For an assignment in college I was asked to think about some great games that I have played in the past that I enjoyed playing and write a reflection on them. I was able to choose any type of game I wanted from board games all the way up to computer games. I had to think of at least 5 games of which I would discuss 2 of them.
The 5 games I chose are:
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Third person single player open world RPG, play as the main character Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter for hire.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – First/third person open world RPG, play as a custom-made character who is the prophesised Dragonborn, a dragon slayer.
- Minecraft – First/third person single and multiplayer open world sandbox adventure, build and create whatever you want or challenge the games bosses e.g. Ender Dragon.
- Crackdown 2 – Third-person action-adventure game, play as a crime stopping genetically modified super soldier.
- Grand Theft Auto V – Third person, single and multiplayer open world game, play as 1 of 3 main characters in the single player campaign or a custom-made character online and commit crimes with friends.
Of these 5 games the 2 that I will be talking about are The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Crackdown 2.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Game World:
The world of Witcher 3 is inhabited by many different species of monsters e.g. werewolves and griffins and creatures such as dwarves and elves. It is also a world where magic is commonplace. Sorcery is practised across the world and it isn’t so farfetched to see curses cast upon the inhabitants of this world which often involve turning them into a monster.
The origin of these creatures and magic stems from an event known as “the conjunction of the spheres”. This is where hundreds of years ago several worlds and dimensions collided together and overlapped which opened portals allowing magic to flow into the witcher world and monsters to enter it.
There are many different cultures and countries in this world which is like our own. For this reason, there is often racism between the different species of this world and those who practice magic are frowned upon.
Interaction Model:
Players of this game interact with the game world by playing as Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is known as a witcher in this game. Witchers are men who were taken as children and subject to mutations within their bodies making them superhuman. These mutations give witchers cat like eyes which allow them to see better than the average human. They also have a better sense of smell and better hearing than any human. They faster, stronger and can also cast simple magic in battle. It is also said witchers lose their emotions due to these mutations.
Players interact with this world by using the abilities of Geralt such as the ability to shoot fire from his hands (Igni) to burn things or by using one of his 2 swords in melee combat to defeat enemies. Players are also able to steal items found in game and speak to the NPCs as Geralt. While playing as Geralt you can use your enhanced sense or “Witcher Senses” as it is known in game to track down enemies and solve murders or other mysteries.
Game Perspective:
Witcher 3 is a third person game where the camera is always behind Geralt looking over his shoulder. The reason the game is third person is so that players can quickly look around 360 degrees and see all their enemies during combat. By being in third person you can see clearly Geralt’s dance like swordplay and really appreciate the animation of the game.
Game Dimensions:
Physical:
The playable world in Witcher 3 is 3-D and is very large in size but when players are out of bounds, they are teleported back within the playable area near where they just were. This can harm suspension of disbelief.
Temporal:
As time passes by there is an active day/night cycle. Sometimes it is day and at other times it is night. Time in this game can sometimes affect gameplay, for example some creatures may only come out at certain times in the day and can only be hurt at certain times. The game is in real time and the time can be adjusted when a player rests/meditates, making time go by faster.
Envrionmental:
In this game there are many established beliefs and values in the world and a lot of history. There are also many ceremonies and rituals which are practised in this world.
Physically there is a lot to look at in this game. The graphics and detail are amazing. You can see anything you’d imagine seeing in the real word from flora to fauna. A lot of the playable world is covered in forest and in these forests are plenty of plants, bushes and even animals like rabbits and wolves.
Ethical:
As mentioned above there many different cultures with many different belief systems and even social structures. Some species have it much easier than others and that goes for those who practise magic or any other taboo. This plays an effect on the gameplay allowing players to help others if they see fit based on their own morale compass. There is rarely ever a clearly good option.
Emotional:
Emotions of the characters in this game are expressed greatly thanks to the cutscenes of this game. One of the great things about this game is that characters react to your actions which can give you a sense of guilt if you did something like kill someone or happiness if you helped someone. Characters can cry or jump with joy depending on your actions. They can showcase happiness, sadness, show disdain, anger and many more emotions.
Game Challenges:
Some of the main challenges of this game include:
- Puzzles – Pulling specific levers in a specific order to open a door.
- Combat – Combat can be hard depending on the difficulty selected and how many enemies the player is fighting and with what items they do so with. Bosses can also be fought in game.
- Races – Players can participate in horse racing to win prizes
- Exploration – Exploring a dungeon to find a key which will open a locked door allowing you to proceed with a mission.
Best Game Mechanic:
There are many great game mechanics in the Withcer 3 that make it a great game, but my favourite mechanic is the choice of dialogue.
When you take on a quest for example you may be asked to find the person who murdered the quest giver’s son. As you play through this quest you discover the killer and their reason for killing but may have a dilemma. You might think the killer had a good reason to kill and when you find them you are able to talk to them and let them off the hook sometimes even for a reward better than what the quest giver will give you for finding the killer. Alternatively, you can do the right thing and turn the killer in. You are often faced with choosing the lesser evil. Geralt has a very good quote about this “Evil is evil, lesser, greater, middling, the degree is arbitrary, the definition is blurred, if I’m to choose between one evil and another I’d rather not choose at all”. What you say can greatly alter the outcome of each quest and the main story.
Another great feature about the dialogue is you sometimes can bribe, or mind control them in order to finish a mission faster and/or avoid the violent outcome.
Feedback:
Positive Feedback:
Positive feedback is achieved wen you complete a quest and you get new items such as armour/weapons and music plays to let you know you’ve a good job. While in combat you receive positive feedback when you slice an enemy in 2 with your sword. Sound effects play when you level up or when you craft a new item/weapon.
Negative Feedback:
Negative feedback is achieved when you want to craft an item and the resources needed to make it are marked red meaning you don’t have enough. During combat dying is a form of negative feedback.
Crackdown 2:
Game World:
Crackdown 2 is set in the near future where crime is rampant and crime syndicates have taken over some cities. The main crime syndicate is known as Cell. The game is set in Pacific City which in our world would be set somewhere in America. There have been great scientific advances made in technology and genetically modified super soldiers have been made to combat crime and regain control of the city.
A zombie virus has spread throughout the city causing the streets to be flooded with zombies/freaks at night. The super soldiers were also made to stop this disease from spreading.
Interaction Model:
In this game players interact with the world a genetically modified super soldier. You run, jump and climb over buildings and have the ability to throw cars and trucks over long distances. You can kill enemies and civilians with various weapons such as guns and explosives and can also use your super strength to punch/kick enemies to death or throw cars at them.
Players can also use their abilities to capture strongholds belonging to enemies, slowly retaking the city bit by bit. You can also destroy zombie nests and light up beacons which stop zombies from populating the area.
Game Perspective:
Crackdown 2 is a third person game meaning like the Witcher 3 the camera is always following the player from behind looking over their shoulder.
Game Dimensions:
Physical:
Crackdown 2 is a 3-D game with a large open world to explore. When players reach the end of this world, they hit an invisible wall preventing them from going any further and receive a notification saying this. This can harm suspension of disbelief.
Temporal:
Like the Witcher 3 time can change throughout your play. While the time can’t be altered by the player when it is night time the streets are flooded by zombies or “freaks” as they are known in this game which makes combat more frequent.
Environmental:
There is a belief that super soldiers as well as the zombies are both freaks and abominations in the world, but the inhabitants of this world can only tolerate the soldiers as they help keep them safe.
Graphically the game isn’t all that special as the game is over a decade old. The physical environment of the game includes the large Pacific City which has many skyscrapers and buildings which can all be climbed by the player.
Ethical:
This game doesn’t do much to challenge our thinking of what is good and bad as players are mostly only killing zombies and criminals with no context as to why they are committing crimes unlike in The Witcher 3.
Emotional:
The emotional expression of characters in Crackdown 2. In contrast to the Witcher NPCs only have a small range of emotions and there are no cutscenes to better show their emotions. NPCs in Crackdown 2 are only ever happy, scared or annoyed.
Game Challenges:
Some of the main challenges of this game include:
- Combat – Players will often find themselves fighting large numbers of enemies that can easily overwhelm if they are not careful.
- Races – Players can enter races in order to level up some of their skills.
There are not a lot of challenges to this game as it is very simplistic.
Best Game Mechanic:
In my opinion the best mechanic in Crackdown 2 is the character progression. Players level up their characters skills by collecting different coloured orbs located around the city. Each coloured orb represents a different skill. For example, red is for strength and green is for agility. Collecting orbs to level up encourages players to explore the world. There are five main skills
- Strength – Allows you to lift heavier things and throw them further.
- Agility – Lets you run faster and jump higher.
- Firearms – Improves your accuracy with guns and unlocks new guns.
- Explosives – Increases the radius of your grenade’s explosion and unlocks new grenades.
- Driving – Improves your handling of vehicles and unlocks new vehicles.
Feedback:
Positive Feedback:
Positive feedback is achieved in this game mainly when you level up a skill or receive experience. When you receive experience lots of small orbs hover around you and then get absorbed by you which is satisfying. When you level up you release a shockwave from your body which knocks down and kills enemies if they are beside you. When you level up your character gets physically bigger and the armour you wear changes which shows you how far your character has come. When this happens the narrator/assistant of your character compliments you and explains how you have gotten stronger. Whenever you kill a group of enemies or take over an enemy stronghold he also compliments you.
Negative Feedback:
The main source of negative feedback you receive is when you are low on health and die. When you are low on health you hear a loud beeping noise and if you die the narrator/assistant of your character makes fun of you and swears at you.
K00249306 - College Blog 