One of the biggest issues with regards to locomotion in VR is that players are limited by the size of their play area. Without using teleport or slide locomotion, players are limited to movement the size of their play area. This constraint limits game designers as well as levels in the game need to be designed small enough, as players don’t have infinite play area.
An interesting idea I think we can use to solve this limitation in VR games is through the method of Redirected Motion, which mimics the sensation of an infinite play space. Essentially, this method rotates the virtual world by a small degree whenever a player takes a step. This forces the player to redirect his physical motion to avoid walls and walking out of his play area. In order for a player to travel a straight line in the game, he would have to walk the path of a curve in the real world as illustrated in the image below.
In larger play areas like playing in an open field or large room, the rotation of the virtual world would be so minimal that players would not notice it, giving the sensation that they are playing in an infinite open space. However, this method would not necessarily work in smaller rooms as players would need to run small circles in order to walk a short straight line, which can be quite disorientating.
Fall
Guys is a platformer battle royale game released by Mediatonic. The main
concept of the game is simple: Compete against 60 people and be the last man
standing in a series of levels designed to eliminate players. The levels are
split into 4 different categories with different goals.
Race:
Race through levels with to qualify for the next round.
Most successful games tend to have a healthy combination of
the 4 types (aesthetics, technology, mechanics and story) in the tetrad.
Despite Fall Guys lacking in the story department of the tetrad, the game has
still managed to be successful by using elements from the other 3 types to make
the game fun.
Story:
Like most battle royale games, Fall Guys doesn’t really have
a strong story to it. The story of the game is simply to be the last man
standing. Despite the lack of story, many games have managed to be successful
without having a strong story component. In recent years, battle royale games
like PUBG and Fortnite have achieved much success without the need for a story
driven game.
However, Fall Guys tries to compensate for this by having
new “seasons.” Each season lasts about 3 months which boast a new rotation of
maps and skins, making the experience of the game different every once in a
while.
Aesthetics:
Design in the game is beautiful and well thought out. In
general, Fall Guys tends to use bright, candy-like neon colours for the levels
and, making the game feel very lighthearted. Levels are designed such that they
have varying obstacles, making every level unique. The main character of the
game is a cute jellybean-like creature with long arms and short legs. The
visuals are accompanied with a very cheerful soundtrack.
UI elements in the game are designed to reduce unnecessary interaction
so that the user can jump straight into the game.
Mechanics:
I believe a large part of Fall Guys success has to do with
its relatively simplistic gameplay, making it easy to pick up. To play the
game, you only need to use 3 buttons to jump, grab and dive. Additionally,
levels are designed following Mediatonic’s “three word rule” where the goal of
each level can be explained using 3 words only (e.g. Grab The Tail, Reach The
Finish). The simplicity of the game allows beginners to hop in and play at any
time.
Technology:
As mentioned before, the reason Fall Guys is so popular is largely due to its simplistic gameplay, allowing people to hop in and play at any time. The game is not resource intensive and does not require good GPUs/CPUs to run it smoothly. It is released on PCs and the popular console PS4, making it very accessible to casual gamers.
Lens 40: Triangularity
Some levels in Fall Guys are designed with multiple pathways
(mostly maps in the race category) with different difficulty, allowing players
to decide if they want to take a longer route and play it safe, or take a
shortcut with higher risk to reach the goal faster. This makes the game more
unpredictable and exciting.
Lens 43: Competition
Apart from having to deal with the chaos brought about by
obstacles in the level and having to avoid being trampled over by other
players, Fall Guys has a unique mechanic which allows players to grab others to
prevent them from moving. This mechanic introduces a new way of playing the
game, where you can intentionally hinder one’s progress by pulling them away
from the goal making the game that much more competitive and fun.
Also, the game allows users to purchase cosmetics for their
characters using crowns won from games as currency, giving players a greater
incentive to win.
Lens 48: Simplicity/Complexity
The controls of the game are very simple, and only requires
3 buttons to do everything required. Additionally, levels are designed such
that the goals are obvious. This simplicity engages beginners and casual
gamers, allowing them to pick up the game quickly. That being said, it isn’t
easy to win the crown every game. Obstacles introduced in levels are difficult
to overcome and require skill and planning. Players will need to have
appropriate strategies to navigate these obstacles and a bit of skill to dodge
flying fruits.
Fall Guys strikes the right balance between simplicity and
complexity. Simplicity of the games attracts players, and the complexity makes
them stay, improve and want to play more.
Lens 95: Spectation
Part of the game’s success is due
to the game’s broadcastability which has attracted a large audience and player
base. While playing the game for yourself could be stressful or infuriating if
you are determined to reach the goal, watching the game as a third party
changes the whole experience. Being able to watch someone play allows the
viewer to enjoy the humor of one falling into the slime or getting flung
backwards by a hammer, without having to deal with the emotional pain. As the
game is designed like a game show, the experience of watching it could be
likened to watching funny game shows like Total Wipeout or Ninja Warrior, where
viewers can appreciate the experience without having to actively participate.
