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Cliff Bleszinski Believes New Games Lack “Heart” In Comparison
- Thread starter IbizaPocholo
- Start date
- Opinion Game Dev
SenjutsuSage
Banned
Dude, the first 3 games weren't as good as he's making it sound. Gears 5 is, by far, the best game in the entire franchise. Gears 1 is a game I bought into for the hype, but enjoyed. It was solid, it was really fun, but I'm not seeing how it had more "heart" or whatever. The 'mad world' commercial had more heart than what was actually in the first gears game. But after that first game,m and once newer games dropped on 360 that I wanted, I really wasn't interested in gears much anymore after that. It all just struck me as more of the same, until Gears 5 did some very different things.
I repeat again, Gears 5 is easily the best game in the entire franchise (speaking of campaign). The others just don't compete.
I repeat again, Gears 5 is easily the best game in the entire franchise (speaking of campaign). The others just don't compete.
Negotiator
Member
It's not an exception.
I'd argue the same about the Uncharted trilogy vs 4-TLL. After Amy Hennig's departure that heart/bravado has been lost, IMHO.
Maybe God of War trilogy too and the good ol' Jaffe... it's just not the same these days.
Yeah, modern games have become too soft/emotional nowadays, I reckon. Shiny, PBR shaders won't tell me much anymore. YMMV
The PS360 era was great for 1st party games. No woke BS, more light-hearted storytelling, less serious/grim vibes.
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All this woke BS has kinda ruined gaming for me. I'd rather play Nintendo these days...
Gears 5 is great technically, but they had to make it less masculine... they had to name it just "Gears", not Gears "of War" and make the protagonist look androgynous.
Sony and MS follow the exact same woke textbook. HZD/Aloy (yet another androgynous design, if you take a look at the concept art) etc.
All great games technically, but they lack heart...
Marchizmo
Member
Back off Radical Heights, you were able to do drive by's on bike. By HOPPING off the bike action rolling in mid air to shoot and get back on the bike in one smooth movement.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
Gears 1-3 were must play games on 360. From the generation defining gameplay to the art direction. It was fuel for gamers. I was put off by the direction of the franchise with Judgement and 4-5. It really didn’t have that same feeling. 4-5 alluded to something very lighthearted if you weigh each entry into the franchise. It felt like an after thought rather than a continuation. Maybe that’s the thing. People followed along feeling the pulse. Xbox 360 was the console that kept players in the center of the gaming world or in the center of entertainment. Gears was one of the games that did that. Yet that whole theme became super corporate after the console generation switch and you had these once established franchises become IP’s to sell off.
Pejo
Member
I think it was framed more towards the Gears series, not all games.
Timberwolf25
Member
During the interview, he was on the verge on calling out GAF, but his mind is so scattered, I don't think he got there.
Gears 1-3 easily beats 4-6 to me, but he seems to be so full of himself as the fame got to his head. Almost Sessler-like, but not to that nutty a degree.
Gears 1-3 easily beats 4-6 to me, but he seems to be so full of himself as the fame got to his head. Almost Sessler-like, but not to that nutty a degree.
Mr Reasonable
Completely Unreasonable
No spoilers!
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James Sawyer Ford
Member
I honestly don’t think Gears’ story ever had heart
It was always comically bad (maybe in a good way depending on your perspective)
It was always comically bad (maybe in a good way depending on your perspective)
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Thirty7ven
Banned
Gears 1 was amazing, 2 was like Aliens to Alien 1.
Went down hill after that, and while I enjoyed 5 it’s all a whole lot more bloody Sunday morning cartoon.
Went down hill after that, and while I enjoyed 5 it’s all a whole lot more bloody Sunday morning cartoon.
BadBurger
Is 'That Pure Potato'
I mean, the first three were his babies. Of course he'd have an attachment to them, more emotional resonance from the story. Not a big deal.
I'm also a little interested in his book. He lived a long and amusing life in game development, might be some interesting bits in there.
I'm also a little interested in his book. He lived a long and amusing life in game development, might be some interesting bits in there.
bentanchorbolt
Banned
More than you’ve ever done for gaming. Everyone is a critic.
Pegasus Actual
Member
I don't know if I'm a huge fan of this new Cliffy B media blitz. What next am I going to have to hear from Phil Fish? 
ResilientBanana
Member
I see what he’s saying, but he may be the wrong person to say it.
Red Crayon Aristocrat
Member
I always thoughts the original Gears trilogy didn't get enough credit for it's story and characters, it wasn't the greatest, but it did still expect you to give an actual shit about the story and characters, which felt refreshing coming after the Unreal games where it's purely all about the gameplay and is certainly more than what you get with Fortnite today.
It's a shame Ciffy dropped off so hard after Gears 3, he was a fun dude during the era of big personalities like David Jaffe and Ken Levine, all of which dropped off hard too sadly, I miss that era when devs could not only be auteurs, but story was treated as a serious selling point for a game, which is getting rarer these days.
Would have been cool to see what Cliffy would have cooked up had he stayed with Epic.
If he stayed out of the pointless culture war shit and just focused on making a good game who knows, probably the main thing though was it coming out right as battle royale went big.
It's a shame Ciffy dropped off so hard after Gears 3, he was a fun dude during the era of big personalities like David Jaffe and Ken Levine, all of which dropped off hard too sadly, I miss that era when devs could not only be auteurs, but story was treated as a serious selling point for a game, which is getting rarer these days.
Would have been cool to see what Cliffy would have cooked up had he stayed with Epic.
Cliffy got on a lot of people's shitlist for Woke virtue signaling, like making a big deal that the level's bathroom signs were gender neutral because that really adds a lot as you run past them and never even look at them.
If he stayed out of the pointless culture war shit and just focused on making a good game who knows, probably the main thing though was it coming out right as battle royale went big.
Didn't Stevie Case pose nude?This one?
Rykan
Member
This wasn't a big deal at all. The game failed for one reason and one reason only: It looked too similar to Overwatch, and the hero shooter genre was already over saturated.
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SkylineRKR
Member
I tuned out of Gears for a long time and I really enjoyed Gears 5. Its graphics were amazing, and I liked the use of more color. Gameplay was good too. It was a bit too feel good with the kids group, but I think it had more heart than the original games which were very bleak (I get it was their purpose also).
Cyberpunkd
Gold Member
KuraiShidosha
Member
This is such a disgusting copout that denies the very existence of history itself. Go look up a game release list for any year from let's say 1990 to 2005 and then compare that year to 2022. If you honestly believe the bullshit you just wrote, that people criticizing the modern gaming landscape as being soulless and empty are just "getting older and growing up," then you're just delusional straight up. Gaming today absolutely sucks ass compared to 20 years ago. It just does. I don't care how shiny the graphics are, I'd rather have worse graphics and way more FUN games being released every year. Games that are breaking ground and actually doing fun things.
Cyberpunkd
Gold Member
Man, times before 9/11 were so xtreme and rad.
The market doesn't agree with you.
IlGialloMondadori
Member
I watched a video of this interview, and lasted about a minute before I shut it off. I keep thinking, maybe Cliffy isn't insufferable, it's just me. Then he speaks, and I shut it off.
YeulEmeralda
Member
Ah yes Gears of War had me in tears. Powerful drama.
I think this mostly applies to Sony/Microsoft and the AAA style games on those consoles. Most indie games as well. Nintendo still has their priorities straight as a gamemaker.
Music & movies today are just as good as they were in the past too right?
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th4tguy
Member
That’s because he has been producing small films and plays.
Most notably he was a producer on Hadestown which won 8 Tony awards.
IlGialloMondadori
Member
Cliff giving his best blue steel/letting his insecurity show.
Ev1L AuRoN
Member
I agree, Gears 5 is such a good-looking game, amazing graphics, a stellar PC port, HDR is magnificent on that game, but I hated the plot and the game itself lacks substance IMHO. Hivebusters DLC was fun though.
Klosshufvud
Member
X or Y endings have to be the absolute lowest form of storytelling and player agency. It's so lazy and stupid in every way.
Punished Miku
Gold Member
People shit the bed anytime he says anything.
Beer Baelly
Al Pachinko, Konami President
GenericUser
Member
I remember this guy, he invented a gun with a chainsaw. Cool.
Cyberpunkd
Gold Member
Pro tip: if you cannot go full on beard at that age - don't.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Grandma's Boy was a documentary.This one?
The_Mike
I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
AlteredForms
Banned
LawBreakers was actually a good game mechanically, though I can imagine people didn't like the gritty aesthetic it was going for. Me on the other hand loved it, we live in an age of too much colour, sometimes we need to bring it back to black.
MiguelItUp
Member
I mean, make fun of Cliffy B all you want, but I feel like he's right. Especially in the realm of "AAA" development.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
IDK, there are IPs done by Sony first party that they still pour there heart into. GoW being one of them.
Lots of AA Indies have passion and heart as well.
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MiguelItUp
Member
True, but they don't make up the majority. I feel like third party "AAA" titles are severely lacking.
Oh yeah, it's why I specfically mentioned "AAA", haha. "AA" and indies have some of the most passionate, creative, and innovative ideas these days. Hasn't changed for years.
BbMajor7th
Member
Franchise fatigue hits creators as well as consumers - give the Coalition a blank slate and you'll get plenty of heart.
TikiLagoonSam
Member
He’s right. I remember seeing this for the first time and feeling my heart so full of joy.
Red Crayon Aristocrat
Member
Pointlessly antagonizing people with politics certainly helped ensure no one was going to want to support it though despite it's similarities with other games.
Dude ruined his gaming career for... what? Some virtue signaling for people that didn't buy his game either?
The Iraq war satire in Gears was obvious, but didn't overwhelm it and actually added something to it because the whole point was about war and shit anyway, Lawbreakers virtue signaling did nothing but ensure some potential players were going to purposely avoid it.
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