By Adam Robles
While the video game industry gets bigger every year, there are only a few games that will truly stand the test of time. These games have good graphics and mechanics, and entice players to replay it.
They usually stand out from other games from the same time period.
There are multiple reasons why a game ages better, but it varies from person to person.
Games that have long lifespans are usually acclaimed by players more than professional critics. The critic scores, however, don’t determine whether a game will last long or not.
Some reviewers may claim to love the game because they are nostalgic for it or are fans of the series. This bias makes it difficult for them to say anything bad about it.
It is important to realize that some professional reviewers get paid-trips from big companies to play a game early. This can make them feel obligated to give a positive review.
Even with the user reviews, there are often users who will give a game a low score just because they don’t like certain aspects of the game. These types of people are often referred to as review bombers.
These types of players sometimes dislike a certain game because it isn’t on their preferred console or that they didn’t like how their favorite character was treated in the story.
Events like these are unfortunate, but they do happen.
One way to tell if a game has aged or will age well is by listening to its sound quality.
When a game has many repetitive sounds that aren’t pleasant to listen to, it will usually age poorly.
This is seen a lot in the lower-budget titles and games from the Nintendo 64 and Playstation era.
That generation was a big leap from 16-bit graphics to 64-bit, which led to a lot of poorly-aged visuals and sounds from games that went for a realistic approach.
Games that are heavily story-driven must have good voice actors in order to age well, especially if they’re focused on single-player.
Game series like “The Last of Us,” “God of War” and “Persona” focus heavily on telling a story. These games have good storylines and are well voice acted, which increases their chances of holding up.
The types of games that won’t age well are online multiplayer games that require the player to interact with other players online.
Since they require a player base, their lifespan relies solely on their ability to keep players interested in the gameplay.
These online games only last as long as the publisher is happy with the profit that the game continues to bring in. Once a game is no longer profitable, many of its servers will most likely be shut down.
Nintendo is famous for making games that hold up very well.
Their franchises such as “Super Mario,” “Pokemon,” “The Legend of Zelda,” “Super Smash Bros.” and more are known for their visuals, good game mechanics and having some of the better-aged sound qualities even from older consoles.
With most of its games, Nintendo goes for a more cartoon look in opposition to Sony and Microsoft’s gore and realistic games.
This gives the impression that Nintendo is marketed more toward kids, but in 2019, that isn’t the case at all.
The cartoon look is a stylistic choice that makes games graphically stand out for having recognizable characters.
This art style makes it easier for the average player to identify the game.
Having a game that has that identifiable look for the general audience can also play a part in whether it will be forgotten within a year or remembered for decades.