a ton more like it.

[@ExinerisLP]

I think Dragon Quest 11S is good example of a modern game done right. It combined the classic Turn Based RPG style that DQ is known for and added so many modern day QOL features to make a more time friendly experience despite its long story; which is also presented in such a way that you can play a few chapters, take a break, and come back to it at a later time without feeling confused as the chapters are almost all their own little stories in an overarching plot

[@jesseglenn8803]

Not directly mentioned, but goes hand in hand: games that could easily fit on a switch cartridge requiring downloads...

[@LomanLawson]

the point about older games having things to unlock and figuring it out being fun... yeah, ruined with the internet. just takes a minute on google to "figure it out" now. so what's the point for devs to try and be clever when instead they can just put it in for an extra buck that you can pay instead.

[@cjeelde]

What drives me crazy about modern games... Too many games are either rushed so they will release patches/updates to fix all these problems - because they rushed the game. And why do they rush the game? They know they can release a patch/update! As a physical collector this is horrible! One of the best examples of rushed games is Sonic Colors Ultimate (fall 2021). Another annoying thing is how they plan the development. So for example Switch Sports: they don't add all sports at day 1. Instead they add more sports as future updates. Back when we had NES and SNES the developers was forced to make the "golden master" of the game as close as perfect as possible, because games got released on cartridges. This pressure on developers benefited us gamers a lot! This is the downside of Digital Downloads getting more popular. When talking about the content in the actual modern games, it's hard to tell. I've not played any new/modern game for so many years. Been busy with making my home good again, but I play some retro games here and there. While not playing modern games I actually collect games (physical releases) for Switch. Got 40+ games now. A huge backlog! And now there's a roadmap of many great games to become released coming months. My backlog will only grow bigger and bigger :) but it's so nice with all these physical copies - and Amiibos! I wanna buy many more Amiibos but that will cost a lot - and take up much space. I'm picky when it comes to Amiibos because of the price.

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

I think most of us of a certain age fall in line with these sentiments. There's a big difference between "content" and quality content. So many games are bloated with things to pad out a game whose scope exceeded the good ideas. How many ruins with a chest inside or bandit camps do we need in a game? Pressing ever toward realism means getting farther from anything whimsical, and simulation often comes at the expense of fun. A shorter game dense with well-thought-out progression and design is much more satisfying than a 200 hour game with ten hours of interesting ideas. I'd rather have a nicely composed steak dinner than a 40oz can of peas and a package of hot dogs. Yeah, there's more food in the hot dogs and peas, but I'm not going to enjoy it.

[@prefeitobear9209]

The super loooooooooooong openings make me drive back to the game store and sell a 40 bucks game for 5 dollars You were late today

[@nigelhighlands3131]

This is one of your best and most insightful videos I've seen and that's saying something! Would be interesting to see a video on the inverse - trends in modern gaming that you like

[@mohammadabuqubu7079]

Spot on!!! One of the best videos on YT ever :)

[@luliby2309]

Yes, I very much agree with the issue of some games being too long. I usually refer to them as being "overstuffed". When a game is overstuffed like that, then there's too much for just one playthrough. You may still enjoy it, but it becomes harder to come back to. A game that doesn't have any excess fat is easier to come back to and enjoy again. For example, I enjoy RPGs, but they are often known for being very long. While I love something like Final Fantasy X, I haven't come back to it as much due to how long it is, plus then nature of the gameplay. I replayed Mario RPG and Paper Mario a bunch of times as a kid due to the fact that they aren't that long for RPGs, and also due to how they play. They're snappy and quick.

[@CasepbX]

5:45 So there's this online PC game called Guild Wars 2 with some really fun mounts. You start off with a raptor that can do a super long jump, and eventually get a rabbit type mount that jumps very high, a manta ray mount that can go quickly over water and once upgraded underwater. I'm still waiting for a single player game to have mounts even half as fun. If you're curious I have a video on my channel of the raptor.

[@mcstinky]

The most annoying thing is bathroom breaks

[@Gilgamex]

I actually really appreciate your comparison between books & games regarding their linearity. It's interesting how trends can shape our perceptions about things at the time. The first time that linearity really got hit hard I remember was the release of FFXIII, it seemed like everyone and their grandmother complained there wasn't more open world elements in the game, it's a great game by any other studio who's name isn't Square-Enix. Yet, the gaming landscape just didn't take to it like previous entries unfortunately. It became "dated" in RPG's especially, Max Payne I feel makes a good case as to how a linear formula can be done excellently. Much like how collect-a-thon games were doing gang busters in the 90's, but by the end of it all of us were so sick of it, such games dwindled. Yet, popularity of game "elements" seems to always be fluctuating, now with the benefit of the internet, its interesting to see appreciation for different genres become revived again, only to watch the Titans of our day fall! Circle of life I suppose!

[@Estorium]

A fantastic recent game that avoids a lot of these annoyances is Lies of P. I highly recommend that game. It is microtransaction free, almost completely bug free, complete at launch, more linear and challenging with a very interesting premise.

[@Yipper64]

one thing that doesnt necessarily bother me but just kinda is something I wish they still did; 4:3 aspect ratio support. I'd play near every videogame on my CRT if they all just had 4:3 options.

[@dapperfan44]

Not sure I get the logic on this one, why would you play a modern game on a CRT? I remember suffering on my old TV during that transition, when I first got my PS3. Granted, component cables helped some and they made PS1 and PS2 games look AMAZING on it.

[@Yipper64]

​@@dapperfan44 I mean just purely because you can? Idk I just like how it looks.

[@oaktreep1987]

Great video! The whole thing for me about most modern open world games is ,it's the commitment and time you have to invest in to it, before you get anthing in reward as a player. This totally depends on the developer and type of open world game. A game like GTA V is rewarding me as a player with fun, almost at any time. If i play it just free roam for a hour, or play the game it's story mode for multiple hours, i can always boot up the game and just know that that i will have fun. Open world games like RDR2, BOTW, Death Stranding, Horizon, i really loved, but it's a to big commitment for me to play again and get invested in the game. Also i really love horses like Epona, Agro, Roach ,because they are more to me and the main character, than just a transportation thing. But also this totally depends on the game and the relation to the main character.

[@filthyfiery5524]

I think a modern game that does it all is Baldur’s Gate 3. You make impactful choices, the side quests are all engaging, and the replayability potential is there. That said, I agree a lot of triple-A games fit your description. I only wanted to highlight what I think was an example of an exemplary modern game. Great video!

[@Nightowl1981]

We all just miss the good old days of ⬆️⬆️⬇️⬇️⬅️➡️⬅️➡️ B A (select) START

[@JS32986]

Coming from a new video to say what bothered me about modern final fantasy (specifically 16). My biggest gripe was how streamlined everything was. No organically finding quests by talking to townspeople, everything had a quest marker and a fast travel option. It felt like an offline port of a former MMO, which makes sense with Yoshi P's involvement. My other biggest gripe was the swearing. That usually doesn't bother me but it seemed very out of place in a final fantasy game.

[@christianjadot4459]

I think the stigma of linear games is stupid, but one of the first games to get me into gaming was "open world" and I personally love open world exploration games. (Starflight, it had 800+ procedurally generated planets to land on and explore back in 1986.)

[@ConstitutionalRepublic00]

I love seeing your video pop up.

[@sephiroth81]

I agree with you on all points. It is funny, my 12 yr old daughter can't get enough of botw...she beat it several times over and has collected all possible horses in that game. Her favorite part is to wander aimlessly, completing random side quests. I have tried to get her into adjacent titles with more puzzles (ex. Links Awakening)...but she rejects them like rotten bananas.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Sometimes you just find what you like and stick with it.

[@Franco-64]

Hell yeah a new Retro Bird video!

[@MattKimura]

What annoys me are modern gamers that only play online shooter games like Valorant, Overwatch, Apex Legends, TF2, Fortnite, counterstrike. I mean sure everyone can like whatever games they want, but what happened to single player experiences? I feel like I played a huge variety of video games growing up and even now, while newer gamers are only ever playing these same games over and over forever.

[@RobsRedHotSpot]

7:50 I like what I call first-gen fully 3D massive open worlds (Morrowind, GTA III series for example) because they are playgrounds the player can bounce around in however they like. More recent games have increased the scale but ultimately resorted to more scripted, linear quest design because their world's are too complex and thus too easy for the player to break. Truly open worlds are fun because you don't have to complete them, you just "do stuff" in them. Doing stuff other than a major questline in a game like RDR2 or even Skyrim is just a chore.

[@Craplatte]

Regarding your point of Respawn points being too close to each other: thankfully, I was socialized with games in a time where a death on screen was to be avoided at all costs and that mindset carried through even to today where you can save at will. I'm nervous about dying in a game just as much as back then because that's just how I learned it XD

[@tjdanehy5444]

That first point, regarding game length, nailed it for me. I go for so many indie titles (especially roguelikes) anymore because I know I'll usually get a full serving in one sitting.

[@teneleven2818]

7:17. I remember those types of books. At least there’s some clever ways of storytelling with alternate versions

[@erneststackhouse1133]

Agree with everything you stated as games back in the day took chances to be different. Now they are re-doing what is popular & changing it just a bit to call it there own, but it's the same 3D World as everyone elses. Even games not really 3D have 3D Worlds like, Hot Wheels. Why do you need a 3D world? It takes so long to load & if you fall off the orange track you can explore the area. What's the point? You lost the race at that point. Just keep the background, background & have us race on the track & maybe a kid can bring you back on the track like Mario Kart.

[@CarrotConsumer]

I'm not super into retro games but I agree with everything you said. Modern big budget games can be a real drag sometimes. And they have a severe lack of 'nanners.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

It was a big moment for me when I found the mighty bananas in "Tears of the Kingdom".

[@RetrofIex]

Do you prefer Component/RGB for the Sega Genesis? I find it really cleans up that filthy Genesis composite video signal- especially it’s notorious color bleeding

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I use component/rgb but I wouldn't say that I completely hate composite. The Genesis utilizes dithering in a lot of games which composite takes advantage of.

[@KindKraken]

I totally agree wit all the points you made dude especially open world games

[@msd5808]

Horses draw the coveted female market in. I'm surprised Spiderman 2 didn't have one.

[@noah131_]

i never thought about it until you mentioned it in this comment but that would explain why Red Dead 2 has a weirdly large female player base

[@msd5808]

@@noah131_ I probably shouldn't have said... it was sexist... but when I think of games with horses or ponies they're targeted toward young girls like for the Nintendo DS/Wii

[@michaellakeartofficial]

My first console was a PS1 back in the day. While I do love a ton of modern games, I agree with a lot of your points. I gotta say, a great example of a modern game is the Resident Evil 4 remake. I replayed that at least 3 times in the first month it came out. That being said, there's a handful of longer modern games I've replayed a lot, such as Borderlands 2 and 3. The gameplay loops of those and looters in general feel good to me. The feeling that you're always making progress is ideal to me, especially when you know you love the game that much.