Visual style and Gameplay P1
For this assignment i have played a range of games which allowed me to get a real incite into their visual style and gameplay.
For each game there is a purpose and a genre in which it will fall into for example adventure and sport, this genre is decided by a games visual style which allows the player to made a decision in which genre it will fall into.
Every game such as the one i played 'midnight club' has a visual style, during previous years games have advance massively in how you are shown the visual aspects. For example games can now be played in 3D rather than plain 2D.Visual style
However a games visual style is made up of various components such as;
The world the game is based in(Terrain, architecture and objects)- Within all games, the world it is in can be realistic so the player has a better connection and interaction or more imaginary for those who like to have a more unreal experience. The architecture within games can also add to how real it is for example in some games only some objects are distinguishable and noticeable where as in games such as midnight club buildings, individuals and other landmarks are quite vivid.
Characters(Playing and non playing)- The visual style of characters can vary depending on the game you are playing. Some are able to be customised and can also be in 3D so the player can see them at every angle. Whilst others look the same and cannot be changed. In some games characters are able to interact with one another especially when playing games which involve going online, this means you may be able to communicate with friends. In midnight club you are not able to change your character however you can communicate with the computer simulated non-playing characters.
Feedback interface-When playing most games the player will be able to gain some visual feedback
this will show them ways they can improve and top tips on how to do this. Feedback allows the player to stay interested in the game as they will be shown what the best way to improve their performance and levels would be. This can be seen in the image besides this photo from the game Temple run which gives the player suggestions on what the best move will be.
Perspectives- When games where first made they where simple and formulated in 2D, however as technology has developed so has the gaming world. 3D games are now available to buy which allows the user to see things in a clearer and more vivid picture. Players are now able to scroll through the game and take in different sights. This comes into use in games such as Call of Duty in order for the player to shoot their opponents and not get killed. You also have the ability to see the game as an Ariel perspective.
Full motion video- This is an aspect which only some games contain and it means that pre recorded video footage will be place inside the game. For example in Tomb raider the game, you are shown the story on which the the game is based on this. This helps the player to get and incite into what they will have to accomplish.
Gameplay
- Interaction model-This is the relationship between a players input and the actions that take part in the game. These interaction models can take place in the form of Avatars, Multi present and narrative which all allow a player to interact with the game through various forms and conduct many tasks.
- Game settings
- Physical and temporal settings- Physical is the where the story is taking place in the game for example on a race track and Temporal is when the game is happening E.G. The year the race is happening in.
- Environmental-This setting is where the game the based in so the environment you are surrounded by when playing for example in the game Temple run you are surrounded by forests to make the player feel as if they are actually experiencing this therefore creating a more real and enjoyable game.
- Emotional & ethical-Games in general aim to draw out some kind of emotion from the player, for example when a player loses a round they may be angry or distraught however when they win something they will experience happiness only leading to disappointment once the game has been completed.Ethics plays a key part when people design games as games such as Grand theft auto where players are encouraged to steal cars and kill people horrifically. This causes problems as critics believes it encourages a violent generation.
- Goals, Challenges & rewards-The main pupose when playing a game is to accomplish a sense of achievement this is done through completeing hard grueling challenges, achieving rewards and eventually completing goals. All of these are what attracts consumers to the game in the first place, it allows them to feel good about themselves that they have overcome problems resulting in rewards.
- Addiction- Some games have the ability of exceding expectations and becoming so good a person can find themself addicted to it.These addictions can also cause people to have to go to counselling or to try and stop themselves from playing.
- Balancing- Within all games an imperitive setting is 'balancing' this is the act of ensuring that all games such as fighting games when going against the computer are fair therefore allowing an equal set of results and ensuring the player has some competiton.
- Rules- Rules define how a game can be played and sets out boundaries to the player allowing them to know what is right and wrong within that specific game.
Rules and regulations taken from the game FIFA.
8. Mechanics(Inventory, scoring, Win condition)- A games mechanics determines many things and allow the player to know a variety of things for example; Inventory will allow the player to see the items they have collected on their journey and how this can be useful to them for the rest of the game; Scoring shows the player how well they are doing and is espcially useful when in competition mode and Win condition will use formulas to work out who has one once the game is over.
9.Game structure-Every game has a structure which will define how it works whilst being played. This structure can be seen in the flow diagram below;
