Just like every other technological advancement, video games have also seen a paradigm shift in the past 3-4 decades. There were times when we used to enjoy video games on CRT screens using miniature consoles. The industry has changed drastically over the years with the emergence of newer editions of PlayStations, Nintendo, and PC games. Now the millennials who experienced retro games share nostalgia with it, and GenZs, because of their exposure to technology, are drawn towards graphics-rich games. This ignites a retro gaming vs modern gaming debate among the games, and it has been here for a long. It’s high time we talk on the subject and clear the fog around the topic.
There is no judgment to the question of which is better, retro or modern, both share distinct features and cater to different audiences. Modern gaming often comes with a low learning curve gameplay because of the less attention span of modern users. On the contrary, retro games had huge learning curves, and mastering the games took a lot of work. In this blog, we will shed light on the key differences between modern games and retro classics, with respect to gameplay, graphics, storytelling, accessibility, and the impact of nostalgia.
Table of Contents
Modern games include AAA titles like Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. These games are called modern games because of their distinguishing features like the graphics used in the game, immersive storylines, and depiction of complex worlds. You would need high-end system requirements, or updated consoles to experience such games.
Retro games are timeless games that were developed in the 20th century and are still relevant to this day. Gamers enjoy retro games like Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and others to this day. Retro games are simple, the elements in the game are limited and often require hard gaming skills to master and accomplish the missions.
As we discussed earlier, the complexity of gameplay is a major difference between modern and retro games. We shall discuss the topic in-depth and analyze the differences in detail.
Modern video games focus on aesthetics and sprawling open-world environments that feel more like an animated Hollywood movie. The storylines in these games are also very intricate and offer details that intrigue the audience. It mostly thrives on its ability to please the audience with its rich graphics and extensive open worlds and focuses less on the difficulty of the game. Some of the prime examples of modern games that boast a super extensive open world, and offer intuitive storylines are mentioned below:
These games are not just about playing, they surpass the essence of video games with added features. You can have communities inside the game, you can own land and have NFTs which you can trade on the marketplace and make money. Interactions with Non-Playable Characters is also a fun way to spend your leisure game time. The games are not just about completing missions. We have come a long way from playing arcades.
One of the biggest technological inclusions that took place in modern gaming is Artificial Intelligence. This technology was brought in to enhance the immersiveness of the game, and these AI NPCs did a good job at it. NPCs in the game can adjust to your game skills and provide you with human-like competitions when the game lacks the element of humans. Other technologies are also in the pipeline that will further smoothen the gaming experience of the young audience. Technologies like Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are the next things in the future in modern gaming.
The retro games of the 20th century, especially games that were deployed in the 80s and the 90s, had straightforward and simple mechanics. Some of the famous titles of that era still live in the hearts of the millennials. Moreover, even the GenZs play these games and enjoy them, ensuring the relevancy of these games even to this day. The prime examples of such games include:
Super Mario Bros, Tomb Raider, and the Legend of Zelda are still relevant to this day and are global sensations. These games transcend time and gamers around the world still prefer these games over others. The best part of these games lay in the immediate gameplay that jumped right into the action and retro games did not beat around the bush. Retro games had a peculiar factor in them, they were addictive because of their gradual increase in difficulty. The learning curve in the games was quite high.
Although the games were simple because of the lack of graphics and technology, the gameplay loop in the games was highly engaging because the games had a limited set of game mechanics. Even though game mechanics were limited, mastering them was not an easy thing and required a good amount of time. The games were also easily accessible compared to modern games that require a ton of customizations on a PC or the latest consoles. On top of that, modern games are expensive as well.
In terms of complexity and game mechanics, retro games and modern games differ on a large scale. While modern games are equipped with tons of game mechanics, retro games offer very little game mechanics, making them less complex than modern games. However, with more mechanics, modern games become a story-based experience compared to retro games which are more skill-based.
Next up, we will talk about the graphics and art used in modern and retro games. How different they are and how it impacts the overall user experience.
Modern games are rich in graphics and artistic visuals. Developers have raised the standard of graphics in modern gaming to such a level that it feels like you are witnessing a 3D animated movie made by a multi-million Hollywood production house. The consoles and graphics cards embedded in PCs of this generation render highly detailed frames in the utmost picture quality. The phenomenal world-building in modern games looks realistic and gives a satisfying experience to gamers. Some of the examples of modern games that have taken graphics too seriously and provide breathtaking visuals are as follows:
The above-mentioned games are too realistic and provide a jaw-dropping experience to the gamers. The optimizations in Red Dead Redemption are intricately woven, even the falling of leaves from the trees and different seasons in the game match reality extensively. Black Myth: Wukong brings the story of Journey to the West to life, and the portrayal of Sun Wukong in the game is awe-inspiring. The open-world exploration of Horizon Zero Dawn is appealing to the eyes. Also, the interaction with the extra-terrestrial elements in the game gives you an experience of a lifetime.
No wonder why developers pay so much time and effort into these games, because of the high demand for such games in the market. With the emergence of advanced technologies like ray tracing, 4K resolution, and motion capture, the eye-pleasing factor in these games clearly gives them an edge over retro games. The lifelike visuals are only possible in modern games because of the advanced technology.
We have invented software like Maya and Blender, which help developers build character models, animations, and behavior of elements in the game. The Last of Us Part II boasts intricate facial expressions that help users understand the gravity of the situation which eventually helps the game to put an emotional impact on the gamers.
Retro games did not boast a very high-end experience in terms of visuals. We do not blame retro games for any discrepancies in graphics because of the limitations in technology. The colors in the game were minimal and the graphics were of low resolution. But these games were not limited to graphics and compensated it with creative solutions. The games designed in this era might not surprise you with their graphics but their design did draw the attention of the millennials.
These games obviously cannot compete with modern games in terms of graphics given their shortcomings in visuals, which is not even their fault. The pixel art used in these games, vibrant colors, and stylized designs in itself has a new genre and these things are still relevant to this day. Modern games have an audience and so the retro games, even after decades. Because of nostalgia, and simplicity in the retro games, they are still played in the world to this day. The 8-bit and 16-bit graphics used in early games are part of a culture that still lives in the hearts of many gamers worldwide.
It is obvious that modern games will outmuscle retro games. The strong reason behind it is the hardware and software updates over the years which allowed developers to build games of such magnitudes. But we can’t ignore the classical style of retro games and the creativity they embody even though with limited graphics capabilities.
The modern games vs retro games debate also revolves around the storytelling premise. While retro games were straightforward and stuck with missions and direct gameplay, modern games have multiple tangents in the game. We shall discuss this difference in detail.
Modern games are not just about video games, they are more than that. The games treat storytelling as an art form, for example, titles like The Witcher 3 and others take storytelling to a whole new level. Gamers not only enjoy the playability of the game but also remain on the edge of their seats while engrossing themselves in the plots of the games. We shall list down some of the examples:
Modern games have a deep focus on storytelling, the plot gives more weightage to the games. For example, the God of War has an emotional storyline, where Kratos, the protagonist, has to defeat the Gods to attain vengeance. The storyline also has elements from Nordic mythology. Gods like Zeus, Thor, Baldur, and even demi-god Hercules are part of the storyline that makes the game more interesting.
Players get to take up the mantle of Bruce Wayne in Batman: Arkham Knight and save Gotham from corruption. These stories have a connection with gamers and they love to get themselves in the shoes of their favorite superheroes. Hence, modern games revolve around rich storylines that have a connection with the user. Black Myth: Wukong brings the story of Journey to the West, just like Hogwarts Legacy brings the universe of Harry Potter in front of users where they can be Harry, Hermione, or Ron. So if you are a Harry Potter, Monkey King, or Batman fan, you will like the games that adapt their storylines.
On the contrary, much different from modern games, retro games do not have a lengthy plot or interesting storylines. Instead, these games follow a simple routine, for example, triumph over an antagonist, saving a princess et cetera. The retro games that follow these simple storylines are listed below:
These games were minimalistic and user-driven, meaning users had to imagine scenarios and create them in their heads. But that was not the case with all the retro games, games like Legend of Zelda and Tomb Raider captured the user’s attention more extensively. The games being retro ones, were so famous in those eras that the development of such games became eternal, and new parts kept coming. Tomb Raider and Legend of Zelda are relevant to this day and evolved as new parts were deployed.
The Legend of Zelda was first released by Nintendo on February 21, 1986, and since then the game has only gone up on the trajectory. This retro game is so popular that it started as a retro game in 1986 and has transformed into a modern one currently. The parts of the game are listed below:
| Title | Release Date |
| Adventure of Link | January 14, 1987 |
| A Link to the Past | November 21, 1991 |
| Link’s Awakening | June 6, 1993 |
| Ocarina of Time | November 21, 1998 |
| Majora’s Mask | April 27, 2000 |
| Oracle of Seasons/Ages | February 27, 2001 |
| Four Swords | December 2, 2002 |
| The Wind Waker | December 13, 2002 |
| Four Swords Adventures | March 18, 2004 |
| The Minish Cap | November 4, 2004 |
| Twilight Princess | November 19, 2006 |
| Phantom Hourglass | June 23, 2007 |
| Spirit Tracks | December 7, 2009 |
| Skyward Sword | November 19, 2011 |
| A Link Between Worlds | November 22, 2013 |
| Triforce Heroes | October 22, 2015 |
| Breath of the Wild | March 3, 2017 |
| Tears of the Kingdom | May 13, 2023 |
This is the power of a retro game that captured the millennials as well as the GenZs. Apart from Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider is another example where the game has three timelines, Original Saga, Legend of Tomb Raider, and Survivor Trilogy, spread between 3 decades. The first title, Tomb Raider, was released in 1996, and the latest title of the Survivor trilogy, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, was released in 2018, making it a modern game.
Modern games offer intricate stories with emotional depth, and that is true. However, retro games, although having simple storylines and basic characters, appealed in a way to the audience that developers couldn’t help but deploy it again and again throughout the short gaming history. We can call retro games eternal. Having no complex elements and extensive plots, the games managed to stand the test of time. We don’t know whether the modern games of this era will be relevant in the 2040s or 50s, but we can surely say that retro games are relevant even after more than 3 decades of their release.
When it comes to accessibility, modern games having low learning curves provide less challenging missions to appease a broader audience. Contrarily, retro games demanded hours of playtime for users to get acclimatized to the game. Let’s delve into the convenience factor in the retro vs modern games debate.
When it comes to accessibility features, modern games go easy on their audience. Probably this is the reason why modern games cater to a diverse and wide audience, because it can be accessed by anyone, of any age and gender. You can even adjust the difficulty levels in modern games. The controls can be remapped, moreover, if you are colorblind, you can adjust the screen according to your visuals. Games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s gameplay can also be customized according to the users.
Moreover, technologies like cross-platform playability allow users to access the games on a broader level. PC users are not limited to games developed for consoles, as once you add a cross-platform functionality function to a game, it becomes adaptable on all devices.
Another reason modern games become a hit is because of their optimization for mobile phones. Through this games become more accessible and anyone with a mobile phone, which almost everyone has nowadays, can enjoy modern games. Due to the lack of technology, retro games could only be played on a console, making them less accessible than modern games.
While retro games are not easily accessible, they were also designed in a way to exhaust gamers and required time and effort to complete the gameplay. The tough challenges in retro games made it hard for users to progress in the levels of the game. Games like Ninja Gaiden and Battletoads are infamous for the nightmares they gave gamers because of their haunting difficulty. These skill-based games were not meant for everybody and can only be played by gamers having perseverance.
Although the games provided a sense of achievement, they often made gamers frustrated because of the inability to cross levels easily. The games did not provide a safety net like modern games and users had to start over each level if they failed to get past the levels. This feature also made triumph feel hard-earned.
Modern games are more accessible and convenient, however, if you are a game junkie and want hard challenges, retro games provide that. They are also hardly accessible because of the outdated technology. The consoles on which you can play retro games do not support HDMI. Therefore, retro games setup can only be found inside a true retro junkie.
One of the dividing factors between retro and modern games is the cultural impact and nostalgia. Millennials have a soft spot for retro games and will defend it whatsoever, modern games lack the emotional connection that gamers have with retro games.
Any gamer who was born in the 90s knows the value of retro games. Retro games hold a major place in the childhood of kids who are in their late 20s. The feeling of nostalgia, the memory of playing games with your friends in their basement on little consoles, brings back a wide smile on the faces of gamers from the late 90s.
Retro games are the foundations of the enthralling video game development industry that we witness today. They were not just video games but were a cultural phenomenon that is still instilled in the hearts of gamers in the modern era.
Modern games are no doubt better than retro games in terms of graphics, community building, and immersive experience. However, they lack the ability to become a cultural phenomenon like retro games once brought. Modern games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Among Us have built credibility in the hearts of gamers, but they still are not a global thing and only target a set of audiences. But these games have the potential to push the boundaries, with emerging technologies like blockchain, AI, and AR, the landscape of gaming is set on an unimaginable path that will surpass the expectations of gamers worldwide.
In terms of gaming culture, the impact retro games have had is humongous and outmuscles modern games. As long as the gaming community consists of gamers from the 90s, retro games will always have people by their side for their defense.
No matter which side you take, modern games or retro games, both can provide you with a rewarding experience based on your expectations. A GenZ gamer might not relate to retro games because he probably never played them in his childhood and started his gaming with games developed by modern game development companies. At the same time, retro games that shaped the childhoods of millennials will always remain in their hearts because of the nostalgia factor. In the end, it boils down to what you are seeking, you can find entertainment in modern games as well as in retro games, it all depends on your preference.
But the fact that retro games are still relevant and people play them over and over again speaks volumes about the popularity of the genre. In the opinion of some gamers, modern games are not worthy of playing repeatedly, on the contrary, retro games are played repeatedly over and over again until this day. Hence, a hardcore retro game fan will always defend Super Mario Bros over any other modern game. Likewise, modern gamers will always choose titles like Elden Ring, and Black Myth: Wukong over retro games, and will not dig games like Contra and Mario.
Modern games focus more on the storylines, graphics, and aesthetics of the game to retain the audience. These games have features like open-world environments, AI-based Non-playable characters, and in-game assets. These things were missing in the retro games, as they were simple in their gameplay and had basic graphics.
Yes, modern games are more complex than retro games. They have a more in-depth design of the environment, hold multiple elements, and have multiple options and features embedded in the game.
Yes, retro games still offer compelling experiences to gamers worldwide. Super Mario Bros continues to be the go-to game for millennials and GenZs. The sheer nostalgia, addictive gameplay loops, and simple game mechanics help retro games to be relevant to this day.
