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Feb 8th, 2008 at 14:44:40 - Battlefield 2 (PC) |
Gamelog#3 Entry #2
Gameplay
I attempted to play this game online for my second session, however, some complications arose with windows vista and I was not able to play Battlefield 2 online. Though I was restricted to single player, I was able to borrow my friend’s joystick and this added a new dimension to the game as I was able to operate vehicles more effectively.
It took some time to configure the controls for the joystick properly, but after working out all the kinks it was so much fun. I have never played any flight simulation games with a joystick and hadn’t realized how much fun they can be. The joystick is a must for Battlefield 2, it is much more engaging to use and provides a sense of realism that is absent when using a mouse and keyboard.
I was playing this game with a couple friends in the room and they could see the amount of I was having and wanted to get in on some of the Battlefield 2 action. The AI on Battlefield 2 is very good, especially when fighting aircraft vs aircraft, this really gives you a sense of accomplishment after defeating a computer player. Even though I was not able to play multi player online, using a joystick added a new dimension to the game that was very engaging and interactive.
Design:
This game had some very innovative elements that really made it stick out from other first person shooters. The most innovative aspect of the game is the ability to be the commander of the troops on the battlefield. This mixes first person shooter with a RTS game. It enables the player to enter the battle and be a regular solider like most first person shooters, however, it also allows you step back and command troops to different strategic areas. This was a great mixture of genres, not only do you have to concern yourself with the fire fight that your engaged in, but you must also keep an eye on the overall status of the battlefield as well. This was a very creative and appealing element of the game that really defines Battlefield 2 from other shooters.
The level design of this game kept the game interesting as each battlefield had different terrain and situations. Each level was a different battlefield that required a different strategy to achieve victory. There was a wide variety of terrain, ranging from deserts to swamps, and of course cities. The game was able to keep you within the game world space because when leaving the “combat zone” your commander reminds you that if you don’t return quickly, deserters will be shot. This was a good way of keeping players in the game world and at the same time adding to the tone of the game. Battlefield did a good job with level design and game world space.
The only major problem of game design for Battlefield 2 is the lack of narrative. The opening cut scene was great and I was expecting to get more of them as I progressed but it never happened. There was only a textual description of each battlefield during the loading screen explaining the situation. As I mentioned earlier this may be because Battlefield 2 was designed to be primarily an online multiplayer game, however, this does not free them of criticism. Overall, this game was very innovative and had attractive level design and made good use game world space. However, if the developer added more cut scenes and narrative to the game it would have enhanced its single player game experience tremendously.
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Feb 7th, 2008 at 17:30:18 - Battlefield 2 (PC) |
Game Log 3
Summary:
Battlefield 2 is a first person shooter for the PC that focuses on zone control. The weaponry in this game is modern and realistic, playing as the United States, China, or the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition.
Gameplay:
I recently upgraded my computer and have always been a fan of the Battlefield series so I decided to borrow my friends Battlefield 2. As soon as I installed the game I noticed a huge difference from the original Battlefield 1942. The introductory scene was amazing! The great sound effects and graphics on my new monitor and video card made the game feel very realistic. The intro alone got me pumped up to play.
I played this game alone and was wearing headphones so I was definitely inside the magic circle of Battlefield 2. I played on single player campaign. (Knowing I would be do terribly online) I was very impressed with the graphics of this game even though it is a little bit older. Also, the sound was very good; some of the explosions caught me off guard and made me jump. The graphics and sound of this game were definitely added to the gaming experience.
The controls of Battlefield 2 were a little bit different from its predecessor and took some getting used to. However, after about 15 minutes of the intro level I had a pretty good handle on the basic controls. One of the biggest discoveries I made while playing this game was a new function to be the commander of the battle. I thought this feature was so innovative that I decided to stop playing the campaign and just do skirmishes on a particular level I enjoyed.
The game play of Battlefield 2 was exciting and innovative, but it seems like it was primarily designed for multi player. There is no real storyline for this game, just a briefing before each battle. This is the reason I abandoned the campaign mode and decided to only play the levels I liked. For my next session I will try to play online and see how multi player differs from the underwhelming narrative on single player.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 19:59:59 - The Legend of Zelda (NES) |
Gamelog #2 Entry 2
GAMEPLAY:
My second attempt at Zelda was not as enjoyable as my first couple hours playing. This could be because I was not playing it with anyone or because my nostalgia had lessened. The game became very repetitive and I find myself not caring about Link’s health. Before I was careful not to lose life and very meticulous with my actions. The lack of storyline has definitely contributed to my detachment from the game. There is no story line throughout the game, at first this was fine as I remembered the basic storyline of the game but now it seems like I was just running around randomly killing monsters.
The games use of rubies as a way to buy new items also made me unenthusiastic to play. Many of the items in the game seem overpriced and when they are finally attainable, they are the most part a lackluster. An example of this was for a new shield I had saved up for my entire time playing Zelda which ended up being only slightly better than the one I began with. The over priced and underwhelming items in the game definitely did not create an incentive for me to keep playing the game.
The other problem that ruined my game play experience was that there were items that were mandatory to progress through dungeons in the game that cost hard earned rubies. In my opinion this was flawed, I feel that items should enhance you as advance through the game, not be required. The expensive items required to advance made the game very repetitive and underwhelming.
DESIGN:
The world that Link lives in is very vast compared to many other NES games. For the hours I have played I have just become familiar with land and am no where near mastering it. One aspect of the world that I most admired was that when entering a new area, the entire screen shift to show the place you were entering. This kept me in suspense as I never knew what type of monster I would be facing until the screen shifted into the new zone.
One aspect of design that I did not enjoy was the reward system. As you progress through the game you get new weapons, items, and health. There is no “experience” for killing enemies, only rubies to collect and new items to buy. This is the main reason I prefer games such as final fantasy, where you gain levels and learn new abilities as you progress.
Another problem with the design was the sound. I am aware that they are only working with 8 bit sound but the tremendously repetitive dungeon tracks are just not enjoyable. At one point I had to mute the sound for fear of insanity. While the tunes for wandering around Hyrule are fun and catchy, the repetitive dungeon tracks did not enhance the level design.
The best part of game design for Zelda was the variety of secret areas and destructible environments. These were a very creative use of the gameworld space which strengthens the game replay value. Secret areas are definitely something I would like to put into my game because of the rewarding feeling of discovery. I feel this greatly improves the game by creating an environment that feels interactive. The player is able to engage the environment as well as the enemies, putting them in control of the gameworld. The secret areas and destructible environment make this game much more interactive and more enjoyable to be in.
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Jan 24th, 2008 at 22:45:09 - The Legend of Zelda (NES) |
Gamelog #2
Entry #1
SUMMARY
The Legend of Zelda is an RPG about an adventurer named Link who travels across the land of Hyrule in search of carefully placed Triforce crystals. To find the crystals you must enter a dungeon and defeat the boss inside.
GAMEPLAY
1986 was marked by two great achievements, Shigeru Miyamoto’s creation of The Legend of Zelda and also the year I was born. I remember playing this game many years ago, finding it very frustrating and turning my attention to my favorite NES game, Final Fantasy. This morning I gave it another try for about two hours, having a great deal of fun with it.
Before I begin let me first note that I played this game as emulation on my computer, not on the NES console. (Mine is broken and the libraries are checked out.) After the first ten minutes or so I felt right at home with the controls as they are very simple. However, the game can be very frustrating as the objectives are not clear and the monsters constantly kill you while traveling. Fortunately, I have a lot of nostalgia for these old NES games which was probably the only reason I was able to play for as long as I did.
My girlfriend was watching me play for practically the entire time which made the game more of a team effort and alleviated some of the frustrating and repetitive boss fights. Having her there also made me want to complete the dungeon and defeat the boss as I didn’t want her to be disappointed. She had played the game the night before and didn’t realize many of the utilities Link could use to defeat his enemies such as using your shield to block arrows. She tentatively watched me play as I progressed past places she had died and became frustrated with. Occasionally I would pass the controls to her reinforcing that we were in this together.
Despite the comparatively poor graphics and simplicity of this game it was still fun to play. I tried to stop playing after about an hour but I couldn’t. There are certain elements of the game which I will address later that keep you guessing and forces you to always be on your toes, because if you get lazy or sloppy in Zelda you will most certainly die.
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gmathis has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 8 days |
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