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Friday 8 February, 2008
Game log #2
Gameplay:
Again the fast paced arcade aspect of the game is what draws the player in the most. Once one begins playing the game it’s hard to pay attention to anything else, you are so preoccupied with dodging the enemy fire and destroying opposing airships that you forget about anything that is going on around you. Basically there is no quiet time in on the screen, at every moment there is an enemy or incoming fire. That makes for a very enjoyable videogame experience throughout.
The story of the game varies for each character, one is on a mission while another is doing it to save his girlfriend. While story may be a big element for some in whether the game is good or not, the cliché lines and cheesy stories are of no real bother when it comes to the gameplay, one can easily forget or not even realize what some of the quick cut scenes are saying, again the real draw of the game is its all out fun shooting aspect.
Design:
One thing I noticed in this second play through is that all the enemies obviously fire in a programmed way, and therefore always attack in the same way every time in every level. However, the way I reacted to the enemy and how I killed them was almost always different, so although there is a large amount of uniformity in the game, it also allows for some interesting variety.
The overall challenge of the game makes for great gameplay, but one of it’s biggest challenge is of course the bosses. In a sense the bosses are hard and easy to beat. What I mean is that rather than using a particular weapon or skill to defeat the enemy, you simply just shoot the boss until it gets destroyed, so its no hassle finding certain weapons. However, the bosses do of course still pose challenges. The bosses are all different and attack in distinctly different ways. Generally it is easier if one has a stronger gun or many special attacks, yet it can be just as easy if one has a weak gun. Generally it is a manner of dodging the enemies attacks and keep shooting.
The reward system for the game is basically like any other arcade game, points. It would be nice if the player could get more airplanes or more interesting shooting capabilities, yet, in the end it is just a small annoyance if one just wants to have the highest score.
Overall the design of the game is like any other shmups game, only the story and artwork is different, yet it is still a fun game to play. The challenge it posses can create some great interactions between the player and the game so a player really becomes immersed in the game.
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