This morning I was up early and spending my morning like I do any other, looking at video game trailers/news. Whilst watching Uncharted 4 trailers again for the umpteenth time I had a thought which I wanted to share with you all.

Uncharted 4 is, for me, entering into the pantheon of rare games that display wonderful little details that I as a strange person with strange taste, really appreciate. THE GUNS IN THIS GAME DON'T STICK TO YOUR BACK. That's right, every single long gun has an actual sling, that the character uses to sling the gun over their back! Surely this isn't dynamic, and the moving around of the gun as the character moves is also canned animations, but boy does this really get me going.

Just about every game out there that features guns and a character's model, has the gun (or sword, axe, etc.) unceremoniously stick to the character's back when not in use. Few games actually justify this (like Gears of War's magnetic suit thing, I think) or at least provide enough "lore" that you could believe there is a reason even if it isn't stated (Halo has future spacesuits, guns probably stick to them for a science reason I don't understand.)

Now I know, this is usually a thing that most people either don't care about or even give a second thought. It's just one of those things that we all have come to get used to. To be honest, most of the time I don't give it a second thought. However, given that I am the weird dude that I am, when a game does go out of it's way to provide something like this, boy do I appreciate it! For me it adds a level of immersion, even maybe on a subconscious level, that I am inside of this world, and a real part of it.

It may seem like such a small thing, but I look at it as a link in the chain of immersion. Something along with your realistic beads of sweat, and dynamic wet clothing, that adds to that chain and wraps me into it, dragging me ever so lovingly down into the depths of sweet video game bliss.

And this is the kind of thing that once you start to notice it, you notice and really appreciate the games that take the time and effort to add this little detail. Geralt's scabbards that work every time, (with minimal clipping!), John Marston's holster and rifle holder stand out, and thus so do all the times that they are missing. Which is, pretty much every other game.

For every Max Payne 3 with working holsters (and Max holding the rifle when you are not using it), and Skyrim with sheathes for your blade (well, some blades), there are a million Kingdoms of Amalur, Devil May Crys, and even early Uncharted games!

So before this becomes even longer of a rant, I ask you: What do you think? Do you care? Do you notice things like this at all? Did I ruin third person games for you now? (Sorry)

What other games use this little detail? How many can you think of?

Am I just crazy for thinking about this so often?

Skyrim in Third Person is a masterpiece.

@fredchuckdave: AGREED.

@zefpunk: I am so glad games are getting to the point that developers can incorporate tiny details like gun holstering. I remember being delighted in Halo 3 when they showed that the guns were magnetized to the Chief's armor, which was a really creative way to account for gun holstering before the technology could actually do it.

@darth_navster: I really hope we start to see it happen more and more.

The incorporation of flexible/morphable objects and animations is one of those small but significant advancements in graphics that has gone unnoticed as people have commented on the slowing of visual improvements in games.

Haha yeah, that sort of small nit-picky stuff is stupidly exciting to see get attention from developers.

@theht: Actually part of the reason I hope Uncharted 4 is a big hit/great game. I really would love reviewers to comment on it, and get people noticing.

Oh i'm with you on that. Like in Max Payne 3 if you have a rifle of some sort and you switch to a handgun Max will still hold the rifle in one hand while shooting the gun with the other. Man, i love that game.

@saft: That game is one of the best examples. So cool that they did it that way. Max Payne 3 is a great example for a variety of reasons. The way the holsters work, the way max handles two handed weapons, even the way the guns operate and eject bullet casings. It is great.

I couldn't agree with you more! CSGO had an update last year that added straps so that the guns was strapped to the player model's backpack or back, which was an huge improvement for me. The gun even moves as you run which sells it even more! Another example is MGS5, big boss has his rifle slung (in a weird way I would say, but it works) which looks great when you do stuff with your hands that isn't rifle stuff.

I'm huge on small details like this, and it will leave an impact on me if a game does small details well.