Six of the best features all video games should have
As video games get more advanced, there are certain features that players expect to see in them. Most relate to gameplay, such as a functional camera, or accessibility, such as subtitles. However, there are plenty of features all video games should have that don’t fit into either category, but which would make completing titles significantly easier for those of us whose free time is growing increasingly limited.
6 of the best features all video games should have
These features aren’t designed with video game accessibility in mind, though that continues to be an ongoing battle for reasons that will never cease to confound me. These are all almost purely quality-of-life improvements that every developer, no matter how big or small, can implement. Many of them are small but would make the games far more playable over a longer period.
“Previously on…” recaps
Here is a secret for you all: a lot of gamers are very busy people. We don’t always have time to complete a game in a few sittings. Sometimes it takes me months to go back to a game, even if I love it, only to be confronted with a story that makes no sense and characters I only vaguely recognise. Giving me a recap, similar to what was in Alone in the Dark, would make it possible to put down a game for a while and come back to it without being completely lost about what was happening.
Replayable tutorials
Every game starts off with an introduction to the basic mechanics but that’s usually the end of it. Similar to the need for plot recaps, being able to get a quick reminder on how to actually play the game would be a godsend for all players. Full disclosure: I haven’t played Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for almost four months and at this point, I am very unlikely to ever finish it because I don’t remember any of the controls.
Spoiler-free Options
When you first boot up AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative, one of the first questions it asks you is if you played the first game in the series. If you say no, it removes spoilers for the previous game from the dialogue. This is one of the features all video games should have because not everyone plays a series in order and it removes that barrier from more people picking up the newest title. If your game has a stand-alone plot, even with returning characters or themes, then this one is a no-brainer to include.
Individual Volume Controls
This one is more of an accessibility feature, but not every player’s hearing is the same. Some can pick out music better than dialogue or can’t hear sound effects very well. Being able to individually increase or decrease different parts of the game’s sound design would make it much easier for everyone to enjoy games. It would be a great feature that shouldn’t be difficult to implement for most modern games.
Replayable Cutscenes
I will be the first to admit that I’m easily distracted. Sometimes I get a phone call while I’m playing a game and miss an important part of the plot. Other times I look out the window and see a neat bird. One of the features all video games should have is just letting me go back to the start of the cutscene and see what I missed.
Sensitive Content Warnings
Sometimes a story involves graphic sex or murder, and this isn’t to say that those stories shouldn’t be told. However, developers owe it to their players to give them a heads-up about what the game entails before they purchase it. Even games like Doki Doki Literature Club, where knowing that there are horror aspects to the game is a minor spoiler, put these warnings in place because otherwise, you could seriously traumatise your players. Not everyone wants to deal with these subjects and being upfront about them isn’t pandering. It’s the responsible thing to do.
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