Bored Gamers: Jim Devereaux really shouldn’t be so picky …

Unintentional snobbery

I try my best not to be a snob when it comes to games. I’m always reminding myself that given the vast array of wonderful gaming experiences that are painstakingly crafted by hundreds of hard-working developers every year for us all to enjoy, I really shouldn’t be too picky about the minor details …

However, I do find myself adhering inadvertently to the unpopular stereotype of judging a book by its cover, when deciding which game I’m prepared to spend any real time with, at this curious juncture in console-generation-crossover.

In essence, to get to the point, it’s all about graphics. Having spent almost a year now enjoying the ever-improving cutting-edge presentation on the still fresh and exciting PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems, I’m finding it very hard to fire up their now older, no longer fashionable and technologically out-of-date predecessors.

Well, why bother going back to the old systems at all? Might you say. Well firstly, there are still hundreds of great games being made for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as let’s not forget there are over 150 million of them sold to date!

Particle effects, physics and AI float my proverbial boat

But secondly, my job is not just to review the latest experiences on the new shiny boxes – but the old dusty ones too, and as a result one really does notice the stark contrast in graphical quality between them.

This begs the question; can graphics alone really make the difference between a good game and a great game?

I’ve always been excited by the technological aspect of gaming. Breakthroughs in particle effects, physics and AI float my proverbial boat to the extent that gameplay mechanics can, certainly at first, take a backseat to my more childlike excitement for the ‘new and improved’.

However, such techno-hero-worship can and often does prove to be a false idol, as no matter how realistic a game becomes in its recreation of reality, its measure of lasting worth will always be defined by the relationship it develops with your fingers – not with your eyes.

With that in mind, I have swallowed my snobbery and returned to the previous consoles, now in their dotage, to review pastures (somewhat) new. That is, until the next new shiny game comes along …

Bored Gamers is an hour-long weekly show on all things gaming.
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