Every day, we see modern gamers slowly change their view on the types of games they enjoy. In the early 2000s, there was a big shift towards realism, towards games like Call of Duty and Battlefield that hyper-focused on bombastic moments. Cinematic gameplay had become the norm, and there was a big push towards titles being remembered for their set-pieces.

Battlefield 2042

Where we are now, there’s a marked push towards photorealism, with full-motion capture like in The Last of Us 2 or God of War.

And yet, as popular as these games are, people have begun to look for more. The time of the walking simulators has slowly passed, and more importantly, gamers have begun to search for something beyond 4k graphics and photo-realism. They’ve started to search for better “gameplay.”

Hyper Realism Isn’t “Fun”

In an interview with IGN, Gabe Newell talked about how realism wasn’t fun. It wasn’t crucial that textures were photo-realistic or that guns and objects sounded and reacted like they would in real life. To Newell, the world was responding to a player’s movements. When bullets were fired, bullet holes appeared. Enemies recoiled in pain, objects would get torn to shreds, and more important than that - a player’s input on gameplay was respected.

Courtesy of IGN

That was the keyword. Input. When a player does something, the game world does something back. It “reacts” in its way and shows that the game isn’t ignoring a player’s actions. It’s taking it into account and giving off its visible feedback in an understandable, easy-to-spot way. When you shoot something, blood sprays out. Something explodes, and things fly around—Cause and effect, combining in a satisfying way that realism could never do.

That’s not to say that hyper-realistic mechanics are bad, but used unwisely, could only slow an experience down. When too many layers are stacked on each other, you get games like Red Dead Redemption 2, a fantastic, immersive title that sometimes felt too slow and clunky for its own good. Looting the fallen took several seconds for paltry gains. Simple acts like searching through cupboards or climbing horses all took their animations to boot, and while these drew you in the first time - they also took their sweet time doing it.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Realism has its merits. It looks great and makes for great promotional material; one can appreciate how it feels in a trailer. But mechanics-wise, it can be a real drag.

Mechanical Pushback

Thankfully, that’s something that game developers have begun to realize. While cinematic games like Hellblade continue to be released, game developers aren’t afraid to go back to their roots and pursue more arcade ventures. Doom Eternal is a great example of a Triple AAA title doing this, but more indie developers like Turbo Overkill and Trepang 2 are also taking up this burden. They’re as far from realism as one can get, with over-the-top body counts, bullets flying everywhere, and a plethora of guns, bullets, and explosions to cement an ever-growing campaign of pure carnage.

Turbo Overkill

This isn’t the only title to do this as well. Genre classics like RTS obfuscate realism for interesting gameplay and have you micromanage your soldiers and workers in real time to gain advantages. In fighting games, you can’t juggle someone in real life, but you can in Tekken, and you’ll see them bounce across the screen and against walls with satisfying thumps.

Even more “realistic” titles like Hellish Quartz take a more arcade-y approach to their design. While death is quick, and losses can be decided in swift side slash or stab, a very light-hearted charm still evokes the spirit of old, forgotten titles like Bushido Blade.

Hellish Quartz

Realism is pretty good, but what else is it? Fun. And with the current game design trend, we’re returning to the times when gameplay truly mattered—the retro era.

Retro Revolutionaries

So, what does this mean for modern gaming? We should expect our games to “regress,” but not in a bad way. Realism is expensive, and more importantly, it isn’t always fun. But good games? Those are always great. Boomer shooters, real-time strategy, and turn-based releases eschew that realistic veneer for what is essentially a mechanics-focused experience where gameplay is king.

Just look at rereleases like Chasm: The Rift. Silly? Yes. Bit janky? Yes. Enjoyable? Very much. When taking down time-bending monsters and reality-shifting terrors, you forget how silly the premise is. You don’t question how your character can carry an entire arsenal of weapons on their back, take several hits like it was nothing, and keep chugging down the corridor like an Olympic runner.

Chasm: The Rift

Retro-style games are fantastic experiences if you can meet them at their level and enjoy them for what they are. Just take a look at the Evercade and its games. With a marked push towards retro gaming, the Evercade hosts a slew of retro titles and collections that might not be realistic, but have within their retro frames a ton of fun.

Mega Cat Studios Collection I for the Evercade has a beat-em-up that has you crossing paths with aliens and dinosaurs, and puzzle games revolving around a medusa, and climbing an endless tower. Mega Cat Studios Collection 2 has you facing off against your alter-ego, or helping an electric frog power the world with his lightning body.

Unrealistic, definitely, but fun? Plenty to be had, especially if you’re after a variety of games to enjoy.

Mega Collection I

Make no mistake. Realism is at an all-time low, and retro-style games are slowly back on the rise. Gamers yearn for solid releases, and the best way to find them is to stick to developers who know what good gameplay is like.