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Wednesday 5 March, 2008
Gamelog #2
GAMEPLAY:
On my second segment, I managed to get past the second fight (after three attempts) and lost once on the third battle.
The most significant gameplay feature I discovered this time was the item trading and weapons systems. As a character gains experience, they also gain a weapon level, which allows them to equip new weapons. By defeating certain enemies, one can acquire new weapons, but since there’s no shared inventory, a bow user might need to trade a sword he picked up to a sword user. The whole system is very realistic, and along with the fact that if a character dies they can’t be revived, the whole game seems very modern and plausible.
The storyline also picked up, leading to some interesting conflicts. The main villain at this point is diabolical, killing civilians who stand in his way to capture the dawn brigade. As the young group continues onward in their journey, more people join them and battles have become more large scale and tactical.
The strategy that this game requires is amazing. The player has to make almost no mistakes in order to protect every single member of their party, and multiple replays of each level are almost required. While I can see how this would be extremely frustrating to many, I find the realism extremely refreshing.
The music has remained more or less the same, but still inspires greatness.
DESIGN:
From a design standpoint, this game (at a small first glance) appears to be remarkable. The storyline is done well, the characters fun and enjoyable but with a serious side, the battles intense and strategic, and the music entertaining and atmospheric. It takes the genre of tactical rpgs and expands on it, adding realism and difficulty.
The one major fault I’ve seen with the design aspects of the game so far has been the AI. At some points, enemy units almost allow themselves to be killed easily, without positioning themselves in strategic ways. It’s unclear whether this was done to make the game easier or just an oversight, but at times it feels like the enemy is waiting for you to come kill them.
Another issue is the difficulty. Having to repeat maps over and over again can really tire out a player, unless they enjoy the punishment. I can only imagine how upset you would be if you reach the boss of a level after a long and grueling battle only to move a unit one space too far and die, losing the game. The difficulty problem could be solved by making counterattacks less powerful- but by doing so battles become less strategic. As such, there is a trade off, and I believe the developers of this game made the right choice in sacrificing ease of play for strategy.
The level design of each map is really interesting, as well. The first two battles take place in pretty interesting city terrain, and maneuvering through the battlefield creating choke-points and positioning ranged units in firing distance is fun. The third level is inside a manor, and the battle has a more cluttered feel, adding to the atmosphere.
Overall, I thought the game so far has been a blast. The difficulty, strategy, music, and story all help to push this game to a new level of fun I haven’t experienced in a while.
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