Games that earn the “Hardcore” Label (Article 5)

Games that earn the “Hardcore” Label

The current generation of gaming consoles have demonstrated an unprecedented level of success in terms of customer sales. Games have a mass appeal. Gamers are drawn to the technical spectacle and the potential challenge each game presents. It is in that depth of challenge, that willingness to chuck hour after hour of playtime into a single that defines the player’s relationship with games.

A few developers like From Software, Bethesda, Capcom, and Konami (until recently) have stood out from usual triple A pack by releasing games catered to the patient, methodical gamer. These particular games feature numerous systems and mechanics to master and dozens sized chunks of gamers’ lives are spent in devotion to games. A task as simple as a player wielding a spear can be featured in three game mechanics simultaneously.

Games with features appealing to the nit picking aspects of a gamer’s personality, those that will discern the tiniest detail, will freely change tactics to occur in order to clear seemingly insurmountable goal.

These gamers are more patient than others. These gamers need to learn and adapt many mechanics and systems into their play style to properly engage the challenge developers align together for their target audiences.

But what makes a game worthy of the label “hardcore?” What makes a gamer a“hardcore gamer?” Are numerous mechanics too hard for the casual gamer to learn or are some gamers just not patient enough? Do games ever cross a line beyond “casual?” If they do what makes those games susceptible for the “hardcore” label to be bestowed upon them?

1: Dark Souls: Gaming became firmly established in the mainstream by the third console generation of major consoles. The series that became synonymous with the term “hardcore gaming” ended up being From Software’s Souls series and Bloodborne by extension. Contending with any From excursion means a sacrifice is needed in terms of patience.

I remember what it took for myself to undertake an odyssey like Dark Souls 2, my first Souls experience. Prior to playing Dark Souls I sunk in hundreds of hours of Monster Hunter and some of the movement and attacking felt similar while juggling the stamina gauge with every move. I still did not anticipate the sheer volume of deaths my character experienced, no the death I experienced.

I think straight up dying over and over revealed a masochistic side of myself to appear that I did not know to have existed. Part of me liked dying to a massive extent. Part of me had to shrink into little bitch size and be punished over and over for a while in order to beat Dark Souls 2. I remember being cornered by those three Sentinel Knights in the boss fight and my college roommate at the time laughing his ass off at my angry screams. At times the challenge was a boss, an obstacle in a level, a gang of enemies but I did not know a time where I thought I had defeated the biggest challenge upon defeating any given enemy.

Divulging the weakness of an enemy may mean utilizing slashing damage instead of impact. What it means is sacrificing a favored weapon in favor another with the goal of the developer to train a versatile player. Introducing constant, varied, and most of all difficult challenges to overcome in an operation of simple minute-by-minute experience. Even low tier creeps pose a threat when a player approaches with a reckless blade.

Such an experience begs a question for the casual gamer: “Why bother?” The constant scepter of death may seem imposing. Indeed death happens much more than the average game. Some choice game3rs possess the willingness to try a different tactic after much repetition but most will be off putted. Attention spans are shortening and brands like the Souls series are at risk of attracting new gamers if attention spans decline any more. Rest assured any thing else From puts out will be met with the same reverence as any of their other games. From has not been known to disappoint.

2. Fallout 4: I would argue Fallout 4 appeals to a wider range of gamers than Fallout 3 beyond merely casual gamers because of the introduction of many mechanics. The Fallout 4 crafting and upgrade loop mechanics are enough to keep the hardcore players happy while they finagle with dozens of perks juggling many more mechanics. Dense upgrade systems are fresh meat for hardcore gamers have been known to sink their teeth in these for hundreds of hours.

The difficulty isn’t evident until the extreme “survival” setting. This lack of difficulty might defuse any notions of calling Fallout 4 a hardcore game but I disagree. The game appeals to the hidden control freak hidden in a lot of people. The Rupe Goldberg devices are an OCD dream. Yes, I would argue the game appeals to those with certain mental illnesses. The thousands of items can be arranged in a room to the gamer’s own specifications.

3. Monster Hunter: Veteran developer Capcom have been trucking with a relatively under-the-radar hardcore action RPG for over a decade now, even longer than any From Software production. Monster Hunter, the current, most well known variants, are the 3DS titles.

The franchise has roots in the PS2 era and it took to the PSP for a while with a few good games before really taking off on the 3DS. The integration with Nintendo proved to be a natural fit and with another 3DS iteration comes several additional layers of complexity are added. Recent layers have been a nifty overworld map and an entire frontier space where players can encounter random monsters in the wild. Plans are in motion to move the system back to PlayStation.

For newcomers the tutorials are essential to understand the numerous mechanics. Every piece of gear a hunter might need become essentials in Monster Hunter. The player has access to traps, bait, cat companions, bombs, poison throwing knives, etc. The player needs to maintain the life and stamina bar and then there are the monsters.

Each environment has mechanics of its own. Deserts drain health. The Tundra saps stamina. Collectible items are stashed in dozens of locations in the 10 or so zones on every map.

The monsters are notoriously difficult to put down. Included are giant birds of prey, giant dragons, wyverns, and all a matter of dino creatures and paleo mammals. They are all spectacularly animated and possess endless strings of attacks and beam attacks and states of rage. If the player or various player and cat companions slaughter the critter than they can carve it up a few times and buy gear to hunt bigger critters.

The player has access 14 weapon types and 4 different styles to choose from (6 as of most recent version released in Japan for the 3DS) and special hunter arts (think of hadoken-like fighting moves) and many combo combinations to learn. The tutorials do an okay job of welcoming newbies into the active fold of gamers. To understand to the level of an “expert” one might look online at the numerous sites devoted to MH knowledge, there’s a few cool apps to download to facilitate easy searching.

4. Metal Gear: Kojima’s child series deserves the label “hardcore.” That’s the only label appropriate for the ball-bustlingly brilliant Metal Gear franchise. Every iteration layers on mechanics but the essential nuts and bolts stealth gameplay has not changed since the 80s.

The precision of the gameplay and its difference of execution has expanded over the years practically everything about the franchise has been improved and expanded upon to some degree. At the same time each game holds their own elements that make them unique as separate stand-alone units in an entire franchise.

Some hyper-aggressive fans may put up different arguments about gameplay vs story elements over the course of decades. “Which has the best story?” “Which has the best gameplay?” The ultimate answers to these questions should be made by the gamer after a nice session of play.

The franchise ramped up in difficulty for Snake Eater. Snake Eater is such a unique anomaly of a Metal Gear. No prior or post Metal Gear followed the same template. The survival and cameo index mechanics were never repeated or even conceived of.

The gameplay of 4 levels me. The still technically brilliant Metal Gear Solid 4 contains some of the best gunplay ever. 5 bests 4 in terms of gameplay and it is crazy since it takes the base PSP Peace Walker mechanics and makes them more complex by adding a more complicated Mother Base and so, so, so many more tools of destruction.

The inimitable third person controls are admittedly kind of hard to master especially since most every gamer plays way more games than just Metal Gear. It does not help that the control scheme does shift from game to game. Once mastered the confidence rose and in the end it does come together with enough focus. As one would expect, this can try the patience.

A hardcore gamer could also have a separate conversation about the cinematic story. If anything there is something hardcore in the story telling as well. The many cut scenes have a kinetic energy and can range from heavy military conversation to intense soliloquies and weird, off kilter humor. The cutscenes beg to be named cinematics because the cinematography often rivals Holllywood. The sheer weight and time spent watching the cinematics is enough to grant Metal Gear hardcore status. No other series comes close.

5. Nioh: A newcomer of its own is Nioh. Nioh is an unabashed imitation of Dark Souls and since imitation is flattery From Software should be beating red because team Ninja added their own kind of special sauce to the base Dark Souls mechanics. Take the same core gameplay, put on a Samurai twist, add a sweet ass combat system and you have Nioh. The story is a little strange and off kilter and takes a while to become interesting and the level design isn’t as uniquely pure as the Souls’ games but Nioh adds flair with the combat.

The combat is where Nioh truly shines and earns the “hardcore” label. Each of the 4 weapon types have 3 stances and includes a veritable roster of moves scattered over the various styles. Once stance centers on parries, one defensively disrupts attacks, and one more is highly effective at breaking through an enemy’s guard. That mere description does not do the combat system justice.

There is Ninja Jutsu, Magic, Guardian Spirits, Bows, Guns and of course the mechanics intersect and overlap at various places. Every part of the combat is simplified by the awesomely smooth and responsive controls. Color me totally impressed by the depth of this newly minted franchise.

[Travis TimmonsKeymaster]

I’m going to give the green light on this one. Nice work, Zach.

[Author]

Replies