Rockstar's focus on cinematic narrative popped ever since after San Andreas where they stopped player improvisation and choice in how to tackle an objective. Maybe they got offended that people were finding ways around doing certain missions easier by messing around and wanted to dictate to players what they should do so it all stays cinematic and the same tone, I would imagine. So they have you with the gun they used in the cutscene and not your regular weapon or other scripted transitions. That's why they have the invisible railroad when you're following other characters and if you go off the beaten path to improvise, they create in-world excuses for why you should stick to the path. Until they create workarounds or systems to handle improvisation like in immersive sims or even respect audiences to allow them to have their own fun, they seem stuck in this hyper-linear outdated mission design.
Yea,it is a bit odd that their huge open world games are not at all open when it comes to how you engage with the missions in them.Saying that,not all games need to be the same and if they want everything to have that cinematic look and feel then I can understand why things are designed like they are.Rockstar's focus on cinematic narrative popped ever since after San Andreas where they stopped player improvisation and choice in how to tackle an objective. Maybe they got offended that people were finding ways around doing certain missions easier by messing around and wanted to dictate to players what they should do so it all stays cinematic and the same tone, I would imagine. So they have you with the gun they used in the cutscene and not your regular weapon or other scripted transitions. That's why they have the invisible railroad when you're following other characters and if you go off the beaten path to improvise, they create in-world excuses for why you should stick to the path. Until they create workarounds or systems to handle improvisation like in immersive sims or even respect audiences to allow them to have their own fun, they seem stuck in this hyper-linear outdated mission design.
I hope they remember to make it actually fun to play. It seems like they forgot with RDR2.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I couldn't even finish it because the controls were clunky as hell and everything was too slow.
I guess we have different ideas of 'fun' because I loved how slow it was.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I couldn't even finish it because the controls were clunky as hell and everything was too slow.
In terms of its narrative. My personal feelings are that the GTA series as a satire of America is played out since real life America has pretty much exceeded the level of cartoonishness in the GTA series.
RDR2 was such a breath of fresh air. I genuinely did not expect that level of depth and complexity to the story, it's characters, and it's themes. It's meditation on morality, the sum of a person's actions during their life, the transition from one era of America to another was so well done, all anchored by a protagonist that simultaneously reflected aspects of the player, but was also a strong driven character in its own right caught in a period of self reflection as his world essentially collapses around him. The game's structure felt more like a television series or long epic novel instead of a film stretched out over a ridiculous run time as previous GTA games felt like. Structurally and narratively, RDR2 is Rockstar's strongest piece of work in their portfolio.
I hope that GTA6 continues in this direction of being able to tell a bombastic, action driven story, set in a living world, but like RDR2, it has something to say about human nature and the world vs just making crass jokes about how shitty America is. It's definitely something they experimented with in the underrated GTA IV and it's immigrant story (which I personally thought had great concepts but the actual execution wasn't as strong. GTA V on the other hand I thought had weak narrative bones but was executed well enough in a fun soapy over the top direction).
Don't forget that this forum is an alternate universe where RDR2 was a divisive title. You get bonus points for taking potshots.
They're actually worse than PS2 controls. At least GTA:SA was responsive.Yeeeeeep. Why am I still playing these PS2 controls? Why do I mash X to run like I'm inflating a bicycle tire?
The writing and story in RDR2 was actually really weak IMO, but it was disguised as a good story because of the presentation, graphics, good unscripted moments in camp, and the stellar voice acting.
However I would love for GTA 6 to be as dynamic as RDR2, by being able to interact with anyone, and I can imagine a similar structure to the camp by having a safehouse with other organized crime members or something.
The problem with these series taking themselves so seriously is that the gameplay/immersion goes out the window the moment the story is just like "okay we lost the cops, let's go back and rob another store!". They gotta find a way to make it less obvious.
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Preach