Today's Lesson: Imaginary Numbers, Without the Math

Any time you think about getting a game, what is the first thing you do? Do you rush down to WalMart try out a demo? Or ask your friends how they liked it? Maybe even rent the game? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be in the wrong decade. With today's technology, one can easily jump onto any browser (that isn't Internet Explorer), and find let's plays, reviews, and ratings for the game in consideration in less than 5 minutes. But what does that 1 to 10 scale even mean? If different games are meant for different people, how can we justify that "Grand Theft Auto IV" and "Mario Golf" are both "10 out of 10 masterpieces"?

Some review sites like IGN break a game down and give seperate reviews for individual parts. For example, they will give different scores for categories like Graphics, Music, Gameplay, etc., such as this snip of their review of Crash Boom Bang for DS:

While this may sound like a good rating system, this doesn't rate the actual game itself, except for 1 sentence that may seem completely out of context for someone new to this type of game. The review only touches on the specs of the the game, not the quality of the experience. If I have a hyper realistic man sitting in a hyper realistic chair with a soundtrack that came from Lord of the Rings in the background, the Graphics, Presentation and Music would get a 10 out of 10, but it's still just a man sitting in a chair, there is no gameplay, no one would have fun with this game, if it can even be considered as such. With their more recent reveiws, IGN will give a rating number with some positive and negative aspects, such as this screen snip from their review of Shantae and the Pirate's Curse for 3DS:

I feel this review is far more helpful than a breakdown of the graphics and music. By simply putting a plus or minus with 3 words or less on the side, a potential player can already get a feel for what to expect. I have never played this game, and by the name of it, I thought it was a dark, rogue-like dungeon crawler sort of game, but with this review, I can tell that it is a light-hearted platform game with some puzzles and exploration elements. For me, this game now sounds like something I would like to play (matter of fact, I'll probably buy this game when my next pay check comes in), but for someone who doesn't like Metroidvania-type games, they will stay away from it. But this "staying away" is a good thing. If that person were to only see the "8.5" on the side, or in the format of the Crash Boom Bang review, they may consider buying the game, after all, it got a good rating. But when they go to play the game, because it does not suit their tastes, they won't like it, despite the high rating.

If the rating system was completely abolished, we would have a better idea of what to expect from our games. If IGN only gave the middle and right sections of the review above as the review, readers would know what to expect. Games that are incomplete would still have this reflected when a review says things like "- Character consistently glitched out" or "- Level would crash the game", and games that would be for specific crowds would have important key features brought to light, it may even entice new people to play the game. If reviews were presented in this type of manner, the quality of the game wouldn't be quantified, and the experience would still be evaluated.

Gamer Circus Presents: The Balancing Act

Balance is the key to life. Whether you have to balance classes, a checkbook, or other responsibilities, this fact remains true. We all know too much of a good thing is not good, so it would only make sense that our games take this idea of 'balance' into creating a game, no matter what genre.

Balancing in fighting games is especially crucial. Fighting games are meant to test a player's skill with a character, and if a certain character is overpowered, the game's experience can be harshly affected. In PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, there are 1 character in this game that has a moveset that is far greater than anyone else. Kat, from Gravity Rush, has incredible mobility in the game, very quick combos, and can gaurtee Super Move KO's by using a regular attack beforehand. With all of this put together, Kat can defeat many other characters without needing to use a lot of strategy or timing. Even with other high tier characters, such as Raiden or Nathan Drake, require some flavor skill to be played effectively. This game also had a problem with SackBoy from Little Big Planet, but shortly after the game's initial release, they released a balancing patch to balance out SackBoy's (at the time) incredible moveset. While Sackboy is no longer in the highest tier (currently ranking mid tier at best), Kat still seems to be an issue for competetive play.

In the same sense, balancing is just as important in single player games. If an adventure game gives too much advantage to either the player or the computer, players will not enjoy the game. In Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the player and enemies are fairly balanced. Of course, in-game bosses have an initial upper hand, but this is because the player is supposed to be faced with a challenge when facing one of these opponents. To emphasize the importance of this balance, let's taken an average enemy, say, the Skulltula, and make it unbalanced. Skulltula now can now longer be Z-targeted, spends less time turned around, has more health, and has more attack range. Because of the new changes, a simple enemy can now take up to 5 minutes to battle, and since these enemies are often placed in areas where their fights cannot be avoided, a player may spend a good hour of gameplay just on destroying the "broken" Skulltulas. Players would be in a fit and Ocarina of Time wouldn't be the game we know it as today.

On the flipside, if Link was too powerful, the game would also be far less enjoyable. If every enemy Link attacked with the Master Sword died instantly, the game would be far less enjoyable. While the "almighty sword" theme would be emphasized with this new Master Sword, players would quickly become bored with "God-Mode" Legend of Zelda. Although it may not sound boring, games that do include this kind of mode show that there is a steep decline of enjoyment when a game is played this way. When players "break" a game, whether they fill their teams to all Level 100, have instant kill weapons, or use any other game-breaking mechanics, the enjoyment of the game is lost; players need a challenge.

This desire for balance isn't always easy to obtain, but with enough research and testing, it can be achieved. It may not seem important at a first glance, but to get the most out of a game, this balance is a must. Whether it be fighting a friend or facing an opponent, balance is needed to provide just the right of challenge to a player.

Are You Sure You Belong Here?

A first impression is incredibly important, whether you are interviewing for a job or going on a first date, it is vital to make a good first impression. To do this, you will spend twice as long making sure you look your best for the image you are trying to give to the other person. If you are going for a job interview, you will trim every stray piece of hair on your body, comb your hair until it is perfect, and iron your suit until every last wrinkle and crease is exterminated. However, if you're going to a death metal concert the next day, you will do none of the above in preparation for the event. Strangely enough, this exact trend can also be seen in video games.

If we want a happy, friendly atmosphere for a game, a Kratos-like monster isn't going to be our first choice. Usually, a colorful, big-grinned, younger looking character will be used (like Dora the Explorer, Steve from Minecraft, the Prince from Katamari, etc.). With a matching theme and character, a game can get its message across much more efficiently. Also, with this match, it is easy for a player to know what to expect. Club Penguin isn't going to have a scene where your character saws off a zombie's head.

Another example of a good character-theme match is Crash Bandicoot. From his appearance, the brightly colored marsupial shows that the game is going to be in a far lighter mood than Resident Evil. There won't be blood and gore, and anyone can play it without worrying about snipers in the bushes. Crash is not the smartest, and the atmosphere encourages this, as there is no deep puzzle solving, crafting, riddles, etc., there is mostly just jumping, running and attacking. The bosses in this game match the theme as well. N. Tropy, for example is a master of time, his armor is made of clocks, his boss stage has clocks, he makes time-related puns, etc. N. Tropy still keeps the colorful and cartoony theme the game offers, and still follows the PG-violence the rest of the game provides; simply put, he fits the game very well.



On the opposite end of the coin, if a game doesn't have a character that matches the theme, fans can get upset very quickly. A perfect example of this would be Raiden from Metal Gear Solid 2. The game starts out with the player playing as Solid Snake(left), which isn't abnormal for this series. The game itself has a darker atmosphere, one where any reckless move can lead to death.Snake's rough voice, muscular body, fearless nature, mullet and beard give him this tough-guy/badass kind of feel, which can fit the game's style fairly well. However, after the first chapter of the game, the player then assumes the role of Raiden(right), a skinny, younger man who looks like he just left his boy band to go on the mission. Raiden has a completely different feel. He feels weak, talks like he has yet to hit puberty, and seems to worried about everything, especially his girlfriend Rose. Fans were in a fit of rage at this new character, not only was their beloved Snake taken from them, but the new guy they were given just didn't fit. If Raiden was given some of the attributes of Snake, or ones similar to them, fans would have much more satisfied with the character. Metal Gear Solid 4 proved this point exactly when they changed how Raiden looked and acted entirely. The new Raiden was a cyborg, he could take down giant robots with his new body, he would face any situation without fear or hesitation, he even cut his own arm off to help Snake. This new Raiden was loved by players, as he now fit the theme of the game much better.

Another "bad" example of this is Conker from Conker's Bad Fur Day. Conker is an adorable little squirrel who looks like he is ready to go save some kind of acorn festival so all of his animal friends can have a fun day. The game however, is so far from this. There is swearing, sexual innuendos, death, alcohol, addiction, etc. But with the bright colors, animal characters, and chipper look Conker has in the image on the box, it would hard to ever imagine that this little guy would curse. The mismatch of theme and character caused a lot of controversy, mostly because parents would blindly buy the game for their kids after seeing the cover (and not the rating). Had Conker been a detailed, homeless human, there would have been nearly as many problems, as parents would see that image and not want their kids to go anywhere near the game.

These conflictions and matches won't make or break a game, in fact, Crash, Metal Gear, and Conker were all best sellers. However, the conflictions of theme and character can give players the wrong message, and sometimes prevent a sale. Many people have never played Conker's Bad Fur Day simply because it looks childish. Because of this, it is important to always make a good first impression, especially in game design.