I’ve noticed a trend—particularly in some recent RPGs—of, well, let’s call it ‘Netflixiness’.
Dialogue designed to leave absolutely nothing to interpretation, to exposit information in the most direct way possible, devoid of any real character or context. There’s an assumption that any moment the audience spends confused, curious, or out-of-the-loop is a narrative disaster.
I hate to keep knocking Dragon Age: The Veilguard about, especially since I still had a decent time with it all told, but the thing that made me break off from it after 60 hours really was its story. It’s a tale that does get (slightly) better, but it gave me a terrible first impression I never quite shook.
I agree with the article. Why cater games towards a crowd that doesnt want the game. Just stop it. Fuck EA and fuck companies like Activision/blizzard for dumbing down RPGs so Normie’s might like them. You’re ruining the experience for people who want to an RPG and making it “tolerable” for people who dont. The end result will always be a mixed bag, a mixed bag of shit.
Just let them play call of duty or FIFA and let the people who enjoy RPGs play RPGs with good story and RPG elements. You’re not doing anyone a favor by making an unenjoyable mediocre bag of shit.