Repetetive gameplay and zombies

This is also a blog post of mine but I thought I'd post it here to as people aren't very likely to be looking at my blog.

So I just played the demo of Castle Crashers and although it was all right it just reminded me why I don't play these sorts of games. I can't keep myself playing when it's more or less the same thing for every level. Kill some dudes by hitting a couple of buttons repeatedly. This is the same reason I generally don't like Zombie shooters. Not only is it painfully repetitive but zombies may, quite possibly, be the most rubbish video game enemy ever conceived. For the most part they're usually slow and bumbling about and you can take them out before they get close to you or they're of the variety that just run and jump at you in some suicidal attempt to be mildly irritating.

Repetitive gameplay isn't a problem on it's own. It becomes a problem when the developers seemingly do little or nothing to counter balance it. Forcing the player to think about what they're doing, make strategic decisions is one way to distract from the repetitiveness. Another solution is to create interesting, unique scenarios around the core gameplay. Put the players in positions where they are doing things other than whatever your core gameplay happens to be (Shooting dudes, smashing dudes, slicing dudes... killing dudes in general). Most FPS's do a fairly good job of this giving you specific objectives to complete (Y'know other than shooting dudes, smashing dudes, slicing dudes... killing dudes in general).

I don't have a real conclusion to this so... the end.

So what do you guys think of the thing I've just babbled about?
Oh and I don't want this to turn into an argument over whether Castle Crashers is good or not, it was just a recent example in my mind.

Yeah, repetitive games suck. I like my FPS games short enough so that it's not repetitive.

F.E.A.R. is one game I think suffers from the repetitive syndrome

Left 4 Dead doesn't look like it will be repetitive, it looks like it's going to kick some serious ass.

I thought this thread would be about Left 4 Dead, cause that game is looking kind of repetitive to me. :P

I agree, I think repetitive gameplay can only be implemented so much before it starts to get boring. The amount of repetitive scenarios in some games really ruins the potential some of them have.

"Left 4 Dead doesn't look like it will be repetitive, it looks like it's going to kick some serious ass."

I disagree with your entire post. Killing dudes is what makes Castle Crashers great, and leveling up, getting new items, getting new attacks, etc. is not repetitive in my eyes. Also, zombies are quite possibly the BEST enemies in game history.

Good day sir. I SAID GOOD DAY.

Oh yeah, and why the hell is your name purple, and your alignment 1337?

"I disagree with your entire post. Killing dudes is what makes Castle Crashers great, and leveling up, getting new items, getting new attacks, etc. is not repetitive in my eyes. Also, zombies are quite possibly the BEST enemies in game history.

Good day sir. I SAID GOOD DAY."

repetitiveness isn't always a bad thing you know

"repetitiveness isn't always a bad thing you know"

"BiggerBomb said:

"Left 4 Dead doesn't look like it will be repetitive, it looks like it's going to kick some serious ass."

Hmm yeah that was another reason why I started thinking about this whole thing. It does look like Valve are taking steps to ensure the game will be different from your average zombie shooter but I can see it getting boring after a few games. I want Valve to prove me wrong on this one but I can't know until I play it."

"Kung_Fu_Viking said:

"BiggerBomb said:

"Left 4 Dead doesn't look like it will be repetitive, it looks like it's going to kick some serious ass."

Hmm yeah that was another reason why I started thinking about this whole thing. It does look like Valve are taking steps to ensure the game will be different from your average zombie shooter but I can see it getting boring after a few games. I want Valve to prove me wrong on this one but I can't know until I play it."

So do all online games bore you? That looks like the least linear it's going to get for awhile."

Well that isn't a flaw of the game or evidence of repetitive gameplay, that is just your attention span (or lackthereof :P)

"Well that isn't a flaw of the game or evidence of repetitive gameplay, that is just your attention span (or lackthereof :P)"

Leveling up and getting loot is the excuse all MMORPGs (and some RPGs) have to make you keep on doing the same thing over and over. It's a cheap way to make people bear the repetition...

"Leveling up and getting loot is the excuse all MMORPGs (and some RPGs) have to make you keep on doing the same thing over and over. It's a cheap way to make people bear the repetition..."