A while back, I offhandedly mentioned that I disliked the video game "The Last of Us." Since "The Last of Us" is almost universally praised, I've received quite a bit of flack for this opinion. But I hold on to one point through all of the criticism: the game simply isn't fun. Sure, there are fun mechanics in the game. I'm a sucker for crafting systems, and "The Last of Us" has a great one. Shooting zombies is sometimes fun, until you run out of bullets. Even the story can be enjoyable, but for the most part, the game isn't fun.
For those that don't know, "The Last of Us" is a survival game. The premise is there is a fungal mutagen infecting humans, taking over their brains and leaving them in a zombie-like state. You play as Joel, a middle-aged and grizzled man from Texas who has experienced quite a bit of grief in his life. He is suddenly tasked with taking care of a young girl name Ellie. The game is lauded for its storytelling and dark setting. Particularly, Joel and Ellie's growing father-daughter relationship is considered by some to be one of the best interactions in recent gaming.
Despite this, the gameplay isn't very fun, in my opinion. The game often grows long and plodding, dragging you through beautiful set pieces. Even though the set pieces and backgrounds are beautiful, you quickly stop paying attention to them. This is because there are fungus zombies all throughout the game that you are forced to sneak around. Here is where I will give a caveat: I don't like stealth games. Stealth in video games is rarely ever rewarding to me. Even in a survival game, where ammo is very scarce, I'd often rather go into a situation guns a-blazing. This is a personal mark against the game for me, but I understand that some really enjoy this aspect. It's subjective.
So what makes a game fun? Well, the whole concept of fun is subjective, but I would like to point out some games that are, in my opinion, fun. First off, my favorite game of 2017 so far, "Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." This is a highly praised game that I actually agree is worth the hype. In "Breath of the Wild," you are given a wide-open world to explain. There is a main quest that you can start off on right off the bat, but you can also choose not to do that. What makes this game really great is the amount of stuff in the world that you can find. From helping a man build a town to getting pictures of giant statues, there are tons of side quests. But that's not all. In addition, there are little oddities of the world that are fun to find. Personally, I stumbled upon a random pond shaped like a heart. There was no real purpose to this discovery, but I was proud that I had found it on my own.
Another game that is quite fun is "Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim." "Skyrim" is another open world game with tons to explore and side quests galore (rhyme intended). "Horizon: Zero Dawn" is the same way, but with giant robot dinosaurs. Fighting giant robot dinosaurs is a lot of fun. All of these games are open world RPG games, but that's not the only kind of game that can be fun.
"Portal" is a very simple puzzle game with brilliant writing. The puzzles grow more difficult as time goes on, and it really stretches your brain. But everything is achievable and each test chamber finished gives you more quirky dialogue as a reward. "Jak and Daxter" is an action platformer that takes you from city to city to stop a spread of evil energy. "Ratchet and Clank" is another action platformer that focuses more on annihilating every enemy you see with an incredible arsenal.
One game I'd like to specifically mention here is "Sly Cooper." "Sly Cooper" is a stealth game that's actually enjoyable because it gives you the sense that you are a thief, sneaking in and out of buildings like a shadow. The game is built to reward stealth over combat while not punishing you too horribly for screwing up. This game does what I think "The Last of Us" does not. It makes it enjoyable to do nothing more than sneak around without getting caught. The payoff exceeds the frustration, unlike "The Last of Us."
I think what makes a game fun is the sense of wonder that you experience while playing it. I consistently get lost in all of the games I've mentioned with the exception of "The Last of Us." They enrapture me, and when I reach the end, I'm often surprised. I want it to go on. In fact, I've continued playing "Breath of the Wild," even after I finished the main storyline. There is so much more to do, and it's a fun adventure the whole way.
But what is fun to me may not be fun to you. One series I've never played is "Dark Souls." I dislike games that are difficult for the sake of being difficult, but some enjoy this style. Because of that, I would like to hear what you think makes a game fun. My opinion is just one of a million, so I would love to hear yours.
I thought about going for the low-hanging fruit on this one and putting "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" as my recommended song. I decided against it, though. Instead, since I'm talking about video games, I would like to recommend the song "I'm the Boss" by Big Bad Bosses. This is a fun song that is sung by a group of video game bad guys who decided to form a boy band. Enjoy:
