Want More Wub Wub? This New Borderlands 2 Trailer's Got It!

Two days ago, Gearbox released a brand new gameplay trailer for their follow-up to 2009's Borderlands, the highly-acclaimed FPS/RPG hybrid that boasted millions of different weapons and an unprecedented amount of loot. This fantastic preview introduces the game's 3 other playable characters, the improved UI and Skill Tree systems, more varied environments, tons of new enemy types and the coup de grace...the series' cybernetic mascot, the Claptrap, poppin'-and-lockin' to a filthy flippin' electro track. Also detailed is the return of four player network co-op, new four-seater buggies for said four-person co-op parties, and also split-screen local co-op.



While a September release date had been rumored before, the solidified date of September 19th is now confirmed. Also, at the end of the trailer, Gearbox is offering their first bout of pre-order content: access to the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club, a Vault Hunter Relic which supposedly boosts rare loot drop rates, a special Gearbox gun pack, and a "Golden Key" what's true purpose has yet to be revealed.

After spending so much time with the original Borderlands (I'm still playing it, actually), seeing the first glimpses at what the new entry has to offer has me salivating uncontrollably. I mean...was that a freakin' ninja as a playable character?! Fantastic! The original had some narrative problems and some slight problems with repetitive mechanics 30 to 40 hours in, but with all of the details released so far on Borderlands 2 it seems that the characters and the story, as well as more variations on gameplay mechanics, are a central focus for the game's design team this time around. Now, we just have to wait 7 more excruciating months for this baby to pop out into the world - hopefully Gearbox will sate our Vault-hunting appetites with more info over the next several months.

Honestly, I can't tell you how much a game like Borderlands 2 speaks to the designer inside of me - sometimes, a game comes along that you just really wish you could be a part of. But, since that's not possible (yet), all that can be done is to take what I can from experiencing the game for myself and assimilate my inspiration into my own writing and design work. Blargh!

PRON Addiction is no Laughing Matter!...Ok, well it sort of is

Things have been changing a lot recently. Mainly, a stark contrast in my world view. This has mainly been brought on by my recent discovery of the wonderful and erotic world of 'accidental video game porn'! Behold, a delectable little snippet!

When you can be slumming through the darkest alleys of the internet and find something that simply brings a wide smile and slight chuckle, well, there's simply no need to complain!

In more serious news, I've been writing A LOT. I had a retrospective review of Xenogears published on the gaming site I write for, it's pretty sweet. Check it here! I also just recently made it through Final Fantasy XIII-2, the first big RPG release of the new year. My review will be published shortly on Addicted Gamers. I KNOW there's accidental video game porn somewhere in there, I just have to find it...

My most recent anime series experienced has been a fun and emotional tour de...something. But in all seriousness, it was great. Gankutsouo: The Count Of Monte Cristo. I know, I know...a little late to the show. But hey, fact is I made it there.

Good God, if that's not accidental porn of some variety, I don't know what is. Forget it being accidental...there's no accident about it. For shame, Count. For shame.

Some Analysis - Final Fantasy XIII - Difficulty Ramp Analysis

Positives:

- In the beginning of the game, the difficulty is very controlled as the interactive tutorials walks the player through the different areas of combat. With each encounter, something new is introduced and explained to the player.

- While the characters don’t gain traditional “levels”, there is a “level cap” of sorts present in the growth system, the Crystarium. Higher points in an individual character’s growth tree aren’t unlocked until the player has passed a certain point in the game, so this carefully manages overpowering in the characters and helps maintain a steady difficulty stream throughout the game.

- Each new area the player explores brings tougher enemies and in larger groups. This helps the player ease into the higher difficulty areas instead of any one part being too hard or too easy.

- Because of the progression of the game’s difficulty, and the caps on the Crystarium, there are very few steep learning curves during a single playthrough. New mechanics are introduced gradually, and the difficulty is carefully monitored. For example, in certain areas your party will split into groups of two. While there are only two characters in battle, there aren’t any enemy encounters that are too tough for two to handle. Or, during the tutorial the game will introduce you to using the ATB Gauge to stack your commands for battle. The player will practice this for a couple battles, then something new is introduced momentarily. 

Negatives:

- The obvious element to note that represents one of the only steep difficulty ramps in the game is when the party first reaches the open world expanse of Gran Pulse. Here, there are multiple areas to explore, and there are plenty of monsters that if encountered by a party that isn’t ready, they will instant-kill the characters in mere moments. There is a certain path that the player should take through this area, but without the help of a guide or walkthrough to point them in the right direction, it’s extremely easy to run into a battle that is simply unbeatable.

- The new sense of exploration that is dropped on the player once they reach Gran Pulse is extremely tempting, given the very controlled and well-paced dungeons of the first half of the game. Finding yourself in a tough situation with extremely hard monsters isn’t very hard.

- The other curve is present in the final areas of the storyline, where for most players there is almost a requirement for at least an hour or two of grinding in order to be in top shape for the dungeons and the final bosses.

- For players that aren’t willing to adopt the skills given to them in order to beat the harder encounters, even after the first 5 hours of the game the gameplay has been quoted as being “too hard”. However, this is why it’s important to learn to strategize in battle, and make good use of the Paradigm Shift system and not rely on button mashing to win battles.

Thoughts:

- Even though it’s easy to die over and over again on Gran Pulse, the game doesn’t make a point to hate the player; the party is always respawned a few yards from where they died, and with not significant after effects (other than shame, maybe). This encourages the desre to try again and master the skills needed to overcome that difficult enemy.

- If there are players who fight every encounter they come across, which is fairly likely, it becomes rather easy to reach the Crystarium caps while in a particular dungeon.

- While the wide-open expanses of Gran Pulse have plenty to do (and plenty to die from), this is the one place that has caused the most people to put down the game for days at a time if they’re not using a guide to help them.

- Grinding is not totally a requirement if the player has been playing the game with the mindset of defeating most of the enemies they come across, so it is avoidable. Grinding is an annoying thing to force a player to do.

Would Likes:

- A clearer cut path through the more open areas of the game (i.e., the Archylte Steppe)

- Perhaps enemies that are too difficult for the player at their current level can be outlined in red, or have a flashing warning icon above their heads.

- No need for grinding (which is in part already solved, but not in full)

- Paradigm suggestions for enemies, given in their bestiary entries. This can give players who are lost a sense of what they can try on that one enemy that’s giving them too much trouble. 

Coming Soon: Stereotypes - Video Gamers

Some Analysis - Batman Arkham Asylum (Oldie now, But Always A Goodie)

I figure that every now and again, it's OK to post some personal analysis I've done on some of my favorite (and not so favorite) video games. While I want to display a variety of topics on my blog here, there are many things that can be written about and for video games. Here, I'll present some positives, negatives, thoughts and concerns about some titles (or aspects of a title) to present some critical thought from a game design perspective.

 

1) Batman: Arkham Asylum (6/30/2011) - Xbox 360/Playstation 3 (Highly rated video game)

Positives:

- Graphical User Interface not cluttered, extremely easy to navigate. This includes choosing Batman’s special devices, including Batarang, Cryptographic Decoder, etc.

- “Detective Mode”, which allows Batman to essentially see through walls and spot enemies/items/environmental interactions, is a great way to let the player feel as if they have Become Batman. It also allows a greater ease when searching for clues that point to the next destination, as well as alternate routes for stealthily taking down enemies.

- The player is rewarded for almost everything that she does correctly with a certain amount of experience points that can be used to buy upgrades for Batman. This includes solving The Riddler’s riddle challenges, defeating enemies, successfully hacking door nodes, acquiring/unlocking character profiles, etc.

- New abilities that Batman acquires add in different ways to take out enemies, allowing for more thoughtful approaches to combat rather than just running in and spamming the punch button. Notably: Inverted Takedown – Batman can hang from gargoyles, lying in wait for an enemy to pass below, and then drop down and tie them from said gargoyle. Great fun, and rewards player with stealthy takedown (most of the time).

Negatives:

- While combat is nicely designed around context-sensitive button pressing, and successfully creates superhero quality combat, it can get a little tiresome. However, there are enough upgrades and different weapon tactics that player can use to spice things up (after upgrades are purchased).

- At first, it is hard to understand how Batman’s health is gauged. The HUD doesn’t really clearly mark it out, and I couldn’t figure out how health was being regained until I actively watched as the health meter was refilled after gaining experience.

- There really isn’t a tutorial system in the beginning to teach players what everything means, and how to perform certain actions. Everything is prompted to the player by on-screen pictures of when to press certain buttons, but being left to figure these things out is a little confusing at first. For example, I didn’t know how to use the Batarang to catapult myself up to higher ledges at first, until I swung the camera around every which way. Easily fixed, but a quick annoyance.

- Using certain items is, again, not explained very well in tutorial form. For example, the Cryptographic Sequencer was a little difficult to figure out at first. The game tells you to manipulate the analog sticks, but not how or to what end. Again, it teaches by doing, but a quick annoyance.

Thoughts:

- While I enjoyed the game, until Batman starts gaining new abilities and all the moves are figured out (on my own), gameplay is a little slow and sometimes frustrating to manage.

Pow! Slam! Video Game!

- The experience system is set up in such a way that you can only ever really buy one upgrade at a time, as it takes quite a bit of experience to fill up the upgrade gauge. I understand this is a level cap of sorts, but it would be nice if there were easier ways to gain BIGGER amounts of experience (I mentioned before that XP is gained for almost anything, but not big amounts)

- Batman pretty much has three modes of speed: really slow walk, walk, and all out run. While usually this is fine for most games, running is especially hard to navigate at first because of the small hallways of Arkham Asylum. Often getting caught on edges, corners and walls, especially when getting used to the controls. Collision detection is especially good, however, so there aren’t any serious glitches or graphical faults when this happens.

- Detective Mode is so useful, in fact, that sometimes I find myself keeping it on much more than the regular view type. Regular viewing almost becomes pointless for long periods of time.

Would Likes:

- Easier handling while running, maybe varying run speeds

- Easier ways to net large amounts of XP

- Lower cost to certain upgrades, or just more upgrades in general

- This is a great game, and there’s not a lot to comment on besides what I’ve already mentioned. However, I would perhaps like more power in using certain weapons during combat, like the Batarang. Also, some enemies seem to never give up. This makes for interesting and balanced combat at times, but given the low amount of button presses required for getting through battles barebones, this could be tweaked.

                                            Next Week's Analysis: FINAL FANTASY XIII

Response to Jesse Schell's "Gamification" Seminar

It’s an extremely interesting point that Jesse raises when talking about the application and connections to reality that these recently successful games have been making. Social media like Facebook, or Club Penguin, and the Xbox Achievements all have roots in a bigger picture besides what the player is experiencing while they play. With Mafia Wars, these people are playing against their own friends, taking the feeling of playing a game of football or Frisbee without having to leave your room and without having to leave our bubble of comfort. Farmville is the same sort of concept, in that the players are interacting with their friends and other farmers, looking to improve the position of their farms. In many other cases, games are trying to break that bubble of comfort as much as possible and reconnecting people with things they wouldn’t normally be able to do in their life but they may want to. The result? These games were wildly popular, and made tons of money.

 

Obviously the point that Schell is trying to make is that this phenomenon is something that game designers need to be paying attention to. The possibilities for stretching reality and immersing more and more people are astounding. I’m reminded of the 2009 film, Gamer, where people could take control of inmates and pit them against each other in brutal deathmatches. Could this be the future of gaming? Could social gaming go so far as to push people to want to brush with violent realism in their every day lives, when they get home from work or school?

If gamification reaches the points that Schell described, then an evolution from modern games into iterations such as what we see in Gamer this would be totally possible. While I don’t agree with the full extent of his predictions, there are certainly things that can be found now that can evolve soon to reach a state of gaming in everyday activity. A good example of this would be FourSquare, the website where a person checks in to a location every time they visit it, and connect with their friends and also see who has checked in to a location more. This is already something that’s happening right now! Go to work, check in, and receive experience points. Once you leave, driving home can net you experience as well. Predictably, people will find more enjoyment in games based off activities that already have potential for fun rather than simple tasks like brushing your teeth and drinking Dr. Pepper. But, the possibilities are endless.

With social media sites reeling more and more people into a world of gaming, first as casual gamers, there is more potential for this person to continue to play games and look for ways to implement games into their daily lives. Once these new opportunities for game design are realized by the community as a whole, and new technologies emerge and are prototyped, the possibilities for this community to make an impact on society as a whole will become widespread. The future may be a place where every aspect of the global culture is rooted in gaming.

Two Games, One Genre: Dead Space 2 & Resident Evil 5 (Survival Horror cont.)

For comparison and analysis, I will be playing Resident Evil 5 and Dead Space 2. They are both survival horror games, with RE5 focusing more on action than most traditional survival horror games. The first Dead Space was very much a horror game, but I think that with the development of DS2, the levels expanded greatly and a heavier emphasis on action and a faster pace was put into place. For this reason, I think that RE5 and DS2 are perfect for a side-by-side analysis.

In Resident Evil, the player can cause more damage by targeting different points on the enemy’s bodies, which in turn cause either higher damage or temporary incapacitation. Obviously, head shots are the credo in a Resident Evil game, but the point is kill the foe in whatever fashion available. In Dead Space, the player is strongly encouraged to “dismember” enemies by firing at their limbs. This causes more damage, and will save the player ammunition. While resource management and conservation is important in Resident Evil, it is more readily available as a result of the heavy action element present in the design. Because of this, targeting certain areas on an enemy's body is present, but doesn't carry as much importance as in Dead Space 2. More on resource management shortly. 

In the game, there are two main characters: Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar. The player controls Chris by default, while Sheva is controlled by the AI. There are situations where Chris must give Sheva a boost up to a higher ledge, where she runs about pulling switches to open a door so that the player(s) can progress, or she grabs a key, or acts as overwatch to Chris while he proceeds through a bottleneck. During this time, Chris must fend off attacks on himself, and also attacks on his partner. It’s important to note that if at any time Sheva dies, the game ends. In Dead Space, strictly speaking of the single player campaign, the main character Isaac Clarke plays through the game on his own. While he meets several other characters that interact with and occasionally hinder his progress, there is no use of NPCs for puzzle solving or overall game progression. Dead Space 2 relies heavily on a sense of isolation, and a heightened sense of horror and player tension throughout. The NPCs are off-screen, "helping" with the story progression but not directly with Isaac's troubles. While Resident Evil is played with another character, and sometimes another player, the horror is more based on macabre imagery and suspenseful "peekaboo" frights. The player often feels like they are able to run-and-gun their way through certain levels, and this is certainly true.

The sense of isolation in Dead Space and the partner system of Resident Evil also plays into the subject of resource management. While being watchful over the space in your inventory is important in Dead Space, it doesn’t seem to play as much of a huge role as in the other game in question. The player can purchase upgrades to Isaac’s armor, which in turn offers better protection, added offensive/defensive perks, and more storage space for items and ammunition. In Resident Evil, resources must be divided up between Chris and Sheva’s extremely limited carrying space, and strategy must be employed in order to have what is needed for the current situation on hand and ready to use. More storage space cannot be acquired or bought. Unlike previous titles in the series, there aren’t “storage boxes” in which the player can store extra items when needed. Dead Space 2 does however feature storage spaces, which also help ease the need for stringent resource management.

As mentioned before, Dead Space 2 features an equipment upgrade system that allows the player to tweak not only Isaac’s equipped armor, but also his arsenal of futuristic weaponry. This is done at “Benches”, and instead of the game’s main currency being the resource needed to upgrade weapons, special items called “Power Nodes” must be obtained (which are fairly rare in comparison to currency) in order to activate nodes in the weapon or health meter’s load-out. New suits can be purchased with Credits, but more exact upgrading is done with Power Nodes. Resident Evil 5 also features a similar system, but a stronger emphasis is placed on customization in Dead Space. You are only able to upgrade weapons, albeit at a much higher capacity than in Dead Space, and there are on average more weapons to obtain in the game. Also, there is no special item needed other than Gold, Resident Evil’s currency. While there is enough to do in terms of upgrading weapons, it would’ve been interesting to see a higher level of customization with armor, or maybe even character abilities. Dead Space 2 has utilized the customization option in a slightly more engaging way overall.

April 9th, 2011 - Survival Horror

Part 1

I have recently played through the Dead Space series, Extraction through Dead Space 2. This is one of my favorite franchises, and a big influence over my qualities and visions as a game designer. But, as true as this may be, I realize that it’s important to play a game as a designer nowadays, not simply a video game player. Recognizing the flaws is just as important as enjoying the beauty of a game’s design.

Survival horror is one of my favorite genres, and has been for over 10 years. Dead Space is, in my opinion, one of the few games in recent memory that has done a fantastic job of staying true (for the most part) to the key aspects of survival horror. One area in which they succeed with flying colors? Atmosphere.  When you play any of the games in the franchise, you are constantly noticing the great design behind the many environments you’re traveling through. You can hear things clinking and crashing in the distance as if something nasty were slithering by; there are little bits of dust flickering about in the dying lights; the music creeps up into haunting crescendos, before dying down again and melding perfectly into the background noise again.

Another thing that is done well is the sense of isolation and powerlessness that you have against the horrors of the Ishimura (Dead Space/Extraction) and The Sprawl (Dead Space 2). You can truly feel the alien strength and violence behind the enemy’s attacks, your heart rate rises, and you try your very hardest to fight for your survival. Of course, you’re not without aid; the player is able to upgrade her weaponry and armor through the discovery of “Power Nodes”, and this can give you an extra punch and defense against the hordes, but then the attacks get more fierce and intense! Long and short, the enemies gain strength as the player does. This retains the challenge, and, as a result, the horror stemming from isolation and weakness.

I could go on about the things that I love about Dead Space, but that’s not the whole point. There are drawbacks. While this problem has been fixed to a degree in Dead Space 2, there is little variation in the mission types that you’re given throughout the game. Most of it consists of find (insert key item here), fight for your life, get back to the destination to use (insert key item), next chapter. Basically, Dead Space is fetch quest after fetch quest. The characters actually even make a reference to it, and while it doesn’t break the “fourth wall”, the fact is never more present that there is very little variation in the gameplay. Dead Space 2 fixes this problem somewhat, and there is more varied environments as well, but much is left unchanged. But, don't get me wrong here. While there is little mission variety, the paths in which you take to complete your goals are fraught with dangers and terrifying moments that keep the player looking over their shoulder and expecting the next thrill.

In the next post, I'll be comparing Dead Space 2 and Resident Evil 5, and seeing how they stack up against each other.