Monday 28 November 2011
Saturday 26 November 2011
Horror Game: Starter Level Designs for Slugs
Friday 18 November 2011
Fear 2 Game Environment Research
· Linear Environments: The environments in the game lead the player to the goal intended at the end of the level. Because of how the environment is structured and created, the player knows instinctively they way they should navigate around the map making the game incredibly linear. This is a good thing as it is very story driven and the ending goal is always something that connects the puzzle of what's happening together.
· Dark and Eerie Colours: The colours constantly used in game's levels are very dark and eerie and when they want to get a certain place or trail being highlighted, a vibrant colour would be used to show this. The colours adapt and contrast well together to give the game a scary feel.
· Story used in Environment: The environment around the game works well with how the story is being played out. The Linear Path being one reason for this, but also the objects and components that are put together in each level design to have some importance to how the story is important in that part of the campaign.
· Changing Happy Environments into Scary Environments: Some of the places you go through when playing the game are most of places you would associate with happiness and joy but the level designers had designed these places to be he complete the opposite and show a dark, menacing place instead. Environments such as schools and playgrounds are changed into dark and scary places which can make the player feel awkward in that level.
· Built to fight for survival: The environments thee player plays in are meant for you to participate in fire fights, not run and hide away from the enemy. You are meant to participate in fire fights to progress through the level and discover more about the story. It does this by providing little cover in the level and if there is cover, you are meant to use it as a way to recover health, recover ammo etc.
Why the environments work:
The environment works well for the game and its genre as it uses all the components well. Using dark and vibrant colours, the game is interesting to play, makes the player feel the emotion of fear and keeps the player's interest at the same time to learn what is happening. Even though using a certain colour spectrum, the game keeps with detail and is attractive for the genre it is meant to be. In the detail, here isn't enough for a player to use it is a way o hiding from enemies, you are meant to participate in battle and fire fights, and battle for survival which works for the level and the way the game is played as normally this works towards a story element being introduced or a transition from level to another occurring.
Left 4 Dead 2 Environment Research
· Usage of Day Time: Left 4 Dead 2 uses the Day time in its Horror/ First Person Shooter release in a way not many games in the same genre can. The day time is used to set eerie shadows in the game where enemies can lie in wait to attack and not be seen and playing it in the day time also makes the player play the game strategically different as even though they don't have to be using their sight as much as they would if it was in the dark, this means the infected your facing can spawn from more places and discover more places to attack you from.
· Usage of Night Time: Night Time is used like most games in the genre where it sets a scary atmosphere for the player t play in and means you have to be more aware of the environment your in as the enemy can come from any place. It also works really well with the sound in the game as your on edge because of the eerie music that is playing while running through the different levels.
· Urban and Rural Environments: The developers made varieties of campaigns and level types for the player to play in as it caused different experiences for the player. Playing through forests and rivers to cities celebrating a festival with bridges blowing up around you.
· Linear and Multi Path Way Usage: Most of the environment that the player plays in is a very linear path to get to the end but through that linear path you have chances to get to the same destination as you would following another path. Basically this changes the game every time you play through the different campaigns
· Interesting Environment for the player to explore: The environments are also very good to explore when playing as there is a mechanic in the game which randomly spawns enemies, causes hordes, spawns objects needed in the game and weapons. As these randomly spawn anywhere in the levels it makes the game interesting to play as its always changing because of its diversity.
Why the environments work:
The environments work for the game as they're always kept different for when a player is playing it. Diversity in all the level play through makes the game enjoyable and fun to play. As said, from playing in a forest and having to trek up mountains to get to the next place on the campaign, from a carnival that has been left abandoned because of the recent crisis that had happened. Different levels height are also in the game as sometimes the player are on roofs looking down. The difference in height and levels along with the different themed environments makes the game diverse and fun.
Alan Wake Game Mechanic Research
· Source of Light: Light is core to the game play of this game as it used to see in the game and also inflict damage to the enemy. There are multiple sources of light which you use as a torches, flares, floodlights, car lights etc. Using items and your environment to the fullest.
· Enemy Generation: Enemies in the game also have no set spawn so you never really know where the enemies are going to be. As the enemy is some sort of entity which can take over the life of people and objects, it can be anything. This can really worry a player as they have no idea where any enemy could be and what it could be keeping the player on edge.
· Damaging Enemies: The way you damage enemies in the game is very similar to the way you keep players in Halo. You must take of a shield type health first known as the darkness with light sources and then you kill the enemy if still alive after the darkness has been gotten rid off, you kill it or them with a gun.
· Story Interactivity: As the story in the game is based upon a ale hat he character your playing as is writing, the story itself is actually interactive. By finding pages in the environment, you can change how the story is played out which overall in the end determine what path that the character takes to complete the end goal.
· Limited Weaponry: The game only limits you to the use of one weapon, a revolver. You must use the revolver along with the light to fight through the countless amount of enemies. This brings tactics to the game as you can't just run into a fight and expect to win.
How these affect the game play:
Bringing all the these game mechanics together, it brings an immersive experience for the player to go with. Being able to change the story through collectibles that are scattered around the environment that you're really gives the player the option of making his/her own path in the game. The battle system in the game which combines all the other game mechanics mentioned also makes it into a immersive horror/ thriller as enemies could be anything from a person to an object, you have to use a unique battle system in where you must destroy it's/ they're shield type deflection called the darkness with the use of light. Then having limited weapons to actually kill the enemies after doing so really brings the game together to suit its genre.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent Game Mechanic Research
· No Weaponry Accessible: Can't actually fight in the game. No Projectile or Melee Weapons are accessible in the game as the objective isn't to kill enemies, more to survive and run from them.
· Interactive Environment: Most of the components in the game's environment are interactive in some way or another. Such as cupboards, wardrobes, jugs, barrels and containers to find objects needed to play the game.
· Use of Light: The games uses light to scare a player in the game. Light is the only way you see in the game as most of the time, its dark in the environment. You either gain this from the occasional window, a lantern you can hold or by firing up the torches on most of the walls. But to light them up you have to search the environment for flints. If you also stay in the dark for too long, the character gets scared and anxious, which makes the screen start spinning.
· Emotion and Proximity: Emotion is highly used in the game as your meant to feel fear. Fear is created multiple ways in the mechanics. Light as mentioned is used as if you stay in the dark for too long, it can scare the character which makes the screen start to blur and rotate. The blurring and rotating is also caused when the player is too close to an enemy or you are looking at one for too long which makes the game suspense as you want o know when the enemy leaves the proximity you're in but can't as your meant to get in cover and hide.
· Gathering Information for puzzles: With the interactive environment element being used here, the player must search for different components to open up new pathways, find other components, find relevant information on the story a hand or how to deter enemies. The puzzles are interesting but challenging, intriguing the player's mystery and development into the game.
How these affect the game-play.
Combining all these game mechanics together, it creates a suspense filled horror/thriller game as the player as has use strategy, survival and exploration together to complete the game. Using light and proximity to change what the player is viewing on screen which makes the player feel the emotion of threat and danger. While having to survive and keep the character's emotions intact, you have to navigate and search around the environment looking into a variety of objects to maintain your head and solve puzzles which are all brought together to discover what the game's story is about. Then to sum it up, not having any source of weaponry to fight back with also makes the game incredibly scary as you just feel hopeless in the way of survival.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Monday 14 November 2011
Book Information and First Thought Mechanics
Book Chosen: Author: Shaun Hutson Name: Slugs
Text: "Brady eased himself gently down from the metal ladder and stood beside Palmer, the effluent dribbling past them at about calf height. The Health Inspector swept the tunnel with his torch, noting that the beam was unable to penetrate the blackness for more than a few feet. Once again he felt that a terrible claustrophobic feeling come over him as the walls of the pipe seemed to close in on him. ---
Palmer shrugged and indicated that Brady should test his own equipment. A similar procedure was completed, then both men clipped the two-ways to their belts and bent low, ready to begin the tortuous crawl along the stretch of pipe which would lead to the first of the large central chambers. It was hot inside the suit and Brady felt even more uncomfortable with the breathing apparatus on. Although it was light, the tank of oxygen on his back seemed to weigh him down as he crawled and he could only hear the loud, behind Palmer. Every now and then the Health Inspector would stop, almost sitting in the flowing effluent, and shine his torch behind them, just to check that there was no slugs near them. He scanned the walls and roof of the pipe for slime trails but, as yet, saw none.
The meagre shaft of light which poured down the open manhole opening began to fade into darkness as they crawled deeper into the pipes. Brady scrambled on, anxious not o lose sight of Palmer who was about two feet ahead of him. They passed a side outlet which was less than a foot in diameter and both men concentrated their torches into the black hole."
Why: This passage of text from the Slugs Book I decided to choose this as it's a scary part of the book which for a player I think would bring in a lot of suspense. I also believe that a few mechanics can be brought in and limitations such as the way you move and the sight of the screen. The book is based around man eating slugs, so they are the enemies you have to face, so I think having these enemies as a concept is adventurous as I can play around with these. The map is also twisted and can take multiple directions, some being the right way and some being the wrong way, so the level is also detailed and complicated in its structure.
Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ First Person RPG
Mechanics:
1. Torchlight: This mechanic is set so when playing as a character, the only source of light you get given in the game to navigate through the map. It can also deter the slugs from you when they get too close but as the slugs come from any direction, you have to be looking in multiple directions with the light to notice where all the slugs are.
2. Slime Trails: Slime Trails will be navigated around the map as they lead to where you need to go to. By using the Flashlight, you can see the slug slime trail either on the wall, roof or floor and you get to the place you want by using this trail o get to the end goal.
3. Movement of Crawling: Because the pipes are generally very narrow in the sewers, you can't stand up as a character. Basically to navigate around the map, you have o be very aware of the surroundings you're in.
4. Energy Meter: There is an energy meter for the player and to gain energy back, you have to either rest or eat food that you have in your pack. Or if a certain event or cut scene happens, energy will go up as a certain emotion occurs such as being scared.
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