Five Ways That Games Make You Think
Method 2: Open Approach
Without it being obvious, several action games offer a way to instinctively start exercising the noggin through open-ended approach. With sprawling levels, multiple paths with different hazards can open up the immediate tactical thoughts. Studying the contents ahead starts a mental triage, weighing in strengths from one route with the possible disadvantages it holds, before deciding to follow through on a plan. All of this can be done in a split second, which is kind of amazing when you think of it. You just solved a multitude of puzzles, all at once and you didn't even notice.
Deus Ex/Dishonored
One of the more notable series to let players decide its fate is Deus Ex and its augmented gameplay of stages fit for stealth, combat or ingenuity. Recently, Dishonored cracked that format as well, by offering powers that could make you fly across rooftops, sneak through pipes as a fish or simply disrupt the guard. Whichever it is, these games spread out their world before the player and from there agency takes over. What the best way to proceed is gets determined by the ability to process the floor plans of manors and data centers. Jump, crawl or brawl; freedom is invigorating.
All games act the same... they give you a set of rules and have you decode some patterns and used it to beat the game...
the real factors of how the video games encourage mental exercise is the learning curve.
Study shows that video games only stimulate the brain during the learning curve phase and eventually the stimulation dies down after the game pattern has been decoded then it becomes mechanical... "like riding a bike"
this translate to the idea that the more complex the game rule is the more it is stimulating to the brain.
FPS, in terms of gameplay mechanics, have a low learning curve same with movie games like Ryse.
However FPS in a multiplayer arena involves external factors like human psychology and often times real world battle tactics that also requires mastery separate from the game itself...
but since FPS game rules are easily learned and often rehashed of older titles, human behavior involves in FPS gameplay are very limited and often very predictable