A lot of time seems to get devoted to health systems and how their presented. In a lot of games, particularly shooters, med-packs seem to have become old hat but I vastly prefer them to the oddity of regenerating health. Who regenerates from a bullet hit that quickly? However whatever type of health system you prefer what they’re trying to get across is how much damage you’ve taken. So with that basic concept in mind, why is it that so few games show injuries on your character?
There are exceptions, and showing injuries is certainly becoming more popular, but for the most part developers just try and find a way to show your health level in some fairly trivial way. Even amongst the games that do give you some visual alteration to your character model, they often miss out on what I really want and that’s real injury.
Take a shot to your shoulder? It becomes much harder to aim. A shot to the leg or taking too big of a tumble and you find it much harder to walk. The only game I can think of that implements things along these lines is Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, although I think that may take it too far. I’m not saying I want utterly realistic damage models, I’m not really good enough to play games like that, but adding something extra to the way damage is shown and felt would surely be a bonus.
Of course I’m not saying add this to every game. Realistic damage in more arcade titles like Sonic or Mario would obviously be ridiculous, and it wouldn’t suit games like Crackdown or inFamous where you’re trying to feel superhuman. However I could see it being fantastic in survival horror games, it would really add to the feeling of hopelessness and despair.
What’s your take on this? Would you prefer a more realistic model of injuries and damage? What types of games would it suit best?
DrNate86
It definitely depends on the game, but I always get annoyed with health regeneration in ‘serious’ shooters like COD, I think a well placed bullet should put you and the enemy down, and a hit to the arm or leg should hinder your character. No healing, you just have to be careful not to get hit! I tend to play games on the hardest difficulty setting for this reason, but it annoys me if the baddies can take a beating for no reason then as well (isn’t that right Kane and Lynch!).
jcor
There’s a hardcore mode in most shooters nowadays so that if you get hit a couple of times you’re dead. Modern Warfare 2 definitely has it, Bad Company 2 as well.
DrNate86
I can’t speak for Bad Company as I’ve never played it, but while COD Hardcore is better, it still isn’t what I would call realistic.
yogdog
bad company 2 hardcore is very realistic.
great game :)
jcor
Am I right in thinking that Bad Company 2 doesn’t have regenerative health, at least online anyway?
Moakesice
it doesnt online, but in single player it does, unless you use a med pack
djhsecondnature
Personally, I think a two-tiered health system is the best way to go. A regenerating shield/health with an underlying health system that requires a health pack to recharge. Would work with both present day and futuristic games as well. Just replace shields with adrenaline supported health.
rht992
Fallout 2 had a great injury system. wounds would stay with you until you heald your self (which you needed to learn to do) or vist a doctor. hell i once grew and extra finger because of radiation!
mcduff1979
i like the system battlefield 2 on pc and bad company 2 uses with health packs much improves flow of gameplay
bunimomike
FPS games often go multiplayer so something that truly slows you down might alter the pacing of the game to the extent of it spoiling things. However, I love the idea of your injuries starting to hamper your progress (eg. aim is a bit shakey, blurred vision, etc, gimpy leg). Although I feel that it lends itself well to the action/adventure genre where we often see third person working a treat. Or at least FPS but single player campaign.
Finally, illustrating the injury and having that injury as a burden are two totally separate things. No reason why we can see some genuinely serious damage taken but keep the nobbling of said body part down to a relative minimum so it doesn’t become unplayable.
If I was playing something where (when I get shot) the breathing begins, the cloudy vision, some reddening of the screen, maybe camera shake – all in tiny amounts but coupled with that real “oh god, is this it?” adrenalin-fuelled moment as you try to flee. That would be superb.
Juelz345
I personally prefer regenerative health, particularly from my FPSs. It’s may not be realistic, but neither is simply picking up a med kit and instantly being healed. I think the head shot is as much realism as i need. Making the game increasingly difficult by means of making it harder to aim after being shot in the shoulder doesn’t sound fun to me at all, particularly in an online game.
I like it when enemies take damage according to where they’re hit, i.e if I shoot an enemy in the leg I at least want an animation that shows that, and then having the enemy limp is a bonus.
I play games for fun and entertainment. Most games provide a pretty decent challenge (and sometimes punishing) just by putting them on the hardest difficulty. COD for example is notorious for the difficulty on Veteran. I have G1000 on MW1, G1000 on W@W (as well as the platinum) and can’t imagine achieving those without being able to regenerate health of having to deal with more than just my screen getting blurry from damage.
For survival horrors, sure. Throw in the health packs and make me limp when I’ve taken too much damage. That adds to the intensity and sense of urgency that is needed for those games.
deadwelsh
if any games implemented a realistic injury system, i doubt there would be any guns within the game as 1 shot would either maim, kill, or send you into shock, effectively paralysing you.
Imagine MW2 where you got shot, then crawled around trying not to die for 10mins, not being able to shoot anyone cos your aim is so bad. Sounds like a shitty game to me.
Games are about escapism, if i wanted to ‘feel’the realism i could go paintballing or join the army.
Spotter5
“The bread is delicious”
+100 points for anyone to name the game that comes from ;)
Moving on, I like the FarCry2 damage model, watching your guy pull bits of wood and metal of him or pop his arm back into the socket was squeamish and fun.
rht992
i’m susprised no one mentioned Farcry. it had a great healing system
Jimster71
I used to enjoy playing Rainbow Six Vegas on ‘realistic’ for Terrorist Hunt. It definitely required the use of team tactics because one or two hits and you were dead.
Realism can often get in the way of a good game though, I find that the current trend for regenerative health works fine for me.
Damage modelling on people is a bit different to damage modelling for vehicles. People have less bits that can break or fall off without causing major problems.