» Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:34 pm But there is a dark side to having great sequels. WIth one particular franchise that has stirred the marketplace with endless titles. I am of course referring to Call of Duty.
Not that all of them are bad titles, in fact, I liked Call of Duty 3&4. But after that things have gone downhill. Starting with COD 4.
So as many will know, COD4 introduced a progression system that constantly rewarded players with new guns, perks, and equipment to use on online multiplayer. Giving those who played longer, a significant advantage as opposed to new players giving way to a different approach than say in Halo3, or Gears of War.
In a standard match of COD, players are awarded ranks, weapons, and perks constantly through playing the game. Killing people and completing objectives to unlock things to better kill people and complete objectives.
They have players in a constant loop of rewards that keep you playing the game for longer. The Devs did this because ranking up feels good, seeing various awards and unlocks popping up gives people satisfaction, even when they are not particularly good at the game.
It took me awhile to realize it but all COD online is grinding to reach that next rank up.
To me this makes COD the junk food on the video game market. It's good for a short while, but they're designed to keep you hungry and more importantly, buying more.
Compare this to another game like Portal, where all the satisfaction is earned through figuring out puzzles, and playing through the fun campaign, hearing all the witty dialogue. By the time it had ended, I was glad to have played it, and I wanted for more. It falls in line with a high-class dessert. Its there fore a specific purpose: to finish off a meal. It doesn't try to overstay its welcome or keep me constantly wanting more.
TL;DR- The COD series is junk food, keeps you coming back for more and more of the same thing every time around.
Meanwhile other games which offer satisfying experiences are not receiving attention they are due.
