Marcus Cain
Game and Level Designer
Objective 3
Objective 3: Develop critical analysis skills and master best practices of effective design through the study of games across platforms and genres
I have completed this objective by participating in genre discussions. During genre discussion we talk about a specific genre and discuss what it is, what made that genre great, what separates it from the rest of its kind, games that did a good job for this genre, and games that didn’t do well for this genre?
Stealth Genre
I find stealth in video games to be great. What stealth means in video games to me is that it gives players more options than just to run in and kill everything. What this does to players is that it makes them think about their options, where enemies patrol at, and what are the consequences if you kill everyone?
A good game that defines the stealth option is Dishonored. In this game players are given two choices kill everything and the world becomes darker and the game becomes tougher, or kill your designated target without being found. While going through the game in Stealth, players have many options to choose from to get to their destination. Players can see when enemies are alert, and players have several range of powers to use to help while being hidden. Players are then rewarded when not killing everything. They receive a "good ending" and the world of Dishonored remains normal and bright when using stealth.
The worst example of Stealth was Metal Gear Rising Revengence. A game that focuses on the art of cutting where you want and fast paced action, stealth seems like a small and forgotten feature. Plus when players take the stealth option they are rarely rewarded. Metal Gear Rising is a great game, but stealth is not needed for this game. For the game that is centered around Stealth I enjoyed Hitman: Absolution. When it came to Stealth in that game, you had the option of hiding in plain sight to kill your target or remain completely hidden and reach your target. This game gave players the option to kill in plain sight and escape or make the death seem like an accident. With only so many tools at your hand, the world around you in that game felt like a tool too.
2D and 3D Platfrom Games
My opinion of this genre is that these games are fun. They are easy to play and easy to get into. What makes platform games good are the character controls. Simple controls make platform games easy for anyone to play. Nothing is over complicated and players of any skill level can jump right into the game. Another thing that makes platform games good is that the game is designed for players to learn the game through design.
For example, in Megaman X when you start there is a lot of negative space. This allows the player to try out the controls and figure out what each one does. Second, Megaman drops into the level facing right. When the player moves left they discover they can't go left. When the player moves right they discover the level keeps going as you move right. Third when the player encounters can enemy they first see that it looks menacing or has something that lets you know it attacks. The player will touch it and discover that touching the enemy hurts Megaman. What if I jump over it or shoot it? Once they find out these main mechanics they can get the idea of how the game will play as it goes on.
The best examples of this genre are NES or SNES platform games. Each one is designed for the player to learn as the game goes, and the player learns through self-discovery. Death is a cruel but effective teacher. I don't know what a bad example of a platform game is. Super Mario 3D world may have been annoying when playing with friends but the game itself is still well designed for players to understand game play.