>>314805813>but they are still thereThey're present in a rudimentary fashion and frankly not in a very interesting manner. The point is that these elements is what define the genre and what set it apart from others.
Why would I want to play a cheap action game that doesn't even challenge me when I can play a proper action game instead?
Why would I want to play a cheap RPG that doesn't have even a modicum of depth when I can play a proper RPG?
>give the genre a bit of fresh airNo, this is nonsense. In fact, they're being incredibly stale. Games like Torment pushed the boundary by delivering dialogue based role playing that has never been seen before. Games like Fallout or Arcanum pushed the boundary by delivering interactive worlds where the player could apply skills freely in order to solve his objectives. Games like Baldur's Gate 2 pushed the boundary by giving intricate dialogue to party NPCs and having them react to player decisions.
What have Bethesda and BioWare done since?
Design wise they've only abandoned gameplay aspects but haven't added anything in return. The games have gotten less complex. They have only lost.
The only thing they've done is step backwards.
There is absolutely nothing fresh about their games, and this is not a matter of opinion but a quantifiable fact due to the mechanics themselves - the logic behind the game having become simpler, the dialogue options and the possible solutions and outcomes to quests having become fewer, and the mechanical depth of the systems where stats and skills would affect the experience having been watered down.
