Developing Contextual Awareness
For our first lesson of Unit 4, the objective is to develop our understanding of how 2D games have evolved through critical analysis. We went over Game Genres (and sub-genres) and how they are defined and assigned to video games.
A Game Genre is a video game classification based on its core gameplay.
Example 1 - Platformer: A Platformer's core objective generally involves controlling the player character (e.g. Mario) and reaching the end/goal using whatever abilities the character has at their disposal--like jumping, climbing, or power-ups. Super Mario Bros. set the gold standard for this genre at the time of its release
Example 2 - Shooter: The core gameplay of Shooters involve defeating enemies using weapons that the player has or can acquire. Sub-genres include 'Shoot 'em ups' like Space Invaders and 'First-person shooters' like Doom.
Example 3 - Puzzle: Puzzle games are, simply put, games that focus mainly on puzzle-solving. These can range from those with falling blocks like 'Tetris' or something entirely original like 'Portal' and its momentum-based puzzles.
Sub-genre refers to when the core gameplay & elements from two or more genres are blended together.
A perfect example is 'Metroidvania' (A portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania), a sub-genre of action-adventure games and generally involves exploring a large, open, and interconnected world/map and acquiring things like items, abilities, or weapons that allow the player to progress and explore more of the map. As a result, Metroidvania games are generally nonlinear.
Next, we learned some new game design terminology in relation to what actions the player can perform and how games teach the player its mechanics without breaking flow or immersion.
Verbs are actions the player can perform in-game & Versatile Verbs are actions that can have multiple outcomes depending on how it is performed (E.g. if the button is held or shortly pressed).
Invisible Tutorial refers to when gameplay elements/tutorials are integrated and explained within the gameplay. It contrasts and is advantageous to standard tutorials that may disrupt the flow by pausing gameplay or over-explain to the player and breaking the immersion.
Game Maker's Toolkit. (2015). Half-Life 2's Invisible Tutorial. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMggqenxuZc. Last accessed 11th Nov 2021.
2D Platformer Analysis
Sonic The Hedgehog
Developer/Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 1991
Genre: 2D Platformer
The first level starts the player in an empty space with no blockers. This allows the player to get used to how Sonic is controlled. Immediately after, collectibles (Rings) are placed above the player to encourage the player to figure out that all the buttons do the same action: Jumping. In-universe, this is called the 'Spin-Jump'. They might figure out that they can control the height of the jump depending on how long they hold it down.
Shortly after is a grounded enemy and a flying enemy with an item box on a raised platform. These are present to teach the player that jumping has multiple applications--it can be used to break boxes and kill enemies. It also shows there are multiple types of enemies, including one that can shoot projectiles. If they get hit by one of the enemies, they will see that they have lost all their collected rings--but they are still alive. The player now knows they can survive a hit if they have at least one ring on them. The rest of the level mostly combine these elements together in unique ways as well as having different paths the player can take.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Developer/Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 1994
Genre: 2D Platformer
Unlike Sonic 1 and 2, this game has a cutscene at the beginning of the game instead of only near/at the end. The game starts with a cutscene introducing Knuckles, who is immediately shown to be strong enough to knock Sonic out of his Super form. Players who have previously mastered Sonic 2 would understand how surprising that is.
The player will immediately notice they have a second character with them (if they chose the duo in the data select): Miles 'Tails' Prower. Playing as Tails is the 'easy mode' as he can fly (or swim when in water) for a period of time by pressing and mashing the jump button while jumping. Additionally, when playing with both Sonic and Tails, Tails can pick up Sonic and fly while holding him.
The player might also learn they can perform the Spin-Dash by crouching/holding down and spamming the jump button--if they didn't play the 2nd Sonic game.
A new action the player can perform as Sonic is the 'Insta-shield', done by pressing the jump button while jumping in the air. Sonic will be protected by a shield for a very short amount of time. When mastered, it is an amazing tool.
The beginning area is noticeably more jam-packed than Sonic 1's with multiple blockers back to back, as the player encounters 2 new enemies, a ramp, a destructible rock with a hidden spring that leads into a hidden ledge, two spikes under a dangerously low ceiling, and a few rope swings--all within the first 15 seconds. Unlike Sonic 1's first level, you can't just hold right and jump; getting through the first act as fast as possible requires a surprising amount of precise jumps. As a result, it feels even more rewarding to learn the level layout here compared to Sonic 1.
Sadly, this also means that the beginning area is noticeably harder and potentially too overwhelming to a new player as the game likely expects them to have played the previous games by now.
While I think Sonic 3 & Knuckles mastered the classic sonic formula, I think Sonic 2's Emerald Hill Zone Act 1 is a better introductory level for new players.
Sonic Generations
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 2011
Genre: 2.5D/3D Platformer
Before the first level even starts, the loading screen displays a 'hint' to the player--which in this case explains fundamental game mechanics like "Getting hit without any rings will make you lose a life"
The beginning area of Sonic Generations recreates the beginning of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) but with a key difference (If it wasn't disabled in the options): Omochao.
In-universe, Omochao is a Chao with unlimited knowledge but to the player, they exist to give helpful/useful hints within the levels themselves. Touching him will cause him to activate and verbally give hints to the player, essentially acting as the standard tutorial.
Omochao is the personification of hand-holding in modern gaming. Not only are the 'hints' completely useless/obvious to most players, but his voice is incredibly annoying and he is commonly placed in unavoidable spots.
On top of Omochao, the game will display button prompts in areas that require it (E.g. the game will display a graphic of the (X) button to teach the player they can perform the Spin Dash if they haven't figured it out by then).
In this game, there are actually two methods of performing the spin-dash. The first is how it was originally performed: Crouching by holding down and spamming the Jump button.
The other method is put onto its own button: holding it down will automatically start and charge the spin-dash.
Rayman
Developer/Publisher: Ubi Soft Entertainment
Year of Release: 1995
Genre: 2D Side-Scroller/Platformer
Before gameplay starts, the player is presented with an options screen. Here they can see three buttons with their own actions: Jump, Fist, and 'Action'. They can also choose to re-bind them or change the volume of music and sound fx if they wish to do so.
The first level is very short, begins with an empty space, and surprisingly has zero enemies. The only blockers are environmental hazards in the form of water. If the player paid attention to the options, they will likely try and quickly realize they can't actually punch yet. In fact, they have essentially no powers at all. As a result, the player is forced to learn how to navigate around the enemies in the second level with their limited move-set as they cannot directly attack them yet.
After the first two levels, the player is put into an intermission where Betilla the Fairy finally grants the player the ability to Punch. They then directly tell the player how to punch and how holding it down allows you to punch further. The player must then jump and punch in the air to knock down a Plum and use it as a platform to progress. The Punch can interact with stage elements/items, like cages.
Overall, I think the game's way of teaching the player is adequate. While it's not as bad as directly pausing the game, I think the ability-granting intermissions break the game's flow a little bit.
Rayman Legends
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Year of Release: 2013
Genre: 2.5D Action Platformer
Just like the other platformers, the player is put into an empty open space with no blockers in sight.
The game teaches the player how to punch and jump through button prompts, which then must be combined to punch a cage in mid-air.
Unlike the first Rayman game which locks Rayman's move-set under progression, the player has access to an insanely versatile move-set immediately from the start of the game, including all of the abilities from Rayman 1.
Ignoring the Gamepad, the player has a jump, punch, and run button. Actions the player can perform include but are not limited to: Run-Jumping by running and jumping, Hovering by holding jump, a Punching Combo by rapidly pressing the punch button, a Charged Punch by holding down the punch button, and a Downwards Punch by holding down on the control stick and pressing the punch button.
With the Wii U Gamepad, the player can use the touch screen and tilt the gamepad itself to interact with enemies and the environment.
Compared to Rayman 1's intermissions and Oddworld's slow scrolling text, I think Rayman Legends does a much better job at teaching the player its actions through simple button prompts. Returning/Skilled players that already know all of the controls can just breeze through the first area and not have the game break the flow. While not 'invisible', I think basic button prompts like these are the perfect balance between immersion and accessibility. You don't want to hand-hold the player or break the flow by pausing gameplay, but it's also a risk to let only invisible tutorials teach the player. Even Half-Life 2, a game that's known for its seamlessly unbroken adventure has button prompts to teach the player its fundamental controls.
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
Publisher: GT Interactive
Year of Release: 1997
Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
Oddworld is, fittingly enough, the odd one out as it is fundamentally very different in both gameplay and visuals/presentation from the rest of the analyzed platformers. The atmosphere, tone, and themes of Oddworld is notably dark/grim.
It also has the most verbs out of the lot, having around 10 actions the player can perform.
The notably unique ones are Gamespeak and Chanting. GameSpeak is essentially a command system the player has access to that allows them to speak certain orders to NPCs whenever contextually required. Chanting allows the player to possess enemies or animals, which have their own unique GameSpeak commands.
The first room directly teaches the player they can Run by moving and holding R1 in the form of the scrolling text at the top of the screen. What's extremely interesting is that this first room actually has a secret area right below it, accessible by walking behind the barrel(?) in the foreground and climbing down. A first-time player is guaranteed to immediately walk past this. The next dozen rooms or so teach the player the other verbs/actions like climbing, run-jumping, sneaking, rolling, interacting with levers and lifts and opening bird portals, bomb defusing, etc. before leaving the player to figure out the puzzles and obstacles themselves.
How the game teaches you about levers is, simply put, evil. The room with the first (intended) lever presents you with the lever and text that explains how to pull it, a Mudokon, and an electric gate. Pulling the lever will not deactivate the gate as the player might expect and instead opens the floor below the Mudokon, killing them. To make matters worse, the room right after it has an electric sign that keeps count of the 'Employees', 'Casualties' and 'Escapees'. The combined effect of these level design elements is that the player doesn't just learn how to navigate the puzzles, but what consequences they have if done incorrectly
A few rooms later, the game then teaches the player how to alert Mudokons to follow them and how to open Bird-Portals so they can escape.
The game has now effectively taught the player of the main objective and that their actions have major consequences as they will much later learn of their fate depending on if they have saved enough Mudokons.
As the game is a Puzzle-Platformer, I think the game is justified in not having invisible tutorials and does a good job teaching the player its mechanics anyway through the in-universe scrolling signs. The mechanics in play here are too complex for invisible tutorials to be a fitting choice.
Super Mario Maker Workshop
The aim of this session is to demonstrate our understanding of 2D-level design.
We were tasked to create an introduction level in Super Mario Maker that teaches the player at least 3 verbs.
SMM Introductory Level Sketches
- No soft-locks. Even if a player did take the spring back through the door and threw it down a pit, the player can still perform a triple jump, go over the big pipe and simply jump to the goalpost.
- Small Mario only. I wanted the level to be beatable without ever picking up a power-up/mushroom. This is an intro level, not a wacky gimmicky Mario Maker level.
- Options. The player has multiple options as to how they want to proceed through the level. The player can skip the vine and doors altogether.
- No Hand-holding. I wanted the player to explore a bit with the layout and what objects the level has, rather than having arrows point them in a general direction.
First off, we had to take a Big 5 Personality test. These five traits are generally considered to be the core essentials of a person's personality and are the basis of their motivations. They are:
- Openness to experience
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
- Openness to experience --> Novelty
- Conscientiousness --> Challenge
- Extraversion --> Stimulation
- Agreeableness --> Harmony
Sadly, as with all fighting games, the game has an incredibly high skill gap. The player either needs prior general fighting game knowledge and/or needs to dedicate time learning the game's mechanics and techniques to fully understand them and get the full experience.
A well-designed story/campaign mode can do a lot for a fighting game's enjoyment.
No comments:
Post a Comment