The Best Genre Still Has No Name

Summary

The video delves into the concept of 'Metroid Brainia,' a genre blending exploration, puzzle-solving, and knowledge-based gameplay, inspired by Metroidvania. Unlike typical games that unlock progress with physical upgrades, Metroid Brainia games reward players with understanding the game's rules and mechanics. The video highlights games like *Outer Wilds* and *Fez*, showcasing the thrill of uncovering deep secrets and epiphanies. It also explores the balance between first-playthrough magic and replayability, discussing community collaboration in solving puzzles. The video ultimately encourages players to embrace the discovery process, while considering the challenges of revisiting these complex, knowledge-driven experiences.

Takeaways

• 😀 Metroid brainia is a gaming genre that combines Metroidvania-style exploration with puzzle-solving elements requiring knowledge rather than physical keys.
• 😀 Metroidvania games focus on unlocking areas through item-based progression, such as movement upgrades, while Metroid brainia games focus on understanding and deciphering the rules of the game world.
• 😀 Outer Wilds is a prime example of a Metroid brainia game, offering a time loop mechanic where understanding the universe's rules is key to progressing, with the ability to complete the game in just 10 minutes once those rules are learned.
• 😀 The Witness, while also a Metroid brainia game, features a stronger emphasis on puzzle-solving with less reliance on secrets shared through community collaboration.
• 😀 Not every game needs to have high replayability; games like Outer Wilds and Return of the Obra Dinn excel by offering a memorable first playthrough, even at the cost of replayability.
• 😀 Fez is another example of a Metroid brainia game, with its cryptic puzzles and hidden mechanics, but its replayability is hindered by requiring knowledge from multiple playthroughs before unlocking certain abilities.
• 😀 Tunic improves on Fez’s model by allowing players to complete the game’s puzzles using knowledge gained along the way, offering more balanced replayability and a better second-playthrough experience.
• 😀 Animal Well leans more heavily into Metroidvania elements, such as movement challenges, while still having Metroid brainia secrets that players can learn and apply during their playthrough.
• 😀 Community collaboration is a key element in Metroid brainia games, particularly when solving difficult puzzles or uncovering hidden secrets that require collective effort.
• 😀 While puzzles that require community help can be rewarding in the moment, they also present challenges in terms of aging poorly and losing their mystery once the solution is shared widely.

Q & A

What is the term 'Metroid Brainia' referring to in gaming?

Metroid Brainia is a gaming genre where progress is made not by acquiring physical items or upgrades, but by understanding the game's world rules and mechanics. It emphasizes knowledge and insight as the keys to overcoming obstacles and solving puzzles.

How does Metroid Brainia differ from Metroidvania games?

Metroidvania games focus on acquiring items or abilities that unlock new areas or help the player progress. In contrast, Metroid Brainia games focus on unlocking new knowledge about the game's world, which enables players to navigate obstacles and puzzles in more insightful ways.

What are some key features of Metroidvania games?

Metroidvania games typically feature items like flippers or fire boots that allow the player to access previously blocked areas. They also emphasize movement-based upgrades, such as double jumps or wall climbing abilities, and the maps are expansive with interconnected rooms that encourage backtracking.

What makes Outer Wilds a good example of a Metroid Brainia game?

Outer Wilds fits the Metroid Brainia genre because its primary mechanic is the discovery of the rules of the universe. Players can solve the game by understanding these rules, allowing them to bypass traditional gameplay progression barriers and reach the end of the game in a very short time once the knowledge is unlocked.

What is one of the major downsides of Outer Wilds from a replayability perspective?

A major downside of Outer Wilds is its lack of replayability. Once players understand the game's universe and solve its mysteries, there is little left to discover, which makes subsequent playthroughs less engaging and exciting.

Why is The Witness considered to have good replayability compared to Outer Wilds?

The Witness has more replayability than Outer Wilds because, even though its core puzzles involve understanding the world’s rules, players can revisit puzzles or complete them in different ways. The game also encourages players to think critically about its philosophy and hidden visual Easter eggs, which adds depth to repeat playthroughs.

Why doesn't Return of the Obra Dinn fit as a Metroid Brainia game?

Return of the Obra Dinn doesn’t fit the Metroid Brainia genre because its progression is based on narrative discovery rather than gaining knowledge of gameplay mechanics. The game’s focus is on piecing together the story, and the revelations do not unlock new areas or mechanics.

What is a critical flaw of Fez in terms of its Metroid Brainia mechanics?

A critical flaw of Fez in its Metroid Brainia mechanics is that some puzzles require knowledge that cannot be accessed until after completing the game’s bad ending. This progress gate, like the need for sunglasses to view certain clues, can make the experience feel unnecessarily restricted.

How does Tunic handle Metroid Brainia mechanics differently from Fez?

Tunic improves on the Metroid Brainia formula by front-loading its core gameplay mechanics, allowing players to discover important game mechanics early. Unlike Fez, Tunic doesn't lock necessary knowledge behind a bad ending and provides players with more freedom to choose how they proceed toward the game's true ending.

What role does community collaboration play in Metroid Brainia games?

Community collaboration plays a significant role in Metroid Brainia games, as these games often involve puzzles that are difficult to solve alone. Players collaborate online to share knowledge and solutions, which can enhance the experience but also leads to the potential problem of players relying too much on guides, which can diminish the thrill of discovery.