I agree, I just didn't like the way Batty was framing it. A strong core mechanic is strong because of the experience it helps facilitate. Like creating tense situations, interesting situations, etc.

A lot of games I like are fairly focused in terms of mechanics. I like games that don't try to be everything to everyone, but choose something specific to do really, really well. Like arcade shoot 'em ups, for example, where it's all about that breathless mental focus on dodging every little projectile that could kill you in one hit.

I hate sounding so much like I just hate fun, but GTA is kind of a good example of what I don't like. It's the kind of game that does everything under the sun, but none of it well.

I have wet dreams about owning that.

I'm kind of the opposite, not in that I don't appreciate great mechanics, but I love GTA and Elder Scrolls because I have the attention span of a gnat and there's always something I can think of to do in any given five or ten minute span.

How did that game even get developed? There's no way they thought anyone was going to buy that so how did the pitch to the company even go?

I sometimes break the "rule" anyway. It's not generally what I gravitate towards, but I have spent probably around 200 hours combined on Saint's Row 1-4. For some reason it grabbed me more than GTA, even though it's just as broken and loosely put together.

I'm thinking cocaine. It would have made sense if the game was even older. Some of the stories you hear about old school games development are absolute chaotic madness. The story behind Street Fighter 2 is pretty fascinating, for example. Can't remember the details much though, but I read a very long article about it once. Hey... that was Capcom too!

Saints Row is ****ing great and I rep it over GTA. GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas were huge for me but are now dated, whereas Saints Row picked up from where those games left off and made them at least somewhat more mechanically engaging and definitely more cartoonishly endearing. Saints Row 1 was fun but a GTA clone that got the tone absolutely right, Saints Row 2 was ****ing brilliant with its ramped up cartoon tone and storyline that was still relatively gritty, and then 3 ****ed up with the story but went all in with the ridiculous tone and gave us **** like fighting zombies and bizarre missions inside computer games.

Saints Row 4 was just... holy **** they didn't even give a **** with that game. One of my all-time favorites and even with the world not being as engaging as GTA 5 by a mile the tone of that game was bonkers and who the **** even needs cars when you can run up buildings and glide everywhere? I also created a glorious Harley Quinn outfit that made the game even more fun to play.

I think Saint's Row 2 might be my favorite overall, but I've played a ridiculous amount of Saint's Row 3 and 4, if only because there was so much to **** around with.

Spent more time just editing and saving costumes than I care to admit :laughing:

OMG yes. I got that Saints Row 4 Harley Quinn costume down absolutely pat even if I had to be a bit New 52 about it. Also made a pretty decent She-Hulk. And ****ing around with cars is also crack. One thing I hate about GTA is that if you take a car out of a garage and wreck it it that's it it's gone, whereas Saints Row gives not a **** about realism and just lets you customize cars without any penalty for getting in an awesome wreck. My bright orange, kitted out minivan with spinners is one of my favorite things ever, and let's not even mention the amazing Akira bike.

The thing that really sets Saints Row apart from GTA is that Saints Row has no illusions about being great, it just wants to be the most fun you've ever had.

Pretty much.. I want solid gameplay. A good story, music, graphics is all secondary to me.

If the story sucks I can ignore it.
If the music sucks I play my own.
If the graphics suck I don't care because I grew up with atari and sega master system.
Gimmie those solid mechanics, balance, and difficulty without tedium.

Was doing some cleaning and came across an old Stanglers cassette which included a track containing an old video game called Aural Quest from 1984. Now all I need is a computer with a tape drive that can actually interpret and run it lol.