I feel as if TESO is going to do something similar. We both know that the story telling in all Elder Scrolls titles is incredibly deep, to where the lore spans back thousands of years and no account is the same as the last. I think an individual story line is a good fit for the series, mostly because it won’t be the focal point on the game, just like every previous Elder Scrolls title with the multitude of side stories and quests or random nooks and crannies.

Having an individual story isn’t a bad thing in an MMO, it’s gotta meld well with the rest of the game though, and The Old Republic didn’t meld its individual components well with the rest of the game. It felt more like 2 different parts being threaded together loosely. Like if an old school Mario platformer had a periodic transition to a top down RPG like Legend of Zelda randomly in the game. Not that it would be bad, it would just be confusing and interrupt the flow of the game.

What’s even strangers is that games like Heavy Rain might be better if they ditched a majority of their quick time events. When running from the police, why not have the player run from the police, like actually try and figure out what to do and if they it’s because they messed up not because they had to take a chance with either holding left or right.

The thing with video games and QTE’s is that it’s a million times more satisfying to actually do something yourself. I’ve played games where I’ve dueled evil Jedi, ripped open the heads of demons, and dodged trains through quick time events, but those all pale in comparison to just doing a jumping dodge in Monster Hunter because that was a decision I had to make in the heat of the moment. The more the game tries to control your actions, the less of a game it is and the player’s significance is just diminished to being an observer, not a participant.

While I’m not sure if I’d count your Mass Effect or LA Noire example as a true QTE, I agree that No More Heroes did them quite well because they were finishers and didn’t punish you for getting the last hit on an enemy (I don’t even think you can fail those).

And remember the staple of horror games: always have your shotgun and enough ammo to fill it.

I do much the same in almost every game I play. I go bananas for hammers and axes in almost any game where they are available. Skyrim especially, where two-handed weapons became more than a weapon choice and more like a door to an alternative playstyle. Almost every game I’ve played in Skyrim became one where I would berserk into a group of enemies and basically flail around with my weapon flying in every direction. And it worked. I died a few times, but because I had time to see incoming attacks between swings and power attacks, it became easier to dodge AI and strike as hard as possible (instead of trotting backwards like a pussyfooted adventurer).

Anyway, it’s a good point to bring up. Today’s game developers have been increasingly considerate with the diversity of play style. There are a few game out there that still offer a one dimensional experience, and although that doesn’t make for a bad game, it does narrow its potential audience and it does limit players to similar, unvaried experiences.