Linear gameplay. Sometimes it can mean an excruciatingly simple and trudging story that you can do little to make fun. Other times, it can be one of the most thrilling experiences you can have playing any video game at all. In recent times, some of the best games to be released were largely linear experiences. I speak of course of titles such as Modern Warfare 2 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, games that were not focused on giving you a whole-wide world to trudge through and wreak havoc upon, but rather very engaging set pieces with simple goals. I, for one, enjoyed the campaign of Modern Warfare 2 immensely. If I described it to someone, I would call it “the best summer blockbuster you’ll never see in a theater,” and I think that held true for one reason: Linear gameplay.
Linear gameplay, that is to say, gameplay that nudges you along in the right direction with no allowance of real exploration, can be a real benefit for game developers because they can concentrate on immersing the player in the story they crafted. One of my favorite parts in the MW2 campaign was the first portion of the mission in Brazil where you had to find the right-hand man of a target you were after, from that opening where you were sitting in the car, to pursuing the contact, and then to shooting him in the leg. Not a complicated gameplay segment at all, but very engaging and definitely thrilling. Why? Because YOU were there and YOU had to shoot that guy in the leg.
Uncharted 2 is no different in the way that. Yeah, you’re just shooting a bunch of guys, jumping over stuff, and getting to an area that has something you need, but how it’s presented made a world of difference. Who can forget having a shootout in a collapsing building while there was a helicopter outside causing the collapse in the first place? When the player knows what he needs to do and there’s a path mostly apparent to him, he can concentrate on all the things going on around him, like a helicopter shooting at him and destroying the building beneath his feet.
However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, non-linear games like GTA4 and Fallout 3, while immersive in the way that they will put you smack dab into a living, breathing world where they can do whatever they please with no real guidance other than a story they can progress when they want to. Open world gameplay itself is a great kind of experience, but when it comes to immersion, it goes about it in a very different way. Rather than dazzling you with story and set pieces, the game actively shows you the kind of impact the player has on the world. It can be in the form of saving lives from an undetonated nuclear bomb or blowing them all up or simply being pursued by police because you punched too many civilians, the player has an impact on the world.
It could be said that a gameplay type is made out of necessity, in the way that if you have an open world game, a developer may not be able to dedicate much time on wowing you with scripted events or detailed side quests. As much as I would love to see a GTA look as good as Modern Warfare 2, that just isn’t going to happen in this console cycle, unfortunately. It is something to wonder of the crafting of the world can just be as important as the gameplay itself, and after watching the trailer for Red Dead Redemption, developers are slowly getting to that sweet spot of immersion without having to take a linear versus non-linear approach.
There is one game that I will say is a good hybrid and you’ve probably already played it: Mass Effect. From the moment you start playing and until you finally put the controller down for the last time, your mission was clear, to save the galaxy. While playing ME, the player is given choices on how they want to go about accomplishing that mission. Freedom of choice for the player is an interesting take on the idea of non-linearity, but throws it into a game that is largely linear. ME was definitely a pinnacle of storytelling for me for this reason and the sequel will no doubt raise that bar in many aspects, including the “conversation interruption” where you can cut to the chase and push people out windows or maybe shoot them. And who doesn’t enjoy doing that?
What are your thoughts?
Around the web:
‘Black Ops 2′ Doesn’t Need New Engine, Says Treyarch 
MW2 Map Terminal Shows Up In ‘Modern Warfare 3′ Patch Files 
‘Halo 4′ Box Art Revealed 
Sony Shares Plummet To 32-Year Low 
Loading ...
I think companies in recent years have been making linear gameplay better overall because they turn it into an interactive movie of sorts. It’s the cinematic experience that seems to be moving it’s way into games, and this phenomenon is certainly not hurting the depth of any games… unless the gameplay is just unbearable.
FF13 last i read ppl said it was linear, and i hate that. an RPG thats linear? oh plz….
Nice article. I agree with you completely. I think there is a need for both linear and open-world games. Each have a demand, because each have been successful in their respective ways. I would love to see a balance between the two different types of games. I have not played Mass Effect (I’m a ps3 guy), but you mentioned Red Dead sort of blurring the lines between the two distinctions. I have seen nothing in the Red Dead previews that makes it any different from GTA in terms of linear vs non-linear.
One company that is on the right track however might be Quantic Dream. I think as of now, we can classify Heavy Rain to be quite linear. But if a company were to take their ideas of interactive story telling (choices affecting the story/plot) yet give the player the freedom to explore the entire world at his/her pace, we may have an interesting new genre come into being.
why cant gta4 look like modern warfare I dont understand? isnt it just money and time?
@Kan
The current console cycle, while powerful in many respects, still doesn’t allow for crazy beautiful looking games and extensive gameplay. If there were an RPG that was awesome looking as Modern Warfare 2, it would definitely be larger than 2 discs. Every disc has to have graphical information as well as the actual gameplay information. We’re getting to that sweet spot of a console’s lifespan where developers have become more comfortable in using and developing for it, so we may just yet see something like that in the future. At least I’d like to think so.
@Chet
I most certainly agree with you that Heavy Rain is going to be a game that will certainly blur the lines between linear/non linear gameplay. It’s all a one track scene, with so many different variations, I truly believe that everyone who does play it day one will have a different experience, no matter if there’s someone who executes every single prompt correctly or if there’s someone who just misses every first/last prompt, the game will be different.
The only problem, I think, is how long a game like that takes to create. Yes, I’m certain it will be worth the wait, but the wait does indeed make me sad.
In terms of Red Dead Redemption: I like a lot of the little touches they add in the game that make the world its own. Animals, the whole wide expanse of it all. I’m just biased for Western settings though.
@!_!
I had also read that Final Fantasy XIII was going to be a largely linear experience, which had very much surprised me. Part of me thinks that Square-Enix wants to broaden the audience a bit more and not make it as involved experience in terms of how long you have to invest in the game to complete it. Do I think that’s a bad idea? I’m 50/50 on the actual question. Yes, I think it’s great they’re actually cutting through a lot of the b******* that make some RPGs way too long (I’m looking at you FFX), but I don’t think it’s great because when you first play a RPG, you start playing it with the expectation that you will be committing a rather large sum of your time to it and that is part of the RPG experience.
I view this decision by Square-Enix to be slightly Western influenced where we have the “wham bam thank you ma’am” kind of approach to RPG and we’re not super concerned with too much micro management of characters. I think FFXIII’s dev team learned that from the Gambit system in FFXII, which was good when you used it, but when you actually used the system extensively, sometimes you could just put the controller down…and that’s never fun when you play a videogame.
Having played Indigo Prophecy (Farenheit) on Xbox I’m definately looking forward to Heavy Rain and seeing what they do with it.
In general I prefer more linear games for storytelling, because while I may love games like Fallout 3, Oblivion, GTA with their open ended worlds, I find it storytelling easier done with the Linear setting. As you mentioned in the article, Mass Effect did a good job of it, and the sequel is on my must play list.
I personally think both are “necessary” and both can work extremely well. I'm in the same boat as Tim above: I love linear games for their storylines, but non-linear games for the gameplay. This doesn't mean that non-linear games can have crappy storylines though or that linear games can't have decent gameplay.
I think the key with linear gameplay is that it has to be done right. Games like Uncharted and Uncharted 2 do such a great job of immersing me in the story and the characters. By the end of the game I actually care about Drake, Sully and the rest of the crew. On the other end of the spectrum I think the campaign in CODMW2 is a little weak. I build no relationships with any of the characters and really can't follow the jumps from location to location. At the end of the day it leaves me with little desire to ever replay the one player campaign.
Personally, I like linear games. I find no problem with a game taking me by the hand and leading to where I need to go next; observing the beautiful environments and characters and going into battle! We as gamers have been playing these types of games for years so why is it such a big deal now. I have no problem with non linear games or Rpg's but they need to be done right. Take for example, Far Cry 2. This game in my opinion was completely lackluster. The game was extremely long (nothing wrong with that) but when the length of the game is based on going from one pointless mission to another and interacting with stiff characters (or statues rather with no personality) than the game just feels like a cop out. As if the developers just made the game long so they wouldn't be tagged with the dreaded title of Linear. Heaven forbid! But you know what, the original Far Cry will have a lasting impression on me for a lifetime and yes folks, the game was LINEAR. Oh the dread!! Developers need to focus on immersion and fun factor if they are going to go non linear not just fill up space. I see too many games that do this now and if this is the future of gaming, I am not a happy camper.
Very good article. For me I love linear games. Some of the best games I have played have been linear. From god of war to uncharted 2. I have to admit much to my own disappoint and disgust that I have never experienced ME because I haven't got a 360 (this has to change soon) but fallout 3 wasn't my cup of tea and I can see that it does offer the player a huge choice to play the game they want and that is very respectable. I think some gamers make this big stink about games being linear and giving you a path to walk down but to be honest I think in some genres it just works better. Action and adventure and hack slash games are the best example. If they weren't linear they would become so tedious no matter how long the combo list was in my opinion.
So for me bring on more linear games but don't by that mantra, as AC2 and the upcoming red dead redemption show along with fallout 3 and many others, no linear games are just as awesome.
I have to admit that the year in gaming for 2010 gets more and more exciting everyday.
Firstly, in comparison to Fallout 1&2 – Fallout 3 is linear and disappointing. Mass Effect is where its at for me, a nice hybrid with the best of both worlds. Ultimately linear games will never have the same staying power as non linear games do and I believe the future of gaming lies in the perfection of non linear development. Its only typical of the business moguls to divert from that path – they know that linear games are easier to create, set pieces are much easier to design than a world so now we do get less for our money. Remember the days of baldurs gate and arcanum.. crpgs with tons of content and a serious open ended worlds full of great gameplay and captivating storys. Unfortunately I do.. and just like the music industry the games industry has become “popular”.
Mass Effect for me is the first real step forward in years – it shows that you can have a relatively non linear game system inside a linear world but as a gamer/developer I strive to find that game that will give you the ultimate linear and non linear experience combined. Since the non linear elements of a game are the hardest to design.. obviously thats where the work should be put in first. Bioware know that and I bet the dev team spent a lot more time on the non linear elements of Mass Effect, good on them, I will buy their next release because obviously they are one of the companies that have the gamer in mind during development – hell even before development. sb
I think theres a need for linear games when it comes to shooters/action games but as far ass Rpg,s Like FF13 and GTA games anything Role playing in No way should EVER!!! BE Linear!! that makes the whole Rpg experience go away i mean FF13 doesnt even have the Town exploration anymore each New FF now has something valuable taken away man wtf is goin on?Its like the beter the graphics get the worse the gameplay. on the upside of things action/ shooters are getting better, but sadly for us rpg fans…seems like things arent looking to good for us anymore. ITS THE SAD TRUTH!!!.
when it comes to non linear why does nobody mention the gothic series? they are a set of amazingly non linear games, especially gothic 3 which i have played a fair bit. i must admit though the linear games are being so extensively detailed these days with ultimate graphics and truly awe inspiring storylines and characters not to mention the progress that is being made with physics engines being able to give us a real sense of power.
games like gta4 and fallout 3 while both being non linear still have rather linear stories to a point, i believe that nobody has yet come up with the perfect recipe for a non linear game but some signs show that we are getting there
I totally agree with you darth, there needs to be more talk about gothic 3 everywhere.
Go check out Red Dead Redemption… excellent non-linear game with basically PERFECT single player story / gameplay, AMAZING freeroam and kick ass multiplayer to top if off. They REALLY hit the nail on the head on that one. Toss in graphics that make you feel like your in the southern U.S and I think thats my #1 for free roam / non-linear gameplay.
Just Cause 2 is another fun game. Not nearly as refined, but 400 square miles to go fly, boat, drive, and parachute my way around while destroying everything / taking part in challenges / faction missions.
Linear or non-linear?
As like life. a grey settlement.
for example.. I agree with comments buy Trung Bui. Codmw2 is best as is.
yet taken to extremes like some follow up copies it becomes a nightmare of trapped in a 3 yard wide hell hole like Cod5 world of war. A shooting range
with no tactical options. Spawned left and right.. it is not a game but a fragfest equal to starcraft. Everything that say Halo or cod2 is not.
What is forgotten is operations.. men of war is very successful because it, within the framework of a battalion and its objectives, lets you move and fight as you wish.. but is linear in the final goal.
i would say halo 1, Stalker SOC and CodMW2 are some of my faves ‘because’ there is a final objective..But you are allowed within a framework to achieve such as you wish.. .. not be forced down a pipe on rails like some linear games.
I have gamed since 1975.
it is what i do.
Would like to hear any feedback..
Prill
my point of view:
linear game= strict game. like a movie.
non-linear= do whatever you want. few rules.