Preferring Linearity over Exploration

[SonicGamer74]

Nah, you're not crazy. You just have a preference, like everyone else.

I myself like pretty much any genre, but I prefer games that are "get from point A to point B", simply because, with me being a college student and all, I don't have the time to play a long game, with heavy emphasis on exploration. There are some exceptions to this rule, like Guacamelee!, and Pokemon, that are long/exploration-based, but I enjoy enough to not be impatient over it.

As far as linearity goes, though, I'd like a game that's linear, but not TOO linear. I like to have some control over where I should go in a game, honestly. Main reason Sonic Generations is one of my favorite Sonic games; it's linear, but not 100% linear, as you can find different paths, which can make any playthrough of a level different. Same with Super Mario 3D Land/World. They're linear, but have enough exploration to keep me coming back for more.

[J T]

I prefer both.

And sometimes neither.

Sometimes a man just needs a puzzle game to pass the time!

Whether that be in the form of Tetris, or in enigmatic language.

Well played good fellow BoMF.

[SpaceBooger]

I mostly agree.
I like the first Batman Arkham game the best because it was linear, other than the Riddler stuff. Arkham City was too open world for me and it distracted from the game. I would be in the middle of the main story only to get distracted by Zasaz's phone game... by the time I was done with that I lost my focus and that is something out of character for Batman. To me the open world took away from the single minded focus of the character.

[Xeogred]

I mostly agree.
I like the first Batman Arkham game the best because it was linear, other than the Riddler stuff. Arkham City was too open world for me and it distracted from the game. I would be in the middle of the main story only to get distracted by Zasaz's phone game... by the time I was done with that I lost my focus and that is something out of character for Batman. To me the open world took away from the single minded focus of the character.

Kind of why I haven't bothered to check out the sequels yet.

I'm on the fence, but currently... I am very bored of "open world" or sandbox stuff as of late. "Our game is massive" is just about the most boring thing devs can say about their games thesedays, there's nothing about that that excites me. lol

And of course 2015 wants to shove them at us, with Zelda, Phantom Pain, Xenoblade X, etc, those are the ones I'm interested in, but there's just no way I'd have the time or patience to play them back to back. Witcher 3 I'm also interested in but of course, it's supposedly going to be massive "takes hours to walk across" apparently... great?

It's an old joke but FPS level design has rarely rivaled the classics of Doom, Quake, and Unreal to this day. There's one entrance and one exit, but tons of spiraling paths and different areas to get through. Deus Ex is always my favorite example as well, different paths and options throughout each level, but the end goal is the same. The System Shock and Bioshock games had a nice blend too.

[marurun]

It's an old joke but FPS level design has rarely rivaled the classics of Doom, Quake, and Unreal to this day. There's one entrance and one exit, but tons of spiraling paths and different areas to get through. Deus Ex is always my favorite example as well, different paths and options throughout each level, but the end goal is the same. The System Shock and Bioshock games had a nice blend too.

I will offer a different perspective, however... If a modern game with modern graphics were to be designed based on Doom, Quake, and Unreal level design and arrangements, it would actually come off looking and feeling pretty basic and dumb. I think level design is informed greatly by the limitations of the engine. Realistic-looking games demand more realistic-feeling environs, even if that makes levels a lot less controlled. Also, making modern games too linear means throwing up invisible walls and waist-high barriers that characters can mysteriously not figure out how to navigate.

I would also argue that Unreal started to lose some of its appeal in the later levels with cheap spider scares and repetitive areas like the hydroponics/garden area and the spiral tower.

[Snatch1414]

I'm starting to prefer linear games, only because the older I get the less time it feels like I have. For instance I passed on Far Cry 4, which would've been a no brainier a few years ago. I'm going to get Witcher 3 but I have no idea if I'll even play it often enough to really get sucked in. I probably just have too many games though lol

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I feel like a lot of games end up compromising their mechanics and stories in the pursuit of being less "linear". I don't like that the word has become something of a dirty word in regards to games. Half Life 2 is extremely linear but it remains a great game.

I think there's probably a balance for many games.

What I can tell you is that the second a game touts an open world I'm immediately disinterested for a variety of reasons that have probably been brought up a million times before. Level design goes out the window. Mechanics are typically pretty simple because accommodating for complex movement and mechanical depth is more likely to break something. It's not my flav.

[Exhuminator]

A good developer can make a linear game that does not feel like you are being funneled down a chute. I enjoy games such as that.

A good developer can also make an open world nonlinear game that does not feel overwhelming or aimless. I enjoy games such as that.

A good developer can make a "metroidvania" styled game that utilizes emergent pathways that serve to minimize backtracking and maximize recursive exploration. I enjoy games such as that.

So what I'm saying is, a well designed linear or nonlinear game can be equally fun or equally frustrating, it all depends on the skill of the developers. In this light I prefer either approach insofar as they are equally well designed.

[Jmustang1968]

I have been put off by the non linear nature in 2d side scrolling games such as Blaster Master and even Metroid. However, I enjoy it in 2D top down or isometric like Zelda or RPGs and in 3D 1st/3rd person view games such as Fallout 3 and Dragon Age. So I guess the style of game and the presence of a map is a big factor.