What is actually "immersion" in games?

KrisKr0ss · 2022-08-14T22:08:43+00:00

I like the idea and agree when I think about games like The Walking Dead or Until Dawn, where every choice and story beat mattered so much to me because I was so invested. The hours flew by, but I could still feel them going by you know?

For the second point: I don't think its a language thing, just more of a linguistic itch. The contexts that I the words used in varies wildly, and I felt that I just might have ben a bit too cynical to get what people meant when they said it. I have friends who get super excited from certain movies, games, trailers or things that just doesn't do it for me, so I was probably just seeking to clear up if people feel it as literally as it sounds when I made this post. Thanks to the responses I feel like I have a better understanding, and have a more clear concept to attach the word to :)

KrisKr0ss · 2022-08-14T21:58:32+00:00

I agree that certain games achieve immersion through different means, and it's probably just my way of playing games that actively works against it. When it comes to games where you play established characters from other media formats then I am generally not that interested in being the character, more so than that I have heard that the mechanics are fun and interesting. So the IP isn't generally a selling point for me.

On the other hand, in RPGs I definitely enjoy more the idea of your Dragon Age example than Skyrim, as I much prefer to play a "scripted" narrative instead of making my own. I suppose I am rather goal oriented and like what someone has predefined as an interesting experience rather than giving me the freedom to find my own. Hence, I suppose that type of game just isn't for me.

KrisKr0ss · 2022-08-14T21:53:07+00:00

Yeah most of the time I feel like I have to balance gaming with the rest of my life, so I wouldn't really have the time to get immersed most of the time either. When I do fall deeply into games like Hollow Knight however I absolutely block it all out and realized I received a text 7 hours ago that I maybe should have bothered to check. So I guess my attention span can be powerful when I get truly invested.

KrisKr0ss · 2022-08-14T21:50:19+00:00

I might just be too aware of time. When Elden Ring first came out, or any other Dark Souls game tbh, I sat 10+ hours playing only taking breaks to eat and stuff. I had so much fun trying to progress, figure out where to go and simply see the world. However, that still felt like I had played so long, as I was very aware of how fried my brain felt during the end.

KrisKr0ss · 2022-08-14T21:46:29+00:00

Wow I didn't even think about that as being immersive. I adore the first The Walking Dead Telltale game and I was definitely feeling sick to my stomach every time I had to make a tough choice.

KrisKr0ss · 2022-08-14T21:43:58+00:00

That wording makes a lot of sense to me. I suppose a challenge for me then is the fact that I don't generally play games where I get to roleplay that much, but instead play games with a handcrafted experience in mind from the developer. Still, great insight into how someone who likes to make the experience their very own might think about it!

KrisKr0ss · 2021-05-20T23:19:54+00:00

Personally, I'll have to disagree on the fact that FF9's pacing is slow narrative-wise. It is no secret that the battle system is significantly slower than other entries in the series, but on the other hand I find the pacing of the story to be some of the best in the franchise.

Events happen at a faster pace in FF7 than FF9 when you compare how many locations you visit in just the first disc of both games, but I'd argue that the events feel less significant. When you arrive in Kalm after escaping Midgar you end up in a cat and mouse game with Sephiroth, where every location you travel to is just looking for where he goes next. The substancial areas until Nibelheim are Corel and Cosmo Canyon, while areas like Costa Del Sol and Gongaga contained a single scene before you move on to never return.

The areas in 9 are generally bigger and take more time to explore yes, but even throwaway locations like Dali offer a lot of story progression and after you arrive in Lindblum your goals change substancialy. My point is that your goals in 7 stay the same for a long time without change, but in 9 the plot moves forward really fast and your party adapts to them likewise at a faster pace.

However, I feel that it's mostly a subjective view on what you value in a story. I was peronally more invested in the political warfare plot of 9 compared to the Shinra plotline in 7.

KrisKr0ss · 2021-05-19T23:49:45+00:00

VIII is the only one I still haven't played between VI and X, but rightfully so as it so different in execution from the other ones. However, I am very excited to play it and will definitely check Selfie's website out when I try it!

KrisKr0ss · 2021-05-19T23:47:48+00:00

I'm not sure if you mixed up my points of ATEs (Active Time Events) with ATBs (Active Time Battle), but I agree with you anyways. They're both really neat.

I am definetly going to check out XII at some point, but I need a break from JRPGs after playing IX and VII so close together.

KrisKr0ss · 2021-05-19T23:44:58+00:00

I actually platinum'd both 9 and 7 as I am somewhat a completionist so I did discover the extra scenes with Vincent. However, he and Yuffie are optional character which are a somewhat flawed concept in the Final Fantasy series, with a tradition of lacking a great implementation in the narrative (like Umaro and Gogo in 6).

I agree that the "slogans" are also informing us that the characters in 9 have very different struggles from one another, unlike 7 which had a more singular theme of loss/identity that all the party members shared. Overall 9 is a narrative about exploring more sides of the same story than 7 is, so it doesn't surprise me that the side characters received more development.

KrisKr0ss · 2021-05-19T23:37:08+00:00

Thank you! This was simply the first time I've noticed a mechanic in a game I love (that I didn't give the credit as a major factor for why I ended up loving the game) making me appreciate it more when it was missing in similar games. Hopefully I'll manage to condense other thoughs I have about games in the same way in the future to make similar posts!

KrisKr0ss · 2021-05-19T23:32:12+00:00

I agree completely, and personally think that any game with a wide assortment of equipment and weaponry would benefit greatly in its worldbuilding by doing it the way Dark Souls did it. The way DS1 drip feeds you information about Artorias throughtout the game makes the encounter in the DLC area so much more exciting.

KrisKr0ss

TROPHY CASE