Video games are unique as an art form because they can turn into bad games over time. This is due to poor visuals and art direction, not having mechanics that would become industry staples, or terrible controls. There are a good number of games that aren’t fun to play anymore or are much harder to enjoy.
I’d like to examine these reasons and provide examples for each one. These are games that were fun for their time, but have gotten outclassed by future games.
Lackluster Art Direction
When video games first entered the 3D era, the visuals started off very basic. Customers at the time didn’t care because 3D games were still new and exciting. As the years passed by and visuals became more detailed and less pixelated, some early 3D video games like Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time still look good because their art design was strong. The two games have striking character designs along with strong, colorful theming. Think of The Great Deku Tree or Bob-Omb Battlefield, which have a strong personality and are easily recognizable.
On the other hand, the original Resident Evil is the complete opposite. The game lacks any strong horror identity. The environments are very bright, with very limited darker lighting. The character models are also even more rudimentary than Mario 64. Faces look painted on. Character models look noticeably pixelated and polygonal. Even the zombie attacks are just the zombie model leaning into the playable character with rudimentary blood effects. This lacking visual direction sucks out most of the potential horror when playing the game today. Capcom fixed this with a 2002 remake. The character models were upscaled, the environments were filled with detail, and the lighting system got overhauled significantly. The remake is actually scary, as the visual direction represents Resident Evil’s original vision.
Lacking Industry Standard Mechanics
From 2D platformers to first person shooters, modern video games are built on the mistakes and lessons made by their predecessors. This leads to quality of life improvements like fast travel or better inventory management. That’s why when playing a Game like the original Metroid on the NES, it can be a shock when there isn’t an in-game map. And in the 80s, where the internet was still in its infancy, players would have to memorize the map’s layout in their heads or write it down on paper. This means it’s extremely easy to get lost if your aren’t paying attention, and the game becomes an exercise in frustration.
The original Pokemon Red and Blue is another example. They lack important features like held items or abilities. Types like Bug and Ghost have moves that deal almost no damage, and the Dragon type doesn’t have a move at all. Some Pokemon share the same cry, and the physical special split doesn’t exist. This means that every move of a type is either physical or special. For example, every Water type move is special, and every Fighting type move is physical. All these shortcomings make the first Pokemon games very limiting to play. The remakes Fire Red and Leaf Green outclass them in every department.
Terrible Controls
This is the biggest reason a game will age poorly. Players might’ve tolerated bad controls because games were new and standards hadn’t been established yet. For example, before the release of Halo on the original Xbox, First Person Shooters on consoles assigned moving the player and moving the camera to the same analog stick. That means you couldn’t move and aim at the same time. And that’s where Goldeneye comes in.
Goldeneye came out before Halo, meaning it only has one analog stick. If you want to aim, you need to hold down the L or R button, which activates aim mode. You can then move a red sight anywhere around the screen, but can’t move your character while doing that aside from slightly leaning to the right and left. It’s a very awkward form of shooting that leaves the player character as a sitting duck to attacks from anywhere outside the screen. There’s an argument it makes the game unplayable in the modern day. At the very least, it’s a difficult learning curve to return to.
It Sucks When Games Age
At the end of the day, games age for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s from terrible controls, bad art direction or a lack of industry standard mechanics, there are games that have aged poorly to the point where it can be hard to find enjoyment from them anymore. And that’s why remakes and remasters exist. Game studios update these old games with new features and visuals so that more people can enjoy them. It gives these classics new leases on life, and is something I’m grateful exists.
