StaceyPowers

Are there any developers that seem to favor boss/battle mechanics that just drive you crazy? I find Bioware’s boss fights in DA and ME extremely annoying. There is so much repetition, and every fight is basically one of attrition against an epic bullet (or arrow) sponge. It’s always: 1-Fight boss. 2-Boss becomes unavailable to damage, sends minions. 3-Fight boss again. 4-More minions. 5-Fight boss again. 6-More minions … 7-Hopefully kill boss. This can go on for up to 40 min for me sometimes.

Is there a genre/type of game you really dislike in general, but with one game you like in particular anyway? For example, I don’t usually enjoy puzzles in video games, but I loved an old DOS game called Heaven and Earth.

What is a series of games that features some installments that are vastly easier or harder than the others on average?

What games feature the widest gaps between difficulty levels? I feel Dragon Age and Mass Effect are major offenders here. Case in point, I was playing DA: Origins on “normal” or whatever the last time I was in the Fade, and the final boss fight took me like 30 min. I was playing it on “casual” this time (one level down), and it took me about 3 min. That is a ridiculous jump.

Do you spend money playing MMOs? If you feel comfortable sharing, how much have you spent to date? And is it on subscriptions, in-game purchases, or something else?

What, if anything, do you find most obnoxious about console wars? Speaking mostly here about the warring attitudes of consumers rather than competition between the manufacturers. But both, really.

What are some games that feature unusual art styles?

What are some games you enjoy that contain a lot of dialogue and conversation options?

Repeatedly in different threads, I’ve noticed debates come up between whether characters should feature realistic designs or idealized designs (the same can go for their armor). My question is, do these preferences always have to be at odds? I love realistic character designs, and I think they are incredibly important. But I also sometimes enjoy idealized character designs and ridiculous, “sexy” armor that isn’t functional. It depends on the game/context for me.

What are some moments in video games that feature succinct writing that tells you a lot? The one I always think back to is in The Last of Us when Ellie notes that Joel's watch is broken.

If you feel comfortable answering the question, are there any ways in which you still feel underrepresented in video games?

What are your least favorite developers and/or publishers in order?

What are your favorite developers and/or publishers in order?

Are there any characters you like that other people seem to dislike? Like, I have seen lots of complaints about Oghren in Dragon Age because of his crude sense of humor, but I think he's funny.

Are there any sections of games that other people can’t stand that you enjoy? For me, it is the part with the Fade in the Circle Tower in Dragon Age: Origins. It’s actually the rest of the Circle part that fatigues me.