Get your head back in the game, AAA studios

When it comes to gaming, I consider myself somewhat of an expert — I had a controller and a mouse in my hands before I could read.

The first indie game I ever played was a creepy, campy journey into the mind of little “Fran Bow” as she confronts the demon tormenting her. The game holds a special place in my heart despite its macabre nature and features a rich landscape with even richer themes. Killmonday Games, the studio behind “Fran Bow,” developed its debut title through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, according to its website. One might expect the quality of games developed by indie studios like Killmonday to not compare to its larger, big-budget counterparts; however, I prefer the former.

AAA games, or the “corporate” entities of game developing, are losing our interest and garnering criticism in its place. Electronic Arts, for example, creates one of my favorite game franchises of all time: “The Sims.” I have spent nearly 2,000 hours, according to my EA App, playing “The Sims.” However, I always gravitate toward the older Sims games like “The Sims 2” and “The Sims 3” due to EA’s failures in “The Sims 4.” Even EA sees the divide — it recently released “Legacy Editions” of both The Sims 1 and 2 — with a hefty price tag, of course.

Between having to spend over $1,000 to own all the packs and said packs being released with a laundry list of bugs to fix — the Sims community is over it. Many Sims fans, including myself, anxiously await an indie competitor in “Paralives,” developed by indie Paralives Studio. Even years ago before “Paralives” gained some hype, the game looked as if more thought was put into players’ experiences versus selling a product — a tired tactic EA does not seem to grasp. Not to mention, Paralives is crowdfunded through Patreon, and the game is set to release in early access this year.

AAA studios prioritize high-end graphics and repackaging the same games to disappointing sequels or, my favorite, the “remastered” version of the game. Take Bethesda for example — “Skyrim” released over a decade ago; however, there are three standalone versions of the same game — give or take some extra content. “Skyrim,” another Game of the Year recipient, is a testament to what AAA studios can deliver: a great narrative, engrossing visuals and a replayability “it” factor not many games can imitate. This creates a unique dilemma for studios akin to Bethesda in bettering what many consider a near-perfect game. Bruce Nesmith, former game designer at Bethesda, said it is a struggle to meet fan expectations for an “Elder Scrolls VI” title, and it will be meticulously compared to its predecessors. I can see the overwhelm, but it highlights an overarching problem with AAA studio games that give indie studios an unforeseen advantage: constricting game development to a box instead of pursuing innovative ways to tell a story that connects with an audience.  Also, can we stop making new games that cost players nearly $100 to play?

Now, with the debut of “Poppy Playtime 4” and “Baldur’s Gate 3” winning 2023 Game of the Year (Larian Studios actually took home all five major Game of the Year awards, surpassing the records of huge studio titles like “Elden Ring,” and “Breath of the Wild”), indie studios are getting a much deserved pat on the back. 

Set in a “Five Nights at Freddy’s”-esque (another indie standout) setting, “Poppy Playtime,” is an indie survival horror game series released on an episodic basis — meaning each standalone sequel to the game is another “episode” of the same story. This creates a unique and terrifying experience for the player as they navigate through the horrors of Playtime Co.’s abandoned toy factory. It is kooky, horrifying and media literate; it tells a haunting story on top of delivering an unforgettable player experience. This is the cheat code AAA studios have lost, and it shows through these big-name titles that scream “corporate” game development.

Where AAA studios fail, indie games pick up the slack with unique narratives, art styles and a love for fans. Indie games bolster the player experience for the love of the game, not for the love of profit margins and stressing my GPU.