Being spoiled by superb games.

I imagine at some point this has happened to others, when you play a game that is just so damn good it can raise your standards a little too much. The main reasons for this blog are the recent gameplay footage from Ninja Gaiden 3, I played Ninja Gaiden Black competitively for over four years and it took me a while to change my mindset when it came to games that didn’t have the level of depth that game had. Depth wasn’t the only thing though, the responsive and precise controls and the skill based gameplay really stood out to me and became something that I looked for in every game afterwards.

Action games became the biggest casualty by far, it wasn’t until X-Men origins Wolverine that I managed to get out of that mindset. It reminded me that not all games needed that level of depth or technical proficiency to be enjoyed. I missed out on some great games over the four years where I played virtually nothing beyond a first playthrough of other games than Ninja Gaiden Black and now that I’ve played those games, I doubt I’ll ever take a game as far as I did NGB.

The main thing that Ninja Gaiden is renowned for is a high level of difficulty, it’s pretty much always the first thing people bring up whenever it’s mentioned. It certainly is hard, but anyone that has taken the time to get very good at the game will no doubt appreciate what that time investment rewards you with. That leads me to my main point I wanted to get to, the only thing people seemed to be concerned with NG3 is that the high level of difficulty returns. Ninja Gaiden 2 was a brutally difficult game, but for unfair reasons a lot of the time, while you could overcome most of the stuff that was thrown at you; it was that even after a heavy time investment, some enemies couldn’t be controlled and that took away what made the combat in NGB so special. I hope NG3 has the same level of difficulty as NGB, I want the depth to return, if that means making the core combat easier so more people can enjoy it, so be it, but as long as the combat is as rewarding as it was as NGB.

For me, that is the aspect that spoiled me so much regarding the game. It was the constant sense of overcoming enemies and situations that always presented a fair challenge. This was the also the exact same reason why NG2 was such a disappointment, I’m mainly referring to the survival missions here. Sometimes, no matter how skilled the player, you are killed by something that is just completely unfair. This is the feeling that I looked for in other games while playing NGB competitively and for a good while after. Looking back now, I’m actually glad that I stopped when did, even now I still cannot play NGB the way I did before I got involved in playing it competitively for score, the techniques and moves that I learned have become habits that I just cannot break because of how long I played in that style.

So, my question to anyone who has read up until this point is... Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever played a game that is just so good (for whatever reason it is/was to you) that raised your standards when playing, or just considering playing other games. Or like me, did you take a game to a much deeper level and have a similar experience?

Thank you for reading.

I imagine at some point this has happened to others, when you play a game that is just so damn good it can raise your standards a little too much. The main reasons for this blog are the recent gameplay footage from Ninja Gaiden 3, I played Ninja Gaiden Black competitively for over four years and it took me a while to change my mindset when it came to games that didn’t have the level of depth that game had. Depth wasn’t the only thing though, the responsive and precise controls and the skill based gameplay really stood out to me and became something that I looked for in every game afterwards.

Action games became the biggest casualty by far, it wasn’t until X-Men origins Wolverine that I managed to get out of that mindset. It reminded me that not all games needed that level of depth or technical proficiency to be enjoyed. I missed out on some great games over the four years where I played virtually nothing beyond a first playthrough of other games than Ninja Gaiden Black and now that I’ve played those games, I doubt I’ll ever take a game as far as I did NGB.

The main thing that Ninja Gaiden is renowned for is a high level of difficulty, it’s pretty much always the first thing people bring up whenever it’s mentioned. It certainly is hard, but anyone that has taken the time to get very good at the game will no doubt appreciate what that time investment rewards you with. That leads me to my main point I wanted to get to, the only thing people seemed to be concerned with NG3 is that the high level of difficulty returns. Ninja Gaiden 2 was a brutally difficult game, but for unfair reasons a lot of the time, while you could overcome most of the stuff that was thrown at you; it was that even after a heavy time investment, some enemies couldn’t be controlled and that took away what made the combat in NGB so special. I hope NG3 has the same level of difficulty as NGB, I want the depth to return, if that means making the core combat easier so more people can enjoy it, so be it, but as long as the combat is as rewarding as it was as NGB.

For me, that is the aspect that spoiled me so much regarding the game. It was the constant sense of overcoming enemies and situations that always presented a fair challenge. This was the also the exact same reason why NG2 was such a disappointment, I’m mainly referring to the survival missions here. Sometimes, no matter how skilled the player, you are killed by something that is just completely unfair. This is the feeling that I looked for in other games while playing NGB competitively and for a good while after. Looking back now, I’m actually glad that I stopped when did, even now I still cannot play NGB the way I did before I got involved in playing it competitively for score, the techniques and moves that I learned have become habits that I just cannot break because of how long I played in that style.

So, my question to anyone who has read up until this point is... Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever played a game that is just so good (for whatever reason it is/was to you) that raised your standards when playing, or just considering playing other games. Or like me, did you take a game to a much deeper level and have a similar experience?

Thank you for reading.

I don't think that's ever happened to me. Even on the rare occasion that I play through a superb game to which none can compare, it doesn't really fuck with my standards. I guess the closest I can remember from recent memory is when I said that Monkey Island sucks in my Machinarium blog (Machinarium is that good), but it was less a great game spoiling me and more a great game giving me the confidence to say something I couldn't say when I played that other game.

Sure. I have my favourite games that are sort of reference points for what I look for in terms of mechanics, atmosphere, etc. I don't get the same enjoyment out of games that lack the features I've experienced in my favourites, although that doesn't mean I can't enjoy "lesser" games as well. 

Good topic OP.
 
I get a warm feeling inside when I look back now at all the greats games I used to play in the late 80's. Not because they were great games mind you, but because it was a different time. Gaming was a whole different entity back then to me. I am now an adult, and unfortunately, a consumer. I understand the value of a dollar, and again, unfortunately, expect more of things. As a youngster most of all of my gaming desires were soothed by my parents. There was really no ramification for a game being sub par other then a swift chuck to the back of the closet. If a game sucked, no biggie. If a game sucks now, anarchy!
 
Maybe not to that extent lol, but you get the idea.
 
As I have gotten older, I have noticed my expectations have risen quite substantially. Spending $60 is a standard in our industry, so I expect quality to be a standard as well. I follow developers now rather then an individual game. I place my trust in these companies the same way I would place my trust in Ambien, over-priced vodka, and Rogaine. I payed for it, so it better damn deliver.

So to your question, absolutely yes, a game will raise my standards. Especially when it's being charged. More to your point, I have been following the Final Fantasy series since the first one. I have always expected the next one to be not only better, but to raise the bar as well. They set the standards for themselves as a developer, I set my standards for what a RPG is as a consumer, and round and round we go.
 
I have played Ninja Gaiden and, well, there is nothing Ryu Hayabusa about me. Dude, I am flat out terrible. I have died more times in that game then N+ and Super Meat Boy combined. Yeah, I know, a lot. Yet, I actually love the game. I enjoy the challenge. I remember playing it on the NES. Has the new generation of Ninja Gaiden spoiled me compared to the NES versions? You can bet your hours spent playing NG it has.

I find myself constantly being spoiled by high quality games. To tell you the truth, it's what makes it so difficult to play on my NES, Super Nintendo, Genesis, or First generation Playstation today. Between the advancements in graphics, game play, internet connectivity, near hands free gaming, mobile gaming on the go, the standard is constantly evolving. For all of us.
 
For me personally as a long time gamer, the simplicity of stomping on goombas during easier times has never really felt the same. Of course, unless you have a Delorean and some plutonium laying around the house.

I too find it hard to go back to some older games, very few truly stand the test of time compared to more modern games, that being said I'm amazed at how quickly games can become out dated nowadays.

I'm blinded by nostalgia when I think about older games I played growing up.  I'll be listening to some music from a particular game, and then I decide to go back and play it and its usually not the same.
 
As for the standard being raised, when I tried to play Oblivion after playing Fallout 3 and Mass Effect, I just couldn't get over the lack of different voice actors.  I just couldn't get into the game the same way I did the first time I played it.

I would hardly call it a perfect game, but I remember playing FFXI so damn long from 2004-2008, that getting into offline RPGs is almost impossible to me. The community and the forced cooperation made other, heavily instanced, solo-friendly, endgame-focused MMOs seem so damn shallow and lonely in comparison. My favorite thing from FFXI was always finding a group of people to go do practically anything we wanted to in the game. Oh and having one character be my avatar, that can take the role of any job in the game, instead of creating multiple characters to fill different jobs was wonderful. It made my character feel like more than a disposable skin for whatever job or class I wanted to play as.
 
Also, yes NGB is still probably one of the top 3 action games from the last decade. 2 felt way too arcadey. I loved how most of the levels in NGB were interconnected, and would sometimes just run through most of the areas in the Vigoor capitol, killing all sorts of demons and military people.

Not really raising my standards, but i remember when i was a kid i enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean, Reservoir Dogs and Scarface and i had a good time playing those games, now i can't look at them. Fuck...I've become a game snob...