Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Game Studies Final Project
For my final project, I'm fairly set on doing a creative piece along the lines of a fanfiction or NGJ article. I'd much rather write a high-quality fanfiction, as it would allow for a more creative element than simply reporting game events from a first-person perspective as is accomplished with a NGJ piece. In terms of doing a fanfiction, I would likely base the events around a normally-overlooked scene from one of the two game-worlds I'm most familiar with- Half Life and Fallout 3. My main goal would be to bring the elements of the storyline to life and make the scene seem more realistic whilst injecting my own perspective and details so as to make it my own.
Half Life 2 Review
Six years after Half Life's groundbreaking release in 1998, Valve set the standard once again in 2004 with its sequel- Half Life 2. Players once again assume the role of the crowbar-wielding Gordon Freeman in a first-person shooter scenario, pushing through hordes of aliens and soldiers in an attempt to uncover more of the game's thick plot. While retaining much of the simple, dark vibe of the original game, Half Life 2 mixes in a vast amount of new features, characters, and gameplay elements that bring the plot to a whole new level.
The storyline explodes from the confines of Black Mesa and places Gordon into the dystopian City 17 after twenty years in stasis. An alien group known as the Combine have taken control of Earth, which has already been infested by many of the creatures released by the initial Black Mesa incident. Alongside the existing resistance forces, Gordon must fight through the city and surrounding area in order to free the planet from the Combine.
The most noticable change from the original game is massively intricate and detailed graphics. Valve used the Source engine for HL2, which allows for intense realism and clarity. Character models are very impressive- all are capable of a wide range of facial expression and movement, and the AI is very good. Enemies are tactically intelligent, and followers won't get lost behind awkward obstacles. Game maps are beautifully detailed and contain a lot of extra story-enhancing bits, such as resistance graffiti and rusted remains of life before the Combine invasion. In all, the graphics are highly convincing and accurately portray the emotions of a post-apocalyptic, dystopian Earth.
Another visual (and strategic) upside is the inclusion of the Havok physics engine, which is easily one of the greatest new elements of HL2. Most objects in the game can be picked up, moved, thrown, or interacted with in one way or another. NPCs are also susceptible to physics and react accordingly when subjected to various levels of abuse. To get the most out of the new physics engine Valve included a weapon known as the Gravity Gun, which allows players to pick up and launch a wide variety of objects in the game. This becomes a critical strategic element later on, where the Gravity Gun is needed to do everything from stacking bricks to launching sawblades.
Gameplay is largely the same as the original Half Life, but with a few added benefits. The game never leaves the first-person perspective, which gives a great deal of intimacy to in-game cutscenes. Being the highly active first-person shooter it is, HL2 requires high dexterity and reflexes in order to avoid death and make it through City 17. The heads-up display is the same as the original Half Life- a simple system of health and HEV power at the bottom, and a scrolling weapons catalog at the top. Two added features include a zoom function to see into the distance, and a sprint-mode that allows for bursts of speed. The flashlight, sprint-mode, and swimming underwater all consume the same self-recharging auxiliary power source. Weapons are largely similar to the original as well; classics like the crowbar, revolver, shotgun, grenades, and RPGs are used side by side with new firearms. The largest augmentation to gameplay in HL2 is the inclusion of vehicles- large stretches of time in certain levels are spend cruising on makeshift swamp boats and dune buggies. This certainly mixes things up from the usual walk-and-shoot of Half Life and keeps the lengthier travel-based levels interesting.
While the game is most certainly a breakthrough in the world of first-person shooters and a great continuation of a fantastic storyline, it isn't without its flaws. The voice acting leaves much to be desired. While a few characters retain the dark and strange tones so well associated with Half Life, many are overtly chipper and inappropriate for some situations. For example, while scientist voice-acting of the original game fit the deathly theme perfectly, Dr. Kleiner seems more suited to a children's cartoon than the blood-stained sequel. Another minor inconvenience is the severe shortage of ammunition. Only two or three reloads may be carried for many of the guns, and ammo is hard to come by. While this may hamper using spray-and-pray tactics, I feel as though Valve mainly chose this route to increase challenge and promote clever use of the crowbar, Gravity Gun, and the highly interactive environment. In one level, the horror-film-like Ravenholm, almost no ammuntion is to be found, and the zombies can only be slain through intelligent use of the environment. It was a clever move on Valve's part, but it can also bring a great deal of frustration when facing waves of Combine with naught but a crowbar.
In all, Half Life 2 is a fantastic sequel that has broken many boundaries in the world of FPS games. Not only does it boast top-end graphics and compelling gameplay, but it builds on one of the greatest (and most mysterious) storylines in gaming. While it retains the smooth simplicity and fast pace of the original game, it adds so much in the way of graphical depth, combat strategy, and overall interactivity to create a formidable end product. Excellent work, Valve.
9/10
The storyline explodes from the confines of Black Mesa and places Gordon into the dystopian City 17 after twenty years in stasis. An alien group known as the Combine have taken control of Earth, which has already been infested by many of the creatures released by the initial Black Mesa incident. Alongside the existing resistance forces, Gordon must fight through the city and surrounding area in order to free the planet from the Combine.
The most noticable change from the original game is massively intricate and detailed graphics. Valve used the Source engine for HL2, which allows for intense realism and clarity. Character models are very impressive- all are capable of a wide range of facial expression and movement, and the AI is very good. Enemies are tactically intelligent, and followers won't get lost behind awkward obstacles. Game maps are beautifully detailed and contain a lot of extra story-enhancing bits, such as resistance graffiti and rusted remains of life before the Combine invasion. In all, the graphics are highly convincing and accurately portray the emotions of a post-apocalyptic, dystopian Earth.
Another visual (and strategic) upside is the inclusion of the Havok physics engine, which is easily one of the greatest new elements of HL2. Most objects in the game can be picked up, moved, thrown, or interacted with in one way or another. NPCs are also susceptible to physics and react accordingly when subjected to various levels of abuse. To get the most out of the new physics engine Valve included a weapon known as the Gravity Gun, which allows players to pick up and launch a wide variety of objects in the game. This becomes a critical strategic element later on, where the Gravity Gun is needed to do everything from stacking bricks to launching sawblades.
Gameplay is largely the same as the original Half Life, but with a few added benefits. The game never leaves the first-person perspective, which gives a great deal of intimacy to in-game cutscenes. Being the highly active first-person shooter it is, HL2 requires high dexterity and reflexes in order to avoid death and make it through City 17. The heads-up display is the same as the original Half Life- a simple system of health and HEV power at the bottom, and a scrolling weapons catalog at the top. Two added features include a zoom function to see into the distance, and a sprint-mode that allows for bursts of speed. The flashlight, sprint-mode, and swimming underwater all consume the same self-recharging auxiliary power source. Weapons are largely similar to the original as well; classics like the crowbar, revolver, shotgun, grenades, and RPGs are used side by side with new firearms. The largest augmentation to gameplay in HL2 is the inclusion of vehicles- large stretches of time in certain levels are spend cruising on makeshift swamp boats and dune buggies. This certainly mixes things up from the usual walk-and-shoot of Half Life and keeps the lengthier travel-based levels interesting.
While the game is most certainly a breakthrough in the world of first-person shooters and a great continuation of a fantastic storyline, it isn't without its flaws. The voice acting leaves much to be desired. While a few characters retain the dark and strange tones so well associated with Half Life, many are overtly chipper and inappropriate for some situations. For example, while scientist voice-acting of the original game fit the deathly theme perfectly, Dr. Kleiner seems more suited to a children's cartoon than the blood-stained sequel. Another minor inconvenience is the severe shortage of ammunition. Only two or three reloads may be carried for many of the guns, and ammo is hard to come by. While this may hamper using spray-and-pray tactics, I feel as though Valve mainly chose this route to increase challenge and promote clever use of the crowbar, Gravity Gun, and the highly interactive environment. In one level, the horror-film-like Ravenholm, almost no ammuntion is to be found, and the zombies can only be slain through intelligent use of the environment. It was a clever move on Valve's part, but it can also bring a great deal of frustration when facing waves of Combine with naught but a crowbar.
In all, Half Life 2 is a fantastic sequel that has broken many boundaries in the world of FPS games. Not only does it boast top-end graphics and compelling gameplay, but it builds on one of the greatest (and most mysterious) storylines in gaming. While it retains the smooth simplicity and fast pace of the original game, it adds so much in the way of graphical depth, combat strategy, and overall interactivity to create a formidable end product. Excellent work, Valve.
9/10
Monday, November 9, 2009
Game Studies
The final chapter of the IGS was daunting, to say the least. It contained a lot of strong viewpoints on how a game studies project should be approached and in great detail described the various means of gathering information and presenting the research in a professional, academic format. While this will give the project a sense of direction and scale, it goes without saying that this will certainly be the toughest challenge of the class.
However, the gaming-oriented aspect of the study will certainly give it an interesting edge; researching social interaction via video games should be entertaining, to say the least. This may cause a problem, though; while the subject is gaming, the project will need to retain an academic tone. Virtually all of the class's previous efforts have been informal and matter-of-fact (such as this very blog), whereas this final project will be portfolio-worthy. I'm very interested in seeing where this goes and what my research into unknown topics will uncover.
However, the gaming-oriented aspect of the study will certainly give it an interesting edge; researching social interaction via video games should be entertaining, to say the least. This may cause a problem, though; while the subject is gaming, the project will need to retain an academic tone. Virtually all of the class's previous efforts have been informal and matter-of-fact (such as this very blog), whereas this final project will be portfolio-worthy. I'm very interested in seeing where this goes and what my research into unknown topics will uncover.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Our Limits
As the world of video gaming evolves, game writers will constantly be pushing the boundaries of what society accepts in terms of violence, sex, and other major social issues. While many will be appalled at what is being produced, sales will continue to rise and gamers will always want more of what's shocking the rest of the world. It is impossible for the level of realism and intensity in games to remain stagnant; now that progress in that direction is solidly in motion, it can't be slowed or stopped.
Our society's sensitivity to violence seems to have decreased sharply over the last several decades. Films show copious amounts of blood and gore, and the news is constantly reminding us of deaths throughout the world. By being surrounded by violence through multiple mediums, we become accustomed to various forms of death and tragedy. In games, violence occurs in hundreds of forms ranging from stomping a Goomba in Super Mario Brothers to blowing up body parts in Fallout 3. While the average person may not be mentally prepared to witness real violence firsthand, the culture as a whole is numb to the video-violence found in games, films, and television. Because we are so desensitized to false violence, gamers will always require a new level of shock to be interested in new games.
The subject of sex is a bit more complex. While the allowance of sex has vastly increased in film and television over the last few decades, it seems to bring about the largest objections when found in video games. For example, in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Hot Coffee mod, the character has sex with his girlfriend. This caused a massive controversy, despite the game already containing vast amounts of violence and crime simulation. While the game went by unchecked with it's homicide and theft, the introduction of sex sparked an uproar with everyone from parents to politicians. However, history has proven that sex always sells, and it's likely that games will continue on a route of of increased sensuality. Even in games that would normally seem to dodge the bullet of sex, it still appears on various levels. The sexual tension between Gordon and Alyx in Half Life 2 is steady and ever-present, most often shown by Alyx's random quips and gestures. In Fallout 3, options are made available to flirt heavily with male and female characters (depending on the player character's gender) in order to benefit the player. In one instance, it's even inferred that the player sleeps with a prostitute character, Nova, when they rent a room from her. While no sexual scene is present, everything leading up to the aforementioned moment still occurs.
As any art form evolves, it becomes more abrasive so as to retain the interest of the next generation and remain viable. Popular music, for example, has grown far more primal and aggressive over the last hundred years. Each consecutive generation has its music that is generally viewed as too harsh and aggressive for the previous generation. Our grandparents listened to swing and jazz, their children rebelled with rock and punk, and our generation has even more intense music. Video games are evolving along the same lines, only much more quickly. If more realism, violence, sex, and social abrasion aren't added to the coming waves of video games, they simply won't hold the interest of gamers.
The explosion of sex and violence found in games recently won't likely storm the entire industry, however. Even though the most intense games will continue to grow a harder edge, there will always be a massive amount of more benign entertainment. Forcing everyone to view simulated gore and sex is very improbable; casual gamers will almost always gravitate to the more innocent games. Parents who monitor the games their children play are also a major factor, and having a large selection for that demographic cannot be overlooked.
Despite the increasing levels of social friction found in games, major retaliation against it will probably remain low and steady, as it has since the first bloody game and rating systems were introduced. The occasional game will likely appear that contains a disturbingly violent or explicitly sexual scene that draws massive retribution, but in reality these games are just checkpoints for what's socially allowed in games. Gamers would simply lose interest if they were left at the same level of exposure to violence and sex, just as if music remained as heavy as it was thirty years ago. Each new generation requires more stimulation in order to keep interest high, and the only way to accomplish this is to continue making games more brutal and sensual.
Our society's sensitivity to violence seems to have decreased sharply over the last several decades. Films show copious amounts of blood and gore, and the news is constantly reminding us of deaths throughout the world. By being surrounded by violence through multiple mediums, we become accustomed to various forms of death and tragedy. In games, violence occurs in hundreds of forms ranging from stomping a Goomba in Super Mario Brothers to blowing up body parts in Fallout 3. While the average person may not be mentally prepared to witness real violence firsthand, the culture as a whole is numb to the video-violence found in games, films, and television. Because we are so desensitized to false violence, gamers will always require a new level of shock to be interested in new games.
The subject of sex is a bit more complex. While the allowance of sex has vastly increased in film and television over the last few decades, it seems to bring about the largest objections when found in video games. For example, in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Hot Coffee mod, the character has sex with his girlfriend. This caused a massive controversy, despite the game already containing vast amounts of violence and crime simulation. While the game went by unchecked with it's homicide and theft, the introduction of sex sparked an uproar with everyone from parents to politicians. However, history has proven that sex always sells, and it's likely that games will continue on a route of of increased sensuality. Even in games that would normally seem to dodge the bullet of sex, it still appears on various levels. The sexual tension between Gordon and Alyx in Half Life 2 is steady and ever-present, most often shown by Alyx's random quips and gestures. In Fallout 3, options are made available to flirt heavily with male and female characters (depending on the player character's gender) in order to benefit the player. In one instance, it's even inferred that the player sleeps with a prostitute character, Nova, when they rent a room from her. While no sexual scene is present, everything leading up to the aforementioned moment still occurs.
As any art form evolves, it becomes more abrasive so as to retain the interest of the next generation and remain viable. Popular music, for example, has grown far more primal and aggressive over the last hundred years. Each consecutive generation has its music that is generally viewed as too harsh and aggressive for the previous generation. Our grandparents listened to swing and jazz, their children rebelled with rock and punk, and our generation has even more intense music. Video games are evolving along the same lines, only much more quickly. If more realism, violence, sex, and social abrasion aren't added to the coming waves of video games, they simply won't hold the interest of gamers.
The explosion of sex and violence found in games recently won't likely storm the entire industry, however. Even though the most intense games will continue to grow a harder edge, there will always be a massive amount of more benign entertainment. Forcing everyone to view simulated gore and sex is very improbable; casual gamers will almost always gravitate to the more innocent games. Parents who monitor the games their children play are also a major factor, and having a large selection for that demographic cannot be overlooked.
Despite the increasing levels of social friction found in games, major retaliation against it will probably remain low and steady, as it has since the first bloody game and rating systems were introduced. The occasional game will likely appear that contains a disturbingly violent or explicitly sexual scene that draws massive retribution, but in reality these games are just checkpoints for what's socially allowed in games. Gamers would simply lose interest if they were left at the same level of exposure to violence and sex, just as if music remained as heavy as it was thirty years ago. Each new generation requires more stimulation in order to keep interest high, and the only way to accomplish this is to continue making games more brutal and sensual.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Desensitized
The argument has clearly been raised that in the Western world, people have become desensitized to violence due to overexposure via the mediums of film, art, and especially video games. The latter has raised the most concern because players must actively commit virtual violence against another being. When our culture is so integrated with artificial violence we must ask, are we truly numb to it?
When playing a game such as Counterstrike or Unreal Tournament, players kill each other with guns, resulting in a somewhat bloody but always immediate death. In Fallout 3 (and many other titles), things get a bit more gruesome with gibbing, exploding body parts, and slow-motion kill scenes. But again, once the deed is done, the enemy is dead and the player quickly moves on to the next thing. Violence exists in a wide variety of forms in a vast array of games- from stomping a 20-pixel Goomba in SMB1 to splattering eyeball across the screen in Fallout 3.
Despite our massive overexposure to film and game violence, we always retain the knowledge that what is happening on the screen is not real. While we have some idea of what death might look like, we are never truly prepared for if/when it occurs in the real world, in front of our eyes. For most people, witnessing violence in reality is a very disturbing experience, even though they grew up on action films and violent video games. Even witnessing a real death in a video or image will leave many folks shocked. We seldom think about all the aspects of death when we see it in a game or vaguely hear about it in the news, but when all the details are clearly present during a firsthand experience, things change for people.
This ultimately leads to the question of how far game writers will take the violence in their games. If it gets to the point of including every realistic detail of death in a game, it would likely lose a large portion of the market. For example, if in a fairly rudimentary shooting game like Counterstrike every shot resulted in anguished screaming and slow, bloody, panicked death scenes, it would simply leave too many people in shock. Of course there will be the self-proclaimed hard-asses who will find this amusing, but once the line of established, so-called "taste" in gaming violence is crossed, most people will be put off by the realism.
When playing a game such as Counterstrike or Unreal Tournament, players kill each other with guns, resulting in a somewhat bloody but always immediate death. In Fallout 3 (and many other titles), things get a bit more gruesome with gibbing, exploding body parts, and slow-motion kill scenes. But again, once the deed is done, the enemy is dead and the player quickly moves on to the next thing. Violence exists in a wide variety of forms in a vast array of games- from stomping a 20-pixel Goomba in SMB1 to splattering eyeball across the screen in Fallout 3.
Despite our massive overexposure to film and game violence, we always retain the knowledge that what is happening on the screen is not real. While we have some idea of what death might look like, we are never truly prepared for if/when it occurs in the real world, in front of our eyes. For most people, witnessing violence in reality is a very disturbing experience, even though they grew up on action films and violent video games. Even witnessing a real death in a video or image will leave many folks shocked. We seldom think about all the aspects of death when we see it in a game or vaguely hear about it in the news, but when all the details are clearly present during a firsthand experience, things change for people.
This ultimately leads to the question of how far game writers will take the violence in their games. If it gets to the point of including every realistic detail of death in a game, it would likely lose a large portion of the market. For example, if in a fairly rudimentary shooting game like Counterstrike every shot resulted in anguished screaming and slow, bloody, panicked death scenes, it would simply leave too many people in shock. Of course there will be the self-proclaimed hard-asses who will find this amusing, but once the line of established, so-called "taste" in gaming violence is crossed, most people will be put off by the realism.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Demolition City 2 Review
Demolition City 2 is a free Flash game composed by Joey Betz, produced by Armor Games and released on the Newgrounds Portal. It's yet another icon of Flash gaming simplicity and addiction, and a brilliant work of art at that.
DC2 is a physics-based demolition game. The player's role is that of a demolition expert set out to complete missions for various contractors. In the game, there are five different "worlds" of buildings to demolish, each new world more challenging than the last. After each building demolition, the player earns money to purchase more equipment to facilitate easier destruction of new obstacles.
The "buildings" in each level are composed of straight beams of various substances (wood, stone, metal, etc.) set up into a two-dimensional standing pattern. In each demolition, the player has a limited number of "Dynamite Points" that they need to use strategically in order to demolish the building. The number of points allotted per demolition varies from building to building depending on its size and difficulty. Upon demolition, the resulting pile of beams and stones needs to rest beneath a certain height in order to pass the level. Even if one stray beam or girder touches past the maximum height, the level needs to be replayed.
As progress is made in the game and more money is earned, new explosive devices can be purchased that are sometimes required to pass future levels. Each new device uses up more Dynamite Points per application; for example, a three-pack of dynamite uses three points, and an RDX Steel Cutter uses ten points. The strategy lies in determining what devices to use where in the building to bring it down the most efficiently.
The system that determines how much money is earned from each demolition is pretty straightfoward. Every building demolition starts off with a contract price. That is, if you reduce it to below the maximum height, you get the contract money. Bonuses are awarded for the distance you go below the max height; the lower it goes, the bigger the bonus. Extra cash can also be aquired by using less than the maximum number of Dynamite Points to bring down the building. However, on many demolitions there are extraneous objects placed near or within the buildings. If any part of the building touches that object, it will be destroyed, and a large portion of your earnings will be lost.
The graphics of the game are stellar for a Flash game- typical of the high-quality games and movies released by Armor Games. As is required for this type of game, the physics are very accurate and this added realism adds some very real challenge in bringing the buildings down. The overall nature of the game is comical and cartoonish; for example, the first world is a Wild West-type scenario where the cowboys want you to blow up the banks and houses to make room for more gunfighting. Game sound is interesting and equally animated- instead of explosion sounds, a cymbal crash occurs for every dynamite blast. The background music can get a bit repetitive and annoying, but it was a good choice for the overall feel of the game.
DC2 can be extremely challenging for such a simple premise, especially when it comes to avoiding the money-draining extraneous objects placed around some of the buildings. There are numerous ways to complete each demolition puzzle, which lends to the game's replayability and challenge. Because of the game's accurate physics, there can be a few interesting gameplay features. Placing the explosives is only half the challenge; the other half is coordinating the falling action of the bulding components so they have the "domino effect" on other beams. There are a number of both right and wrong answers to the demolitions, so no two people will play through the game the same way. One interesting glitch of the physics engine is that often times the exact explosives placement will have a slightly different effect each time- sometimes it will bring the building down, and sometimes it won't. To me, this only adds to the realism of the physics and contributes to the gameplay experience, but for others it may be viewed as a source of vexation when trying to topple the structures.
While triple-A titles may have the largest sales figures and fanbase, the backbone of the gaming world is composed of simple, addicting, widely-available games that can keep people glued to a screen for hours. Some of the most interesting in this field are the freely-available indie games created by the scores of Flash artists at Newgrounds.com, and Demolition City 2 is no exception. The premise and feel of the game is friendly and simple, but the gameplay is challenging and highly addicting. Having an excellent physics simulation and high replayability value certainly elevate the game above the rest. Ultimately, DC2 suits its niche perfectly as an engaging and simple puzzle game that's free for anyone who has access to the Internet and an hour or two to spare.
9/10
DC2 is a physics-based demolition game. The player's role is that of a demolition expert set out to complete missions for various contractors. In the game, there are five different "worlds" of buildings to demolish, each new world more challenging than the last. After each building demolition, the player earns money to purchase more equipment to facilitate easier destruction of new obstacles.
The "buildings" in each level are composed of straight beams of various substances (wood, stone, metal, etc.) set up into a two-dimensional standing pattern. In each demolition, the player has a limited number of "Dynamite Points" that they need to use strategically in order to demolish the building. The number of points allotted per demolition varies from building to building depending on its size and difficulty. Upon demolition, the resulting pile of beams and stones needs to rest beneath a certain height in order to pass the level. Even if one stray beam or girder touches past the maximum height, the level needs to be replayed.
As progress is made in the game and more money is earned, new explosive devices can be purchased that are sometimes required to pass future levels. Each new device uses up more Dynamite Points per application; for example, a three-pack of dynamite uses three points, and an RDX Steel Cutter uses ten points. The strategy lies in determining what devices to use where in the building to bring it down the most efficiently.
The system that determines how much money is earned from each demolition is pretty straightfoward. Every building demolition starts off with a contract price. That is, if you reduce it to below the maximum height, you get the contract money. Bonuses are awarded for the distance you go below the max height; the lower it goes, the bigger the bonus. Extra cash can also be aquired by using less than the maximum number of Dynamite Points to bring down the building. However, on many demolitions there are extraneous objects placed near or within the buildings. If any part of the building touches that object, it will be destroyed, and a large portion of your earnings will be lost.
The graphics of the game are stellar for a Flash game- typical of the high-quality games and movies released by Armor Games. As is required for this type of game, the physics are very accurate and this added realism adds some very real challenge in bringing the buildings down. The overall nature of the game is comical and cartoonish; for example, the first world is a Wild West-type scenario where the cowboys want you to blow up the banks and houses to make room for more gunfighting. Game sound is interesting and equally animated- instead of explosion sounds, a cymbal crash occurs for every dynamite blast. The background music can get a bit repetitive and annoying, but it was a good choice for the overall feel of the game.
DC2 can be extremely challenging for such a simple premise, especially when it comes to avoiding the money-draining extraneous objects placed around some of the buildings. There are numerous ways to complete each demolition puzzle, which lends to the game's replayability and challenge. Because of the game's accurate physics, there can be a few interesting gameplay features. Placing the explosives is only half the challenge; the other half is coordinating the falling action of the bulding components so they have the "domino effect" on other beams. There are a number of both right and wrong answers to the demolitions, so no two people will play through the game the same way. One interesting glitch of the physics engine is that often times the exact explosives placement will have a slightly different effect each time- sometimes it will bring the building down, and sometimes it won't. To me, this only adds to the realism of the physics and contributes to the gameplay experience, but for others it may be viewed as a source of vexation when trying to topple the structures.
While triple-A titles may have the largest sales figures and fanbase, the backbone of the gaming world is composed of simple, addicting, widely-available games that can keep people glued to a screen for hours. Some of the most interesting in this field are the freely-available indie games created by the scores of Flash artists at Newgrounds.com, and Demolition City 2 is no exception. The premise and feel of the game is friendly and simple, but the gameplay is challenging and highly addicting. Having an excellent physics simulation and high replayability value certainly elevate the game above the rest. Ultimately, DC2 suits its niche perfectly as an engaging and simple puzzle game that's free for anyone who has access to the Internet and an hour or two to spare.
9/10
Monday, October 26, 2009
Genre
While it is important to recognize a game for what it offers to the player, sometimes the act of tossing games into uber-specific categories can get a little out of hand. It is true that games require some sort of label in order to notify the consumer of what they're getting themselves into. However, the art of video games is so dynamic that attempting to form-fit every game to a certain pre-set genre is both impossible and ridiculous. In fact, the same scenario rings true with most forms of art, especially music. The term "metal" just can't serve as the same ballpark for two bands like, say, Led Zeppelin and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Conversely, getting too deep with nomenclature can be just as troublesome, as one can ultimately come up with as many genre classes as there are games to fill them.
The "casual-for-hardcore" article by James Portnow touched on an interesting subject- the creation of casual games intended for a hardcore audience. According to his ideas, there needs to be a new range of reduced-pace games made available to the hardcore gaming community, as the current slew of casual games are unappealing to this group. To me, this seems to draw too many senselessly-fine lines. How does one determine what is too casual or not casual enough for a range of audiences? "Now introducing new, improved, plus-sized mediocrity!" There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of "casual" games for hardcore gamers to burn time with, ranging from the mind-numbing to the slightly entrancing (remember, it's casual games we're discussing- nothing too rough). The creation of another subset of casual games would only serve to complicate an area where complexity certainly isn't needed or wanted.
In short, genres themselves should be used in a casual sense when referring to games, or any art form . Over-use with the intent to distinguish one group of games is senseless, but without a system of classification, nobody would know what they were getting in to when they purchased games. One solution would be to devise a new system of genre-labeling that used a more descriptive form, such as a sentence instead of one or two words. This would allow for much greater flexibility; however, many folks would feel the resistance of losing their rudimentary system. Until something new comes by, games will continue to be forced into poorly-fitting genre classes or singled out in obscurely-created subgroups.
The "casual-for-hardcore" article by James Portnow touched on an interesting subject- the creation of casual games intended for a hardcore audience. According to his ideas, there needs to be a new range of reduced-pace games made available to the hardcore gaming community, as the current slew of casual games are unappealing to this group. To me, this seems to draw too many senselessly-fine lines. How does one determine what is too casual or not casual enough for a range of audiences? "Now introducing new, improved, plus-sized mediocrity!" There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of "casual" games for hardcore gamers to burn time with, ranging from the mind-numbing to the slightly entrancing (remember, it's casual games we're discussing- nothing too rough). The creation of another subset of casual games would only serve to complicate an area where complexity certainly isn't needed or wanted.
In short, genres themselves should be used in a casual sense when referring to games, or any art form . Over-use with the intent to distinguish one group of games is senseless, but without a system of classification, nobody would know what they were getting in to when they purchased games. One solution would be to devise a new system of genre-labeling that used a more descriptive form, such as a sentence instead of one or two words. This would allow for much greater flexibility; however, many folks would feel the resistance of losing their rudimentary system. Until something new comes by, games will continue to be forced into poorly-fitting genre classes or singled out in obscurely-created subgroups.
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