Gamespot awards NWN2 for Best Story in 2006

[Sargallath Abraxium]

John Carmack, is that you?

 

Carmack's a cool guy, I just remember him trivializing the value of stories in games around the time of Doom 3's release.  Maybe it was just action games specifically.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No one can knock his programming ability, but Doom 3 didn't excel in game design or storytelling. If either one were good in that game, the graphics could have carried it the rest of the way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

...which be exactly what happened wit' Oblivion; whilst graphics towed it ta e'ery reviewers Best RPG o' 2006 list, game design, although certainly not her strong point, was there jus' enough fer that final push o'er the last hurtle...pity story an' immersion inta it plays almost no role anymores in "top" cRPG gamin', at least accordin' ta the sheep...more's the pity... <_<

 

 

...WHO LUVS YA, BABY!!...

[Azarkon]

Doom 3 could've been good if they focused less on the "monsters jump out of the closet" factor and more on the "ancient, fathomless evil" feel of the original game. There was something epic about the mixture of loneliness and being stuck in a hell world consisting of ancient world architecture hybridized with occult symbols and high technology. Anyone who played the originals can probably attest to this trend - you were literally fighting in Aztec mazes at one point, in Inferno at another...

 

Somehow, the lack of narrative explanation added to the sublime attraction of the unknown. Doom 3 just wasn't as good at keeping a secret - the demons were too obviously from Christian Hell, and all the action was limited, more or less, to either the repetitive level designs of the spaceship or the too-often-used imagery of a burning abyss.

[alanschu]

Heh, I never got any of that really from the originals personally.

 

At the time (I was 12-13 years old) it was just a whole bunch of badguys for me to kill

[Zoma]

Bah, Oblivion got best RPG in Gamespot when its not even one.

 

I mean, seriously its quite depressing to know that future RPGs will somehow follow Oblivion footsteps.

 

Obsidian, you WON'T do that will you?

[kalimeeri]

Look on the positive side. There was never any doubt who would win a 'best story' award; and I think it's safe to say that NWN2 exceeded already high expectations in that area. I can't point to any game from any time period that has done suspense so well. It's impossible not to get caught up in it, and the battle for Crossroad keep rocks.

 

But what Oblivion did, it did well also: graphics, physics and AI. Story- and character-wise, it may have been light years behind NWN2, but it was a vast improvement on its predecessor (almost gave me the impression they'd hired themselves a new writer). Giving them a nod in a 'best story' category can only be seen as encouraging them in the right direction--even if it is a long, long road. I for one would be interested in seeing what would happen if Bethesda took the Oblivion engine and focused on storytelling. And there's no doubt that it's well past time that the industry recognized that just killing monsters is a cheap, empty thrill, and easily forgotten. It's the stories and the characters that stick with you.

[Llyranor]

The only way that'll happen is if Shadowstrider murders the rest of the Bethesda staff and becomes lead designer for FO3.

 

I mean that as a joke. I am not encouraging murder.

[Morgoth]

Oblivion for best Story? What a joke. But then again, I don't give a rats ass what Internet sites think.

Dreamfall deserved the "Best Story" award imo, as well as "Best Main Character" and best "Artistic design".

NWN2 didn't quite live up to my expectations (too much annoying aspects like the Castle, the never ending mass battles and the rather mediocre story).

Too bad Gothic 3 didn't get the "Best music" award.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

When Gamespot says "story," I have the feeling that they're not just talking about the plot but also the presentation (cinematic techniques, etc.), the writing, and the level of interaction.

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Then it's even more astounding how Oblivion got nominated.

[Volourn]

"Bah, Oblivion got best RPG in Gamespot when its not even one."

 

Yes, it is. Just because you don't like it doens't mean it isn't one.

[Sand]

I really don't count it as a CRPG. Its an action game with light role playing elements. Not saying that is good or bad, but that is how it is played. Besides, how would you know, Volourn. You haven't even played it... or have you...

 

[Volourn]

I haven't; but from all descriptions it's a RPG. Maybe not a very good one; but it is one. Or more closely, an Action RPG due to the combat aspect of it.

Edited December 21, 2006 by Volourn

[Sand]

Trust the people who have actually played it. Its an Action game with RP elements and not a real CRPG.

[Morgoth]

I really don't count it as a CRPG.  Its an action game with light role playing elements.  Not saying that is good or bad, but that is how it is played.  Besides, how would you know, Volourn.  You haven't even played it... or have you...

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're wrong. Gothic3, while not using classic D&D conventions like classes and overloads of stats, isn't structured like an action game. It's an RPG, simple as that, that stands on it's own foots, not matter whether you want to acknowledge that or not.

[Volourn]

Morgoth, we're talkin' Oblivion.

 

Thats aid, both GHothi c3 and Oblivion are Action RPGs. The combat is action. This should be undisputable. G3 is very much structured as an Action RPG. How cna anyone who played it agrue otherwise. You sound like that goofball elsewhere.

 

G3, Oblivion, BL, and JE are ALL Action RPGs.

 

Sand: I do. And, from all signs from people have said, Oblivion is an Action RPG. It may not do the RPG part very well; but it is what it is - an Action RPG.

Edited December 21, 2006 by Volourn

[Morgoth]

Oh well, still had G3 from the other thread in my mind....how embarrasing. :D

[Volourn]

Hehehe. I figured that.

 

P.S. We may disagree on something but at least someone else here actually seems to like G3...

Edited December 21, 2006 by Volourn

[Darque]

Oblivion for best Story?

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Oblivion "had" a story?

 

I kid, I kid.

 

Running around diablo2 style through oblivion gates was a truely epic experience.

[Morgoth]

Aye, what Sister Darque said. Too bad however that the term "epic" too often gets mismatched with "big, large, long". "Epic", as long narrative shouldn't be applied to Oblivion, either. BG2 is truly epic, but Oblivion is just...well, large.

[Dark_Raven]

Oblivion for best Story?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oblivion "had" a story?

 

I kid, I kid.

 

Running around diablo2 style through oblivion gates was a truely epic experience.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sounds like fun. I need to get Oblivion now that I can play it on my pc.

Edited December 22, 2006 by Dark_Raven

[Sand]

Its not as much fun as you think it is. Oblivion is very much consolized.

Edited December 22, 2006 by Sand

[Pop]

It's good for what it is, which is a humongous dungeon crawl. Even then, it's not worth playing for the extended amount of time it requires to beat. Even with the various PC mods that break the game's scaled encounter system (I've yet to see one that really works) it's all really easy if you know how to play an FPS.

 

The issue here is calling it an "RPG". Hell, we might as well give next year's award to MGS4.

[Spider]

Oblivion doesn't require an extended amount of time to beat. It can be beat in about 10 hours or so. The critical path really isn't that long, and the scaling difficulty means you can just plow right through it if you really want to.

 

Edit: As for calling it an RPG or not, the industry standard when it comes to defining RPGs seems to be character building. Or rather games in which character building is central to the gameplay. That's the definition used by the masses and as such it's natural for it to be the definition used by Gamespot when they do stuff like this. More eyebrows had been raised if Oblivion had been in the action category.

 

This is not to say that I personally agree that Oblivion is a RPG, I am more with Sand when it comes to definition. But you can't really fault GS for going with the convention.

Edited December 22, 2006 by Spider

[Tale]

But you can't really fault GS for going with the convention.

Sure, you can. You can blame anyone for anything. War in Iraq? *points at Spider*

Let's give it a try.

 

THOSE GS BASTAGES ARE RUINING THE CONCEPT OF RPGS! rabble rabble

[Berserk]

Its not as much fun as you think it is.  Oblivion is very much consolized.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which is a shame considering how much Daggerfall rocked. It had a giant map you could travel across and the story was great aswell, couple this with several factions you could align yourself with and you had a really great RPG.

 

Damn, if Bethesda would remake Daggerfall with the Oblivion engine I probably won't see the light of day for a couple of years.

[Volourn]

Daggerfall, being an ES game, is really crappy. Really no difference between any of those games. 'Nough said.