as disinterested as i am in video game discourse right now, i have a proposal that i might write sometime soon... the central point of it would essentially boil down to:
"does 'i'll probably never play this again' or 'i'll probably only play this once' necessarily have to be a negative?"
here's the cliffnotes of this idea. maybe i'll do a video or a longer post later.
does it have to be a bad thing to have an experience that you'll sit down, experience once, have it be affecting to you and resonate in some way, without any compulsion to play it a second time?
i think games like "walking simulators", or linear storylines, or games where the "game action" is highly simple and the focus is meant to be on the world, or the message. obviously, these games will not hit with you if you are a Gaming Enthusiast, or a Person Who Uses The Word "Gameplay", or someone who has a very specific vision for what a "game" is meant to be to you. but much like a great album you rarely listen to again, or a great movie you watch once, i think it's OK to play a game that just spends a couple hours, shows you some stuff, and then you're out and can move on with your life. i don't really necessarily think a game is "lesser" if it does not have a "game action loop", or high replayability, or even if it's essentially a straight line where "game action" is more of a suggestion.
and in fact, some of the most powerful art you can experience is art that you will experience once.
