Another 6 Things Videogames Have (Basically) Stopped Doing

Videogames are an ever changing landscape. Trends come and go whether good or bad. Sometimes, the changes are down to the technology that powers the game - other times, it’s just what happens to be flavour of the month. This article lists another six things that videogames have (basically) stopped doing.

6. Couch Co-op

Okay, yes, games haven’t technically stopped doing couch co-op but it’s basically out the door at this point. Unfortunately, unless it’s a yearly sports release or a new LEGO game, then two player split screen just doesn’t seem to be a must for developers. Which is a real shame, ‘cause when you look back at the previous console generation, the amount of titles that focused on co-op were vast. They were all based on letting you and your best friend kick ass and take names. Of course, with the rise of online play, things have to be left in the dust.

5. Floating Health and Weapons

Remember Doom? Remember how fun it was to run around and shotgun enemies all while managing health and ammo? Remember when you didn’t have to ‘Hold to Pick Up’ weapons and could just grab them no problem? Those were the days weren’t they? Of course, with recent advancements in gaming technology, the concept of guns floating three inches off the ground is a rather laughable one what with all this realism going around. Still, it’s something I would like to see comeback if only for a retro feel.

4. Colourful Villains

Every bloody villain nowadays has to be so dark and brooding. Hell, if not dark and brooding, then overly philosophical in the worst possible way. Pagan Min from Far Cry 4 (a title that was released four years ago) is the last good example of what a villain should be. Sure, he’s a little rough around the edges, but he wears a purple suit and couldn’t give two shits about your rules man! I don’t know why, but I feel as though developers have lost their way in terms of what makes an interesting and dynamic villain. Yeah, there’s solid bad guys in games now, but none of them seem to care. Where’s the passion? Where’s the heart?

3. Linear Story Modes

More and more games every year go open-world, and with that comes a massive sandbox for the player. There’s quests, there’s special locations, there’s collectibles, all in all, there’s loads of content. You know what there isn’t? A set string of objectives that leads to the end of a mission. Yes, whether it’s open-world or online-only multiplayer gameplay, it seems that games just don’t have the same presence in linear storytelling anymore. Some of my favourite titles out there (F.E.A.R, Call of Juarez, Prey) didn’t need to be so expansive to be enjoyable. They were enjoyable because they told a story straight up, and you just played through that story.

2. In-Game Mini-Games

I feel like this one is a bit of a stretch, but there seems to be a real lack of games within games. Whether it's during a loading screen or within a title, there was a select amount of titles that allowed you to play a game while playing a game. Uncharted 4 had Crash Bandicoot, Duke Nukem Forever had Pool, and Fallout 4 had Red Menace. Now, I understand that from the more recent examples it sounds like mini-games are doing quite well, but believe you me, these are only a few examples when considering how many games could have them.

1. Big Head Mode

What happened to big head mode?! I’m fairly certain that this was in everything at one point and then it just vanished off the face of the gaming industry. Sure, it might not have been that funny, but it was interesting all in all. Plus, it gave you and your friends something to talk about, even if it was for a brief five minutes. *sigh* I don’t know, I miss it.

Well, there you have it, six things videogames have (basically) stopped doing. Now, I'm not expecting this article to change hearts and minds, but I hope I was at least able to communicate my