I often feel that the perspective with which we have begun to discuss games with, discussing it through some isolated parameters, blind us to the satisfaction of the overall game. Sure, gameplay, graphics, story, atmosphere, sound, replayability, its multiplayer are all important things to think about when it's time to decide whether or not a game is worth spending our hard earned cash and time on. Only thing is, at least for me, I think these smaller parameters contribute to a larger, more crucial factor - the overall experience. In my case, sometimes by the end of a game, and despite its apparent flaws discussed in great detail by some reviews, I can't help but fall completely in love with it simply on the basis of how it made me feel by the time I was done with it.

It's reasonable to believe that if each of the individual factors (gameplay, replayability etc) are touched upon, it'll give a good idea of the overall experience. But the only thing is, I feel, that each of those factors may not always contribute equally to the overall experience. I guess what I mean is that games are discussed in too great a depth in only technical terms.

Simply put, a game lacking in gameplay (though not to the level of unplayability) may have an amazing storyline or atmosphere, that makes up for the less than great gameplay. The feeling at the end of the game may be one of satisfaction. On the other hand, it might even be that a game with very tight gameplay might lack "soul" and be forgotten after a few months of finishing it. Giantbomb's way of reviewing is pretty good in this way, because although they discuss the details, the overall verdict is just rating out of five stars and a concluding line, rather than rating per parameter.

Some examples I can share here are, on one side, the game Risen. It is, as we know, a mostly underrated game, and some of us love those types of games. It did get praise for certain parts (involving gameplay and leveling, interesting atmosphere) and criticism for some others. Thing is, giving a conclusion based on those points makes many people avoid buying that game, because they get the feeling that it isn't the most polished of experiences, and for some reason that would prevent them from having a good time with it.

Honestly speaking, I still sometimes watch Youtube videos of that game, because something about that game still sticks in the back of my head.

Another ( somewhat ridiculous) example is GTA IV. It's a great game, very playable, with a lot of interesting things to do in a very interesting world. Yet, we have managed to weed out (unnecessary) criticisms about it and almost giving it a bit of a bad image.

Maybe It's just me who is tired of criticism, being an Architecture student, who faces it almost every other week during presentations/ vivas :P But I just feel in a medium that focuses on experience, there should be more of an emphasis on what experience the game provides and a lesser focus on it's technicalities.

I should clearly state though, this is only my way of playing/ looking at games. I'm a bit of a romantic that way, and would probably make a terrible game critic/ reviewer. I never like getting technical about things. If a game (or even film) manages to evoke emotions within me, I'll be completely in love with it.

I mean, Deadly Premonition was my GoTY. Yeah. (And yet, I barely remember my experience with a very similar game - Alan Wake)

So it's quite obvious what creates a beautiful gaming experience in my case - Story, characters, atmosphere. Games that I love for doing these well are Mass Effect 1 & 3 (where people mostly prefer Mass Effect 2), Dragon Age: Origins, The Witcher 1 (I vastly prefer it over the much more acclaimed Witcher 2); Fable TLC (people prefer the first in the franchise, but very few would put it in their top 10); TES IV: Oblivion (Prefer it much more over Skyrim, I guess in a way similar to those who love Morrowind above the others); Assassin's Creed 1 (AC2 isn't bad, but I was admittedly disappointed with it the first time I played it. It lacked... some wonder of the first. I have begun to appreciate it over time though) and most recently, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag.

I guess I play games in a search of beauty. In search something profound, deliberate or there by accident. That is where games do something that films cannot. Films cannot allow you to dive from your ship into the depths of the bright blue Caribbean ocean, with the power of decision to choose in which direction you'd like to swim.

In the beginning of Black Flag, I spent a large amount of time slowly sailing on the seas, often diving off to spend some time in silence on one of the many tiny islands scattered throughout. Many of them didn't even have a chest or a collectible, but they were places that I could choose to go to, and stand there for as long as I liked, watching the sun set, the moon rise, the change of color in the sea, the dolphins (I think) swimming by, the birds circling up ahead, and the soft music that accompanied it all. Here's a 1 minute video of what I'm talking about (The pic on the right is from that vid. I didn't embed it as I couldn't reduce the size of the video player)

The freedom to do this, to make our own experiences, is where the unique strength of games lie. Another game that accomplishes this beautifully is TES IV: Oblivion (or Skyrim, you could say, but in that I didn't feel the world as much)

This highlights another funny way of playing games of mine. I never try to get any of the achievements, or say, collectibles. I'm sure there are other people that do this too, but we are surely a minority. In the end, after spending hours playing Black Flag, (actually I played it over a period of 4 months - started around November, finished yesterday) my percent completed stands at 63%. My ship was only adequately upgraded, I only fought one legendary ship once (and died), I did about 6-7 assassination contracts, and collected only a few treasures.

I did chase down shanties though, and finished all the Templar assassinations. I guess I do those things that the character would (say role playing) and everything that adds to the story. Rest is just my wanderings through beautiful locations to soak in the atmosphere (streets, jungles, taverns and the above mentioned island)

Ofcourse, this isn't the only thing I loved about Black Flag. Everything else was spot on. The exciting gameplay is one of the reasons why it has received a great reception, and it makes me all the more happier. The game is finely crafted, and here, the overall experience and the individual parameters are both excellent.

I had exceedingly high expectations from the game, so a tiny bit of disappointment was expected. That happened after the initial few hours, when I began to find the story a little shallow. It gave me a Mass Effect 2 vibe. It had characters, but the story didn't feel too engaging. That feeling went away though, as the story began to pick up in an interesting way a little later than halfway through.

*******AC IV: BLACK FLAG SPOILERS START HERE******

What sealed my final feelings about the game was the ending (I had a similar feeling after finishing DA:O) The story became very personal, and centered on Edwards' (and Anne Bonny's) feeling of being the survivors, of having witnessed all the chaos, and now being left with a feeling of emptiness. It did have the expected ending - the protagonist succeeds in defeating the bad guys, and accomplishes his mission. But the reaction wasn't the most expected, not for us and nor for the characters. It's haunting how through the blur of the action of the major bulk of the game, everything else was forgotten about, both to us and the characters. At the end though, it's there for everyone to see - what mattered were the people we met.

The hunger for success was so strong, Edward was blinded to everything else by it, and lost everyone in the process. At the end, when he has achieved what he set out for, it feels less like an achievement, and stings more of regret. It's a bittersweet end. And it scares and cautions me, to not become blind to the more subtle, everyday precious things in life during my journey towards success.

*******AC IV: BLACK FLAG SPOILERS END HERE******

And that's pretty much what I feel makes a beautiful experience worth spending my time and money on in games, which Black Flag beautifully achieves. It isn't very quantifiable, it's a bit mixed up, and it keeps adjusting itself according to the game in question, but I guess it's all led by feeling and instinct. Like the way I just knew Black flag was going to be a great experience while some moaned about another installment. And I know Witcher 3 is going to be the experience of all experiences for me :) Can't wait.

To end, I made a bit of a "tribute video" for the game, focusing on Edward's journey through those years. I used soundtrack from AC 3 (only good thing about that game), AC4, and also The Dark Knight ;) Please give it a watch if you enjoyed the game (and my blog)

Also, it has MAJOR SPOILERSSo do not watch if you have yet to finish the game :)

So what are your opinions? What is it that makes a game stand out above all others when you look back at all the gaming experiences that you have been through?

Mixed feelings. Man, do I get those a lot? The graphics on PS4 or under-average for a next gen game, but the waters and scenarios are still beautifully depicted. The textures are stunning if you don't compare to games like MGS and The Last of Us. I personally thought the landscapes were great to look at, but nowhere near what we AC fans were treated to in ACII and ACB. Italy was phenomenal.

@armaan8014: I love that you're a romantic when it comes to these things. It's a quality not possessed by many these days, at least not openly. I really liked your write up as well, and I appreciate that we don't see eye to eye on them all. I prefer The Witcher 2 over the first and I put AC II miles above AC I. I agree on your point about striking visuals (not graphics necessarily) that capture a feeling, something that makes the games world believable. When I think back I do sort of remember AC I in such a way. The architecture and surroundings were completely alien to me at the time, and I'd only read about the time-period in historical and fictional books. But it really resonated with me and I loved exploring and simply running around. Let's just say I got all the flags, twice. But that same feeling came upon me even more when playing AC II. Racing across rooftops in Italy has been the highpoint for me in the Assassins Creed series. I hold that game very dear to my heart.

Post scriptum: I loved your writeup and I hope to see more of it in future! perhaps something that looks on architecture in games?

@miko1222: I actually didn't know that the graphics were under average compared to TLOU. Man, I really want to play that game but It'll be a while before I buy a PS3/4

@fetchfox:

(Wow, I dunno what's wrong with GB. I wrote a huge reply and it all got wiped off. Hopefully I can re write everything I wrote again :/)

Sorry for taking so long to reply, I'd been busy with college work :P

I had actually been a bit unsure about posting this blog, and wasn't too bothered that nobody had commented on it, as I felt that I'd ended up writing it a bit too vaguely without very strong logic to back it up.

Probably because A) I don't have much understanding about critique when it comes to games as compared to, say, films (a bit) or architecture and B) because even when it comes to designing in architecture, I have a side that dreams and romanticizes about the kind of design and spaces I want to create, but it is backed up and supported by another side of solid logic, which is practical, grounded in an understanding of the real world, and understands its context. I try to combine both those sides, but here, I felt I looked at things from only a single side.

So it made me pretty happy to see that you enjoyed my blog all the same, and didn't focus on picking apart on that one sided bias of mine in this blog.

I too enjoyed running across rooftops in ACII (especially with Venice Rooftops OST playing in the background) Ezio had a great character development as well.

About writing more blogs, I've been actually thinking of writing one about game soundtracks (another topic that I'm no expert at) I like your suggestion about the architecture one too, might do that soon too. (I've actually been considering doing it as my dissertation topic if I'm allowed!)

Thanks for reading and replying :)

@armaan8014:

Yeah. Search up some gameplay so you can get an idea of the Last of Us' graphics.

@armaan8014: I really enjoyed it, your welcome mate.

In a blog post you can say your thoughts, whatever they are, and it shouldn't have to be objective and seen from every angle like a school paper.

Cool, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on soundtracks as well. One doesn't have to be an expert to write about something one love.

You speak jewels, man. I totally agree that the lasting feeling of a well strung-together experience can trump all the technicalities people argue over.

I also really appreciate the first Assassin's Creed and Witcher, I always remember them fondly, they provided overwhelming feelings of beauty and novelty. I even agree about GTA IV because being the broke and disappointed, estranged Niko trying to find a place to go while cruising in a shitty car around the shitty streets of NY just felt amazing. That was my only gripe with GTA V, that feeling of the beginning stages of San Andreas/IV of poverty and loneliness in a strange place was absent.

Good write-up! But I think you should give AC2 a chance, it, to me, a massive AC1 fan, a really good homage to AC1 in every way. I literally feel like Altair sometimes while running across the rooftops of Italy, they just polished it and added more depth and worth for your time. Also, the charming music that sneaks up on you is an absolute killer in that game, no other game has such a captivating soundtrack IMO.

However, the only thing I think is not debatable is gameplay. If the gameplay is bad or frustrating, nothing else you can offer me can make up for the essential backbone of gaming being busted in your game. Make sure you design worthwhile gameplay before writing good characters. I'm spending my time struggling with your bad mechanics in real time, that isn't very pleasant even if you got Stephen King on the writing team!

Love that tribute video. The audio mixing is rough, as you probably know, but it's a fitting tribute to one of the best protagonists in recent years. AC4 was a slow burn in the story department, but it really surprised me how well it coalesced towards the end. Edward's progression as a character really worked well in the story, and in the game's structure - starting as a pirate with a lust for gold, that's basically how I played the game too, doing all the side quests, killing people to amass more treasure, upgrading the Jackdaw - and then when the story ramped up I got so caught up in it, I felt like Edward and I had actually gone through all that stuff. Few games tie their character progression in with the gameplay progression so well, and it really paid off. It's ludonarrative harmony, I guess. Edward's journey makes total sense in the context of how I played that game. It had a terrific supporting cast too. Loved Thatch, Hornigold, Mary Read and all the rest of them. Really one of my favorite games and stories of the last few years.

@singingmenstrual: Haha I've been wanting to play GTA IV again, especially since 5 isn't out for PC yet. Your part about the shitty car and shitty streets makes it more atmospheric and exciting :) (Although when I get GTA V I think I'll spend a lot of time just jogging around on foot and soaking the sights!)

I think I didn't explain my views on AC2 very clearly, or that you misunderstood. I do not dislike it at all, infact, I loved it. I made a pretty emotional tribute video for that as well if you remember :) It's just that after the initial experience with AC1, the strange and mysterious world that was introduced to us for the first time, maybe AC2 didn't feel as special as a first impression. But I do agree, I began to enjoy it as I kept myself engrossed in that world, and Ezio's transformation, the time span of his life the game covers, the beard, all of that contributed to one of the most mind blowing character developments in a game that I have seen. I loved that beard. (Also love the OST)

The thing about gameplay is that I somehow have never seemed to experience bad gameplay, or maybe I don't even know what is defined as that. For example, I just finished playing the Game of Thrones RPG, and I completely loved it.(And will be writing about that soon) I cannot believe how underrated that game is, and I'm pretty sure it's gameplay was criticized along with it's graphics etc. But I had a really good time playing that game, and the combat was really interesting.

By some luck I do not experience too many bugs while playing games either, I don't know how though. And bad framerates do not bother me as much. That though, is probably a result of playing on shitty computers for most of my life, and I have probably built some sort of resistance to it :P

(I have only begun touching 60 fps with this new system that I got last year, and it's quite cool! Still, I don't mind the occasional 30 fps in a taxing game, it doesn't bother me much)

Also, many times I just quit playing a game because of boring atmosphere/ story/ or the feeling of pointlessness. Estranged (newly released PC port) is an example. Although it does have great characters, it feels quite pointless to roam around isolated places killing the same monsters over and over again (maybe that's bad level design too?) I wish we'd cross a more livelier/ different place from time to time.

On the other hand, I loved Tomb Raider. A very similar game, but maybe with more variety in characters and locations, maybe also good pacing. I also recently abandoned Rayman (latest one) and Fez. I felt no purpose of carrying on. (I do love puzzle games though, like Portal, Stanley parable, World of goo, braid etc.)

Maybe my thoughts are a bit of a mess here :P But you can see that in my case (and I know it's only my case, not that anyone should agree with me) I'd rather stick with a game that has engaging atmosphere and bad gameplay, rather than the other way round. Maybe it's playing on shitty PCs or experiencing few bugs, or that I'm crazy :P

Maybe you could remind me of some popular game that was criticized for crappy/clunky gameplay? I'm possibly forgetting some bad experiences I had that made me stop playing only due to gameplay.

It's a pirate's life for me.

Nice to hear that you loved the game as much as you did! :) I agree with the part about ludonarrative harmony, and that we start out the way Edward does, ruthless and full of energy, doing every bit of pirating possible, only to reach the final stages of the game with a story that begins to pick up and engage us, and reminds us of everything that we have done throughout. Far cry 3 attempted this, but I feel AC4 pulled it off more smoothly. Maybe this is why the story was (intentionally) a slow burn? :) Or maybe I just hope it is.

I'm happy you enjoyed the tribute video, and yeah I know the audio was pretty roughly mixed. It was always the issue of the in - game music coming in during some of the dialogues. I didn't want to mute it while playing obviously, and then had no (quick) way of removing it later. I love the last bit of soundtrack though (Homestead, from AC3) It always gives me goosebumps and almost makes me cry :P. I was happy the way it came together with that other chubby pirate guy (forgot his name) saying thanks to Edward for his friendship, and that he treasured it far above all the gold and rum that he could find during his travels :') *sniff* so beautiful!

@armaan8014: Seeing that you are in your own words a bit of a romantic, I'm glad to read stuff that isn't being critical of something in games. I'm also pretty tired of having to read so much criticism of a lot aspects in games or stuff that focus on flaws or what is lacking. Reading stuff that really resonates with you or what one enjoys in a game is refreshing. It just bums me out that there are threads that eventually turn into a heated discussion or debate most of the time. I'm just glad to be reading this stuff. ;_;

@gaspower: I'm glad that you're glad :) Thanks for reading.