Psychic Damage: How Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Signals the Decline of AAA Writing

Big budgets don't always buy better stories. In fact, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has become a lightning rod for criticism regarding the steadily declining writing quality in AAA games. According to Boing Boing, the title serves as a glaring example of the laziness inherent in 'too big to fail' developers.

The 'Too Big to Fail' Trap in Game Development

When projects cost hundreds of millions of dollars, studios often prioritize safety over substance. We're seeing a flood of tutorials disguised as clunky dialogue and an endless stream of quips from forgettable side characters. This ' Marvel-ized' approach to storytelling attempts to keep players constantly engaged but often ends up doing the exact opposite by shattering immersion with cringeworthy writing.

Mario and the 'Psychic Damage' of Modern Dialogue

A viral parody of Mario speaking in typical modern gaming dialogue has recently highlighted this industry-wide issue. Imagine Mario narrating every jump: "Guess I better get to that higher ground, wouldn't want to fall now!" This trend of over-explaining every action treats players like they can't figure out basic mechanics, leading to what many call 'psychic damage'—a deep exhaustion from being patronized by a script.