Linear, linear, linear

[CerusSerenade]

This misconception that non-linear is somehow always superior to a linear game needs to die. There are plenty of linear games that have proven to be masterpieces.

[Shurrikhan]

This misconception that non-linear is somehow always superior to a linear game needs to die. There are plenty of linear games that have proven to be masterpieces.

I don't think anyone's conflating it with some sort of irredeemable problem so much as just an opportunity not taken (it's more just a... salient symptom, so to speak), in the same way that having no customization, or having little combat depth, or little available range in difficulty, or not having a well-crafted learning curve, or not having a responsive and intuitive UI, or having little story coherence, or having little explorable worldstory or backstory, would all be wasted opportunities that could otherwise positively affect a game's apparent quality.

[TheDecay]

This misconception that non-linear is somehow always superior to a linear game needs to die. There are plenty of linear games that have proven to be masterpieces.

Like???

God of War?

And how did they make their linear dungeons? With puzzles. Alternating paths. Varied enemies that require the player to use different tactics. Environmental interactions. Verticality. I can go on and on. All of these, FF14 and FF16 have not achieved.

That's why GoW is a 94 and a 9.1 in User Score while FF16 has a 7.9 User Score.

Because they mastered the art of non-linear design in linear dungeons: that is, breaking the gameplay loop into chunks of walk forward, do puzzle, attack enemy, dodge, interact with environment, attack enemy, do puzzle, find hidden path etc. What you're actually engaged in while in a GoW dungeon that is actually incredibly linear when you look at the map, is highly non-linear gameplay.

What is there in FF14/FF16? Press W and smash Square/AoE combo.

[Ransu]

Like???

God of War?

And how did they make their linear dungeons? With puzzles. Alternating paths. Varied enemies that require the player to use different tactics. Environmental interactions. Verticality. I can go on and on. All of these, FF14 and FF16 have not achieved.

That's why GoW is a 94 and a 9.1 in User Score while FF16 has a 7.9 User Score.

Because they mastered the art of non-linear design in linear dungeons: that is, breaking the gameplay loop into chunks of walk forward, do puzzle, attack enemy, dodge, interact with environment, attack enemy, do puzzle, find hidden path etc. What you're actually engaged in while in a GoW dungeon that is actually incredibly linear when you look at the map, is highly non-linear gameplay.

What is there in FF14/FF16? Press W and smash Square/AoE combo.

User scores on metacritic are a waste of time. A big chunk of the FFXVI user reviews are dumb console warring people review bombing it along with a weird section of people that seem to hate Nomura and somehow think he was involved with FFXVI and its "kingdom heart nonsense" story.