Fewer Mechanics, Better Game

Gamasutra is offering up a three-page article suggesting that video games would be more entertaining if they didn’t force us to make a decision from time to time.

BioShock is an example a great game whose giant mechanic set only weakens its play aesthetic. While the title’s story and environment have set the bar for many games to come, there’s just too much to do. In many a difficult situation players are left to decide between their guns, plasmid powers, hacking, stealth, and the use of one-shot items.

The massive palette of game actions only serves to confuse and frustrate the player when challenged. The game’s perfect cohesion in all other areas should have supported a strong play aesthetic; instead, players walk away from BioShock without a unified gameplay experience.

Confuse and frustrate? If developers start assuming that gamers don’t even want to make simple decisions like which weapon, power, and non-combat skill to switch to during a game, then I’ll be finding a new form of entertainment to keep my mind busy.