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Opinion
6555

I’m a consumer, not a game designer – why do I need to make so many decisions?

Philipp Rüegg
7/8/2025
Translation: Eva Francis

First person or third person? Black and white or colour? Graphic gorgeousness or more FPS? So many games force me to make decisions – and that stresses me out.

Having some freedom in games is a good thing, in theory. I love the fact that Baldur’s Gate 3 allows me to be anything from a murderous executioner to a helpful pacifist or a corny Casanova. Having to choose perspectives, graphic modes and quest guides, however, is overwhelming, in my opinion. And I’m having to do this more and more often.

First-person perspective or shoulder camera?

The latest example? Grounded 2, an amazing survival game clearly inspired by the film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. I play one of four young adults who find themselves fighting their way through a huge park, reduced to the size of a tick.

Before I embark on my adventure, the game asks me whether I want to play from a first-person perspective or with a shoulder-mounted camera. The former is more immersive, while the latter offers a better overview. I already hated this option in Fallout 3. Of course, I want to see what my character’s new armour looks like, but the world feels more gripping when I play from a first-person perspective. And I can aim much better that way. Which option to go for? I find myself switching back and forth constantly because I can’t make up my mind.

Grounded 2 lets me change my perspective at the touch of a button.
Grounded 2 lets me change my perspective at the touch of a button.
Source: Philipp Rüegg

Black and white or colour?

Sony’s open-world game Ghost of Tsushima is in many ways a tribute to Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films. That’s why the studio Sucker Punch added a Kurosawa mode to the game. This mode transforms the otherwise colourful game world into black and white, giving it a completely different feel. Both modes are appealing in their own way. The many colours are more visually stimulating, while Kurosawa mode feels more meaningful and significant. There are no wrong decisions, yet I feel like I’m missing out on something in both modes.

Kurosawa mode makes the game look like an old samurai movie.
Kurosawa mode makes the game look like an old samurai movie.
Source: Attack of the Fanboy

Graphics or performance?

The biggest advantage of consoles was that I got a box I could start playing right away. No patches, driver updates or graphics settings to worry about like on a PC. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. While I can live with updates and occasional crashes, there’s one supposed improvement I would gladly do without: graphics options.

I understand why graphics options make sense on a PC, as the hardware is different. But on the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, unlike the old consoles, I have to decide on a compromise. Do I prefer to play with 4K resolution, crisp textures and realistic lighting thanks to ray tracing – or do I accept visual compromises and benefit from a better frame rate? Both options are unsatisfactory. If I play in graphics mode, the poor frame rate drives me crazy. If I choose performance mode, I notice every flicker and blurry texture.

When I play Horizon Forbidden West on the PS5, I’m forced to choose between performance and graphics.
When I play Horizon Forbidden West on the PS5, I’m forced to choose between performance and graphics.
Source: Guerilla Games

Guided or exploration mode?

Quest markers are great. They indicate where I have to go next and keep me wasting time searching around. But they also act as blinkers. Assassin’s Creed is one of the most notorious checklist games that pretty much marks everything on the map for me to see. In the latest versions, an unguided mode was added to the classic exploration mode. Unguided mode has no arrows on the map or illuminated waypoints to show me where my destination is. That actually sounds quite exciting, but is it what game developers find the best option? Because that’s the one I want to play.

Ubisoft’s been offering an unguided exploration mode since Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
Ubisoft’s been offering an unguided exploration mode since Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
Source: Ubisoft

These four examples illustrate what I’m getting at: I don’t want to be the one to decide which compromise is better. It gives me FOMO. So here’s my request: Dear game developers, you’re the experts. Just give me the version you think is best.

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Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles. 

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