GamesJRPGFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthAfter Resident Evil 4’s remake, that notorious yellow paint discourse has come for Final Fantasy 7 RebirthWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesJRPGFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthAfter Resident Evil 4’s remake, that notorious yellow paint discourse has come for Final Fantasy 7 RebirthWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Square Enix (via Genki_JPN on Twitter))
Yellow Paint Discourse has once again hit the gamer networks. Shortly after theFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdemo went live, players and developers once again argued about the pros/cons of highlighting interactable objects with bright yellow paint.
Both sides of the debate are back in full force, this time going in circles over a Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth screenshot (see below) that has Cloud climbing a rocky surface with shining yellow ledges guiding the player upwards. It’s easy to dismiss these back-and-forths as uninteresting gamer complaints akin to arguing overpuddles in Spider-Man, but I actually think the discourse highlights lots of interesting points on both sides.
THE YELLOW PAINT VIRUS HAS INFECTED FF7 pic.twitter.com/calN0dqHf4February 8, 2024
THE YELLOW PAINT VIRUS HAS INFECTED FF7 pic.twitter.com/calN0dqHf4February 8, 2024
As Gamesradar’s Austin Woodargued the first time this discussion came up, highlighting bits of the environment is good for legibility. Rather than punching every box and barrel and pot in the game, searching for a breakable one, highlighting a lootable is a quick way to save players time and avoid any frustration. That’s fine! Signposting in this way only makes games more accessible for gamers with low visibility, too.
Game designer Dave Lockmansharedthat he once developed a game “where you can only jump and any button makes you jump.” At one PAX show, the team put a giant button in front of the screen, and as Lockman recalled, players still asked “How do you jump?”
On the other hand, artist Freya Holmerreckonsthat games should have a clearer “distinction between the player path and the surroundings” and cut back on the visual noise that can sometimes make areas hard to read. “For some (including me), the yellow paint makes you feel like you are no longer discovering things yourself, you’re just following signs, which removes the sense of discovery, experimentation, and, well, play,” says Holmer. Maybe there can be a Shadow of the Tomb Raider-type compromise, where the paint is removed depending on your difficulty level?
Indie developer Rittzler - who was behind last year’s incredible platformerPsuedoregalia- insteadblamesthe yellow paint crutch on the fact that some blockbusters don’t invest in secondary gameplay types “like exploration and puzzles.” Many modern action-adventure blockbusters guide players across or up ledges, forcing them to push the analog stick in one direction without any real room for experimentation. “It’s reduced to being simple time wasters that literally anyone (and I do mean anyone) can get through,” the developer notes.
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What’s the solution? Well, Rittzler points to Elden Ring as an example of a game that doesn’t rely on such signposting, even if the traversal doesn’t give you tons of options. Like Sekiro too, these games give you jumps and runs or grapples. Verbs that you can use at any point. So when you need to jump across a wide gap, the player utilizes an action they already have access to, rather than Cloud robotically deciding that he can now scale a rock formation.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”