8 Lies The Video Game Industry Can't Stop Telling

3. "You Can Play Your Way"

Almost the "see that mountain? You can go there" of the last few years, tons of top-tier studios started adapting RPG-like notions of player and class customisation, in titles that are not really built for deviating pathways.

For example, I'm currently replaying 2003's mighty Knights of the Old Republic. At the beginning of the game you're tasked with venturing into the "Undercity" to locate a companion. You're free to literally ask around the entire chunk of the metropolis you're in, quizzing bartenders and neighbours for info.

The results give you everything from acquiring Sith documents to fake your way past patrols, to stealing armour from a Sith general's house party after all the guests have passed out from drinking.

THAT, is "playing my way".

The Witcher 2 gating off an entire half of the game because of a choice you make in the first act? That too, is "playing my way".

What feels like channeling these age-old, more "true RPG" playstyles - but then not following up on it - is saying that any game with a skill tree or stat screen at all does the same thing.

From God of War 2018's Runes to modern Assassin's Creed's abilities, or any number of loot shooters with unlockable damage buffs or defence modifiers, we all largely still play these games the exact same way.

The Avengers tried to say that each individual player's Iron Man would be completely different, but as is largely the case, unless the guts of your game are a branching path narrative and variety of gameplay approaches, it just isn't the case.