Exploring the design, architecture, and development of video games
When we create games, our goal is to create an experience enjoyable enough that it holds the player’s focus as long and as intensely as possible. When something captures our complete attention and imagination for an extended period, we enter an exciting mental state. The rest of the world seems to fall away, and we …
Final Fantasy X (FFX) is a turn-based RPG originally released by Squaresoft in 2001 for Playstation 2 and remastered on PS3, PS4, PC, and now on Nintendo Switch, thank Yevon! Why is FFX so well loved and engaging? One reason is the use of challenge layering to keep players in flow. Challenge layering is the idea of …
With the remaster, The Zodiac Age, coming out this week, I want to remember some of the things Final Fantasy XII did right. Future JRPGS and WRPGs borrowed some of the revolutionary game design of FFXII, but it doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves (even from me). Judging by more recent Final Fantasies, …
Even though I love Final Fantasy XII now, when it came out, I was let down. I felt the story wasn’t up to the standard the series had set. The gameplay was entirely different than what I was used to. After a few years, I started appreciating FFXII more and more. With the remaster, The …
Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Tooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Spyro the Dragon, Mario Sunshine, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, Psychonauts. After these games in the 5th and early 6th console generation, the 3D platformer as we knew it died off significantly. Games that continued their legacy ended up being wildly …
Controlling player flow is one of the most crucial aspects of a game’s design. Flow is what keeps players playing your game. As my favorite game, I’ve spent a good deal of my time in flow in Banjo-Kazooie throughout my life. Now that Yooka-Laylee is coming out this week, I wanted to analyze how Rare …
In preparation for Yooka-Laylee, I wanted to talk about my favorite game. Banjo-Kazooie was an early 3D platformer created by Rare that has a very magical quality to it. It’s a game all about exploring open worlds and finding secrets. I want to explain some of the level design choices made that impact how players …
In the beginning, it seems like Zelda Breath of the Wild is refreshingly difficult. People find themselves dying more often than most games, especially other Zelda games. I recently posted an article on how BotW keeps a wide variety of players in flow and managing difficulty is a large part of that. One thing I …
In Zelda Breath of the Wild, items found along the way can be cooked together to create interesting combinations that improve various attributes when eaten including attack, stamina, temp resistance, and more. While there tends to be some complaints, cooking ultimately adds another layer of breadth to the game that ultimately gives players more choices …
Durability has been the biggest source of contention in Breath of the Wild. Some players detest the mechanic, while others praise it. I’ll explain how this durability system is one of the crucial pieces that make Breath of the Wild such an amazing open-wold experience and how it sometimes feels like a necessary evil. Players …
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has achieved universal acclaim amongst reviewers and fans of the series due to its open-world gameplay and amount of interesting decisions the players can take at any moment. Its predecessor, Skyward Sword, has been a controversial title in the series due to its hit-or-miss motion controls and …
In Zelda Breath of the Wild, ever wonder what order people usually complete the Divine Beast Dungeons? What about which boss was hardest? Well, I surveyed Reddit /r/zelda to find out. This post is only 1/3 of the survey results. You can find more results from the survey here. The following results are based on 428 responses …
Flow is a state of mind where people are engaged in whatever they are doing completely. In games, players being in flow keeps them attached to your game and more unlikely to put it down. Players tend to be in flow when they are playing towards goals they care about using mechanics they care about …