Monday 14 January, 2008

Gamelog Entry#2

Gameplay:
As I play more of this game I find this game more exciting and fearful at the same time. I became more indulged into the story about finding why am I receiving these random hallucinations. I also want to know more about this creepy little red girl whom I find out to be Alma. The character I control does not show much communication with the outsiders which still presents a mystery of whom I truly am.

I think the gameplay is somewhat typical, you can move anywhere you want but there's only one real possible exist to go since it is mostly a maze. However, I do like the AI's ability to use surrounding object to cover themselves from my fire. I can also interact with almost any object in the game. If I shoot them, they can actually fly away or break apart such as glass.

Design:
I think the most striking part of this game's elements is their ability to control the intensity of the players. Using creepy music and combining the use bloody dead innocents creates a scary atmosphere. As player approaches certain areas, the game would all of sudden stop music which immediately causes the player to tense up. What separates this game from any other horror games is their ability to cause player to expect something is going to come up because of the sudden change in music, but in the end nothing happens. The game plays around with the player's fear.

The level design of the game provided both fear and challenge to the player. The game levels would sometimes have multiple exists allowing AI's to come from behind you and ambush you or corner you if you are unaware. The level also presents a fear because you would occasionally find dead innocents lying on the floor which brings out a scary tone all the time. The visual effect of the fighting is actually quite realistic too. Throwing grenades at your enemies, then blowing them up can cause them to explode into a bloody mess. Shooting too much of your machine also causes debris that can obscure your sighting temporarily. Finally, whether you are in a office complex or a warehouse, AI's would always know to use what objects to cover themselves from fire. Fear not, you are also given the chance to kill your enemies faster by shooting explosive barrels (if you are in the warehouse) or crawling through vents (office complex) to get around your enemies to have a better advantage.

What makes this game attracted to players in my opinion is story of the game. As you progress further in the game, you begin to find a more in depth story behind main antagonist that you are trying to kill. You become addicted to story because you want to know why you are receiving these random hallucination, why is the antagonist speaking to you telepathically to explain something, and who Alma really is. You are also neither bored of the game because AI's present a satisfiable challenge to match your cunning and skills.

This game log is exactly what we're looking for. Personally I'd like to see more speculation as to the "why" of design choices, but it's still excellent without that.

By the way, if you're interested in the AI in this game you should do some googling. It uses extrely advanced techniques, unlike almost any other game.

- Ian Rickard, your TA

(the following is included on all my first-round gradings, and should not be taken as any commentary on your writing.)

If you're interested, I'm happy to provide additional nit-picks of your writing. However as this course is not considered writing intensive, lapses in spelling and grammer of the type I would critique will not have any affect on your grade and so you really needn't worry about them. If you're interested in this type of feedback, email me at inio@soe and I'll provide it privately.