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There are only 2 kinds of FPS (media.piefed.social)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/video_game_memes@piefed.social
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[–] 10 points 3 months ago (3 children)

What is System Shock 2 and Prey? An FPS? An RPG?

Immersive Sim. This slots in with things like Deus Ex and Dishonored.

Though, now that I think about it, I'm not entirely sure what makes something an im-sim vs just being a first person RPG like say TES:Oblivion. In the context of Prey and System Shock, they have a persistent world where killed enemies (mostly) stay dead and items stay picked up. I don't know if this is the case for games like Deus Ex or Dishonored though, it kind of is true because you play levels, but I think the almost metroidvania feel of Prey and System Shock were a key part of what I now define as an im-sim. But Deus Ex and Dishonored are names that are always trotted out as examples of good im-sims.

Is Selaco an im-sim? I think it is, it has a persistent world which you navigate in a metroidvania style and dead enemies stay dead and picked up items stay picked up. There are upgrades and power ups and light RPG mechanics. However its Steam store page does not list it as one.

So I guess my point is that I know System Shock and Prey are considered Immersive sims but I don't have much of a fucking clue on what that actually means in detail.

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  • [–] 8 points 3 months ago*

    Immersive Sims are FPS games set in believe/realistic maps and have a high degree of interactivity and/or depth. Being able to interact with all the doors, computers, vending machines, toilets, etc. I can't remember if it was Deus Ex or Duke3D that first coined the term, but a lot of Build Engine games were described as immersive sims (and where I first heard the term) and the biggest things that set Duke3D apart from Deus Ex is Deus Ex has the RPG elements, like character stats, augments, and dialogue trees.

    Honestly, tho, the genre is vague enough that if it simulates enough reality in a way that makes you feel like you're actually in the game world, it could be called an immersive sim.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

    What makes an ImSim and ImSim is how you interact with it. They're usually systems-first games. Most of your interactions are not dictated by the game designer, rather they're emergent from the systems. The typical line of ImSim vs regular FPS is if you can stack boxes to do something the designers didn't intend. HL2 has boxes, but they're essentially exclusively placed to be used in a certain way. An ImSim might have a locked door, but you can stack boxes to get into a vent, as an example. It's all about options, and having the player figure things out for themselves.

    I don't think this is technically an ImSim, but a good example of this is BG3. You can place objects in your inventory, so the designers can't really prevent you from bringing a hundred crates to climb over a wall, or bringing explosives to instantly kill a boss. They give you tools, and there are many ways they can be used.

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