If an action/adventure video game cost $90, what would you want ALL of the features to be?

[QuickToAsk]

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

It's have to be one hell of a game for me to consider buying it for that price.

To appeal to me above the average adventure game, I'd want multiple possible solutions to every single puzzle (never requiring a walkthrough), branching narratives, and a wide variety of endings (and not ranked from best to worst, like I want each possible ending to be equally satisfying and interesting in response to our previous choices so that we don't feel swindled and have to replay the game for the "true/best" ending because we got the "bad/worst/false" endings).

Also superb writing is a must for me.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I like the philosophy that there are no right and wrong choices, only dilemmas and consequences. When an adventure or role-playing game makes you feel like there's a wrong choice vs. a right one, then it effectively means there is no choice because if we choose the wrong one and realize it, we'll always want to make the right one in the future. The less it becomes about right vs. wrong, the more interesting the choices and their consequences become in my book.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Of course there might be choices that kill the player and result in an instant game over, and those are fine to me. We need conditions that allow us to lose the game for it to be challenging in any way. Yet for choices that continue and branch the narrative, they're most interesting to me when there isn't the concept of right vs. wrong choices.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Like if I use the Dark Knight scenario as an example where the Joker gave Batman the option to save Rachel or Harvey, that's an interesting dilemma that doesn't have a clear right vs. wrong choice. However, let's say there's a third option that allows Batman to save both; then that's obviously the right choice and the other two are wrong, and not it's much less interesting to me.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

[*] [...] and [now] it's much less interesting to me.

[TheSpaceGnome]

This is why I tend to prefer skillful gameplay mechanics over storytelling or in game choices. I'm not going to pick different choices if there is a "right" choice that I benefit from or just a more challenging choice that I find gives better gameplay, or a choice that gives me an item or option etc that is only gained through that choice. I'm always going to pick the best option, defeating the entire point.

The only time I've seen what you are talking about pulled off is in tabletop games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. But video games so far cannot pull that off because its a coding nightmare that would crash in so many situations.

[Sargentcaptain]

Considering the state of AAA games today, I'll just wait 6 weeks for the devs to go bust and buy the game for 5 bucks. Regardless, such a game better be a major improvement on the whole 'see point on map, go do shitty minigame or engage in impressively incompetent combat, get achievement, repeat' 'gameplay'. Considering the sort of games we had 20 years back, they better make a OG Zelda to Tears of the Kingdom leap in gameplay, story and characters. Anything approaching 'Skyrim, but graphics that aren't literal visual diarrhea' isn't worth $40, let alone $90.

I suppose replay value would be nice. Multiple meaningful choices when it comes to the story, fundamentally different gameplay styles, worldbuilding beyond 'I took an arrow'. I'd like an RPG that has elements of RP beyond a Minecraft style inventory.

[SueShe]

Wow, does that kind of video game actually exist?

This is authorized robbery in my opinion. If that is actually true that a video game does cost that kind of money, then I would want it to be able to make phone calls when I think of making a phone call. I want it to check whether my fridge has the necessary items for the week and if necessary, replenish it. I want this video game to check my health and call the doctor if I have an emergency.

All that to say that a video game that costs that kind of money should be able to see in the future...

[MemeSupreme]

i don't think i got enough time these days to play a game like that lol one that's worth $90

last one i even like was willin to commit a bunch of hours to was rdr2 which i LOVED but i didn't pay full price for it lmao i never pay over 40 usd for a game

[TheSpaceGnome]

A lot of AAA budget games today cost anywhere from $80 to $200 for the base game and all DLC content, sometimes even more than that.

There are $20 dollar indie games and older games that are better in most ways (except graphical detail, and sometimes free user made mods for indie or older games have way better graphics than AAA games).

Graphics in the industry has been at a standstill, unchanged for about a decade now.
you would need to wow us graphically, while still having amazing gameplay.

Current consoles and most PC builds would not be able to handle it, and trying to optimize the game would cut the quality too much.

I'm not going to list every feature I want, you should make a game you would want to play, not a game others would want to play.

[deus_ex_sisyphus]

when I was a kid, like 10 years ago, games were $20. Today, at a $90 ARV, I would as a consumer, expect replay ability with changing assets and character narratives each game play; not recycled or re-textured assets. I would expect the ability to play a complete story mode as a single player offline as well as a multiplayer mode for online. Most importantly though, I would expect a polished game at launch - not a half baked project riddled with bugs. In total, 250 hours of content on a given play through with all side tasks, as well as the main story line seems like a reasonable goal given the consumer cost.

[RebelinSteel]

I won’t pay full price for a game, however I do expect a top end game to have depth, gameplay, good scalable graphics, where you can adjust and tune them to your system, a good storyline and not just linear playing / plot. The likes of Baldurs Gate 3 shows what you can achieve with a game, as do the likes of Witcher 3. You can see the care and dedication that went into Baldurs Gate 3.

[NewgodOmega]

I dont play paid videogames I download the free pirated ones and I am OK with whatever they are
I am playing serious sam 3 black mesa and cod advance warfare now
Yeah those are old games but I recently downloaded them for free and I got my pc in Dec 2023

[MushyKiwi]

EXCELLENT graphics, big storyline thats engaging and I won't finish in two days, tons of stuff to collect, like an advanced version of farcry

[blkgold33]

If any game cost $90 it better be able to give me life advice or to make me money

[SotiCoto]

Far more than I'm willing to sum up for some random on this site.
It would definitely need a rocking soundtrack though.

[JayBones]

If it doesn't suck my dick for 90 bucks it's not a game I'll ever play