Player Experience
Ongoing coverage on Player Experience.
Latest coverage
Opinion: It Took Me Nearly 20 Years To Fall Into Mario Galaxy's Orbit
The author reflects on their nearly 20-year journey to appreciate Super Mario Galaxy, initially disliking it due to perceived stiff controls and unmet expectations. A shift in approach, influenced by experiences with Penny's Big Breakaway and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, eventually led to a profound enjoyment of the game's unique mechanics and design.
How Daily Races and Tournament Formats Are Making Online Casinos More Competitive
Online casinos are increasingly differentiating themselves through player experience rather than just flashy promotions. Key factors include fast withdrawals, seamless mobile usability, simplified registration, and transparent terms. While bonuses still attract attention, experienced players now prioritize convenience and trustworthiness, with cryptocurrency support becoming a standard expectation.
The Gaming Features Players Actually Care About in 2026
Players increasingly prioritize practical features like fast withdrawals, mobile usability, and efficient search functions over flashy design and oversized bonuses in online gaming platforms. Transparency in operations, including clear terms and conditions and cryptocurrency support, is becoming standard. The industry's shift reflects a growing demand for convenience and player control, moving away from surface-level marketing towards a more holistic and trustworthy user experience.
Marathon Roadmap: Less Grind, More PvE
Bungie has shared a roadmap for its extraction shooter Marathon, outlining plans to reduce grind and enhance PvE elements. The update comes three months after the game's launch and details the developer's learnings and future direction.
Marathon "overwhelming" for newcomers, director admits as plans for PvE and PvP-lite modes revealed
Marathon game director Joe Ziegler admitted the extraction shooter can be overwhelming for new players and revealed plans for PvE and PvP-lite modes to offer alternatives. Bungie will implement these changes starting in Season 3, with further updates planned for Seasons 4 and 5 to deepen the extraction loop and evolve the game's ecosystem. This comes amid concerns about the game's longevity and following Sony's announcement of a significant financial loss related to its ownership of Bungie.
How Accessibility Features Are Changing Modern Gaming
Modern gaming is increasingly incorporating accessibility features like customizable controls, subtitles, and colorblind settings as standard elements, benefiting all players, not just those with disabilities. This shift is improving player experience across PC, console, and mobile platforms, making games more inclusive and engaging. Digital storefronts are also enhancing accessibility, making game discovery and purchase easier for a wider audience.
I’ve been burned by the new Arc Raiders map, but that’s what happens on a beach holiday
The new Riven Tides map for Arc Raiders, set in an abandoned coastal resort, offers a challenging player experience with open beach areas and dangerous inland zones. Developer Embark Studios has introduced new enemy types like the Arc Turbine and Vaporizer, alongside environmental hazards that test players' adaptability. The map's design contrasts open spaces with confined areas, creating a dynamic and often perilous environment for players.
How Accessibility Features Are Expanding in Modern Video Games
Modern video games are increasingly integrating accessibility as a core design standard, moving beyond optional settings to cater to a wider audience. This evolution includes features for motor, visual, auditory, cognitive, and situational needs, driven by improved development tools, industry best practices, and player feedback. The trend signifies a growing maturity in the gaming industry, aiming to make interactive experiences more inclusive and enjoyable for everyone.
Marathon is looking to save you from grenade spam and being one-shot by the Ares
Bungie is addressing two major player complaints in Marathon: excessive grenade spam and the Ares railgun with its Prestige mod causing one-shot kills. The developer plans to adjust grenade stock counts and stack sizes, and is working on a fix for the Ares' unintended one-tap capability. These changes aim to improve the overall player experience and game balance.
Bungie makes Marathon's Cryo Archive map less brutal, blocking spawn rush strats and giving out one free sponsored…
Bungie has implemented changes to the Cryo Archive map in Marathon to improve the player experience. These updates include providing a free sponsored kit each weekend and addressing spawn rush strategies by blocking common routes used by aggressive players. The WSTR shotgun has also been rebalanced to encourage more reliable body shots.
Game Manuals Were Gaming's Golden Age, and We Threw It All Away | HappyGamer
This article reflects on the lost art of physical game manuals, contrasting them with modern digital tutorials and pop-ups. It argues that these detailed booklets, filled with lore and artwork, created a deeper player connection and anticipation that is missing in today's convenient but less ceremonious gaming landscape.
The Daily Grind: What’s the most ‘no duh’ moment you can think of from an MMO developer?
The article discusses the "no duh" moments in MMORPG development, using Dune Awakening's announcement that players prefer PvE over PvP as an example. It questions how developers might overlook obvious player preferences and invites readers to share their own examples of surprising developer discoveries.
Marathon Update 1.0.6 Patch Notes Highlights – Season 1 Mid-Season Update — Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
Marathon's Update 1.0.6 introduces the mid-season C.A.R.R.I. event, offering rewards for cooperative exfiltration and new ways to increase faction experience. The update also enhances the new player experience by extending the beginner map duration and adding new contracts, alongside significant weapon balancing that nerfs snipers and certain SMGs while buffing railguns. Additionally, 11 new unique weapons have been added to the game.
Indie Dev Slays the Silent Save Killer That Haunted Players for Months
Indie developer zwetan has completely rewritten the save system for their game, addressing a critical bug that caused players to silently lose hours of progress. The overhaul, detailed in update v0.9.0.8, replaces the previous bloated system with a lightweight JSON-only format, significantly reducing save file sizes and ensuring reliable local saving even without a cloud connection. The update also includes user-friendly changes like an improved "Continue Game" button and a "Save & Quit" option for offline players, demonstrating a strong commitment to player experience and trust.
Marathon's Cryo Archive map needs matchmaking
The Cryo Archive map in Marathon is currently experiencing matchmaking issues, with experienced players who have cleared the final boss dominating lobbies. This situation is negatively impacting the player experience for others.
Cyberpunk 2077 Players Still Finding Deep Story Moments Years Later
Years after its troubled launch, Cyberpunk 2077 continues to resonate with players through its deep storytelling and character moments, as highlighted by a viral Reddit post. The article discusses how CD Projekt Red succeeded in creating meaningful relationships and pacing that encourages players to engage with the narrative at their own speed, proving that strong emotional cores can overcome technical issues.
Overwatch Community Declares Game ‘Truly Back’ After Classic POTG Moment
The Overwatch community is experiencing a resurgence of enthusiasm, with players declaring the game is 'truly back' following classic Play of the Game moments. This renewed optimism is attributed to recent balance changes by Blizzard Entertainment that have made more heroes viable and fostered exciting team-based gameplay. These moments are creating a positive feedback loop, encouraging players to return and share their positive experiences.
Arc Raiders' Flashpoint update addresses a major player complaint, throwing geared players into less games in-progress
Embark Studios' latest update for Arc Raiders, titled Flashpoint, introduces changes to how geared players are matched into games. Players who equip valuable loadouts are now more likely to join fresh servers, addressing complaints about joining in-progress matches where loot has already been scavenged. This update also includes new enemies, weapons, and in-game events, alongside increased loot value in locked rooms.
THE FINALS Season 10 Goes Full Medieval with Aerialist Class & Crossbows
THE FINALS has launched its Season 10 Fantasy League update, introducing a medieval theme with new gameplay elements like the Aerialist playstyle and a Chimera-XB crossbow. The update also features a new arena, Starlight Hollow, and improvements to the ranked system, though some players express concern about the shift away from the game's original modern destruction identity.
Warframe of Mind: The Shadowgrapher’s Follie flub
The recent Warframe update introducing the Follie's Hunt game mode has been met with significant player dissatisfaction, with many finding it to be a "disaster." The mode fundamentally changes the player's role from predator to prey, but critics argue it fails to work effectively due to poor mission design, counterproductive mechanics, and a lack of enemy presence, making survival difficult and agency limited.