Episodic games continue to grow. After the success of The Walking Dead Telltale series, we’ve seen a number of episodic spin-off games of popular franchises such as Resident Evil, Borderlands, and Minecraft. While most of these have been successful (The Walking Dead games are among my favourites), they are, however, potentially detrimental to gaming. Here are five reasons why.
Episode 1: Is That It?
The first thing I dislike about episodic games is you buy the first episode, play it for a few hours and finish it, and that’s it. I’ve played demos that are longer than some episodes, and those were free. Each episode is quite short and can only be deemed a full game when all episodes come out.
Episode 2: Too Be Continued…
Nothing is worse than playing a game you’re enjoying, only to finish after a few hours and then have to wait forever for the next episode. Tales from the Borderlands, in particular, was frustrating, with almost a year-long gap between the first and last episodes. By the time the next episode comes out, you’ve probably started playing another game and begin to forget what happened in the last episode. This situation can significantly impact the drama and storytelling experience.
Episode 3: Continuity
Another frustrating problem with episodic games is the inconsistency throughout each episode. For example, IGN reviews of Minecraft: Story Mode show Episode 1 (7.3), Episode 2 (5.6), Episode 3 (7.7), and Episode 4 (6.3). It starts off well, followed by a mediocre 2nd episode, then returns to a good episode, only to be followed by another mediocre one. The lack of continuity hurts the overall game, and skipping episodes 2 and 4 is not an option, as it would leave the story making little sense.
Episode 4: Spoilers!
Because each episode comes out on different dates, they can’t release them on disk until each episode is released. Personally, I would rather wait until all episodes are available and buy them on disk (which I do). However, while waiting, there’s a risk of accidentally stumbling upon spoilers online, on social media, or through word of mouth. This can instantly ruin the game experience.
Episode 5 : They Encourage Digital Downloads
Digital downloads continue to grow, and episodic games contribute to this trend because they can’t be released on disc until all episodes are available. I have previously written a blog expressing my dislike for digital downloads, which can be viewed here. I won’t go into too much detail here because of it. However, one of the main reasons I dislike digital downloads is their role in phasing out discs from gaming, which would be a significant loss. I prefer playing my games on discs, and I often buy some games second-hand to save money. The shift towards digital-only games would ruin gaming for me and many others.
And there we have it—5 reasons why episodic games might have drawbacks. Thanks for reading. Please like, share, and comment with your opinions on episodic games. Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter X @rhysbritton.
