I feel like I could, and should, speak on this topic for a long time, but I don’t think I will. But this guy, the creator of a game I’m actually looking forward to, makes a particularly good point. One of the biggest problems with games these days is that you’re playing an insane badass, but only in the cutscenes; in the actual game, he’s a clumsy, fragile little flower of a man, not to mention being played by a skinny kid in his basement who lacks a vengeful heart. See: Snake in Metal Gear Solid or, as the writer points out, Master Chief. You don’t feel like you’re them in the game, unlike something like Half-Life or a fighter like Soul Calibur where you can be exactly as cool as the character because your character is limited to what you can do. This guy likes the idea of repetition in order to put you more firmly in your character’s shoes.
I won’t damage his credibility by mentioning that he thinks your character in Marathon is a “bewildered idiot” when he is, in fact, destiny (Marathon spoiler alert). That would be pedantic and fanboyish.
Halo 3 and The Art of Repetition [Bit-Tech.net]