Thursday, November 10, 2016

Good and Bad Games



A good game I played was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. There was a good balance of reward to risk, and the gameplay was challenging without being cheap or unfair. The game world is very large and requires you to explore, just like an adventurer would do. There is also a lot of lore and backstory to learn about, which keeps each dungeon interesting.
Another good game I played was Spelunky HD. It's another roguelike, so it is challenging, but again, without being too unfair. It's a game that also balances risk and reward, and requires the player to be able to adapt and think quickly, much like an Indiana Jones-like character would do in dangerous caves.

A game that I didn’t really like was The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Exploring the world was pretty boring, and the dungeons were pretty hard to complete. Puzzles in the dungeons were difficult to complete, and I didn't feel satisfied after completing them.
Another game I didn't like was Dungeon Hearts. It was a bit like Candy Crush in its gameplay, but probably would have been better implemented on a touch screen. Using a mouse in constant sliding motions tend to hurt your hand after a while. Also, the rules for handling enemies was confusing. Multiple blocks prevented you from lining up symbols and after a while they started stacking up more and more, making it unnecessarily difficult to beat.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Interfaces

  1. Crosswalk signals
  2. Mouse
  3. Keyboard
  4. Sponge
  5. Touchscreen
  6. Computer/tv screen
  7. Car keys
  8. Game controllers
  9. Elevator button
  10. Tactile senses



A good interface between player and game is a Wiimote controller. There aren’t as many buttons as the  Nintendo 64 or Gamecube controllers before it, and it relies more on motion as a way to interface with the game world. It’s use is pretty transparent to the player. The controller isn’t difficult to hold and the buttons don’t have multiple functions to them, so the players won’t be confused.
A bad interface between player and game is a lack of direction after completing a task. A lack of feedback doesn’t help the player progress, and makes them confused about what they need to do, what NPCs to speak to, and will make them frustrated.