There’s still a microcosm of negativity surrounding linear video games. Tightly designed corridors, set paths, concise storylines, in fairness these elements can reduce player agency which isn’t desirable for everyone. However, if you’re after an experience that’s more thoughtfully crafted, and you’re not bothered about replaying games for their stories only, then linear games are the way to go. What the games on this rundown demonstrate too is that in designing games linearly developers make room for other components – innovative gameplay mechanics, extensive development across all characters, more attentively curated world design, that sort of thing.
There’s a degree of debate surrounding linear games and their truest definition. For this feature, we’re thinking along the lines of games that have a set beginning, middle, and end, with progress shared somewhat identically between every playthrough. Open worlds, Metroidvanias, back-tracking, games centred on exploration, these don’t tend to fit. There is wiggle room in this ruleset though, as you’ll find out in the feature.
The Last of Us Part II
We speculated on our 2023 linear games list that in terms of gameplay experience The Last of Us Part II is probably better than Part I, so it’d be remiss to exclude Naughty Dog’s masterful sequel to their much-loved (and much-hated) apocalyptic adventure series. Ellie’s a litter older although still hot-headed, plus there’re more characters, denser locations, and a gut-wrenching, if controversial, story which will stir emotion whether you agree with the narrative decisions Naughty Dog made.