Is More Content in Gaming Always More?

This article has been a long time coming. But I've struggled to find the time due to life's frequency of presenting change at a moment's notice.

Over the last few years, something in gaming has really stood out. I hear few people speak about it often, so as a designer, I would like to share my thoughts on the topic.

A Double-Edged Sword

Before delving into specifics, I want to express my appreciation for side content in games. It can significantly enrich a game's world and deepen the player experience when well-executed. However, my focus here is on instances where an excess of such content, particularly when it doesn't directly enhance the main narrative or provide vastly new experiences, can overwhelm and detract from the core story.

A Case Study: Horizon: Forbidden West

I'm not here to say that Horizon: Forbidden West (H:FW) is a bad experience, far from it; it's one of the best experiences I've had in a game over the past few years and vastly improves on the original masterpiece in almost every facet.

But when is too much side content... too much? Now, clearly, some of you may be shouting, "No one is forcing you to do side content", and that's an accurate statement, but on the other hand, is it a more conscious effort to disregard side content than it is to do everything close to the player? In fact, I'd argue there are only two reasons that a player will reject side content: because the main story is so good that they want to know what's happening next or, simply put, because the side content is bad.

I'm not here to say that the side content in Horizon is subpar either; in fact, I had a lot of fun doing some of the minor missions and lots of fun hunting dinosaurs for better equipment and upgrades.

But even with this all said, I have tried to play H:FW at three separate periods since its release. I am 83 hours into the experience, and the ending doesn't feel close. I'd like to know if I'll ever discover what happens in this exciting story.

Unfortunately, the game has burned me out for the third time, something I didn't think was possible on an excellent open-world RPG until twice recently, with this title and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Both titles epitomise the current extremes in modern RPG open-world games in a template that arguably began with Assassin's Creed II. This trend highlights a paradox: sometimes, having more content doesn't necessarily enhance the gaming experience. The overwhelming abundance of choices, echoing the psychological concept of choice overload, can lead to decision fatigue—where the joy of exploration and discovery is overshadowed by the burden of navigating endless options.

To be clear, my critique is not that side content is inherently negative. The issue arises when this enjoyable content becomes so voluminous and disconnected from the main narrative that it shifts from an optional exploration to a daunting task, overshadowing the desire to progress through the main story.

The Paradox of Choice: When Quantity Overshadows Quality

When is more, not more? It seems simple. Get a vast budget and make a massive experience for players, one with insane amounts of content, a scale that might have been unimaginable even a decade ago; that would be the case if it didn't come with diminishing returns.

If side content is based around a few simple templates and heavily outweighs the main content in scale and quality, players will eventually start to feel tired, bored, and, in the case where a playthrough exceeds 80 hours, burned out. This scenario mirrors the paradox of choice, where too many options can decrease satisfaction, leading to a feeling of burnout as players struggle with the implications of their decisions on the game's outcome. This can be mitigated if the side content can hold a flame to the main content, but I'll save that topic for a future article.

Game developers must find a balance where side missions feel like a natural, enriching part of the game world rather than an overwhelming checklist. This could involve integrating side content more closely with the main narrative or offering a more curated selection of side activities that are diverse, engaging, and meaningful.

A Divergence

Now, having explored the extensive and sometimes overwhelming world of 'Horizon: Forbidden West,' let's turn our attention to a different approach in RPG-like games. 'Spider-Man 2' presents an intriguing contrast.

Where H:FW sometimes stumbles under the weight of its expansive content, 'Spider-Man 2' takes a different path. It offers a case study on how a game can balance its main narrative with side missions, creating an experience that feels enriching rather than exhausting. Let's dive into how the title manages to strike this balance.

Swinging to a Different Rhythm: Spider-Man 2's Approach

Spider-Man 2 is a game that shocked me; I loved the original, but I found it hard to believe the experience would be vastly more significant than its predecessor or Miles Morales. This was because I thought, probably like most, that it would just be both characters and a new story, and it is, but it's also a lot more. It's a great example of a story-based open-world RPG that, while very short and maybe too short, didn't leave me feeling burned out or wanting by the experience. In fact, I felt completely satisfied having swung around the city for a few days with the exaggerated swagger of a bl- oh wait, this isn't GameSpot.

Ok, maybe that was a bit of a cheap shot, but as a black man, I still find that review a funny part of internet history.

Still, back to my main point, I no longer believe in a gaming landscape with titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Elden Ring, and upcoming titles like Dragon's Dogma 2. Studios can no longer afford large amounts of such templated side content to drain such a large amount of the player's time.

How Side Missions Can Make or Break a Gaming Experience

In modern gaming, the treatment of side content can dramatically alter the player's experience. 'Spider-Man 2' is a shining example; its central story is marked by emotional highs and lows, and its side content complements this with strategically and thoughtfully interspersed missions.

While simple and straightforward, these missions are far from mere fillers. They act as well-placed palate cleansers, providing non-exhaustive auxiliary components to the primary campaign. With about four side missions between each major story level, they offer a refreshing break, allowing players to delve deeper into the narrative with additional story insights or rewarding them with cool costumes. Moreover, the game progressively introduces new varieties of side quests, each with its own contained sub-story, ensuring that the player is engaged but not overwhelmed.

Contrast this with 'Horizon: Forbidden West.' While H:FW delivers a spectacle with a profoundly engaging main storyline, its approach to side content often feels less integrated and more obligatory. Though technically designed to complement the main story, the side missions in H:FW feel like a mandatory checklist to enhance character strength. This increases the volume of gameplay and shifts the focus from exploration and enjoyment to a grind for power. It's akin to being at an endless buffet where each additional plate diminishes your appetite rather than satiating it.

In a sense, H:FW's side content, despite its intention to add depth, ironically contributes to a sensation of gaming fatigue. It turns the experience into a marathon with an ever-receding finish line. In opposition, 'Spider-Man 2' demonstrates how side content can effectively enhance and diversify the gaming experience without overwhelming the player. It's a testament to how additional content, when well-executed, can be a valuable part of the journey. 'Horizon: Forbidden West,' on the other hand, offers a lesson on the risks of overburdening the player with side tasks that, while rich in quantity, may detract from the overall experience due to their obligatory nature. One game leaves the player exhilarated and content; the other, despite its remarkable qualities, leads to a feeling of burnout.

Seamless Exploration: Elden Ring's Unique Approach

As we wrap up this exploration of side content in 'Spider-Man 2' and 'Horizon: Forbidden West,' it's worth noting that there's another style of game that handles the balance between main and side content uniquely and intriguingly. 'Elden Ring' represents this different approach, where side content seamlessly integrates into the world. It doesn't rely on preset markers or forced paths but draws players in through sheer intrigue and the natural desire to explore and discover. This method of engaging players through curiosity and exploration rather than obligation presents a fascinating contrast to the games we've discussed. But that's a topic I'll delve into more deeply in a future article.

Reflections

Let me be clear again! I have played Spider-Man 2 for 26 hrs and Horizon for 83 hrs. Still, only one experience left me feeling completely satisfied, and like I had experienced the best of what the game had to offer, I still love them both, and I will give Horizon another shot. The takeaway point is I want this to serve as a cautionary tale to developers, make sure your content is worthwhile, make sure it doesn't make other content look vastly superior in comparison if there are extreme amounts of it, and do not forget the most essential commodity in this industry, is the player's time. This reflection is grounded in the understanding that player engagement is not just about the quantity of content but about its psychological impact—balancing the need for meaningful choices with the preservation of the flow state, ensuring that players remain immersed and satisfied.

As developers continue to explore the vast potential of open-world games, the challenge will be to ensure that side content enhances rather than exhausts the player's engagement with the story. The key to this lies in thoughtful design that respects the player's time and desire for a coherent, compelling narrative journey. But how can we conceptualise this balance in a way that's actionable for developers and satisfying for players?

This is where "The Push vs Pull Effect" and "The Box Theory" come into play. In my upcoming articles, I'll explore these principles that shift thinking about side content. "The Push vs Pull effect" will delve into the dynamics of player motivation, examining how game design can 'pull' players naturally towards side content without feeling 'pushed.' Following that, "The Box Theory" will introduce a framework for structuring all game elements in a way that feels integral to the game's world, enhancing the main narrative rather than overshadowing it. These concepts should offer a blueprint for future game design, ensuring that side content enriches rather than dilutes the gaming experience.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! I'm on the train every week for around 6 hours commuting (two 3-hour trips) and have a working laptop again, so I'll be sure to write more here as it gives me something to do! I'd love to hear your thoughts below, and if you have any similar experiences or if you completely disagree with me, please let me know, cheers!