Last night I couldn’t help myself. I sat down looking around at the games I had to play an in some fast level of frustration I snapped and started playing old classics. I felt a huge sense of relief as I broke out Total Annilation: Kingdoms, Crimson Skys, Starcraft, Diablo 2, and even the original Spy Hunter.  I began to think on the classics and what made them so.

In most it seemed that the common thread was simplicity. Even in complex games simplicity seems to keep things “classic” in a sense. What I knew about the games above was that it would take little effort to play the game and have a good time. In other games the complexity draws parts out and can really drag you down. While I know the two RTS games there could be harshly complex the mechanics are not, I am the part that is making it complex.

That delicate balance of game style, game play, story… and so on all seems very eluding because I don’t think it works for every game out there. As soon as a developer takes something back to basics but yet wins our hearts with something new to it we devote ourselves to their craft. For new titles that have this in mind look to Team Fortress 2 and any of the “Band” games. There isn’t anything complex about them but they are still really great.

What are your game “blankies” for when the big bad gaming world has crapped out another disappointment on your head?