One of the biggest complaints I hear about computer games is linearity. People do not seem to like being led or shown how to do things. They want to explore and discover all by themselves. They want to feel like they found something magical by managing to complete the game in a way that no one else ever could (even if everyone else did it pretty much the same way.)

I have recently been irritated by Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, in that every time I try and snoop an area for treasure, the game offers me a hint. I am well able to see the obvious ledge all by myself and just because I have not made it my priority doesn’t mean I am stuck. It is like having a child with you who has recently completed the game and just can’t help blurting out what you are supposed to be doing.

This said I have thoroughly enjoyed Uncharted and felt it had a lot to offer by way of entertainment. It has also become my first game completion of 2008 - w00t! I like linear games. Yes, that’s right - I said it. I like the forbidden “no no.” I do enjoy an element of discovery and I have no problem being stuck at puzzles, but there is nothing I hate more than not knowing what my next task is or where I am supposed to be going. If I get lost in a game I will put it down and try again later, but if I still can’t see what I’m supposed to be doing then I will never play it again… Sad but true. I like a good structure. Gaming should be fun, not boring and tedious.

This worries me when I think about games I enjoy but have decided to change - for example Burnout. I have always liked Burnout because I can race in an almost mindless way, no gears, no need to check maps or directions, no worries about slamming into your mates. It’s all good. However Burnout Paradise offers me a free roaming city where I will have to find my own races and then work out the route. It sounds like an awful lot of effort to me. I have quite enjoyed the demo but as for real gaming pleasure I will just have to wait till the end of January to find out.