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Thursday 21 February, 2008
Gamelog Entry #2
GAMEPLAY
Playing the game for the second hour was certainly more enjoyable than the first as the controls became easier and easier. Eventually, I began the appreciate the controls so much I began to wonder why other games can’t be this simple. Being able to pick up people and eventually cars and buildings certainly became a great aspect of the game. Not only does the player get the satisfaction of completing the level requirements, but the longer you play, your Katamari becomes exponentially larger.
The dialogue between the prince and the king are certainly humorous before, during, and after each level, despite whether you win or not. It can make you smile, and it can hurt your pride. Yet the negative emotions it may evoke in your character are always comical and would not deter the average gamer from continuing.
My opinion of the games story line is that it’s almost unnecessary. You don’t necessarily need the motivation from the story to want to play or beat your objectives. You simply experience the joy of picking things up as you collide with and roll over them. This is especially true in the multiplayer mode (which I only tried shortly). It certainly allows for a good amount of trash talking, chasing, and humiliating the other player if your able to grow your ball enough to pick up your opponents.
DESIGN
The control scheme is certainly one of the most innovative elements. There are rarely any games that involve only using the control sticks. The relatively intuitive (though difficult at first) controls make the gameplay fun and different. The hook of the game, rolling up random things around the gameworld, is so simple and easy to understand that any player can easily understand the goal and can get an idea on how to get there.
There are a few drawbacks that make the game seem somewhat repetitive at times. There seem to be only three or four worlds in the game that gradually expand while playing through the game. However, it does seem that you’re seeing so much of the same thing in each instance. Additionally, the music can sometimes grow to be a bit annoying (but surprisingly catchy). If I had a say in the development, I’d have included a soundtrack more inline with our popular culture and more distinct levels.
The gameworld certainly creates a playful tone that is perfectly in tune with the playful nature of the game. The worlds, while based on real objects and settings of our world, can be somewhat fantasy and cartoonish, which adds to the overall positive feeling of the game. It’s this sort of fantastic spin on our real world that keeps the player interested and having fun.
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