I have recently played 3 games that have forced a lengthy, unskippable tutorial section that runs for several hours of the game, just to unlock the most basic functions like buying the items, customizing features, multiplayer, and even 2-player split screen modes.
For 2 of these games (Armored Core 6 and Gran Turismo 7), the major draw for me was the MP and I haven’t even gotten to check out MP yet because it’s locked out until you get passed a certain point in the progression system. Fuckin’ why do any developers do this? I just wanted to play with my sister but we have to get through most of the fucking game before we are allowed to do the multiplayer modes. Such bullshit.
As much as I love AC6 I too was baffled as to why multiplayer was locked until half the game was complete.
I would probably have done it at the start of Chapter 2 rather than the end, but Chapter 2 (on NG) is pretty short anyway. The main idea is that you have faced two (and a half) different boss types by that point and should have a good feel for how to use different legs, have a good set of weapons, etc. Which, since there is no concept of Soul Memory or even progression based matchmaking, is kind of needed to prevent people’s first experience with AC6 multiplayer being the starting core getting demolished by double Zimmers.
And it isn’t half the game.
spoiler
Chapter 3 is pretty long and 4 and 5, while somewhat short, are brutal.
What I do disagree with is holding off access to the store until late Chapter 1. But I also get that people will likely be overwhelmed by the store rather than excited, so it is probably a good approach. Let the player know how to swap out parts and what not before letting them run free. Still don’t like it though.
I agree on this sentiment. The games mechanics, while more streamlined than its predecessors, are still insanely complex. I’ve been playing these games since the first on the original PlayStation. And when I first jumped into MP, I got my ass handed to me quite thoroughly. It took quite some time upgrading parts and getting familiar with various builds before I started actually winning.
I figure they gated MP more to minimize how many noobs are in lobbies.
Its not, and on subsequent playthroughs the tutorial is skipped and online is available. You get multiplayer at the end of chapter 2, there are 5 chapters in the game.
GT7 makes sense. There needs to be some barrier to make sure people know how to drive the cars without just immediately jumping into the game.
Tutorials under 1hr are ok. Once they go over that I stop playing.
It’s not even just online MP. It’s the split screen, too!
Besides: Why would there need to be a barrier? If you suck, you’re just gonna lose. If there was a ranking system, eventually you only match with other players who suck. 🤷🏻♂️
Because losing takes out the other players too. Racing is unique in that if you’re bad, you’ll also end the races of multiple players around you.
Because noobs ruin the race for everyone else. Just watch older SuperGT videos about the shadow realm. I say if you want to get into multilayer in racing sims, you must have a valid driving license and a hundred hours of real life racing.
iRacing has a license system. You need to pass an exam to go above the rookie rank, and you can lose your license if you drive too badly and cause accidents.
Online racing sim is one of the most bizarre “gaming” communities. I came to hate driving after years of several hours commute and have zero patience for virtual cars now, but the small amount of time I was trying out sim racing was plagued with cursed elitism. Having driven for many years with a clean license isn’t enough for these people. You could be a professional driver for races and movies both and they would probably fault you for something. I don’t know the game you are speaking of in particular so maybe it’s not that bad.
Why? What if I want to jump into the game and then learn how to drive the cars?
One of the Pokémon games has audio settings behind an unlock.
I replayed FF 13 a while ago, I was absolutely shocked how long it took to be able to customize role settings for the party members.
In Starfield (and FO4 for that matter) basic game functions are locked behind perks, you need to be like level 30 before you can start playing the game
It felt really odd that the stealth meter, a staple in every Bethesda rpg I’ve played, had to be unlocked with a skill point in Starfield.
