Don't you hate it when...

[Zenoth]

Man...

I don't know if throughout all of my video gaming years I was simply lucky not to play too many of such games, but I do hope that it wasn't only luck (or rather bad luck) and that it was indeed only happening rarely. I'm referring to games in which the developers made various things (from the UI, passing by the main and/or secondary characters' lines/speeches and game items or environmental objects or game events or even the "too obvious" easter egg) remind you at the unbearable cost of the game's immersion that you're not only playing a game but that your main character (when it's the case, of course) is apparently aware that you're holding a video game console controller or a keyboard and a mouse in your hands.

Don't you hate it when that happens?

A couple examples...

º When developers make game characters (either main ones or not) tell you about the game controls by actually speaking about the game controller and which button to hit for specific events.

º When developers invent dialogs for their voice actors to speak about for the character(s) they're playing the role of which not only imply that you the player are controlling them but also imply that the virtual character (say... a Dwarf bashing some Orcs) knows that he/she is in a created, fictitious game world and that he/she's tired of waiting around (for example, out of so many others). In other words, when the game characters speak about you (the player) and/or the fact that they need to be controlled again, or when they're literally speaking about game developers (just play Sacred 2 and get the High Elf class, and you'll eventually understand what I mean).

º When game developers put obvious easter eggs on your way during a very important/chaotic/urgent main game story arc event and when you're about to be just as nervous as the game character seems to be (because you're simply immersed in the game) you stumble upon it and it completely destroys the poignant moment you were experiencing.

º When developers make certain objects (ammo piles, weapons, switches on walls or wherever they can be, or doors, or locks or whatever needs to be used by the player to help him/herself or move to another game location) literally glow in your face, almost to the point of them speaking: «Hey! I'm over there! I'm the switch you needed to find by yourself in an otherwise more fitting adventure game, I was supposed to be secret at first, but then my creators put this nice shading effect on me and they thought you were just too stupid anyway to find me, so, hey, here I am man! Just get over here and activate me so you can move to the next area faster and then complain that the game wasn't lengthy enough when you complete it the very same day you bought it!»

Et cetera...

 

[Barfo]

I'd never thought about this so obviously I'm not bothered by it, but then again I probably haven't played a game where this is abused. I do think it's kind of stupid to have glowing usable objects, but it doesn't bother me too much.

I remember the first Metal Gear Solid where you had to switch controller ports to beat Psycho Mantis, it was a lot of fun figuring that one out.

I guess it also has a lot to do with how you play your games, I never think I'm an elf/assassin/plumber when I'm gaming but rather that I'm controlling one with the pad and it is fun for me, I don't think I can be immersed in a game as long as there are only images and sounds to it, I'd need something more, like how Virtual Reality is supposed to be.

 

[Zenoth]

Originally posted by: barfo
I'd never thought about this so obviously I'm not bothered by it, but then again I probably haven't played a game where this is abused. I do think it's kind of stupid to have glowing usable objects, but it doesn't bother me too much.

I remember the first Metal Gear Solid where you had to switch controller ports to beat Psycho Mantis, it was a lot of fun figuring that one out.

I guess it also has a lot to do with how you play your games, I never think I'm an elf/assassin/plumber when I'm gaming but rather that I'm controlling one with the pad and it is fun for me, I don't think I can be immersed in a game as long as there are only images and sounds to it, I'd need something more, like how Virtual Reality is supposed to be.

It's certainly a good point. It doesn't take me much to immerse myself in a game, and while I surely know I am playing a game I always try to "role play" as far as the game itself allows me to, although it does depend on the type of game (I never tried to think like a plumber when I played Mario Brothers, it ain't serious of a game enough for me to even consider it, but playing a game like Mass Effect... that's different). That's certainly why it also doesn't take me much to divert my attention away.

 

[Golgatha]

One memorable exception are all the Easter egg quotes from the units in the Warcraft II and III games. Things like, "quit touching me!" or "this is my boom-stick!" are just too funny.

 

[Harabec]

When blizzard made 99% of quest objects in WoW sparkle, the world was made a better place.

 

[drebo]

It depends on the game. In some games, breaking the 4th wall is perfectly natural. These would be games with more of a comical feel or games that don't take themselves too seriously. The Warcraft games would be an example. Exploding sheep, anyone?

Then there are games that take themselves way too seriously (most of which, I've noticed, are FPS games).

All in all, I don't really care as long as the game is fun to play.

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

I think it greatly depends on the game. In a mostly-mindless sidescroller like Sonic the Hedgehog, I'm not put off by the titular character tapping his foot at me if he's standing still too long. It's a stylistic touch that fits. But in a role-playing game that's supposed to be more immersive, yeah -- I definitely get aggravated especially by the characters telling me what buttons to hit. The rest of the time, I don't care or notice much.

 

[pontifex]

I hate when I'm playing a game fighting human soldiers most of the way through and then all of a sudden, there are some aliens or mutants.

 

[Martimus]

Originally posted by: Zenoth
º When developers invent dialogs for their voice actors to speak about for the character(s) they're playing the role of which not only imply that you the player are controlling them but also imply that the virtual character (say... a Dwarf bashing some Orcs) knows that he/she is in a created, fictitious game world and that he/she's tired of waiting around (for example, out of so many others). In other words, when the game characters speak about you (the player) and/or the fact that they need to be controlled again, or when they're literally speaking about game developers (just play Sacred 2 and get the High Elf class, and you'll eventually understand what I mean).

Warcraft 2 was the first game that I noticed this, but to be honest, it was one of the few parts of that game that I liked.

The entire Space Quest series had obvious immersion breakers where they told you that you were in a video game, but that was mostly comedic effect, and I enjoyed that as well.

The lack of realistic physics is probably the thing that takes the most away from immersion for games for me. The next would be the way-too-linear progression of some games where there is no choice but to follow a specific path and do a specific thing to accomplish your goal. That kills any sort of immersion as well.

EDIT: after reading some of the responses, I remembered one other thing that kills immersion for me: repetitive gameplay. Mass Effect side quests were so bland and repetive that going through them was an instant reminder that I am playing a computer game. The regular storyline missions on the other hand were very well done, and had a lot of immersion. The side quests were so poorly done that they never should have included them in the game; or at least included less and make them of better quality. (Oblivion had excelent side quests in comparison, although the main quest suffered because of it.)

 

[Maximilian]

In a word no.. lol.

But to the last point about glowing items, i think that was awesome, i hated going around pushing inanimate objects or rubbing 1 thing off everything else to make something happen, sorry but when i have to do bullshit like that it ruins the game. Resident evil did it well, kinda, you wouldnt always know what to do and it may take a certain amount of rubbing 1 thing off another but at least you would know what objects were significant and what wasent. Big glowey objective signs and items are just an enhancement of that, beats running around confused for an hour.

 

[cbuchach]

Originally posted by: pontifex
I hate when I'm playing a game fighting human soldiers most of the way through and then all of a sudden, there are some aliens or mutants.

That bums me out too and brings to mind two games in particular.

 

[HunterDT]

Originally posted by: cbuchach

Originally posted by: pontifex
I hate when I'm playing a game fighting human soldiers most of the way through and then all of a sudden, there are some aliens or mutants.

That bums me out too and brings to mind two games in particular.

Awww, cmon, Uncharted was fun!!! =p (Not a PC Game, yeah, I know.)

 

[quadomatic]

Originally posted by: barfo
I remember the first Metal Gear Solid where you had to switch controller ports to beat Psycho Mantis, it was a lot of fun figuring that one out.

I love that. Breaking immersion to poke fun at the fact that you're playing a video game is always good

Earthbound did that pretty well.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: pontifex
I hate when I'm playing a game fighting human soldiers most of the way through and then all of a sudden, there are some aliens or mutants.

Oh god, this happens in SO MANY games. I know Far Cry did this. So did Halo (well, they were alien enemies, but they were more human-like because they were reasonably intelligent instead of just being mindless zombies) and Thief 3.

Originally posted by: Martimus
EDIT: after reading some of the responses, I remembered one other thing that kills immersion for me: repetitive gameplay. Mass Effect side quests were so bland and repetive that going through them was an instant reminder that I am playing a computer game. The regular storyline missions on the other hand were very well done, and had a lot of immersion. The side quests were so poorly done that they never should have included them in the game; or at least included less and make them of better quality. (Oblivion had excelent side quests in comparison, although the main quest suffered because of it.)

Mass Effect is a great point. I would have liked to see maybe three or four side quests on the level of the "Bring Down The Sky" DLC and many more contained completely within the main quest planets (basically dialog/fetch quests). The ones that involve going to a random planet and killing everyone in an identical bunker got so old, so fast. What really got me is that in many cases, it seemed like the only option was to kill everyone, even when they gave you dialog choices to give you the illusion of control.

 

[vj8usa]

For me, it depends on the game. Max Payne broke fourth wall a few times, but I thought it was done very well. I vaguely remember this one dream sequence where the graphic novel shows the HUD, and Max is imagining he's in a video game. Another subtle touch that comes to mind was when you were riding in an elevator. If you shot the speaker to stop the elevator music, Max thanks you.

edit: ah ha, found the quotes.
(from the IMDB)
[Max has forcibly overdosed on Valkyr, and is not thinking at all straight]
Max Payne: There was something disturbingly familiar about the note on the desk. The handwriting was all pretty curves.
Michelle Payne: [the note reads] You're in a graphic novel.
Max Payne: The green light washed the lies away. My whole life was just frames, words hanging in the air like bubbles. I was in a graphic novel. Funny as Hell, it was the most horrible thing I could think of.

[Max is still hallucinating on Valkyr, and encounters the same note as before]
Max Payne: There was something disturbingly familiar about the note on the desk. The handwriting was all pretty curves.
Michelle Payne: [the note reads] You're in a computer game, Max.
Max Payne: The truth was like a green crack through my brain. Weapon statistics floating in the air, glimpsed out of the corner of my eye. the repetitious act of shooting, time slowing down to show off my moves. The paranoid feeling of someone controlling my every step. I was in a computer game. Funny as Hell, it was the most horrible thing I could think of.

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

Originally posted by: vj8usa
For me, it depends on the game. Max Payne broke fifth wall a few times, but I thought it was done very well. I vaguely remember this one dream sequence where the graphic novel shows the HUD, and Max is imagining he's in a video game. Another subtle touch that comes to mind was when you were riding in an elevator. If you shot the speaker to stop the elevator music, Max thanks you.

Your examples are of a character breaking the fourth wall. The fifth wall is a different, but related, concept.

 

[vj8usa]

Originally posted by: CoinOperatedBoy

Originally posted by: vj8usa
For me, it depends on the game. Max Payne broke fifth wall a few times, but I thought it was done very well. I vaguely remember this one dream sequence where the graphic novel shows the HUD, and Max is imagining he's in a video game. Another subtle touch that comes to mind was when you were riding in an elevator. If you shot the speaker to stop the elevator music, Max thanks you.

Your examples are of a character breaking the fourth wall. The fifth wall is a different, but related, concept.

Whoops, good catch.

 

[Munky]

Originally posted by: vj8usa
For me, it depends on the game. Max Payne broke fourth wall a few times, but I thought it was done very well. I vaguely remember this one dream sequence where the graphic novel shows the HUD, and Max is imagining he's in a video game. Another subtle touch that comes to mind was when you were riding in an elevator. If you shot the speaker to stop the elevator music, Max thanks you.

edit: ah ha, found the quotes.
(from the IMDB)
[Max has forcibly overdosed on Valkyr, and is not thinking at all straight]
Max Payne: There was something disturbingly familiar about the note on the desk. The handwriting was all pretty curves.
Michelle Payne: [the note reads] You're in a graphic novel.
Max Payne: The green light washed the lies away. My whole life was just frames, words hanging in the air like bubbles. I was in a graphic novel. Funny as Hell, it was the most horrible thing I could think of.

[Max is still hallucinating on Valkyr, and encounters the same note as before]
Max Payne: There was something disturbingly familiar about the note on the desk. The handwriting was all pretty curves.
Michelle Payne: [the note reads] You're in a computer game, Max.
Max Payne: The truth was like a green crack through my brain. Weapon statistics floating in the air, glimpsed out of the corner of my eye. the repetitious act of shooting, time slowing down to show off my moves. The paranoid feeling of someone controlling my every step. I was in a computer game. Funny as Hell, it was the most horrible thing I could think of.

Lol, I remember that too, I thought that was a nice humorous touch.