For this week, the game that I played was Flywrench. This was one of the games I was supposed to play for last week’s review but never had the chance to get to. I find this a weird but simple and fun to play game. Playing as the flywrench, the player must “flap” their way through the stage and make it to the end. Tutorials were brilliantly incorporated into the game as they taught the player what they needed to know before they entered the planet. Each planet will basically have that obstacle along with any previously encountered obstacles, which, makes it pretty challenging by the time the player is close to finishing the game. The rules are also very simple, the player must change into the appropriate color to pass through barriers, if that color is not available, then it must be avoided. The only part I wasn’t too happy about was the sound. The sounds do fit in with the theme to some degree but probably would have been better without all the extra weirdness put into it.
As for the GDW update, I’ve started working on some of the documents and reports that will have to be submitted with the game. For the week, I’ve been able to finish a large part of the pitch and internal cost analysis. As for the particle system, I’m tweaking it here and there while bugging the art department for images I can use for the particles. My goal is to have them look more like sparks or smoke since they will be necessary in the game. At the moment there, the particles look and behave like water coming from a water fountain (unfortunately I still haven’t made some time to go in, grab the screenshot, and upload it).
For the past week, I’ve spent more time playing iPhone games and for this review I’m going to talk about ‘Boxed In 2’. To start off, this game has NO AUDIO, which kind of sucks. On the other hand, audio is fairly pointless in this simple puzzle game but some background music would be nice. The goal of the game is simple: collect all the gears and reach the exit. Although it sounds easy, this game can get mind boggling at times. There are coloured barriers that block your path and you must push cardboard boxes into the corresponding coloured ‘tile’ to open it. The player is a robot and makes 1 move at a time, can only push boxes (no pulling), and undo will only work for one move (the most recent one made). Once the player gets further into the game, it becomes obvious that each move must be carefully considered since they MUST be moved in a certain way, otherwise, it will not work out.
‘Boxed In 2’ is the sequel to the original ‘Boxed In’, which is exactly the same in terms of gameplay and graphics. The only difference is in the puzzles. ‘Boxed In 3’ has also been released recently and from the looks of it there seems to be some changes in the graphics. Other than that, gameplay seems to remain the same. A spinoff in this series is the ‘Iced In’ game, which follows the same basic concept of moving boxes except for the fact that the player is trying to save a penguin and with each push, the ice cube (box) will slide all the way to the other end or until it hits an obstacle.
The game is heavily focused on the gameplay portion as it offers many different puzzles. The challenging gameplay is what compensates for the lack of music and makes it acceptable to have more ‘cartoony’ graphics for everything. Overall, it is a fun game that’s worth the $0.99 (or nothing if you’ve downloaded them when they were free) and is a great way to pass time on the bus.
Here's a gameplay / walkthrough video for one of the levels:
For the progress update on the GDW game, I’ve finally managed to finish the particle system! The current state of the system allows for it to be easily integrated into the game and should prove to be easy to for use on the various particles in the game. The system does need to be patched up here and there but they are very minor and I will also continue to add to it should it become necessary. Also, I am doing some research into salaries and costs for various things (rent, software licenses, etc.). This is for the cost analysis portion of the pitch document.
As soon as I get the chance I will post a video / screenshot of the system. My regular school laptop has been sent in for repairs and running bootcamp on a mac WILL fail hard when you want to print screen... I have yet to find a keyboard shortcut for doing so so I will post one when I get the chance.
The game I’ve been playing for this week is Game Dev Story for the iPhone. The main point/goal of the game is to successfully manage your own game company. Taking place over 20 years, you must decide who to hire/fire, whether to develop a game or do contract work, which systems to develop for, how to advertise your company, and managing your fan base. What I find interesting is that it bears a lot of similarities with companies and consoles in real life. For example, Sony is Sonny in the game, while PlayStation is called the PlayStatus in the game. After successfully completing a game (or unsuccessfully should you decide to ship it before completion), the game is rated by 4 people assumed to be “experts”, and then the game goes on sale. The sound in the game is nice in that it has some 8-bit as well as more modern sounds. The graphics also have a bit of an 8-bit feel to them in certain parts of the game. The game is easy to pick up and play since everything is pretty much menu/option based. All the user has to do is select the desired option, which means its rules are fairly ‘enforced’ and is not more ‘relaxed’ in terms of allowing the user to go wherever they want in the world and do whatever they please. Although fun to play through the first few times, the game easily gets repetitive as many events are almost predictable. For example, a gaming event happens every year where you are allowed to purchase a booth to showcase your games, a salesman comes along every few months and offers you items that boost your company, and once you know the options in the menus there is really nothing that can surprise you.
Here's a gameplay video:
For anyone interested, I believe the game is still on sale for $0.99 (75% off if I remember correctly)
For my GDW update, some of the functions in the particle system need to be re written since they “don’t work” very well. Also, minor changes are being done here and there to make the system easier to work with/integrate into the main game. Also, work has begun on the game pitch. Controls, background story, enemies, power ups, achievements, and other parts of the game are starting to “come together” and are being added to the pitch. The group is planning to have 2 modes for the game, 1 where it is a “race” and first one past the finish line wins while the other is a more team based version. Using power ups or any other methods, players on the same team must try to stop others from the other team from crossing the finish line. The first player to cross the finish line will bring victory to their team. In terms of art, it is planned to be ‘Tron-style’ where everything is lighted up. The vehicles will have a futuristic look to them. The game is titled Illuminate, which is intended to hint at the look/feel of the game.
For my critique this week I will be critiquing Gran Turismo 5. The game was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony, and was designed by no other than Polyphony Digital’s CEO / “father of Gran Turismo”, Kazunori Yamauchi. Released November 24th 2010, the game is one of the most realistic driving games currently available. The game achieves this goal through giving players life like performance/handling of cars as well as including providing high detail in every model and environment.
In the game’s “A-Spec” mode, players play as a professional racer by earning licenses and racing their way up the ranks in tracks throughout the world. Each track has its own starting position (also the ending position), and the only way to reach your goal (winning) is to race through the entire track. In “B-Spec” mode, players take on the role of a team director and must turn their racers (AI) into a world class racing champion. B-spec mode is all about strategy, as players must do the right thing and change their strategies accordingly during races. It’s all about observing and strategy rather than getting behind the wheel.
In a typical round in A-spec mode, it is very similar to an actual race. Players start either already running or at rest and race a predetermined number of laps around the track. The player usually starts in the middle and decisions that the player has to make include whether or not to follow the “guide” lines that help “newbie’s” as well as when to overtake another racer. Most tracks have only 1 road, so it is impossible for the player to take any shortcuts or drive off the track. In races that have the track splitting up, one is blocked up to prevent the player from going the wrong way. The only other possibility is for the player to be going backwards, in which there will be a do not enter sign that continuously flashes.
In a typical round in B-spec mode, the player watches the entire race. The main decision that the player must make throughout is what the driver should do. Available commands include pace up, pace down, maintain pace, and overtake. Players must make the proper decisions and plan their strategies accordingly in order to lead the team to victory. In this mode, in addition to showing information about the car (speed/tire condition etc.), it also shows information about the driver (strength/mental strength).
These are some of the information types in the game:
Money: Called ‘credit’ in the game; it is used to purchase cars and services. Services in the game range from almost “pointless” (50 Cr. Car washes) to racing modifications.
Vehicles: Kept in the garage; represents cars that the player owns in the game. Some of them are available for purchase from dealerships (new/used/online) while some are delivered to the player as a reward for winning a certain race or completing a certain event. Once purchased or won, the player is free to use the car in career mode for any race (provided it meets race requirements).
Licenses: Designed to test players on their driving abilities (similar to getting a real drivers license). There are ‘tests’ that the player must complete in order to get the license. Licenses are required in order to participate in certain events and to buy certain cars. The licenses in order (from lowest to highest) are: B, A, IC, IB, IA, and S. Each license has 3 subtypes which are bronze, silver, and gold.
Trophies: Given out for achieving something ‘significant’ in the game. Used mostly for “showing off” to friends / other gamers and does not give the player any special advantages in the game. There are some hidden trophies in the game for players to “find unexpectedly”. For example, there is a trophy awarded for damaging a car to the point where a part falls off.
Looking at the GUI of the game, the menus have been designed to be simple and elegant. Each item usually has its own “block” / icon along with some text telling the player what that option does. In some cases, options are grouped together so they are easy to find/access. For example, in career mode, actions that require the user to be online and signed into the PlayStation Network are put in one column while offline is placed beside it. The in game HUD has also been designed so that it feels similar to other racing games / maintains the HUD placements in previous GT games. (Example: Speedometer is near the bottom, lap and map info is at the top left, time is in the middle, etc.)
The main input device is the PS3 controller. Again, the controls have been mapped to maintain that traditional GT feel and the mappings are usually used in most other similar racing games (x to accelerate, square to brake, D-pad or analog stick to steer, etc.). The mapping works well since anyone who has played a racing game will be able to easily figure out the controls without having to go through the instructions. In the game’s B-spec mode, the only controls involved are using the d-pad to select action and x to confirm. Again, this works well since it is exactly the same as how the player would select items in other menus. A second option the player has is to use a steering wheel as the input device. The biggest difference here would be allowing the player to steer the car rather than use the d-pad/analog stick to steer. Also, depending on model, it may also come with pedals, which would then completely replace the traditional controller and provide the player with a more life like driving experience.
In terms of audio / sound, the game has done a great job since there are a variety of music styles. When in the menus, the jazz music fits in with the simplicity/elegance theme. When racing, a rock song usually plays and is intended to get the player moving. Car sounds / sound effects are similar to ones in real life in order to maintain the high level of realism. Cars sound almost the same as they do in real life and crashes (depending on with what object/speed/etc.) will sound incredibly real. Overall, it contributes to the whole realistic experience of the game.
Some of the special features included that make the game more enjoyable include: online multiplayer, course maker for making custom tracks, ability to drive/upgrade NASCAR, rally, kart, and drift vehicles, 3D compatibility, and use of PlayStation Eye for head movement tracking. These features help push the game that extra mile and set some high standards for future racing games.
Compared to a similar game such as PGR4, GT5 is more realistic but at one point it does have a repetitive feeling for the average gamer. PGR4 on the other hand seems to be more “fun” and is targeted more towards the average gamer rather than car enthusiasts. The different weather effects in the game do have a certain level of realism and awarding ‘kudos’ for stylish driving provides a bit of a spin compared to the “traditional” way of rewarding money for winning races all the time. GT5 seems to geared towards car enthusiasts / diehard fans of the series while PGR4 seems to target the previously mentioned group as well as more casual gamers.
The high degree of realism was the most essential part of the game. From the first GT game up until GT5, the game’s high degree of realism has traditionally been what separated GT from other racing titles.
Non-essential features that could be left out without sacrificing game play include:
PlayStation Eye: The head tracking feature only works in career mode with interior view and its only purpose is to allow the player to move their head to the side and get a view of the side windows.
Karts: Although to drive around and makes the game a bit more enjoyable, it would’ve been nice if Polyphony Digital left it out and instead added a few more cars.
One non-essential feature that should still be kept in the game is the 3D compatibility. Although it’s making use of the most recent technology, playing the game in 3D does not make the game any better or worse. 3D TV’s are still new in today’s market and not many people are willing to buy one since there isn’t as a wide variety of 3D content available.
One feature that should definitely be improved on is the damage done to cars during crashes. Although likely to be computationally expensive and drag down the whole gaming experience, it is the one feature that seems to be “missing” from the series. GT2 featured a damage system although it was not visual. GT5 features visual damages as well as physical and the downside to this is that the car must sustain quite a bit of damage before the player can see some real damage.
The instructions manual provided with the game contains all the standard information that gives the player warnings/basics on the PS3 and the controller. It also explains the controls and provides a brief description of each mode available in the game (A-spec, B-spec, license, photo, etc.). There is a small learning curve and the documentation is there to help new players quickly get up to speed since a lot of the modes/features/controls can easily be figured out in game.
AI racers in the game are a bit of a surprise. They are “smarter” since they will make mistakes, race each other, react accordingly to the player or any crashes. They are at the appropriate difficulty levels since each level will provide players with the right amount of challenge. For example, in easy difficulty they are easier to overtake and aren’t as aggressive while in hard difficulty the player will have a hard time overtaking a majority of the racers while having to deal with the aggressiveness of some racers that may be behind the player.
There are no “new” rules as this is a racing game. Cars behave as they would in the real world; meaning the player won’t be able to fly or drive at some super crazy impossible to reach speed. Starting position is determined by the game, with all rules of a race applying (first past the finish line wins, second and third also get silver and bronze trophies, everyone else after that looses).
Looking at the culture of the game, it features cars from around the world. Although a lot of car manufacturers are featured in the game, not all of the cars manufactured are available. Also, the game also features tracks from around the world.
