Repetition is when something is repeated numerous times. As we all know, there is repetition everywhere; especially in things we love such as music, movies, and video games. Some hate it while some don’t mind it. Why is that? It’s about preference. As a gamer myself, I have played many different types of games since the early 1990s; from Super Mario to Grand Theft Auto and even Mega Man to Gears of War. These and a myriad of games for the past few decades have one thing in common, repetition. Funny thing is, I have heard people and even read reviews where a game would be “repetitive” that it gets boring. But here’s my argument: All video games are repetitive. Think about it.
Since the late 1980s we have the iconic Super Mario Bros. For those unfamiliar, you play as a plumber who journeys across a fantasy world to save a princess from a castle ruled by Bowser, a giant turtle-like monster that spits fire like a dragon. To this day, there has been scores of Super Mario games; such as Super Mario Odyssey which released just a year ago. And the objectives have always been the same, save the princess from the evil king. Have people grown tired of saving the princess? Maybe some have as I have heard people say, “oh it’s the same thing again and again.” If I had a nickel for each time I heard that line.
Take a game like Minecraft which is basically virtual Legos. All you do is build and craft and it has inspired players to create art out of the blocks within the game. It’s all you do, so why do people like it? Because it’s fun. Why do we go back to save the princess for 30 years? It’s fun.
Repetition creates a sense of familiarity and according to Heather Alexandra from Kotaku, “Repetition can lead to fatigue, but it also can be something meditative or calming. Games are not unique in any sense, but I do find they’ve allowed me to create exciting routines, ways to relax that draw a lot of power from how reliably they can be recreated or reproduced.” (2016) Heather’s experience as she plays GTA Online and Destiny, are alike to my gaming experience when I go in games like Tom Clancy’s The Division; It is relaxing when playing a game with familiar repetitive routines. For example: getting to a place, defeat enemies, collect loot, and repeat. Of course, some players have a desire to do something different. That’s where from my perspective, it is about preference because let’s face it, video games in general can get repetitive.
It is not necessarily a bad thing to have repetition in games. People play Candy Crush or Toon Blast constantly on their smartphones and you’re just completing puzzles after puzzles. Yet, some of those same people wouldn’t like games like Grand Theft Auto where you drive around getting chased by cops as you accidentally, or deliberately hit pedestrians. For my part, I love some repetition in games depending on if I find it relaxing like in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey as I climb on structures and attempt animal hunting and mercenary missions.
There is one genre especially that is heavy on repetition; Role-Playing Games (RPGs). When I play RPGs such as Final Fantasy, Assassin’s Creed, or The Division, of course I find myself repeatedly grinding in similar battles and quest but for a few good reasons; To gain experience points and level up, progress through the game’s intriguing story, and to unwind and relax. Some RPGs may force players to lose interest however if the repetitive gameplay bores them. Another way may also be the story being less engaging. For example, take a recent RPG such as Xenoblade Chronicles 2 which released in 2017 for the Nintendo Switch. I found the gameplay to be somewhat complex, yet I continued playing because the story kept me engaged. By comparison, there is Final Fantasy XII which shares a similar gameplay mechanic but simpler. Personally, I have yet to play it but I plan to one day as the story and characters didn’t appeal to me as much as the story and characters from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 did. There’re also games such as Fallout 4 and Elder Scrolls V Skyrim; Both by the same company, Bethesda, and share exact similar gameplay style and mechanics. I play both, but I am sure there are people who would prefer to fight dragons in a fantastical world than explore a post-apocalyptic wasteland while facing radioactive infected monsters and robots.
Be as it may, I feel repetition in video games is great. There are variety of games that may be similar in the way they play yet are different in terms of setting, characters, story, and graphical style. Therefore, one would find a game like The Division to be repetitive while prefer a game like Destiny where technically, both share similar repetitive aspects. Respectively, one is more contemporary while you explore a plague infested New York City while the other is a science-fiction setting where you explore different planets; Both games has you exploring areas while searching for loot and defeating groups of enemies. It is just all about what one prefers while they wish to sit back and relax.
Sources:
Alexandra, Heather. “The Unexpected Joy Of Repetition In Video Games.” Kotaku, Kotaku.com, 24 Nov. 2016, kotaku.com/the-unexpected-joy-of-repetition-in-video-games-1783706380.
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