TAG TEAM Series: Games That Should Have Never Changed
Let me introduce to you the ‘TAG TEAM SERIES’, a series where multiple writers for CCU “tag team” and write a article about their thoughts on a particular subject. This one deals with games that we feel should have never changed. Up first millienl:
Change is good, right? Well when it comes to our favorite franchises sometimes change is good and other times not so good.
Usually when upgrading consoles our games get better (or worse) with each new generation. Here are a few games that I love that changed in some way or another.
SHOULD HAVE NEVER CHANGED
Castlevania: Where do I start with this one. I’m a huge Castlevania fan and to say that it’s changed is an understatement. Now if you want to get technical, maybe this franchise hasn’t been the most consistent but there was still a certain script it stuck to story wise and gameplay wise that people love. However, this game has an identity disorder I like to say.
From the 80’s-2000’s it’s been about the Belmonts beating Dracula in various story lines. There’s always been the same boards throughout the games. The clock tower is a staple for some reason but that’s part of the awesomeness. Jumping on cogs and a huge puzzle just to find the exit was always to me the most creative part of Castlevania.
Now when We got to PS2 Castlevania: (Lament of Innocence) upgraded to 3D, the gameplay was very different, camera angles everything. There seemed to be more possibilities but it was met with mixed reviews. People weren’t so apt to change with it. No game can stay the same forever but this wasn’t really considered an improvement. I liked the game I didn’t have too many qualms about it. Maybe the camera angles took getting used to.
Next was COD which to me was the best Castlevania game since it jumped to PS2. The idea was that on your search for Dracula’s castle you were able to raise what was called an Innocent Devil to fight alongside you. The possibilities were numerous. You could raise a fairy, a mage, a Juggernaut, and even a pumpkin. Weird but it was awesome. That game had its issues but overall still my 2nd favorite next to SOTN and Super Castlevania.
Now we have what I call the “God Of War curse”. After God of War came out it seemed that for the next two or three years, every action adventure/platformer had the same formula as GOW. Same fighting style and everything. I love GOW but I didn’t want to buy a new game and play GOW again.
This is where Lord Of Shadows comes in. The new direction of Castlevania. It was hard for me to really enjoy it because to me there were too many similarities. It was a cross between Shadow of the Colossus and GOW. Castlevania didn’t need to piggyback off of GOW or any other game. Why did the developers feel the need to go this route? Now you might say, “You’re crazy, LOS was awesome” and yes it had great gameplay and cool additions however that might be because it borrowed from other games.
Castlevania was one of the first games I started playing way back when, forgive me for being a game Nazi which I usually am not. To me, Castlevania is on life support and needs resuscitation. I can blame the different developers over the years perhaps but if you take on a game, stick to the spirit of the game as much as possible or you will lose your original audience. Sigh…I will of course play LOS2 and maybe I will be biting my tongue but to me, Castlevania is dead and I’m really hoping someone will be brave enough to revive it.
SHOULD HAVE NEVER CHANGED
Ratchet and Clank: Well this game is definitely one of my favorites. For me there are franchises I buy on the day it comes out no question: Uncharted, GOW, inFamous; Ratchet and Clank is one of those. This game has been awesome up until ‘A Crack in Time’ and then for some reason, they felt that it needed a multi-player option. Maybe good in theory but bad execution. The multiplayer doesn’t focus on the main characters too much and it seems a bit unfocused. Don’t get me wrong it’s great to take risks but there’s also nothing wrong with sticking to what works. Not every game needs to be multiplayer or Co-op. They went back to form for the last game in the franchise (at least the last game for a while from what I’ve heard) but it isn’t a full game it almost went quietly and not with a bang. Oh well I guess I’ll take it.
—Millien1 Tags in SCHOLLA the crowd goes crazy!!!—
SHOULD HAVE NEVER CHANGED
Resident Evil: When I think of the epitome of this article’s subject and a game that really, really changed for the worst I have one game and one game only. Resident-Evil. Oh my was one of my favorite series in gaming in fact it’s one of the reasons why I’m a gamer for life. But my, my look how far we’ve fallen, it went from my favorite and why I’m going to game forever to the first franchise that I ever got into — and loved that I walked away from (I did not purchase RE 6) and I’m done with the series unless they do something drastic.
You see when RE first came out — I really fell in love with RE 2, it had this undeniable tone and pace and eeriness just the right amount of everything for this style of video game, a genre mind you no one ever really heard of before what Capcom birthed, which ended up being dubbed “Survival Horror” the idea that I’m not this supercop that has all these weapons whenever I want at my disposal added the right feel to this game I had to finally make my shots count and of course the fact it had zombies always helps (Big, big fan of).
Now! Now, RE has become Call of Duty — a military shooter mind you. Release after release it went further and further from the “formula” and has become a full-fledged action game it’s almost as if their trying to gain Call of Duty fans and give them the same feeling in RE!
RE 4 was a classic, even though this introduction of non zombies and this supposed new breed was the beginning of the end of the franchise (many feel) but it still for the most part kept its core feel. And RE 5 aka the last RE I purchased was actually pretty good but it was no longer “RE”. To enjoy the game I had to in my mind strip the RE emblem off and say to myself I’m playing and action game. I think 5 is where the full new vision from Capcom became clear: “We don’t want to do survival horror anymore we want action”. Zombies are not even zombies anymore, they’re riding bikes, swinging chains, toting guns, what has this franchise become?
Playing the RE 6 demo felt like I was literally playing Call of Duty, in 3rd person well… ‘Call of Duty’ meets ‘Resistance’ (the franchise from Insomniac Games). What? I’m doing a full-out military war with zombies!? Shooting at me with tanks!? Launching missiles at me in jet fighters!? To cap it off a big monster that looked like a replica of the one in Resistance 2!? Lmbooooo I’m so done! You can have it back Daddy.
It was “Evil” to go this route.
1,2,3 “It’s over” (announcer) “And the new Tag Team Champions of the woooooorld!”
Any games you want to add to this list, that you felt should have never changed? CCU wants to hear from you.
