Ganondork
goo
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2010
So recently, a comment in the General Gaming section caught me off guard in a discussion; the poster said something to the effect of, "For an indie game, they put a lot of effort into this." In addition to a comment on Reddit's /r/games that mentioned indie games being filled with gimmicks, I am shocked to see such negative statements about indie gaming in general. I consider myself to be a pretty big indie gamer, having bought 47 indie titles in 6 months, as well as picked up about 10 free ones, and I really love the indie market. If I had more money, I'd be on kickstarter, backing indie devs with great ideas.
So to help get some people to give indie games a second chance, I am going to list my top 4 reasons why indie gaming should be tried by anyone who enjoys gaming. Do be warned that this will be lengthy, but I am trying to be as thorough as possible. Plenty of games will be mentioned, but there will be no spoilers.
Without further ado, let's begin!
A lot of people complain about the AAA industry nowadays, saying that so many games feel exactly the same. A lot of people mention that it's mostly first-person shooters being rehashed year after year, which certainly holds some water. While the big budget producers want to play it safe and send out the same game year in and year out, indie devs can follow their creative passion and make games that they want to make.
Do you want a good puzzle platformer? Look no further than Thomas Was Alone. Narrated by Danny Wallace, who voices Shaun Hastings in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Coupled with his fantastic voice, the writing is superb, as well as the general concept of the game. It's very simple, yet very fun. It takes you on an emotional journey, while putting your mind to the test as you solve each puzzle. That isn't even mentioning the fantastic soundtrack that the game has. I am excited to buy it, and support the up-and-coming composer, David Housden.
How about a great visual novel? Give Dear Esther a try. This game is pretty straightforward; you navigate through the environment - which is beautifully designed - and listen to the protagonist speak. The writing itself is very interesting, as it is riddled with symbolism, allusions, and various other literary devices. It's far more than just something that can be played and put down; you have to really think about the meaning of the game, and what the developers are thinking. The ending is one of the most shocking things I have seen in gaming, and I implore everyone to buy the game for the ending alone.
And those are just two examples. You have the multiplayer First-Person Shooter/Real-Time Strategy game, Natural Selection 2, which relies heavily on teamwork rather than personal skill. You also can play a WWII plane, tank, and warship battle simulator, War Thunder, which is free-to-play, and very fun.
The survival genre has to be one of the most varied parts of the indie scene. If you want a game that puts your trust to the test, as well as skills in survival, look no further than DayZ. If you are interested in a more cartoonish, 2D experience that has a very unique art style, give Don't Starve a try. It has great replay value, and has a lot of mods that make the game even more fun.
I could continue on with this for paragraphs, but these are just small examples. You have humorous titles like The Stanley Parable, and Octodad: Dadliest Catch, and more melancholy titles like To the Moon. Whatever you want from indie gaming, there is most likely going to be a game for it. The sky's the limit with indie games.
In an industry full of DLC, season and online passes, and various other ways to extract more money from you, indie gaming comes along with very little of any of that. Most of the games that you buy will have no micro transactions, but not all of them. I will provide a list for the few that I personally own that have micro transactions - excluding soundtracks - as well as list whether they are worth the money or not.
The Binding of Isaac - This game has one DLC; Wrath of the Lamb. It adds plenty of new content in this mode, and it's a measly $2.99. I hope to pick it up in the next few weeks. I personally think it is worth the money.
Fun fact: you will most likely get your money back in savings if you end up buying the next installment, The Binding of Isaac Rebirth. The developer is giving a loyalty discount to owners of the original, as he is very grateful that the game is so popular. He had no faith in it doing well at all, because life got in the way, and he ended up releasing what he considers an unfinished product. He absolutely loathes the art style, and hopes to change it in the next installment.
Skullgirls - The game is going to be offering new characters in this fighting game, but will cost you some money. Most of them aren't released yet, as I recall Squigly is the only one that can be bought at the moment. Other characters include Big Band, Eliza, Beowulf, and Robofortune. I don't really agree with this practice, so I don't recommend it.
War Thunder - As much as I love War Thunder, I don't always like Gaijin's practices with micro transactions. While the game is in beta, the store is fully functional. You have to pay for single player missions, which is ridiculous. There is also a subscription-based system that gives you more in-game currency and research points with each battle. From what I have seen, it is not really worth the money spent. They also offer "Free" research points which can go towards new vehicles, but you need to also use micro transaction-based currency to be able to use them. I definitely don't recommend spending money on this.
Akaneiro: Demon Hunters - I will make this short and sweet. I absolutely loathe this game's micro transactions. I adore the game otherwise, but it will be heading into the realm of play to win once multiplayer is released. I really don't recommend spending money on this game, as much as I like it.
Scrolls - Mojang's trading card game, Scrolls, is in beta, and, like War Thunder, has a fully functioning shop. Despite this, the game is far from play to win, and it's not a bad idea to put some money into the game if you want some quick cards to add to your deck. I am impartial on this one.
Despite these few indie titles with micro transactions, very few indie titles actually use that financial model. Plenty of games update often, adding in new content well after release. Vladis Story: An Abyssal City is a prime example. While there are a few bad apples on the tree, the good ones certainly outweigh them.
The gaming industry can be very harsh at times. With game journalists scrounging for every cent they can find, producers paying off said journalists, and plenty of more things behind the scene, it is definitely not a surprise that some people in the industry grow jaded. Yet, in the indie scene, you really see how much people love creating video games.
My go-to person for an example in this regard is the lead designer of DayZ, Dean Hall. In an AMA on Reddit about three weeks ago, you could tell how much he loved making the game. When asked how he felt about the success of Rust, DayZ's largest competitor at the moment, he said nothing but great things about Rust's designer, Garry Newman. He complimented Gary, calling him talented, and how he had nothing but respect for the man. Meanwhile, King.com - creators of Candy Crush Saga - is at indie company Stoic's throat because their game - The Banner Saga - has the word "Saga" in it. That isn't even mentioning when Bethesda did something similar because Mojang's Scrolls has the word "Scrolls" in it, and thought people would associate it with The Elder Scrolls.
Indie devs truly love the industry, and you can really see that in some of their works. They are very grateful for everyone who supports them during the early phases of the game, the various testers, and everyone who believed in them. I personally like knowing that my money is going to people who care about gaming as a whole, and are trying to make a game that people will want to play. And, the fact is, they really are. Indie gaming is very fun in my opinion, and it makes me happy to know that my money is going to a good cause.
My personal story that I like to recount when talking about indie developers' love for the industry would have to be with the guys over at Refract studios. They are currently making a survival racing game called Distance. I posted on Twitter saying that I was in love with the soundtrack and couldn't wait to pre-order their game. Within six hours, they favorited my tweet, as well as thanked me for supporting them, and hoping that I enjoy their finished product. I pre-ordered the game not even five minutes later because I was so touched by their obvious love for their fans. I don't think Ubisoft has thanked me once for following them blindly down the path to Assassin's Creed's demise as a good series. I gave Ubisoft hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars, and was given no sense of appreciation. I gave Refract Studios $25, and they actually made me feel like a valued customer. That's something I want from a company.
That isn't even taking into consideration that Phil Fish was going to kill himself if Fez wasn't completed. But he's got a few screws loose, so there's that.
With 47 indie games I paid for, 10 free ones, and two that will be added to my Steam library within the next six months, I can say without a doubt that indie games are worth every cent. And why is this, exactly? Because the most expensive indie game I have purchased was $30, and I have already put in about 30 hours into it. I can't say the same for that $130 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Limited Edition I picked up back in October.
With that being said, I would say I have spent roughly $305 on various indie game purchases through Steam sales. Divide that by 47, and it comes out to an average of $6.49 per game. That's pretty good, if you ask me, considering that AAA titles go for $60 when initially released. I pay nearly 1/10 of that when I buy an indie game, and I get almost three times as much play time out of them. I'd say it's well worth the money, and I get a different experience with each passing game.
While quality is very subjective, I think that since some indie games have been receiving a lot of recognition lately, it's safe to assume that some indie games can easily stand toe-to-toe with big budget titles. Just look at Spelunky, and Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons; both were considered for Game of the Year in 2013. I believe the former actually won it on a website, but I don't know about the latter.
Now for yet another personal story that I will use to drive my point home! This one is about Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons. I picked up the game during the Steam Autumn Sale for $3.74, completely oblivious to the giant hype that was surrounding it. Due to a lack of a controller - the game is hard to control without one - I couldn't really play it until I got a wired Xbox controller for Christmas. So I sat down at noon, controller in hand, and beat the game in four hours.
Yet it felt longer than that. I finished the game and put the controller down, feeling emotionally drained. I couldn't really explain why, and I just decided it was because I didn't enjoy the game. After a few days, I decided to reconsider why I felt so hollow inside after beating the game. I thought about every step of the game - the evolution of the characters, the fake language invented for the game that replaces regular dialogue, and the general atmosphere of the game all wrapped into a four hour adventure. I realized I loved almost every aspect of the game, and was so hollow inside because it was over. They had put so much in the game; whether it's background things that can cause speculation, the beauty of the environment, or considering the complexity of the game itself.
Very few times had I ever felt so attached to a game before. What shocked me the most though, was that such a short game could captivate me in such a way. I didn't know that it was possible. I'd say it was then that I realized I truly loved indie gaming, and would spend thousands of dollars on that over AAA titles, where I feel like my opinion doesn't matter. It's no surprise that indie developers - who I mentioned earlier value their customers - are so player-friendly. While some people berate early access as means of extracting money from people with an unfinished product, I see it as a way for the developers to get insight from people like you and me. It's a way for them to tweak it in little ways so that people will be more willing to play the game. With indie developers, they care about the quality of their product, and they show it by letting us have a deciding factor in the progression of their games.
And that doesn't even take into consideration the games that let players add content, or even mod the games. Minecraft is a fine example of a game that is very mod-friendly. Many online servers wouldn't be as great as they are if not for player-created mods. Or perhaps consider Don't Starve. There are so many mods for that game - from new characters, to new recipes, to new textures, to more convenient options - that I can't even fathom playing that game vanilla ever again. What people have done to that game is phenomenal, and I love so many of the mods that they have made. Not convinced of the greatness of user-made mods, and the indie developers who support it so much? The developers of Octodad: Dadliest Catch have opened up the level editor that put the game together, and let the public make their own levels. That adds so much more content to an already fun game, and I am stoked to see what people make.
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These are the main reasons why I love indie gaming so much, and think you should too. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on my points, as well as points of your own. Make sure to leave a comment!
So to help get some people to give indie games a second chance, I am going to list my top 4 reasons why indie gaming should be tried by anyone who enjoys gaming. Do be warned that this will be lengthy, but I am trying to be as thorough as possible. Plenty of games will be mentioned, but there will be no spoilers.
Without further ado, let's begin!
1. Variety
A lot of people complain about the AAA industry nowadays, saying that so many games feel exactly the same. A lot of people mention that it's mostly first-person shooters being rehashed year after year, which certainly holds some water. While the big budget producers want to play it safe and send out the same game year in and year out, indie devs can follow their creative passion and make games that they want to make.
Do you want a good puzzle platformer? Look no further than Thomas Was Alone. Narrated by Danny Wallace, who voices Shaun Hastings in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Coupled with his fantastic voice, the writing is superb, as well as the general concept of the game. It's very simple, yet very fun. It takes you on an emotional journey, while putting your mind to the test as you solve each puzzle. That isn't even mentioning the fantastic soundtrack that the game has. I am excited to buy it, and support the up-and-coming composer, David Housden.
And those are just two examples. You have the multiplayer First-Person Shooter/Real-Time Strategy game, Natural Selection 2, which relies heavily on teamwork rather than personal skill. You also can play a WWII plane, tank, and warship battle simulator, War Thunder, which is free-to-play, and very fun.
The survival genre has to be one of the most varied parts of the indie scene. If you want a game that puts your trust to the test, as well as skills in survival, look no further than DayZ. If you are interested in a more cartoonish, 2D experience that has a very unique art style, give Don't Starve a try. It has great replay value, and has a lot of mods that make the game even more fun.
I could continue on with this for paragraphs, but these are just small examples. You have humorous titles like The Stanley Parable, and Octodad: Dadliest Catch, and more melancholy titles like To the Moon. Whatever you want from indie gaming, there is most likely going to be a game for it. The sky's the limit with indie games.
2. Fewer Micro transactions
In an industry full of DLC, season and online passes, and various other ways to extract more money from you, indie gaming comes along with very little of any of that. Most of the games that you buy will have no micro transactions, but not all of them. I will provide a list for the few that I personally own that have micro transactions - excluding soundtracks - as well as list whether they are worth the money or not.
The Binding of Isaac - This game has one DLC; Wrath of the Lamb. It adds plenty of new content in this mode, and it's a measly $2.99. I hope to pick it up in the next few weeks. I personally think it is worth the money.
Fun fact: you will most likely get your money back in savings if you end up buying the next installment, The Binding of Isaac Rebirth. The developer is giving a loyalty discount to owners of the original, as he is very grateful that the game is so popular. He had no faith in it doing well at all, because life got in the way, and he ended up releasing what he considers an unfinished product. He absolutely loathes the art style, and hopes to change it in the next installment.
Skullgirls - The game is going to be offering new characters in this fighting game, but will cost you some money. Most of them aren't released yet, as I recall Squigly is the only one that can be bought at the moment. Other characters include Big Band, Eliza, Beowulf, and Robofortune. I don't really agree with this practice, so I don't recommend it.
War Thunder - As much as I love War Thunder, I don't always like Gaijin's practices with micro transactions. While the game is in beta, the store is fully functional. You have to pay for single player missions, which is ridiculous. There is also a subscription-based system that gives you more in-game currency and research points with each battle. From what I have seen, it is not really worth the money spent. They also offer "Free" research points which can go towards new vehicles, but you need to also use micro transaction-based currency to be able to use them. I definitely don't recommend spending money on this.
Akaneiro: Demon Hunters - I will make this short and sweet. I absolutely loathe this game's micro transactions. I adore the game otherwise, but it will be heading into the realm of play to win once multiplayer is released. I really don't recommend spending money on this game, as much as I like it.
Scrolls - Mojang's trading card game, Scrolls, is in beta, and, like War Thunder, has a fully functioning shop. Despite this, the game is far from play to win, and it's not a bad idea to put some money into the game if you want some quick cards to add to your deck. I am impartial on this one.
Despite these few indie titles with micro transactions, very few indie titles actually use that financial model. Plenty of games update often, adding in new content well after release. Vladis Story: An Abyssal City is a prime example. While there are a few bad apples on the tree, the good ones certainly outweigh them.
3. Supporting Developers Who Love the Industry
The gaming industry can be very harsh at times. With game journalists scrounging for every cent they can find, producers paying off said journalists, and plenty of more things behind the scene, it is definitely not a surprise that some people in the industry grow jaded. Yet, in the indie scene, you really see how much people love creating video games.
Indie devs truly love the industry, and you can really see that in some of their works. They are very grateful for everyone who supports them during the early phases of the game, the various testers, and everyone who believed in them. I personally like knowing that my money is going to people who care about gaming as a whole, and are trying to make a game that people will want to play. And, the fact is, they really are. Indie gaming is very fun in my opinion, and it makes me happy to know that my money is going to a good cause.
My personal story that I like to recount when talking about indie developers' love for the industry would have to be with the guys over at Refract studios. They are currently making a survival racing game called Distance. I posted on Twitter saying that I was in love with the soundtrack and couldn't wait to pre-order their game. Within six hours, they favorited my tweet, as well as thanked me for supporting them, and hoping that I enjoy their finished product. I pre-ordered the game not even five minutes later because I was so touched by their obvious love for their fans. I don't think Ubisoft has thanked me once for following them blindly down the path to Assassin's Creed's demise as a good series. I gave Ubisoft hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars, and was given no sense of appreciation. I gave Refract Studios $25, and they actually made me feel like a valued customer. That's something I want from a company.
That isn't even taking into consideration that Phil Fish was going to kill himself if Fez wasn't completed. But he's got a few screws loose, so there's that.
4. Quality Games for a Cheap Price
With that being said, I would say I have spent roughly $305 on various indie game purchases through Steam sales. Divide that by 47, and it comes out to an average of $6.49 per game. That's pretty good, if you ask me, considering that AAA titles go for $60 when initially released. I pay nearly 1/10 of that when I buy an indie game, and I get almost three times as much play time out of them. I'd say it's well worth the money, and I get a different experience with each passing game.
While quality is very subjective, I think that since some indie games have been receiving a lot of recognition lately, it's safe to assume that some indie games can easily stand toe-to-toe with big budget titles. Just look at Spelunky, and Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons; both were considered for Game of the Year in 2013. I believe the former actually won it on a website, but I don't know about the latter.
Now for yet another personal story that I will use to drive my point home! This one is about Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons. I picked up the game during the Steam Autumn Sale for $3.74, completely oblivious to the giant hype that was surrounding it. Due to a lack of a controller - the game is hard to control without one - I couldn't really play it until I got a wired Xbox controller for Christmas. So I sat down at noon, controller in hand, and beat the game in four hours.
Very few times had I ever felt so attached to a game before. What shocked me the most though, was that such a short game could captivate me in such a way. I didn't know that it was possible. I'd say it was then that I realized I truly loved indie gaming, and would spend thousands of dollars on that over AAA titles, where I feel like my opinion doesn't matter. It's no surprise that indie developers - who I mentioned earlier value their customers - are so player-friendly. While some people berate early access as means of extracting money from people with an unfinished product, I see it as a way for the developers to get insight from people like you and me. It's a way for them to tweak it in little ways so that people will be more willing to play the game. With indie developers, they care about the quality of their product, and they show it by letting us have a deciding factor in the progression of their games.
And that doesn't even take into consideration the games that let players add content, or even mod the games. Minecraft is a fine example of a game that is very mod-friendly. Many online servers wouldn't be as great as they are if not for player-created mods. Or perhaps consider Don't Starve. There are so many mods for that game - from new characters, to new recipes, to new textures, to more convenient options - that I can't even fathom playing that game vanilla ever again. What people have done to that game is phenomenal, and I love so many of the mods that they have made. Not convinced of the greatness of user-made mods, and the indie developers who support it so much? The developers of Octodad: Dadliest Catch have opened up the level editor that put the game together, and let the public make their own levels. That adds so much more content to an already fun game, and I am stoked to see what people make.
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Terminus said:
These are the main reasons why I love indie gaming so much, and think you should too. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on my points, as well as points of your own. Make sure to leave a comment!
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