Computer Game Review

Introduction

In this post I will be reviewing a computer game. The name of the game I will be reviewing is Grand Theft Auto V. I have selected this computer game to review because I have been a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series for many years and GTA V is also one of the games I have been playing recently. Grand Theft Auto V is an open world, action-adventure video game. This means that there is a campaign to be done with missions but players can also choose not to do missions and explore the game world doing whatever they want. It is better to do this later since doing missions will unlock more features. GTA V is available in a range of platforms: PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It was released on the 17 September 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was then re-released for new generation platforms PlayStation 4 and Xbox One a year and a bit later on the 18 November 2014. For a long time GTA V was not available for PC gamers but on the 14 April 2015 it was finally released for Microsoft Windows. The game was developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. On the day of release, GTA V broke records earning $800 million and becoming the fastest selling entertainment product in history. It has now sold over 52 million copies, making it the fourth vest selling video game and it is still one of the most popular video games of the present.

Section 1

Grand Theft Auto 5 introduces a new 3 man narrative in which the player can switch between and play those individuals characters. Each of them have their own story and past but they all come together in a plot which the game follows. The story of GTA V is exciting and centres around 3 main characters Michael, Franklin and Trevor. The story starts nine years after a bank robbery by Michael Townley who was believed to be dead. Michael is now living safely with his wife Amanda but after he discovers she had been sleeping with her tennis coach he destroys a mansion who Michael thought belonged to the coach. The mansion actually belonged to a drug lord. Michael and his apprentice Franklin were forced perform a bank robbery to pay his debts and then reunites with former crew mate Trevor. Michael is now officially back to the crime life and will have to finish it once and for all with the help of his friends. GTA V uses many cut scenes at the end of each mission to explain the narrative make sure the players understand where the story is coming from and how they are progressing in it. Cut scenes help develop the game's story line which is important for a game like this. Full-motion videos are also used in GTA V. FMVs are different to cut scenes as they are pre-recorded video files and have a more realistic feel to them. FMVs are mainly used in GTA V to present a new point within the game's storyline. For example, an FMV is used to present a whole new arc to the storyline while cut scenes are used after each mission within the arc. One of the things the gamer's dislike about GTA V's narrative is that it is too short compared to other games. So gamers find that they take very little time to complete the game. To improve the narrative they could include more arcs to the main storyline so that it is not as short as it is right now for future GTA games.

Section 2

GTA V story is set in "Los Santos" (based in Los Angeles). It also includes famous landmarks such as "Vinewood" (Hollywood), "Rockford Hills" (Beverly Hills) and "Del Perro Pier" (Santa Monica Pier). Since the game is based on a real city Los Angeles it would be expected of the game to have lots of architecture which refers to all the structures, buildings and statues in the game world. GTA V uses architecture within the game to make the players feel as if they were in the actual real life city. They do this by creating the exact copies of the building in the game world with hugely advanced graphics. As you can see from the pictures the GTA V vs real life comparisons are very similar. There is no denying that the quality of graphics of the architecture is top class since they look as real as the actual structure. As you advance in the story, you find that the players and missions move from the city to the countryside. In here, the terrain is obviously different and there are many other different terrains within the GTA V game world depending on where you are. For example, we can see in the images that the game has different terrains such as sand for the beach, concrete for the main roads and even rock. In the game, because it is so big, the terrain is constantly changing as you move around the game world. In addition, there are many different objects that are used within the game. Objects used can be weapons, guns and clothes. There are also other objects which cannot be used and are there just to give the realistic feel to the game. These objects are things like bins, traffic lights, chairs and TVs. The player might not be able to use them but they can certainly interact with them by destroying the chair and running the traffic lights over. Some objects such as the cars and weapons are constantly used within the game. Players can use them to target civilians and travel to places quicker. Some temporal features that the developers have included to make the game fit with the time period is probably just the modern and luxury cars available, the fact that you can go to cinema and that there is an international airport with planes of this generation. 

Section 3

There are 3 main characters in the game. They are Michael, Franklin and Trevor. The main characters are free to move around the game world, but they can do so in different ways. All 3 characters own a car in which they use to move around. However, Franklin owns a motorbike on top of that and Trevor owns a private plane and will obtain a chopper further down the storyline. The characters can also steal other people's cars, bikes and travel that way. In the consoles platform, the gamer controls the character using the controller that they have to give the characters commands so that they move. Using a controller is fairly easy but for PC gamers is different. PC gamers have to control the character using their keyboards and mice which is slightly harder. PC gamers also have the option of buying a controller for their PC which would facilitate their gaming experience. The interaction model used in this game is the avatar interaction model where the gamer can control many different avatars freely. This creates a more interesting way of playing the game since he can always switch between characters during the missions. This type of interaction model is suitable because the missions are usually carried out with multiple characters and it makes it easier to be able to control them all at different stages. It is also one of the only games that have this interaction model so it makes it kind of unique in a way. The perspective that the designers decided to use for this game is 3rd person. This is the type of perspective where the playable character is visible on-screen at all times. The gamer will be most likely looking at the character's back all the time. This enhances the gameplay since the gamer can see what happens all around the main character and can also see other characters involved in the mission. I think it is suitable for this type of game since the game world is quite big and you always need that extra vision to be able to know what is going on around you. It also makes controlling the character easier for PC gamers since they do not usually have a controller. A bad thing though is that this does hurt the graphics but just by a bit and it will look less realistic. If I were the designer I think I would still stick with the 3rd person perspective since it is the signature perspective for the Grand Theft Auto series which has been going on around for years and will probably continue for years to come and with the same perspective. Another thing is that designers could change their mind and change the perspective to give a different feel to the newer GTA games and spice things up which would not be a bad thing. NPC's in this game include characters that are part of a mission but cannot be controlled by the character such as the enemies. Other NPC's are more passive which are characters that own a barber shop for example of people in a night club. And then obviously there are the NPC's which just walk around the game world which are the people. Their role is pretty much to just fill the space in the game world to make the game as realistic as possible.

Section 4

The feedback interface of this game is pretty well structured and it shows just exactly what the players need. As we can see from the picture we the feedback interface where the player is at the bottom right, the weapons it possesses, the amount of health, money it has and the amount of stars of cops he has on him right now. He can also see which main characters he can switch to and the number of enemies in the mini map. While playing the game, the player can receive different feedback such as if they need to kill 3 people in a mission the screen would have a "1/3" showing somewhere to let the player know he has killed 1 person and needs to kill 2 more. This is usually presented with a box and it must be clearly visible for the player. I think it is easy to understand as long as the players have some common sense and they also should be able to see it clearly. I think that to improve the feedback interface, designers could include how much health the character has in numbers to be able to know exactly how much damage he can take before dying and not just show the health with a green bar with no numbers.

Section 5

Unfortunately, this game is limited to only 2 game modes: Single-player and online multiplayer. This hurts the game so much because it means only 1 person can play it at a time and so it is not suitable for a group of friends to start playing the game at a party or something. For such a popular game to not have co-op mode is kind of dissapointing but it is always up to the designers. However, the incredible single-player and game play could make up for it. 

- Single-player: This is the game mode in which the player carries the campaign out by themselves plays vs the AI and NPC's within the game. This is the way players go through the protagonists story lines and complete the game. This is one of the reasons GTA V is so popular because people like the gameplay where you complete missions by yourself. Again, this excellent design of the single-player makes up for the lack of co-op multiplayer game mode which has been the same across all GTA games. GTA games have always been known by the incredible and unique stories that they carry and is always thanks to the imaginative side of the designers. 

- Online Multiplayer: This is another reason why GTA V is so popular, the multiplayer. In this game mode the players can absolutely do anything they want within the game world. They can have costumed cars, own buldings and have wicked costumes for their character. In this game mode, people battle each other online to have the most reputation within the game and to be respected by other players. You can also play with friends online which makes the experience even more fun to the players. 

Section 6

The absolute aim or goal in this game is to complete the storyline. Players can do this by completing missions and advancing further into the storyline to eventually finish the game. However, completing missions might not be the only aim of the gamer. The gamer could want to own a place which he can buy, customize a car or even go to piloting lessons. All these are side tasks that can be done but are not part of the actual storyline. Short term challenges in GTA V are things such as completing just 1 mission or a part of a mission. It could be stealing a car or getting to a certain spot in a building. Medium term challenges are more like the actual missions and not the smaller missions that make up a whole mission. It could also be a combination of short term challenges. These could include things such as getting 10 headshots or doing a mission fast enough to unlock the challenge. The long term challenges refer to the main aim within the video game. It is the overall objective that the missions are all working towards. In this specific game, the long term challenges is to kill all of the 3 main character's enemies and then officially retiring from the crime life and part ways. The rewards in GTA V are different than other games. Players don't necessarily get rewarded XP points or coins but they are rewarded with usually money, properties and the accessibility of some buildings and places. 

Section 7

In this game we could say that there are no rules since players can do what they want. What the game has though is a system where if the player does something bad, the player will be prosecuted by the police. This system goes up in stars, where 1 star is the weakest and 5 or 6 stars is the strongest. At or 6 stars, police will constantly go for you using the tanks and choppers. If they manage to make your health go below 0 by shooting at you or running you over with tanks a message will appear saying "WASTED", which basically means you have been killed. When you are wasted, you lose a lot of money. You then respawn at the closest hospital. However, if you don't get killed but get "BUSTED" it means you are going to prison and you respawn at the closest police station. When you are busted, you don't lose as much money but you lose all your armor and weapons. In this game, there are not difficulty settings but what the designers have applied is a difficulty curve. This means that you are not able to change the difficulty of the missions but the missions get harder and harder as you progress in the storyline. The designers have done this so that the players get used to the game first by doing the easy missions first and then doing the harder missions as you go along. This feels kind of like a training experience and it has been successful so far. Some people might not like this because it might be far too easy for them. These people could be extreme gamers that are just really good at computer games. But the difficulty curve system allows newer players to learn as they play the game which makes it even more enjoyable as it makes them feel that they are getting better at the game. I think that GTA V is fairly addictive for the average person. I think it is a fun game with lots of missions and also the freedom that players get from the game world is what makes the game so addictive. Also, what designers have done to make it more addictive is they have made the game more realistic and life like. By this I mean that players can do things such as fly and airplane and killing people which they absolutely cannot do in real life. However, the simplest reason for why this game is addictive is because it is simply really fun to play, specially with the freedom you have and the amount of missions and things gamers can do. 

Single vs Multiplayer

Single Player

Single player is a type of game mode where the player is allowed to play on their own and go up against the Artificial Intelligence (AI) of the NPCs and objects that exist within the game world.
This type of game mode is manly used in games where there is a protagonist and a story line that needs to be completed. For example, games that has single player mode or campaign mode are Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty and Battlefield. Single player games are very popular they can be played on your own where you have to complete missions by yourself. They were even more popular in the early stages of computer gaming due to the fact that they were much more easier to design and develop. Also, having a story makes the designer pull out the more imaginative side of designing a video game. A downside to this type of game mode is that there is no teamwork involved so players are more likely to fail in their decisions during the game. Also, players might need to put extra effort into the game since they are by themselves as opposed to having a team to back them up.

Multi Player Games

Multi player games are the type of games where not just one player can play in the whole game world. More than one person can be playing in the same game world at the same time. These types of games are becoming more and more popular due to the fact that you play online and technology is becoming more and more advanced. This enhances gamers experiences and can have an online community within that game. Different types of multi player games are:
- MMO (Multiplayer Massive Online)
- Co-op (Games with co-operative gameplay)
- Competitive (Versus Gameplay)
Different multi player games will have a different type from the above.

Co-op (games with co-operative gameplay)

This type of gameplay is applied to games with different playing game modes such as Call of Duty and Battlefield where it allows players to work together as teammates to fight the computer or AI. These types of games are often played on consoles and they can do splitscreen. These types of games are popular as it lets people group up and enjoy a game together with friends or family. This would be the perfect type of game for a party at a friends house or something where everyone can play together as a team to complete the game. An advantage to this type of gameplay is that if you are stuck in a mission or need help, there is always someone there to back you up and together you can move forward in the game and successfully complete it. A disadvantage is that sometimes a splitscreen can be annoying, specially if there are 4 or more players in the same screen. The players would not be able to see properly and would often make mistakes. This could be solved by buying a bigger screen but that obviously costs money.


Competitive (versus gameplay)

Competitive games are those in which people compete with each other to try and win a tournament or be more successful than their opponents. Some games have "pros", which are extremely good at the game they play and they compete in that games own competitive and professional league. These organized multiplayer video game competitions are what is now called e-Sports (electronic sports). Examples of competitive games are: Counter Strike Global Offensive, League of Legends, Starcraft 2, Hearthstone and Call of Duty. These games are really popular because it allows gamers to go online and compete with other real life players and see how they match up with them. These games also have a ranked system where it suddenly gets serious and players competitively play to beat each other and achieve high ranks. An advantage to this type of gameplay is that there is a ranking system to see how people are competing with each other world wide and this encourages gamers to keep playing competitive and try and beat others in order to achieve a higher rank. A disadvantage is that it is really addictive and this might be the cause of some teenagers dropping school and focus on playing the game competitively.



MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online)

MMO games are ones capable of supporting huge numbers of players at the same time via a network. For this to happen players need to have an internet connection, hence "online". Most games like this are also defined as RPG (Role Playing Games) and require a subscription to play such as Starcraft 2 and World of Warcraft. However, free games such as League of Legends will require real money to purchase in game items or "skins" in this case. Examples of really popular MMO's are LoL and WoW. These games are hugely popular world wide as it allows people to play in a massive online community. Players can interact with each other, play together and trade items for gold. Advantages to MMORPGs are that servers allow millions of players simultaneously and a community atmosphere is created as people interact with each other. A disadvantage is that most MMORPGs require a monthly or yearly subscription in order to play and it is also time consuming to play.

Rules and Addiction

Rules

Rules are set so that they define how to play the game and what is right and wrong in that specific game. It is important that rules are set so that the game is played in an ordered manner and fair way. Game designers need to establish rules in the designing phase as rules state how the players can interact in the game and people will know if a player is cheating or not. This has a huge impact on the players as they know exactly what to do and what not to do once inside the game world. All these rules, guidelines and factors that affect the game need to be in sync for a successful game to be made. Different games have different rules within the game. For example, in Fifa 15, a bad tackle leads to a foul or penalty for the other team depending on the position of the foul. Another example would be GTA 5, where if the player does something that violates the rules of the game, the player is prosecuted by the police or even the army if it is grave enough.

Addiction

Addiction is the condition of one that causes them to keep performing a habit or practice as if they were mentally and physically enslaved by that habit. Addiction in video games is fairly common. The reasons why people become addicted to video games is because video games have become a lot more realistic and life like. People can now do things within the game that they cannot possibly do in real life such as flying, win a Champions league or even killing people. Also, gaming is used by many to kind of escape their daily lives and be free for even just an hour or 2 and be something else within the game world. Another reason is that some games are really competitive which causes players to keep playing the game to get better and be able to compete with others. The simplest reason for why addiction happens in video games is probably because video games are fun and provide experiences for gamers that they cant experience in real life. Designers will want to make their game addicted as it will heavily boost the sales and people will keep playing them for a long time which will make the game be very popular.

Players actions

There are two different types of player actions on video games: Main actions and Gamer control.

Main actions

This type of player actions is where the character does actions such as jumping, walking, crouching and many more. For example, in Flappy bird the only things the avatar can do is fly and jump and that is pretty much it. The game could go on and on the the bird would still be flying and jumping. However this is probably one of the reasons why it is so addictive as it is repetitive but fun at the same time. Another example would be in Fifa 15, where the players can walk, rum, jump, dive and tackle. These actions can be performed depending on what the player needs at that exact moment in the match.

Gamer control

This refers as to how the gamer controls the main character in the game world using either a controller, mouse and keyboard or even their own bodies through motion sensor. A controller is a device that directs commands to the game or main character in this case by pressing different buttons and moving a joystick and that is usually connected to the gamer's console. Consoles such as PS4 and Xbox One provide their customers with controllers that they use to control the console and play games. Mouse and keyboard are pretty self explanatory. Motion sensor is a device that detects movements, mainly from people and is also connected to the console via wires or wireless connection. Motion sensors in consoles detect the person's movements by using a camera and then translate that information to the game and character so that they move in the way the gamer is moving. This allows the gamer to control the player using their own bodies. For some, this could be used for exercise and working out since it is a more fun way of working out than by running or going to the gym. Games that use motion sensors are mainly sports games and dance games. A popular console known for this is the Wii.

Mechanics

There are three main types of mechanics in video games:
- Inventory
- Scoring
- Win condition

Inventory

Inventory are used in video games to allow the player to see a list of items that the player has or has gained throughout the game and that they can use to help them complete the game. These items often improve the avatars abilities or strength to boost them. For example, in League of Legends, players collect gold from killing minions or enemy champions to buy strong items that will allow them to have an advantage over the opponent and win the game that way. In other games such as GTA 5 you can hold many different guns and explosives in your inventory that you can take out whenever you need them in the game.

Scoring

Scoring is used in video games to allow the player to see how they are doing against their opponents and if they are ahead or behind. This is specially useful in competitive games where just 1 point or kill matters a lot. For example, in games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive and League of legends you have a Kills/Deaths/Assists system and you can calculate a player's KDA. This is often important for players as it gives people an idea of the level of skill that you have in the game. In other games such as Fifa 15, the scoring is mainly how many goals you have scored in the match but it could get as complicated as number of shots and passes in the match. Scoring is important in video games as it gives the players an exact image of how they are doing in the game and they can quickly tell if they are losing or winning. If scoring was not available for players then it would be impossible to tell how they are doing and they would be surprised if the game suddenly tells the "mission failed" or "defeat" as they don't even know what was going on.

Win condition

Win conditions are placed within games to determine a winner for the match once it has ended. It is important that designers include win conditions since if a player wins out of nowhere they could be accused of cheating. Therefore win conditions must show clearly who has won the match as long as the match was fair. People can then see how close they were from winning and they can determine their flaws and can improve that way. Examples of win conditions are goals (Fifa 15) and killing all enemies or planting/defusing a bomb (Counter Strike).

Interaction models

Interaction models

Interaction models refer to how the gamer controls the character they are playing and how the character is presented in the game itself and how it interacts with the game world. There are two types of interaction models: Avatar interaction model and omnipresence interaction model.

Avatar interaction model

This type of interaction model is when the player is represented by a character or avatar that the player is able to control freely. This model is more focused on how the player controls the avatar and the actions that it does in the game world. A clear example of this would be GTA 5, where the player can control 3 different main avatars and freely play with them in the game world. People prefer this type of interaction model as controlling just 1 or 3 avatars allows them to be emotionally attached to their avatars and even get to know them in a way and be close with them as they will be playing that characters storyline.

Omnipresence interaction model

As you can already guess, this type of interaction model is when the player controls many more than just 1 or 3 characters or avatars, hence "omnipresence". The player often controls an "army" of characters and they could also do changes to the gamer world itself for strategic purposes. Examples of games like this would be farmville or clash of clans. In farmville the player controls everything in their farm and they can feed animals, grow crops and even create structures. In clash of clans, the player gets to build up their own army and base to protect their territory from an invasion. In both games the player is required to control many things at once which can be difficult. Some players prefer this type of interaction model as there is more skill involved and there is less luck. This means that they can actually become competitive with other players to see who is better at the game. Also, people like the feature that they can change their own game world so that it is unique to them and they can compare to others. 

Game setting

Game Settings

Every game has its unique and attractive settings that are used to attract a selected audience. These settings can be adjusted by the player and they can include: Physical, Temporal, Environmental, Emotional and Ethical.

Physical Settings

This is the place in which the current story is being played. For example, if you were playing a horror game, the setting would be dark and bleak to emphasise the theme of the game. This also immerses the player into the game as they would feel in fear in these settings. It is important that game designers choose the appropriate physical settings as it would not be very good to see contrasting settings and themes in the same game, it would just not make any sense. Imagine playing a horror game and the physical setting has a bright and happy theme.

Temporal Settings

This refers to the time period in which the current story is being played. It is important that game designers choose the right time period in which the game is played since it will look a bit odd. For example, if the game were set in the 1800s such as Assassin's creed, seeing computers and TVs would just be unacceptable for some gamers as they would want the 1800s style setting as they would be more immersed in it.

Environmental settings

This type of setting refers to the weather conditions of the game. For example, in a horror game the environment would quite dark, there would be lots of rain and some thunder to appropriately set the scene. In some games, the environmental settings actually affect the game play. For example, in Formula 1 games when there is rain the cars slow down and they are slippery and players need to change the wheel type just like in real life. The screen would also be quite blurry as the helmet of the driver gets very wet. Also, cars need to have a red light on at the back since accidents are more likely in this weather so they would happen more often. This setting creates a more realistic theme to the game and is important because it creates a better feel in the game. It would be quite boring to just have an environment that is only sunny.

Emotional setting

This setting's job is to consider the player's feelings during the game. Games need to get into the player's emotional side so that they are more attached to the virtual characters of the game which would turn into more enjoyment and a more realistic feel for the gamer. If players are more immersed in the game, they are more likely to continue playing it so it is important.

Ethical setting

This setting is what allows players to do whatever they want in a game. For example, in GTA 5 the player can absolutely do anything in the game, whether it is stealing cars, kill innocent people or hijack a plane. This needs to be considered by the designers as they need to get the right age rating for the game they are making. It would be quite bad if a game that is rated 3+ or 7+ suddenly have mass murder scenes or a lot of swearing. This would create a bad impression of the designers and the audience would be quite angered. Also, some people think that violent games encourages for a more violent generation of kids and teenagers.

Goals, Challenges and Rewards

Goals

In video games, a goal is a task or an aim that the player needs to achieve in order to boost the player's experience in the game. They are used to enhance the gaming experience in the game and to immerse the players in the gaming world. This is the main reason why developers need to create these goals so that the players have an aim and find the game more fun and less boring. Short term goals include killing an enemy, destroying a tower, activating an objective or simply scoring a goal. Examples of goals are unlocking a new gun in Call of Duty, completing achievements or acquiring an item for finishing a mission. 

Challenges

Challenges are the longer version of goals. They are built from a game's goals and are either short term, medium term or long terms challenges. 

Short term challenges are ones that are fairly easy and fast to complete for the gamer. You are more likely to see short term challenges while in a mission. Examples of short term challenges could be Killing 100 monsters, picking up 20 stones or get 100 gold. Short term challenges are used to keep the gamer interested and entertained in the game. This is because it gives gamers something to work towards during the mission rather than being frustrated not knowing what to do. Although it is not the missions overall goal, short term challenges can be quite fun for gamers.

Medium term challenges are in between short term and long term challenges. This means that they last longer than short term challenges but not longer than long term challenges. Medium term challenges are harder than short challenges and can include things such as completing a mission or getting to a point in the mission where a cut scene is shown. An example of a medium term challenge could be stealing a car, then get to a place and kill someone. This could easily be a mission in GTA 5 and as you can see each thing you have to do are short challenges. Therefore it would be safe to say that medium term challenges are the collection of short challenges that creates the mission itself. 

Long term challenges are the longest and also the hardest. You could say they are the ultimate goal within a video game. Long term challenges can include completing the game itself, winning the league or even unlocking a new map to play on. Examples of long term challenges include destroying the nexus in a game of League of Legends, making your opponent surrender in Starcraft or simply winning the league in Fifa. Long challenges are used in games to give some sort of reward to the players for getting that farm and also to make them feel victorious since they have completed the game.

Rewards

Rewards are ways in which the designer congratulates the player for being such a good gamer and playing their game to the point where they have unlocked rewards. Rewards boost the gaming experience and makes it more fun for the player. In video games there are two different types of rewards: short term rewards and long term rewards.

Short term rewards are really simple rewards. Things such as an extra life, an extra magazine or increased time to do the mission are short term rewards. In games such as CoD, the instant reward that players get when killing people is their equipment such as bullets, grenades and their guns. Long term rewards are more complex rewards and they usually take long to achieve. These are rewards such as experience, levels and skill points with which the player can improve their character and make it stronger by assigning the points they have achieved to a specific skill their character has. In games such as CoD and Tekken you could be rewarded with new gun skins and new characters to play with. These are mostly used so that the player gets stronger and feels like they are improving at the game. 

Rewards are used within video games to keep the gamer from quitting. They are also used as prizes to give the players so that they are rewarded for playing the game. It would not be as good if you complete a game and not a single reward was given to your character. Also, players would ask themselves what was the point of all the time they spent playing the game if they do not get rewarded at all. So, it could be that rewards act as a reason for the gamer to play the game since once they receive rewards for completing the game the player can be proud of himself/herself.

Difficulty and balance

Difficulty and balance

Balance is linked to difficulty and is determined by the different levels a video game has from easy to hard. These difficulty settings control whether the gamer is at ease or struggling when completing the game. It is important that the early parts of a game are easy to play because they serve as tutorials for newer players that do not have much experience and it also works as an introduction for the story. It is also important that gamers get used to the game before they go on to harder missions and it makes them feel that they are getting better at the game. Games will generally get harder as the game progresses but if they main difficulty is set to easy then the “harder” missions will not be as hard as if they were being played with the main difficulty hard. This setting allows a wide variety of players with different skill to play the game and enjoy it. It also keeps the game from being boring as people like to put a harder level on to test themselves. Examples of games that use difficulty settings are Call of Duty, Mortal combat and Forza. In these games, the difficulty can be changed to suit the player. In call of duty players can change the difficulty of the campaign while in forza the difficulty mainly changes the speed of the computer’s cars. Players might change the difficulty of the game because it might be either too easy for them or too hard. As players get better at the game, they can change the difficulty to hard so that they can challenge themselves and test themselves to see how much they have improved their skills. This is one way in which a game can become interesting because gamers will compete with each other to see who can beat a harder computer. 

Narrative

Narrative

The narrative in a video game is the story line of the game that you are playing. It is basically like a plot that the video game has to follow. Narratives are used so that the player understands what is going on in the story and to make the games more exciting. Without narratives, games wouldn’t be interesting at all and would be quite boring. It is important to have a good narrative because it is what makes a game so successful. Games such as GTA V and Assassins Creed not only have great graphics, but also have incredible story lines and narratives. Narratives are introduced in the game through the use of FMVs (Full Motion Videos) and Cut Scenes. An advantage of narratives is that when a gamer finishes a mission and they see a cut scene or FMV they feel rewarded and shows them that they are doing well in the game. A disadvantage is that it slows down the pace of the game and it could be quite annoying for the gamer. 


FMVs

FMVs or Full Motion Videos are pre-recorded video files or movies which display action and present information in the game. FMVs are used to build the storyline and to boost the game’s visual style. They allow designers to make adverts and give gamers the best quality graphics within a game to promote the game itself but not the gameplay of the game. An example of an FMV would be the Battlefield: Hardline trailer where they present the game to gamers as if it was a real life movie. A disadvantage to FMVs is that they are time consuming and can be annoying to some gamers where are they care about is playing the game. This is a reason why sometimes FMVs can be skipped and gamers can jump straight into gameplay. 

Cut scenes

A cut scene is a video scene which has been coded to be played whenever a character reaches a certain point in the game. Cut scenes develop the storyline of the game but they are sometimes limitations to gamers as they can’t control anything when it is playing. Cut scenes allow the game to have a smoother feel and look more professional after the completion of a certain level and is used by designers for these purposes. An example of a cut scene would be in GTA V after the main character has reached a certain point in the map. Cut scenes are preferred over FMVs because they are easier to render (less time to load up) and it gives a more natural flow to the game without taking too much time off the gameplay.

Game World

Game World Report

A game world is the computer generated simulation of a universe, in which the game is set. A game world could be based on a place that exists in real life or it could be a complete work of fiction. For example, a racing game such as F1 2014 is set in Formula 1 racing tracks. In this game, users can use different racing tracks within the game which resemble real life racing tracks. However, some games such as Grand Theft Auto V only have 1 game world in which to play the game in. GTA 5 is set in a modern city and its surrounding countryside. Games like this usually have a wider game world where the player can have more freedom. Different games will use completely different game worlds. This is because it is important that you use the right game world for the game you are making. Imagine playing Formula 1 inside a football stadium. That wouldn’t make sense at all since the stadium is far too small for racing. This is why it is really important that the game world is on point since it basically makes the game itself. Having the right game world is beneficial because it sets the right feeling and mood into the player and they become consumed by the game almost because they are so addicted to it. During the past decade or so, game world graphics have been immensely improving in quality. Part of the reason why is the evolution of technology (consoles and PCs), which can now support higher and better quality graphics. As you can see from the pictures below, there is a massive difference in graphics quality between Formula One 2002 and Formula One 2014. This is how games have evolved during these 12 years and we can clearly see that games being released now have a more realistic feel to them, which make the game become more fun.

Terrain

Terrain refers to the surface and physical features of the game world and the ground that makes up the game world. There are many types of terrain that are used in different games such as grass, sand and concrete. Terrain doesn’t necessarily affect the game play since it is just the surface in which the game is played on but it is important to have the right terrain for that specific game world. Many video games have more than one type of terrain. This is because terrain can change depending on where you are in the game world. For example, in GTA 5 where the game world is massive the terrain is constantly changing. In the country side, it is composed of sand and some rocks, whereas in the city it is mostly concrete roads. Some games like Fifa only have one type of terrain. This is because the purpose of this game is to play football, which is played on grass in a football stadium so there is no reason at all to change the terrain of the game. From this we can tell that action and adventure games will mostly have more than just one type of terrain to make the game more interesting, whereas sports games such as football and basketball will usually have just one type of terrain. 

Architecture

Architecture refers to all the structures, buildings and statues that are in the game world. Different games will use different architecture to fit their game world. For example, in Halo the architecture is more futuristic and advanced since the game is set in the future, whereas in Assassins Creed the buildings are mostly made of wood and rock. However, architecture can also vary in open world games such as GTA. This is because the big buildings and structures are focused on the city and not so much structures are on the country side. Video games are commonly built and created with architecture since it allows the game to look more realistic. This is important for the game designer because having good architecture boost the games quality which leads to the game being really popular. Reason for this is that gamers constantly look for games that look almost real and with high quality graphics because they become more immersed in them. Architecture has improved massively during the last decade. As you can see from the pictures below, the buildings look more realistic with better shading, better colours and better outlines.

Objects

Objects in video games are the small and little things that increase the realistic feel of the game. These are objects that are either used by the character, used by NPCs or objects that are just there to help the game become more lifelike. Examples of objects in video games are chairs, weapons, TVs and even cars. Objects are generally used in video games to enhance the experience of the player as it gives it a realistic feel. They are also used to give more life to the game to provide a better experience for the player. It is important that video games are of high quality because it all makes the game look more realistic. Good looking objects could also boost the games popularity. For example, if a gun looks amazing in Call of Duty, many more gamers would like to try that gun out for themselves. In Call of Duty, people can also choose how their gun looks like and they could design it to put their own style to the gun. Objects such as plastic bags flying around a battlefield are really important because it shows that real feel that the game has. Furthermore, objects have improved greatly over the years. An example of this could be in action games, where if you kill an enemy you can go and pick up the enemies weapons and grenades to resupply. This is more enjoyable as you can try things out in the game even if you cannot specifically choose that gun before starting the mission.





Characters Report

A character that is presented in a video game or what is called a “video game character” is one that is fictional, an imaginary person that is set to represent the gamer in the game.

 Main characters are those that the gamer can play within the game. They are usually the protagonists in the story that are the main characters, since they have the most importance and influence in the story. Examples of main characters from different games are: Goku, Ezio auditore, Mario and Franklin. Each of these characters are the main characters in their video games which are Dragon Ball Z, Assassin’s Creed, Mario Kart and GTA V, respectively.

It is really important that the design of these characters is good since they are the piece that makes their video game. So it is crucial that the developers of these games to make a strong main character. Having a good main character can develop synergy and an emotional connection between the gamer and the character, which is what makes a game become more popular.

 However, not all video games have only one main character. Some video games will produce more than one main character that the gamer can play. For example Grand Theft Auto V, which has 3 main characters called Franklin, Michael and Trevor. The player can then select which one to choose for a mission and he can also shift between them by pressing a button in the controller. 

This is important for GTA V because it allows you more freedom in a way, since you are not stuck with just one main character. It also gives an insight into each of the characters background and it gives you 3 different points and perspectives from the story to look at. This is also similar to Dragon Ball Z games. For example, while playing the campaign you can switch from Goku to Vegeta or any other main character that is involved in your current mission. Although sometimes you are forced to play a specific character for that specific mission. Having more than one main character in a game is good because the game becomes more live, enjoyable and less boring since you can test different characters with different abilities.

NPC’s or Non-playable Characters are ones that are not controlled by the player. This often means that that character is controlled by the computer using artificial intelligence. In video games, there are 2 types of NPC’s, the simplest way to put it is Friend and Enemy.

 Friendly NPC’s are used to provide support and help to the main character to achieve their goal, while Enemy NPC’s are the ones causing all the trouble providing the main character with a challenge. Examples of Friendly NPC’s are soldiers from Battlefield and characters that help you during missions in GTA V.

 Every game that is created will have some sort of NPC. This is because NPC’s are essential for helping the player but also, developers do not want the game to be too easy for the players. This is why in most games we can choose a difficulty and players like to work towards beating a harder opponent. Without NPC’s, a game would be a huge failure and its popularity would decrease, not even mentioning what it would do to the developers reputation.

Feedback Interface Section

A feedback interface is the information that is provided by the game to tell the player how they are doing in the game. There are two main types of feedback interface which are simple interface and advanced interface. Examples of simple interface are displayed scores, health and time remaining. Examples of advanced interface are things like radars, maps and special features. Simple interface is mostly used in simpler games such as Mario Kart and Fifa, whereas advanced interface is often used in games such as GTA V and CoD. 

Every single game will provide you with some type of feedback interface to let you know what is going on in the game. For example, on CS:GO, they provide you with a mini map, health, bullets left and many more detailed information to make sure that the player knows what is going on around them. This is important as the player can then adapt their play style depending on how they are doing. Without a feedback interface, the player would not know how many bullets he has left, how much health he has left and he would probably be lost in the map which means he would be at a disadvantage.

Video Game Perspective

Here I will be talking about what video game perspective means and the different perspectives used in video games. I will also be outlining the differences between them and their advantages and disadvantages.

Introduction

The term Video Game Perspective refers to the angle from which us players view the character and the game. This is really important as it effects the way the game's world (terrain, architecture, objectives), characters, non-playing characters and objects will be designed.
The different Video Game Perspectives are:

• First Person
• Third Person
• Aerial view (Bird's Eye)
• 2D Scrolling

First Person

This perspective allows the player to see the action from the eyes of the main character. First person perspective are normally identified as First Person Shooters as they are combat based games involving the use of a gun. The very first first person shooter game was made back in 1973 and it was called Maze War. In June 19, 1999, the Father of all First person shooters was made under the name of Counter Strike. From here on, thousands of first person shooters were made based on Counter Strike and as of today we have come a long way with games such as Call of Duty and Battlefield. This was only possible due to the fast developing of gaming graphics and now this genre is commercially packed and extremely popular.

















A great example of the first person perspective is Call of duty. As you can see from the video below, the game looks extremely good with its good graphics, which immerses the player into the universe that makes Call of Duty so popular. This is one of the main reasons why there are so many First Person shooters out there for gamers, since this perspective lets you connect with the world much better and feel as if you were the one playing in that virtual world.

Advantages of First Person:

- The realistic feel that gamers get is undeniably good and is what makes gamers fall in love with a game so much. 

- The accuracy of movements is improved since the action is more on a close-up view rather than something like aerial perspective. This might make a game more enjoyable since people are not missing skills half the time.

- Also, in shooting games this perspective improves a players reflexes and reaction times. Not just during gaming but also in real life because of the fast paced game play that first person shooters offer.

Disadvantages of First Person:

- A player's field of vision is limited since the character can only see what is in front of him. This makes it hard to see what is going on around the character and gamers would often rotate the screen to see. This problem is what led the usage of radars and maps which allow you to see where you are and what is around you.

Third Person

Third person perspective is where the character being played by the user is visible on-screen.In this genre, the player will be looking at the character's back most of the time. The camera angle can be moved, which means that the player can look at the character from different perspective angles. Usually, in this perspective, the players have assistance from the game due to the bad accuracy that comes with third person games. Also, third person perspective allows a game to have a more cartoon like style more than any perspective. A very popular example of a third person game right now is GTA 5.

Advantages: 

- Character is clearly visible. This means that the player knows what is happening to the character and around them at all times, which is an advantage over the first person perspective.

- Visible actions. So the jumping, climbing and destruction of buildings are all clearly visible from this perspective. 

- Wider field of view. Again, the world in third person games is clearly visible at all times.

- Players have an easier time controlling their character since they can see exactly where they are going and what they are doing. 

Disadvantages: 

- It can be less realistic. This is one of the ways in which third person games lose out since they sacrifice some graphic qualities for a better world and much wider field of vision.

2D scrolling

2D scrolling are video games in which all the action is viewed from a side-view camera angle. Generally, things move from left to right. 2D scrolling is usually found in more arcade like games such as Mario Bros, Flappy bird and many more. Below is an example of Flappy Bird gameplay:

As you can see from this video, flappy bird is a very addicting game. Although this game is really simple, we can see how the 2D scrolling perspective can be successful. The tubes are easy to spot so people can effectively calculate when to jump with the bird. The reason why this perspective is successful is because it allows the game to be even more fun to play with the graphics style that the game has.

Advantages:

- The player can see exactly everything that is going on in the game as they can see from one side of the map to the other side. It gives time for the player to plan a strategy.

- It is easier to play since the character only does very basic movements such as going left or right and up or down. 

Disadvantages:

- An obvious disadvantage of 2D scrolling games is their graphics. They do not look realistic at all but also their intention is not to look realistic but to be a fun experience.

- Also, the game play usually follows a specific rule or pattern. This means that it is very limited and there is less freedom for the player, unlike a game such as GTA 5.

Aerial view (Bird's eye)

Aerial view in video games is when all the action is viewed from above as if the gamer were a bird in the sky. In this perspective you can see absolutely everything that is going on in the map and in the game. Aerial view is mostly used in strategic games, where there is a lot of skill involved. Sometimes, gamers might be able to move the camera through the map if the game world is too big for it to be all in the screen. Examples of games that use aerial view are League of Legends and Starcraft. 

As you can see from this video, starcraft is a strategic game where you build up your army to try and get your opponent to surrender. From the video there are a lot of structures and creatures which makes the aerial view perfect since we can look at everything that is going on at once. Also, you can see that the player is able to move the camera throughout the map or game world.

Advantages:

- Player is more aware of actions taking place in the game.

- Players can prepare ahead to counter the opponents movements.

Disadvantages:

- Requires a lot of skill to know exactly everything that is happening around the whole map

- Newer players might find it boring.

Video Game Genre

Here I will be talking about video games and the different genres between video games. I will be giving examples and videos of the game play to illustrate my points. The different video game genres I will be talking about are:

• Sports
• Adventure
• Action
• Simulation
• Strategy
• Puzzle
• Role play
• Management
• Educational
• Viral marketing

Sports

Sports games are computer/video games that simulate the practice of traditional sports. Most sports have been turned into a game, including team sports, athletics, extreme sports and combat sports. This means that the game also includes the sport's competitive tournaments, leagues, teams and professional players. Examples of sports games are listed below:

• Fifa 15
• NBA 2K15
• F1 2014

Also, here is an official trailer for Fifa 15 to show you the kind of game play you would expect a sports game would have. Although it is a computer game, you can see that it is really close to the real thing and a lot of people find this really fun.

Role Play

Role play games are different to sports games, and they put the player in control of a character in a fantasy or science fiction setting, where they can interact with the game's imaginary world. These types of games usually focus having the character level up and gain abilities. Also, the character usually needs to find help within the game to actually advance in the game. This help could come in the form of quests the collection and utilization of items and developing of skills of the character as they level up. There are also more upgrades and additional things as you level up but that is more on the complex side of the game. These options become available more and more as you reach a higher level.

Some really popular role play games worldwide, or MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Games) are World of Warcraft and Skyrim. World of Warcraft has been around for more than 10 years but despite being so old, it is still as popular as ever with over 10 million daily active players over the world. Most of these players are actually in South Korea due to high amount of broadband adoption.

Below is a video giving you a first look at World of Warcraft.

Adventure

Adventure games are different to sport and role play games, although closer to role play games. Adventure games put the player into a fantasy role and becomes the protagonist in an interactive, episodic adventure story driven by exploration, solving puzzles and fighting enemies. These types of games usually focus on one element. Some games focus more on fighting while some focus more on the exploration of the world. Also, the protagonist usually needs to find help within the game to actually complete the game. This help could come in the form of other important characters, the collection and utilization of items and completion of missions. More options become available as you progress in the storyline.

Examples of adventure games are Tomb Raider, Fable III and Lego Star Wars.

Action

Action games are video games  that generally focus on physical challenges and challenging the players hand-eye coordination and reaction times. Action games typically like to focus on combat, where the user has to press and click buttons using their controller or keyboard to execute attacks and moves. Repetition of the attacks often result in pretty sick combos. The non-combat side to it could include avoiding traps, running and jumping to dodge abilities and other difficulties. Success in action games usually comes in being able to outplay your opponent quickly before they can react, so reflexes and quick thinking are essential. Some sub-genres of action games are shooters, fighting and platform games. Action games are extremely popular, specially shooter games. Shooters often require skill, precise mechanics and they are fun to play which is why some games such as Call of Duty and Battlefield are super successful in the gaming industry. There is also a competitive scene for each of these games which makes people want to play more since they have something to look up to. But one of the main reasons these games are so popular is the online multi-player game play they have, where you are up against other real players.

Below is a video of some Call of Duty multi-player game play.

Educational

Educational games are designed for the purpose of education or educating an individual in a specific area. These type of games are usually aimed at the younger audience with fun, creative and interactive ways of practising the "boring" subjects such as history and maths. All educational games are allowed to be used in an educational environment. Educational games are now being used by more and more teachers and this is a very effective way of teaching since it provides enjoyment, passionate involvement, motivation, creativity, social interaction and fun. It also develops an individuals way of thinking and problem-solving skills rather than just staring at a paper and trying to memorise every word.  Here are some examples of educational games.

Simulation

Simulation games are created for the purpose of putting the user in control of a certain activity while making it as realistic as possible. Simulation games are mostly used for training, analysis and prediction. Usually, there are not any strict rules but players are instead allowed to freely control a character for the purpose of measuring how well they control it but they do not need to achieve anything, Essentially, all games are simulation games since they cannot possibly exist without simulating actions and aspects of real life. However, simulation genre only includes games that focus entirely on imitating real life activities. Simulation games are very useful and they can vary greatly. They could be used for traffic networks, medical care, romance, music... Examples of simulation games are space combat simulation games and Wing commander games.

Strategy

Strategic games are games that emphasize on problem-solving and decision-making from the player and this would determine the outcome of the game. Strategy games require thinking, planning and game knowledge to be able to overcome an opponent. For example, a player could develop his army differently depending on his opponents actions or figure out a pattern in a puzzle. Strategic games are focused on problem solving and puzzle, chess and card games are all under the strategy genre. An example of a strategic games' context could be that the player gets put in charge of an army where they are trying to overcome the opposition using strategic means to win the war.

Games such as chess, Starcraft II and Hearthstone all fall under the strategy genre, although they could also fall in various different genres.

Puzzle

Puzzle games are really similar to strategy games and mainly focus on problem-solving. However, the main difference here is that in puzzle games, players do not actually have another opponent but they are instead fighting the game itself, or just trying to achieve the highest score possible. In these types of games, help is limited and you need to rely on yourself to beat the game. Also, there is usually no end to them and its just about who can get the longest time or the highest score before getting beaten by the game. Therefore, these types of games mainly focus on measuring how well you do against the AI. Puzzle games could test you on many different things such as logic, pattern recognition and word completion. Examples of puzzle games include Minesweeper, 2048 and Tetris.