Re: triple A vs Undertale
My opinion on AAA games is that they're hamstrung by their own massive production costs. Who would buy a AAA game that looks as good or worse than the previous generation? So so much money needs to get dumped into graphics, and now that near photorealistic virtual humans are a thing, into actors. So they need to charge a lot, and they need to appeal to a large audience and a reliable one. Innovation in AAA games tends to be going one step further than the inspiration went... which I can actually respect.
I think its interesting people are calling out Nintendo as innovators because Nintendo has finds new answers to "why is this game better than the past"
besides graphical fidelity. Usually gimmicky motion controls or adding other screens but I would point out that they aren't married to expensive graphics in the way that other developers are. Nintendo has cheaper production values and a core cast of characters and series that can reliably bring fans in on recognition or nostalgia, and this means they can risk releasing a stinker without ruining their own finances. They also understand you can have new graphics without having better graphics (*cough* Wind Waker *cough*)
What I like about video games is that the existence of AAA games doesn't prevent the niche/Indy games from existing; I think they both co-exist nicely. One thing that I've always found odd about AAA games is they'll list half a hundred graphics designers and then have a story that reads like a programmer wrote it and a generic soundtrack. Indy games can still compete by pushing the envelope along other directions than the AAA games are. Name a AAA game with a better soundtrack than FTL, Frozen Synapse or, well, Undertale. Name a AAA game that's funnier than Undertale. Even if you have an answer you had to think about it didn't you?
Anyway, Undertale... I would actually describe Undertale as a mass appeal game. The main character is designed to be androgynous, racially ambiguous, and (despite explicitly being a child) to act in a way that blends multiple age groups. The puzzles are old-style filler that exists to provide a breather from the main aspect of the game which is why they are easy. The no mercy run is hidden away and in the neutral run the monsters aren't trying very hard to kill you at the start. The first two bosses
aren't actually trying to kill you and will only do so by accident
and the monsters in the first area are comically harmless; two of them can be spared on the first turn, one of them heals as much as they hurt and the remainder have generous/obvious spare conditions. Basically, its designed so even people who don't play video games can still enjoy it. That being said, I'm not sure Toby exactly expected oodles of cash for doing this; I think it was more about an ethic of inclusiveness. It certainly worked either way...
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Topic: Undertale: Spoilers! Its whats for dinner! (Read 153764 times)