why buy and play walking simulators?

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Pipe 24 ABR 2024 a las 19:03

when you can watch them on youtube?

now I'm not saying you're "dumb" for buying them or anything, I'm just trying to understand

for Telltale Games, I get it. they're kind of walking simulators but you can kinda dictate how the story goes - that's a reason why you would want to play them yourself

but for walking simulators, I don't get it. you move forward, occasionally interact with a door or something, maybe read some notes, watch cutscenes, and that's it
I don't know what you're missing by just watching a youtube video

Última edición por Pipe; 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:29

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Publicado originalmente por Basho:

this is gonna be a long one, but as you might expect answering a question like that cant really be done in one sentence. so here are some of my thoughts on the topic.

first of all i have an issue with the term "walking simulator", because it used to apply sarcastically to a very narrow type of (flash) games where you literally only held down right arrow to make a 2D character walk slowly along a fixed side scrolling 2D path periodically interspersed with vague text popping up, alluding to some equally vague overarching theme and that was it.

so as far as i can tell, "walking simulator" as a term came about in a mocking manner to make fun of those types of games, and applying that to games like Stanley Parable and Death Stranding makes little sense to me in that context.
granted, games like those two are kinda hard to pin down genre-wise and meanings can change over time, but it still irks me when games are called "walking simulators" for unclear reasons.
but besides, what is even the definition in the first place? lack of combat? because some games that bear the title do have combat. and some FPS games go long stretches without combat too and/or feature environment puzzles etc and extensive storytelling (Halo 1, Half Life 1, System Shock 2).

but if by "walking simulator" we are referring to a game like Death Stranding (as many people do), then what i like about it is the scenery, music, atmosphere, story, etc, and i like being my own director to an extent - being able to set my own tempo, choose what to look at and explore an when, etc. in a movie the camera pans by the building (and when watching someone play as well) but as a player i can go behind it and see whats there, maybe inside it as well and find all sorts of visual story telling that a movie could not have made room for in the first place.
that last part hold true for any game and is one of the main parts that is unique to video games as a medium.

i may have mentioned this elsewhere, but one of my favorite moments was fording a difficult river, and after making it across, drenched and exhausted, it started raining and i found a slight outcrop in a cliff face to shelter under and sit down for a rest.
just sitting there, listening to the rain and the ambient soundtrack, looking around at the scenery, thinking about how i got there and why, and where i need to go next, generally immersing myself in the world, was such a great experience.
i could not have gotten that from watching a video.
same goes for the moment of panic and terror when slipping during a river crossing and getting flushed down stream while watching your cargo scatter among the currents.

also, building roads, or generators and bridges and such in strategic locations, and coming back to find that other people have been using them and thanking you for it, or finding another players trail or strategically placed asset and having that ease your travels, is quite a unique experience that also dont translate well if at all through a video.

there is overall just a lot of mental stuff going on in that game that isnt strictly bound to a script/story that you can just watch a video of, but is more of a personal meditative experience that i kinda want to liken to how you cant just watch a video of someone eating a pie or solve a jigsaw puzzle and expect to get the same experience.
not the best analogy, but i feel it is a lot like that.

also, especially with Death Stranding, if you like hiking IRL that is a huge part of the appeal of the game imo, and the mere mental act of planning your route ahead is such a big part of the experience that it just goes missing completely when watching someone else do it instead.

if it was just the story, then the idea of just watching a video can apply to a lot of games, but for a lot of games a lot of what i've said above is also true. consider a game like Doom (any version) for instance or others like it.
you could watch a video of those too, but not doing the playing yourself and not experiencing the thrill and terror of tense and skin-of-the-teeth victories yourself by your own effort robs you of a lot of the experience and the impact of any twists and surprises.

i could probably go on, but i hope i got some points across about what i like with Death Stranding in particular, even if i very much hesitate to use the term "walking simulator" as already mentioned.

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Mostrando 46-60 de 73 comentarios

vkobe 27 ABR 2024 a las 5:14

Publicado originalmente por Pipe:
when you can watch them on youtube?

for Telltale Games, I get it. they're kind of walking simulators but you can kinda dictate how the story goes - that's a reason why you would want to play them yourself

but for walking simulators, I don't get it. you move forward, occasionally interact with a door or something, maybe read some notes, watch cutscenes, and that's it
I don't know what you're missing by just watching a youtube video

it is less tiring and less dangerous than walking in real life in the wood or in mountain

#46

Mighty Alien Dwarf 27 ABR 2024 a las 5:46

I always found story-driven or walking sim games the most counterintuitive to watch. You're missing out on the little gameplay that they had to offer while simultaneously not gaining anything significant out of it because the genre doesn't leave much room for creativity or witty commentary. I would much rather chill out and explore them myself.

#47

Pipe 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:01

seems like that edit worked - I'm getting more relaxed answers
they're making me more confused though. mods should probably lock this thread to prevent any more confusion (<-- joke lol)

wouldn't it be more relaxing to just fire up a no commentary youtube video then just kick back while eating snacks?

Última edición por Pipe; 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:06

#48

Siluva 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:18

Define "walking simulator".
Because there is a lot of game that could be labeled as walking simulator with each their own reason to play it.

Games like Stanley Parable, where you play for the interactive story, with goofy elements and lot of things to discover.

Games like Superliminal, mind twisting and puzzle driven.

Games like Outlast, Layers of Fear...which are horror games focused on the story, ambiance...

There is also games that are labeled as walking simulator just because they are linear games. But you can also label open world as walking simulator, since you mostly got from point A to point B with occasional fights on the path.

So yeah, depend what you call "walking simulator" but overall those games are more focused on rich story and design, see them as interactive movies.

Also you can literally watch all games on Youtube to I don't really get your point about that.

#49

B 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:19

Sometimes I like just being engrossed in a story. Why does that bother you?

#50

Pipe 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:25

Publicado originalmente por Pipe:
seems like that edit worked - I'm getting more relaxed answers

lol nvm let me try another edit

#51

Angel 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:28

Death Stranding is one of favourites but they made walking a challenge due to terrain and mobility obstacles i.e. cargo weights. They're fun.

#52

Midnight Sky ✨🌙✨ 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:30

There's usually more interactivity than just walking to the next cutscene even if it's not gonna be as crazy as devil may cry. They usually have puzzle solving to do.

#53

Chunk Norris ☯ 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:32

Let's talk Death Stranding.

I picked it up from the Free Games thread a few years ago, and didn't install it because it looked like a dumb walking simulator. And now that I've played it a few times through I have to say it's one of my favorite games.

It's relaxing and yet has moments that are nail biting. Some easy building that makes prepping ahead of time very rewarding. The storyline and voice acting are really good and you care for the characters. The music was top notch.

As for the walking, the more you traveled a path the more you saw signs of the terrain changing. A rocky area might develop a path, or even a makeshift road. Bumps in the road will smooth out and you'll start to see player made buildings and signs appear next to them.

#54

Sir Seanicus, Esq. 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:46

I ask the same questions to Germans who keep buying work simulator games.

Arbeit macht frei, I guess...

Última edición por Sir Seanicus, Esq.; 27 ABR 2024 a las 9:46

#55

AustrAlien2010 27 ABR 2024 a las 10:02

Publicado originalmente por Basket Case:
I always found story-driven or walking sim games the most counterintuitive to watch. You're missing out on the little gameplay that they had to offer while simultaneously not gaining anything significant out of it because the genre doesn't leave much room for creativity or witty commentary. I would much rather chill out and explore them myself.

Exploring isn't only about moving forward. It's also about deciding what to do.
Deciding what to do is a choice the player has to make based on the information the game world provides. (Story lore, environment, sounds, other actors, and so on.)

When playing a game for the first time, there are various unknown factors or story elements.
Players generally don't simply perform actions. Instead they must first imagine a reality or scenario based around these unknowns. A reality that isn't quite fixed, but is in a state of flux. (As long as the player hasn't finished the game.)
Experiencing this "shifting reality" may be different between individuals and is part of the entertainment.

You can't experience that in a video.

Última edición por AustrAlien2010; 27 ABR 2024 a las 11:48

#56