I'll start things off.
This is old shit, but if you remember when Gamergate was at its height, a lot of them complained about "walking simulators," games like Gone Home, Dear Esther, etc. with very little in the way of typical gameplay mechanics like challenges that have to be overcome through skill or failure states. Gamergate dipshits seized on a white-hot, psychopathic hatred of these games, spinning the lack of skill required into bizarre conspiracy theories about game journalists promoting these as a plot by non-gamers to pave the way for the infiltration of gaming by "anti-gamers." Also because a lot of these games are about minorities, who of course GG assholes considered by default to not be "real gamers."
The thing is, I don't like walking simulators either. I've only played a few, but the only one I even kind of enjoyed was The Beginner's Guide (and even then, I don't think I would've missed out on much if I'd watched a longplay instead). The medium is the message, as the old saying goes, and the ability to engage through interaction with the mechanics is what sets games apart from other media. Walking simulators (and visual novels, but that's a different gripe) don't take advantage of this in a way that gets me invested. To me, a walking simulator feels like the equivalent of a movie that consists solely of a guy sitting in a chair and reading a story out loud.
The difference between me and a GG dipshit, of course, is that my dislike of the genre doesn't hinge on ridiculous conspiracy theories or hatred of minorities, and also that rather than wage some crusade to kick walking sims out of the gaming club, I just don't play them. In any case, though, the association is strong enough that it's something I tend to avoid bringing up.
i really like walking simulators too, and i would argue that they do take advantage of the medium - in the sense that just being in control of the camera and the movement really puts you into the role of the protagonist in a way that other media cant do (and i think they achieve this even when the movement is more or less on rails, although it works best the more the rails are hidden). because your viewpoint is not limited by someone elses control of where the camera is or what direction its pointing, i think the good ones really give a sense of personal exploration of a real virtual world. some of course do it better than others (eg edith finch vs that pretty awful one about the ira guy in iceland)
to me, tourism in interesting virtual worlds that someone has thoughtfully crafted is one of my favourite things that the medium allows for, ive often felt that with games like morrowind or skyrim that you could take out all the combat and the quests and i would play the absolute shit out of them just exploring the worlds and soaking in the atmosphere, even if you maybe wouldnt call that a 'game' as such
Check out east shade. It’s basically morrowind but no combat you just vibe and help anthropomorphized animals with minor problems.
Also agree with all that. A lot of the best walking sims lead you without you noticing and there’s an art to that in itself
lol i was just halfway through an edit to give a shoutout to eastshade, one of my absolute favourite games of recent years
They have a new game coming out that looks as charming, it’s just 2d.
I forget whatit’s called songs of glimmerwick. Really looking forward to it tbh lolThat's a nice point regarding walking simulators. The importance of agency in videogames is really overblown in popular discourse imo. Games construct their players, so you're always just choosing within a structure in which all possibilities have been predetermined. That's just more visible in walking sims