Game chosen: Dark souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin

Game Description

Dark souls 2 is an action role-playing game. The game itself is predominantly single-player, with the addition of player vs player (Pvp) and coop elements at short intervals spread throughout the experience. Scholar of the first sin adds existing expansion maps to the game, making the story more complete. The game, being a role-playing game, allows players to customize their avatars extensively, as well as providing various ways to defeat bosses / monsters, which is ultimately the main focus of the game. The enemies offer challenge despite the player’s level; Dying in the game has been a main staple of the series, and a single misstep can be a costly one in terms of endogenous value with the experience.

Website: http://www.darksoulsii.com/us/

Gameplay Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSCcRirneos

Lens #9: Elemental Tetrad Lens

Aesthetics (Excellent) – Game is aligned with the dark / undead theme as with previous titles, visuals are appealing and very detailed with regard to the environment. Character and Equipment design both fit the theme well but yet offering unique artistic directions, as in the case of unconventional armors. Audio is engaging, such as within boss battles, or the sudden ambush of an enemy.

Story (Okay) – Despite being called Dark souls II, the game has little semblance to the previous title in terms of story line. When I was playing the game, a personal opinion was that I did not care about the story. The game attempts to string together events from various non-playable characters (NPCs) in order to immerse the player more in the world. It works to a certain extent, though limited interaction with NPCs results in the dwindling of these connections as well.

Mechanics (Excellent) – Mechanics for this game can be divided into 2 broad categories, game system mechanics and combat mechanics. Game system mechanics such as the character progression, equipment progression, level progression in the multiple areas has been comprehensive and yet not overwhelming.

Combat mechanics are also very fluid, with various fixed weapon types for the player, and very interactive AI on the part of enemies, especially the bosses.

One very important mechanic that this game offers, is the loss of all souls when the player dies, dying can be as simple as falling off a cliff (environment hazard), and even mobbed by basic enemies. Because the enemies’ AI act independently, it introduces a slight randomness to the equation, which makes it more addictive to try again. The loss of souls makes death a lot more punishing, and increases its endogenous value.

Technology (Good) – Being also offered on the PC, it can be expected that it works moderately well with a mouse and keyboard, but the results are abysmal when faced with the challenge factor of the game. However, with a game-pad controller, it changes everything; It feels a lot more connected to the game world when the controls flow smoothly, and the controller reinforces that.

I don’t believe that story is integral in this game, the other 3 elements are very well implemented, except perhaps the native keyboard/mouse control issues.

The 4 elements work very well together in creating an AAA title that succeeds the previous one well,  improving on the existing tested and proven system.

Other Lenses chosen:

Lens #80: Lens of Help

The game offers a way of helping other players, which is in the defeating of bosses. Players can place down summon signs for other players to use to establish a connection. Depending on the helper’s alignment or “religion”, the helper can gain additional benefits for both of the involved parties for items that cannot be gotten from monsters. Besides helping other online players, helping NPCs will also advance their own story lines in the game, and in return, these NPCs will become summon-able by the player should help be needed in defeating hard bosses.

Lens #6: Curiosity

Right from the start, the game plants the player in an unfamiliar environment where he/she has to set off on a journey through the unknown land.The many weaknesses / varied drops each monster has also helps to place more ways the player can navigate through obstacles presented in the game; It becomes just a game by itself to collect equipment and upgrade them throughout the adventure. Pvp has also been a very important aspect, as the game calls it “invasion”; Pvp can happen at anytime, both self-initiated or not. This makes the game more unpredictable and fun.

Lens #40: Triangularity

The most striking instance of triangularity would be in the difficulty or monsters versus the amount of souls they possess. Because the player loses all souls upon death, this is a very cautious decision to make. There are also many other instances, such as traps that guard a chest (risk vs reward), chests that turn out to be mimics, shortcuts that are infested with monsters, optional areas that offer additional gear not obtainable anywhere else. This even includes pvp / coop, which are optional but can offer souls and other rewards. However there is a “religion” that makes the game difficulty twice as hard without offering immediate rewards, but rather prestige in terms of a leader-board.

Lens #73: Story Machine

In this game, the player has the option to kill NPCs, which can present changes to the story lines associated with these NPCs. The main story line ending is also affected by certain NPCs that the player helps / punishes along the way. But besides that, the game does not have much of a story to go about, players can tell “mini-stories” by writing messages on the ground which are transmitted to other players on the server. These are generic messages such as “Ambush ahead”, “Hurrah” etcetera.

Description

MapleStory is a free-to-play fantasy 2D-platformer MMORPG. In MapleStory, players can take on a role of a character and explore the Maple World freely. There are various things that players can do in-game, such as killing monsters for EXP, crafting equipment and potions, doing quests, participating in events, interacting with other players, etc. It has a lore revolving around a central figure, which they call the ‘Black Mage’, along with many other storylines which exists either in relation to the lore, or as independent regional-based storylines.

Website: http://www.maplesea.com/index

The Lens of The Elemental Tetrad (analysed by decreasing order of importance)

Mechanics: The presence of many in-game mechanics, such as party quests, bossing, item crafting, etc. mirrors the complexity of a world of free-exploration and player choice for an MMORPG.

Aesthetics: The graphics and music are designed such that they reinforce the fantasy aspect of the game.

Technology: Players get to control their character and access in-game options through various keys on their keyboard, thus reinforcing the concept of player control.

Story: This takes a bit of backseat since players get to decide, to a certain degree, whether they want to do quests or not. However, these quests reveal/supplement the game storyline if players do the quests, thus enriching the immersion factor.

All 4 elements combine to form a pretty-much-complete game that grants players plenty of free rein in-game.

The Lens of Emotion

The game generally gives off a happy vibe, but exploring the quests reveals some sad/tragic aspects of the Maple Lore that offers a twist on that happy vibe. This manner of making players ‘feel’ in the game could grant them more ownership of the game and enhance the immersive factor. Personally, I enjoy exploring the game storylines, thus I liked the way they approached this concept of emotions.

The Lens of Fun

The game offers many things that the player can do in-game, such as boss expeditions, party quests, participating in game events, crafting items, etc. However, despite their efforts to release new game content through new patches, the repetitive nature of certain mechanics in the new content causes the novelty to wear off. This is a primary reason for people I know who quit the game after playing it for some time.

The Lens of Fairness

Naturally, as an MMORPG, MapleStory is asymmetrical in terms of player power. However, there is a huge imbalance of player power, as only certain game content can be conquered by extremely strong players (which happens to be those who spend loads of real cash on in-game boosters). I find myself unable to participate in certain boss contents because of a variety of reasons relating to the imbalance in player power.

The Lens of Skill

Skill is demanded of players only in very tailored contents like party quests or killing a boss, since these involve unique and complex mechanics. Even if players initially lack the required skills, subsequent practice and in-game community guidance allows them to identify strategies on how to participate well in party plays or boss expeditions. Thus, any player can play the game with ease.

However, some bosses are made so insanely difficult, that even the appropriate level of skill MUST be accompanied by a high level of player strength to kill them.

The Lens of Economy

MapleStory has a complex economic system. There are 2 official game economies, which are ‘mesos’ and ‘@cash’. ‘Meso’ is the usual in-game currency, whereas ‘@cash’ is the currency that is purchasable in real cash, and is used to purchase things in the Cash Shop. In addition, they have ‘Free Markets’, where players can sell their wares to other players.

Its economy has largely spiraled out of control, since only players who spend ‘@cash’ can get and sell ‘godly’ items, that are worth A LOT, to other players. Thus, these players effectively dictate MapleStory’s economy. Furthermore, players can unofficially purchase ‘mesos’ or such ‘godly’ items with real cash, which worsens the state of the in-game economy.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is an isometric-view single player, or online/offline cooperative play (up to 4 players) game set in the desserts of Egypt. The game immerses the player in arcade-shooting styled action sequences, where she/he fights creatures in the tombs, and puzzle solving sequences, which Tomb Raider games are famed for.

Website: https://crystald.com/projects/lara-croft-and-the-temple-of-osiris

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIcmQgUVMY8

Elemental Tetrad

Mechanics

• Arcade-shooter and puzzle solving game, survival and overcoming obstacles essential to game progress
• Puzzles vary with the number of in-game players, the level of challenge increases with the number of players, i.e. each puzzle has 4 variants
• Players are able to wield a variety of weapons, discover artefacts which contribute to player statistics and characteristics, and collect gems to compete in level scoreboards and ranking with other players of the game
• Aim of each level is known through clear storytelling, and goal of each level contributes to the finale of the game

Story

Lara Croft is plunged into a mission to retrieve the bodily remains of the Egyptian sun god Osiris to defeat Set – the god of darkness, when a rival treasure hunter and her cursed themselves after displacing the Staff of Osiris, freeing the enemy.

The story progresses as players gather parts of Osiris, with interferences from in-game enemies and Set, and puzzles for obstacles. Each part contributes to the finale where Osiris is resurrected, and steers the game to its final battle sequence with Set.

Aesthetics

• High-angle isometric perspective gives the game a “god’s eye” depth-of-field, framing the gameplay to make it feel vast, and effectively exhibiting the impressive architecture of the game
• Playable weapons such as pistols, grenades and magical staffs, give a different feel and experience to the players. Pistols and grenades when triggered displays the usual bullets and explosions, while the magical staffs emit a bright beam the vaporises the enemy.
• Game has an overall earthly colour scheme to create the impression of tomb raiding, and bright lights and colours when engaged in combat or puzzles

Technology

The game is arcade-shooter styled, creating a engaging experience especially in cooperative mode. The game is playable on the PS4 and XONE, narrowing the gameplay experience to controller gaming.

Lenses and Reviews

Lens #6: The Lens of Problem Solving

The game immerses players in literal problem solving – puzzles, and survival. Problem solving can be more challenging if players opt to accomplish optional goals. The game generates different puzzles with respect to number of players, creating level variants. In favour of game design.

Lens #31: The Lens of Challenge

The gameplay comprises shooter, survival and puzzle solving. Challenges are overcome differently at variable difficulties based on playable character (e.g. Lara wields pistols while Horus wields a magical staff), and puzzles and its difficulty changes with the number of players. In favour of game design.

Lens #40: The Lens of Reward

The game instead of rewards only offers achievement of the goal at the end of the level, and few in-game wieldable items at certain stages. Rewards could be given out more to create an alternate more engaging gameplay to entice players to undertake optional tasks. As of current game can we played similarly with or without given rewards. Against game design.

Lens #66: The Lens of the Obstacle

The game’s objective is to defeat the antagonist through a series of puzzles and combat sequences. The storytelling ties the player to the antagonist and goal of the game. The obstacles increase in difficulty and new enemies and introduced as the game progresses. In this game, the antagonist appears in smaller forms throughout the gameplay and as a massive (literally) final boss in the finale. In favour of game design.

Crusaders Quest is a mobile game based on a ‘freemium’ price model. The user can use up to three ‘heroes’ to battle and complete stages, unlock more stories/cutscenes, and acquire more powerful heroes and equipment.

The combat of the game is an innovation upon the classic match-3 genre. Instead of a 2D array of blocks, there is only a single array of block. Each hero generates their own block, and players click on the blocks to activate them –  unleashing their respective powers. A maximum of 3 blocks can be activated at a time, and the damage/effectiveness of the skills scale with the number of blocks activated.

The Elemental Tetrad

Of the four elements, the mechanics tetrad stands out the most to me. The game innovates upon match-3 games like Candy Crush, to incorporate puzzle solving to the act. Thus, I found the mechanics easy to learn. However, the game shakes things up by incorporating the skills of the heroes to the activation of the blocks. I have to constantly make meaningful decisions in combat, like deciding if I should activate the current 2-chain, or wait for another block to appear for the strongest attack.

The aesthetics of the game is also very appealing. Although it is done with pixel-art, and lack fidelity, the artists have kept the style consistent for the game to be visually appealing. For the technology tetrad, it can be said that the platform (touchscreen mobile) of the game suits the mechanics very well. Tapping the screen to activate the blocks is very intuitive for me. The story tetrad also somewhat applies to the game, as there are some cutscenes and story progression in the game.

Lens 21 – The Lens of Goals (+ Flow)

The goal of the game is quite straightforward – to get the strongest heroes and equipment, and form the strongest team. To do this, I participate in combat, through storyline stages or player-versus-player arenas. This way, I can earn resources to spend on upgrading or purchasing new heroes. The smaller game loop, the combat itself, is even more straightfoward. Simply solve the match-3 puzzles to unleash your heroes’ attacks, and whittle the health of the enemies to defeat them. I find it very easy to get into the flow – the stages are easily accessible, and upon completing the stages, I return to the ‘town’ to look at the rewards, and start a new stage.

Lens 36 – The Lens of Chance

Acquiring heroes is tedious process in this game – through random ‘rolls’, something like opening card packs in Trading Card Games. To acquire a new hero, players must buy  items called ‘Contracts’, through in-game currency or real money. Each Contract will award the player with a random hero, and sometimes even their strongest variants. It should be noted that players can also train their weak heroes and ‘promote’ them into their stronger variants, but it takes a considerable amount of time and resources. Thus, the game is balanced in the sense that power can be acquired through luck, or can be ‘grinded’. I find that opening contracts to get random heroes also makes the game exciting, as it allows me to take interesting risks to acquire strong heroes.

Lens 39 – The Lens of Meaningful Choices

As I can choose up to three heroes to form a party, I am forced to make meaningful decisions on the team composition. Should I slot in a healer to keep the team alive? Or will I rather fill that slot with an offensive character, to kill the enemies before the team takes substantial damage? These choices push me to strategize and exploit the strength and synergies of the different heroes. I also like that the developer also actively seeks dominant strategies (overpowered team compositions), and tweaks them to be balanced – to keep the game fun and choices meaningful.

Lens 34 – The Lens of Skill

Combat in the game consists mainly of solving puzzles, through tapping the blocks match-3 style. Different team compositions also require different strategies of activating the blocks. For example, some skills will weaken the defenses of the enemy, allowing me to activate my strongest offensive-type attack after that for maximum impact. As I play, I get more used to the playstyle of my current team, allowing me to exploit more of their strengths. This way, I have the feeling that I have gained more mastery of the game.

Lens 34 – The Lens of Emergence

Each hero in the game has its own unique skills and abilities. I find that this adds a very interesting depth to the gameplay, as it allows me to discover emergent gameplay. For example, there is a hero who can keep one other hero alive no matter how much damage that hero takes. I paired this hero with a tank, who could redirect all damage from the team to it, effectively creating an unkillable team as long as these combo was upkept.