The Timeless Appeal of Older Games

We all remember a simpler time when it comes to video games. Back when the graphics were more pixelated, the stories felt a bit more straightforward and the fun felt endless. In some respects, we do just like to hold on to the memory that older games are better. C’mon, we all do. But, were the ‘good old days’ actually better? As someone who has been punching through mostly older games in both their original releases and remasters, you bet your ass.

I’ll be honest, sometimes I struggle with newer games. I think it might have something to do with being a bit older and having played a lot of what you could now refer to as ‘classic’ games. Some newer games come with newer mechanics and a plethora of different skills and abilities which you then must learn to progress effectively. It really depends on the game and what the mechanics are for me to actually put the effort into learning a newer game. I’m a Dad, I also work for a living so my time is limited. If I’m playing any first-person shooter, my expectation is that I’m going to be aiming whatever gun I have and shooting at whatever I’m supposed to be shooting. I really don’t need this process to be over-complicated. Adding extra features isn’t a bad thing as long as they actually make sense and are explained well. A good example of a first-person shooter with added mechanics, while not exactly the newest of games, is Crysis. Both the remaster and the OG add a handful of new mechanics for the nanosuit the protagonist is wearing in Armour, Speed and Strength. These features are explained and are easily activated and actually make sense in relation to the story. I mean, the story isn’t great but at least as a whole package it actually makes sense. Bioshock is another example of this, well thought out and well explained mechanics.

Staying on the topic of game mechanics. I’ve touched on it a few times previously, but I’m a sucker for classic point-and-click adventure games. In the late 80s, throughout the 90s and even to the early 2000s the adventure game genre produced some of my favourite games to this day. The general build of each game is really quite simple. As advertised, you point, you click and progress through the story. Solving puzzles, interacting with the environment and use the items you’ve collected along the way to make your way through the game. Sometimes they had a verb interface, like Monkey Island where each interaction was clicking on ‘pick up’ or ‘talk to’ or ‘use’ to trigger the verb to interact with what you’re clicking on. It’s these kind of games I always find myself coming back to, sometimes annually and sometimes bi-annually. These games aren’t advanced in terms of mechanics, quite the opposite, but that is exactly what makes them so damn good. This genre is much less popular these days than it was in the 90s. For whatever reason, point-and-click adventure games just aren’t the big money draw they used to be. But the simplicity and attention to detail is really part of what makes these games so good. I don’t need, nor do I want, a ridiculous amount of button combinations or key binds. Complex systems are not required to have a good gaming experience.

I find my experience to be pretty similar with older console games. Sega, Nintendo, PlayStation or Xbox. It really doesn’t matter which one it is, I find the older titles always hit much harder than what’s on offer today. For one, I honestly couldn’t tell you the amount of hours I’ve put into NHL ’96 for Sega Mega Drive over the years. If I were to estimate, It would be in the high hundreds to thousands, probably. The game itself is incredibly simple and the pixelated presentation only pumps up the nostalgia factor. The controls are even simpler. All you have is the d-pad and the A, B and C buttons. That’s it. But this simple format has kept me coming back for decades. I still fire up a few games on my on-going season on my Steam Deck from time to time. The newer NHL games, while clearly improved graphically, feature updated rosters and still carry quiet echoes of that classic 90s EA Sports style but they don’t hit the same. I don’t know if it’s that the newer games cram a lot of extra ‘skill moves’ in with the bumpers, triggers and skill stick or if it’s the shameless EA micro-transactions. There’s some obvious improvement in the other offline modes but it’s simply not enough to keep me from going back to NHL ’96.

Am I just talking out my ass here? Do I just suck at new games? I don’t think so. I’m clearly not alone here. The video game industry obviously recognises the huge market and love for older games. It’s definitely no accident that we’re seeing an absolute flood of remakes, remasters and re-releases into the market. The demand for classic games is louder than ever. Even some games I didn’t expect to see again are coming back. One of these is Star Wars: Dark Forces. I loved it back in the day when I played the demo on the LucasArts Super Sampler disc which came with a LucasArts archive pack we got for Christmas one year. It was a pretty basic Star Wars themed shooter which spawned an entire series of Jedi Knight games. I did think it would eventually just fade into obscurity after the 90s, but Nightdive Studios brought it back last year in a very simple but effective remaster. It keeps the charm of the original with some slight enhancements and quality of life improvements. Bigger name studios are also doing the same. Bethesda just released a long overdue remaster/remake of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. It’s another nostalgia trip and I’ve heard very good things. The downside though, It will set you back $100AUD with all the DLC. Even if it’s a good remaster, at that price it makes you think if they’re trying to give the fans what they want and celebrate a classic or simply cash in.

I don’t think it’s that I don’t appreciate newer games. I find there’s a lot out there that appear well-made and impressive, at least visually. But not a lot in the last few years have really drawn me in and made me think it is a must play title. The only games I really have on my list as a must play are Baldur’s Gate 3, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Red Dead Redemption 2, and probably the re-release of the original Red Dead Redemption. The latest released games I’ve finished are Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PlayStation 5 and The Last of Us Part 1 for PC. Yeah I know, one is from 2020 and the other is a remaster released in 2023 which kind of just reinforces my point about both older titles and remasters. In any case, The Last of Us Part 1 is just a solid example of both a great remaster and a great game. Story driven with very simple, not world breaking game mechanics. Currently, I’m working my way through, you guessed it, more old games. I recently purchased the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection on Steam and I’ve been enjoying every minute of it. I just finished Sons of Liberty and just like back in the early 2000s, I’m completely blown away. Much like The Last of Us, it doesn’t exactly revolutionise gameplay. But what it does, it does perfectly and fits seamlessly with the theme and story. I never really played the third game in the series and I’m really looking forward to experiencing it for the first time.

Personally, I just haven’t seen any newer games that really blow me away to the point that I actually want to pull the trigger outside of a very small handful. I keep myself informed with new release games but I find myself returning to older titles, whether I’ve played them before or not. The latest release I’ve played to date was The Last of Us Part 1, being released in 2023, and that is a remaster of a 2013 PlayStation 3 game. Regardless, I think very highly of it and had a blast with it on the Steam Deck. I also find it a challenge to find genuine commentary on video games these days. So many reviews and comments on various platforms are either over-hyped or unfairly harsh. You either hear that a game is a masterpiece or is a steaming pile of shit. This goes double for the Steam Deck. This kind of noise on both ends makes it even harder to figure out what’s worth playing these days. I feel with this issue, I’m a lot more selective and take more care in what I’m playing. My time is limited, I really don’t want to waste it on something I’m not going to like. When it comes to a genuinely good experience while gaming, older releases are the safe bet and their track record proves it. These games have stood the test of time for a reason. They deliver effective, consistent enjoyment without the uncertainty that often presents in newer games.