Speaking of the VR app that I spend most time on, it should be Beat Saber. I spend half an hour almost every day, for both entertaining and fitness. Now I’d like to talk some on this application.
I think the time is more than Ring Fit Adventure.
Pros
Immersion
Immersion is the most we want in a VR application. We want imagination becoming real in virtual reality. That’s what Beat Saber gives. We could have a pair of long sabers – which is impossible in real world – to slash numerous coming blocks. It makse virtual world more enjoyable.
Another huge impact for immersion is the locomotion. For most VR games. We have to face the problem of moving. Teleportation or moving directly will bring people either sickness or feeling unreal. Therefore, some games have to make some extra definitions about why you should stand still in the virtual environment(why do I only stand when boxing?). Beat saber has to care none of them. You could enjoy it without any sickness.
Fitness
Fitness is an advantage for VR games. For PC games, you could only sit and play, which is harmful for your back. VR gives another option. You can play game and fit at same time. That is very useful – especially in current pandemic case that you cannot go out too often.
Community
For a console game, it’s quite common that you spend tens of hours playing it, beating final boss, and then never play it again. Because there is no input after the game is released. But community will make some differences. You could see custom songs, customized sabers, fantsic lighting maps and others in Beat Saber community. More people join the community, and more people contribute to the community. That is the possitive feedback of community.
Fitness could be an advantage, and it could also be a disadvantage. It means you cannot play it for a long time – only for fun. If you play harder songs, you will quickly get tired and cannot hold the same level. Then you have to exit and rest.
Beside, that’s why I think locomotion sickness is hard to solve. Fatigue is more than sickness: imagine that you run all the time in a VR PUBG……
Community
As I mentioned, Beat Saber is largely supported by its community. However, I think Beat Saber developers could have more communication with community. For each update, all the mods will be unusable and people have to wait for several days for the new version. Maybe developers could leave some exposed API for community to easily use. What’s more, developers could integrate some wonderful mods into orignal game, and that is the story for Counter Strike.
Brass Tactics is a real-time strategy game that offers a living tabletop battlefield game experience in VR. Even though other real-time strategy games have already appeared in the VR industry (e.g. Tactera, AirMech), Brass Tactics offers the player a medieval warfare-feel game and leverage the player’s immersion into the artificial world.
If you’ve ever played a real-time strategy game, the game mode of Brass Tactics shouldn’t be new to you. You start with some warriors and archers, but then you can upgrade them. To attack, you simply point your troops at specific squares via the Touch controller.
Why they are engaging?
Brass Tactics takes advantage of how engaging strategy games can be. It allows players to compete with an opponent (an AI or another player) and earn rewards through winning. With the immersion that comes with VR, the player can gain a greater sense of accomplishment by imagining themselves as part of the virtual world.
Another factor that makes this game more appealing is the speed you can connect with other players. Brass Tactics supports three game modes: single-player vs AI, online competitive and cooperative mode. The players are allowed to socialize with others through the game.
What features are well done? The game successfully increases the credibility of an artificial world through details. The setting for the game is medieval warfare; the theme colour, characters, the playing board, scene all match up with the background story. I am amazed by the consistency between the art style and the game mode.
For example, the jewellery on the user’s virtual hand matches the overall look and feel. This increases the immersion, similar to how players dress up in unique costumes while participating in Live Action Role Playing games.
What features can be improved and how?
Most of the players pointed out its lack of content in terms of strategy. There are limited military characters and buildings to sustain players’ interests. Some players also responded that the unreasonably long game round (i.e. 40 mins – 1 hour for one game round with AI) had frustrated them. From my point of view, even with the title of “Real-time strategy in VR”, the core of the game is to entertain players through fun and engaging game mode. The developers should never blindly focus on building great modelling in VR only.
Developed by Niantic and Nintendo and released in 2016, Pokemon Go was an instant success. This game was incredibly popular with an audience of all ages, and quickly became a sensation in the AR world.
The mobile game utilizes the phone’s GPS to superimpose Pokemon at the users’ live location, so that the user may capture, train, and battle their Pokemon. The game promotes healthy lifestyles and motivates users to walk around their city in pursuit of new Pokemon to catch and train. Pokemon Go sets up quests and specific locations (Pokestops) for users to complete and venture to.
I personally really like Pokemon Go because it evokes a sense of nostalgia, as I grew up watching Pokemon episodes and collecting Pokemon trading cards. It is a lot of fun to see something from my childhood brought to life in front of my eyes. As a kid, I’ve always wished Pokemon were real, and Pokemon Go allows me to imitate that.
The game itself is engaging because it draws on its audience’s innate tendency to collect items and level up. Users (Pokemon trainers) are motivated to collect as many Pokemon as possible, and make them as strong as possible. There is something addictive about maintaining a complete collection -— an aspect that Pokemon Go cleverly draws upon. In addition, the game is very social, and allows users to work together with friends to complete quests and train Pokemon. Pokemon Go also takes advantage of a user’s competitive nature, and allows its audience to compete with friends in battle. This extensive social aspect makes Pokemon Go more engaging and allows users to gain a more satisfying reward from the game.
Features well done
Pokemon Go makes great use of geolocation, as it is able to track the user’s movements to help level up a trainer’s Pokemon or determine whether or not there is a Pokemon available at the current location. This feature is very well done — as a side effect, Pokemon Go certainly motivates users to explore their city and exercise. In addition, the use of geolocation allows users to gather with other users at the same location for “gym battles”. This leads to a congregation of people playing the same game, which can increase the level of excitement and enthusiasm for Pokemon Go.
Features to be improved
Although Pokemon Go is certainly a popular game, there are a couple features that can be improved. First, it can be easy to cheat the game. Often, to level up a Pokemon, the user must walk a certain amount of steps, intended to be completed by traversing a city or park. However, this can be bypassed by walking in a circle in a home, or even by driving slowly in a car. It might be useful for Pokemon Go to consider implementing cheat-prevention methods, such as uploading pictures of surroundings, or other proof of actual walking. Next, the idea of the game is rather repetitive, and the objective is simple. When players get past the initial excitement of nostalgic feelings and collecting Pokemon, Pokemon Go because just that — a game in which users can collect more and more Pokemon. However, this can get boring, and many players have stopped playing for lengths of time before new updates reel them back in. Pokemon Go should consider creating more side quests and other fun games within the app itself to keep users engaged and entertained.
NetVRk is a VR social media sandbox platform that utilises the blockchain for users to create, share and moetize their creations using an intuitive in game editor. Creators are able to create game assets by using a simple drag and drop interface, negating the need for any coding skills or special knowledge. These assets can be minted into NFTs to facilitate in game commerce in the metaverse economy.
Users are able to buy, sell and trade land, just like in the real world, and with the land, they have their own sandbox in the metaverse to fully customise into a world of their dreams. Land owners can modify the uniquely generated terrain of their world and build structures using the toolset of NetVRk. Those with the skills are able to import their own in game models or write scripts that can give enhanced functionality to the assets that they import into the world.
With this level of customisability, land owners can either build their world for large corporate gatherings, or they can build an entire VR game in their fantasy world. The various use cases include education, architecture, training simulations and product simulations.
In every world that is created in NetVRk, it provides the opportunity for members of NetVRk to meet likeminded people and also creates new methods of wealth creation in a new type of economy. This will be able to give new freedoms to people who are limited by their real world environment and economy. This is the next stage of globalisation, where people no longer congregate on single platforms, but in virtual cities to form networks and societies, where its a whole new world to conquer.
A popular Augmented Reality (AR) mobile game that I love and used to play is Pokemon Go developed by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company for iOS and Android devices. The game enables users to use their mobile devices with Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate, capture, battle and train virtual creatures called Pokemon which appear as if they are in the real world location.
Different Pokemon species reside in different areas of the world. For example, water-type Pokemon are generally found near the water. There are various game modes available in Pokemon Go such as Battle Raids in Pokemon Gyms where users can work together to catch rare Pokemons and Trainer Battles where users can battle against each other to earn rewards and experience points.
Why the application is engaging?
Upon creating a game account, the user can create and customise his/her own avatar and the avatar will be shown on the map with reference to the user’s geographical location. As players move within their real-world surroundings, their avatars move within the game’s map. There are PokeStops where users can earn rewards upon passing a location that is marked as PokeStop.
When a player encounters a Pokemon, the encounter may be viewed either in AR mode or in a generic background. In the AR mode, it allows the user to display an image of the Pokemon as though the Pokemon is in the real-world with the use of a gyroscope and camera. User are allowed to take screenshots of the Pokemon they encounter regardless of what mode the encounter is.
During an encounter with a wild Pokemon, the player may throw a Poke Ball at it by flicking it from the bottom of the screen up or spinning the Poke Ball toward the Pokemon.
Inside Raid Battles, groups of user (up to 20 in a room) are allowed to work together to defeat strong rare Pokemon. Upon successful battle, the user will receive rewards like Poke Balls and get the chance to capture the Pokemon.
For Trainer battles, a user can battle with another user in the proximity real life as there is an option to display the Trainer Code using QR code in the application and feature to allow player to scan Trainer Code to battle.
What features are well done?
I think that weather system feature being added later on has made the game more realistic as it allows real world weather to affect the game play like some Pokemon can appear more frequently during cloudy weather, rainy weather or some Pokemon will become weaker or stronger in wet weather during battles.
Another feature that has impressed me is the addition of Go Battle League where users are able to battle each other online across the world which aids human interaction especially during the early period of pandemic outbreak where social interaction outside is not allowed.
What features can be improved and how?
Currently, Standard AR mode is no longer compatible with phone in the landscape mode which is the mode that many people prefer when taking augmented photos with Pokemon. I hope to see Pokemon Go bring back landscape mode in future updates and allow users to have the flexibility to enable AR mode in portrait or landscape mode depending on personal preference.
Poor Quality Go Snapshot example
Go Snapshot feature is not performing well at night even if phone with the best camera because the quality is way poorer than a photo being taken with normal camera. In addition, it is challenging for a Pokemon to appear in certain locations because the mode struggles to detect flat surfaces. Hence, I hope to see improvements in future update by improving the quality and background optimisation in Go Snapshot.
As someone who produces my own music, I really enjoy the first-person VR rhythm game Beat Saber. It allows players to visually and physically immerse themselves in the music. bsaber.com crudely describes the excitement of slashing along to songs akin to “shoot[ing] the maps you want straight into your bloodstream.” The player is given 2 sabers and they slice blocks to the rhythm. Players can play along with friends, challenge other online players, or strive to break their personal best scores for their songs. After reading the reviews by my classmates LimJunxue and DevATeo, I will take their posts into account and offer my own analysis of the game. Do note that I do not own a VR headset and will be judging the experience solely based on watching gameplay from YouTube.
Why Beat Saber is an Outstanding VR Experience
1. Immersive, focused gameplay
The first thing a new player will notice is that the game makes them feel like they are ‘in’ the song. Like what Junxue mentioned, Beat Saber draws the player in and lets them forget about their environment.
The player finds themself in a dark tunnel, and then notices red and blue blocks flying towards them. The simple and non-distracting background does not burden the player’s cognitive load, and lets them focus on slicing those blocks. Slashing the blocks makes the background light up, but it fades away quickly, giving the player satisfying feedback but also not being too distracting.
Additionally, the simple colour scheme (namely blues, reds and black) is used consistently throughout the game, giving it a polished look.
2. Easy to learn, rewarding to master
Next, Beat Saber speaks the player’s language when it comes to interaction. New players immediately know what to do with their sabers. The blocks resemble juicy fruit to be cut, which is similar to fruit ninja, a popular mobile game. The player’s instinct to duck occurs when they see a large wall flying towards their head. By applying the players’ existing mental models to the game, Beat Saber delivers an intuitive user experience without the need for much explaining.
The gameplay from Fruit Ninja is oddly similar to Beat SaberThe player has to duck so that the wall doesn’t hit their head. The physical action of ducking is what differentiates VR gaming from PC gaming.
The starting tutorial features bass-heavy electronic music with blocks being in sync with the strong beats. After slashing through these blocks, the player quickly feels badass, and also learns the rules of the game, eg. blue is right, red is left. This new power makes the player feel good about themselves and encourages them to keep playing.
After playing for a while, players seeking personal glory try to beat their best scores, or even training to obtain the highest score in the global leaderboards. This social element is a great way to encourage replayability.
A short snippet showing how skilled players can get. Was that a spin at 0:42??
However, the finesse doesn’t stop there. Content creators such as Artemisblue have honed their skills to the point that they are able to dance expressively, while slicing boxes to the beat. Please watch the 1-min video above.
By allowing experts to accomplish such impressive feats, while at the same time remaining easy and enjoyable for beginners makes Beat Saber a truly fantastic VR experience.
Nevertheless, there are still some aspects which can be worked on.
Areas in which Beat Saber can Improve
1. Legalising user-made content
Across all game review platforms, the most common complaint about the base game was the limited selection of songs and genres. Players got bored of the songs and maps quickly.
In response to this, a highly enthusiastic modding community has sprung up around the game, making mods which let users customise every aspect of the game, from loading custom songs with custom environments, to using custom avatars. It is relatively easy to mod the game, given the numerous guides and tutorials produced by this community. This has resulted in a cornucopia of user-generated content, richly enhancing the gameplay.
One possible solution Beat Saber can adopt is to partner with music distribution services such as CD Baby or Distrokid to give royalties to artists whenever their songs are played. These services already do so when their music is streamed on Spotify, YouTube, or even Tiktok. Surely something can be worked out with Beat Saber.
2. Menu selection method
If you’re like me and find it hard to keep still after an intense workout, then you may find this point relatable. To navigate the menus between songs, users have to point a ray from their controller to select small buttons on the menu in the distance. This fiddly job requires concentration and precision, both of which the player may not possessafter a physically demanding song. It would be better if other selection methods were used, such as slicing a block placed near each option in the menu. That would be much easier to do while catching my breath.
3. Safety
The wall of text upon launching the game is not very effective at preventing mishaps.
Finally, Beat Saber doesn’t have its own safety system. Players have reported hitting tables with their hands and toppling furniture. Though the game does warn the player before the enter, a warning in a literal wall of text is likely to be overlooked. Guardian on the Oculus Quest 2 is a great example in terms of ensuring user safety.
Guardian informs users when they leave their boundary, protecting them, as well as their furniture.
Overall, Beat Saber is a VR experience that is easy to learn, fun to play, and rewarding to master. It sets the standard for VR experiences to come, and I can’t wait to try it out for myself.
FPV drone is very different from traditional drones. The pilots fly the drone wearing a VR goggle. Livestream view from the onboard camera on the drone is transmitted to the goggle with low latency allowing the pilot to control the drone more precisely. In fact, with the immersive real time viewing, FPV drones equip the pilots with the ability to shoot stunning cinematic aerial images or videos and perform acrobatic drone moves like back flips and rolls. The VR integration brings the level of photography, cinematography and entertainment of drones to whole nother level.
FPV is hard!
Though FPV drones are much powerful compared to traditional drones in many aspects, they are also notoriously hard to maneuver. The need to control the drone with the first person onboard camera view means pilots need to get accustomed to the tilted view caused by the drone movement. Most drones have eight degrees of freedom (imagine an invisible xyz axis with drone centered in the origin, eight degrees of freedom are positive and negative x,y,z direction as well as clock wise and counter clockwise rotation), which means drone pilots need to learn to fly with 8 different camera illusion feedback from the movement. Let alone speed change. As a three year drone pilot, learning to fly a FPV drone still takes me weeks of training in the simulator to feel confident. While the DJIVirtualFlight is the VR simulator application that really helps here.
VR FPV simulator APP – DJI Virtual Flight
DJI Virtual Flight provides series of flight training sessions. From taking off, flying straight (you may be surprising that flying straight in a FPV is in fact not as easy as you think), turning, landing to some more advanced tricks. It also offers a few good maps for users to train their ability to shoot some cinematic clips or try out some acrobatic moves. Everything happens to the drone controller reflects on the view in the VR goggle.
Possible improvements for DJI Virtual Flight.
It is true that DJI Virtual Flight provides good amount of training for a new FPV drone pilot, but the accuracy still has room for improvement. From my personal experience, DJI Virtual Flight is only about 60-70 percent accurate compared to the actual flight. Also, there are only three free flight maps provided in the application, which is very limited. More importantly, those maps are all virtual maps, they cannot be served as an actual rehearsal. Imagine if real world places are provided, drone pilots will be able to fly across Swiss Alps or The Blue Lagoon, Iceland in the simulator taking their time to think about how to frame the video before their actual visit.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted is a VR game that I enjoy recommending to first-time VR players. It consists of a collection of mini-games that pertain to a novel theme that could be described as Survival Horror Puzzle.
On PC, these mini-games were interesting at best, the animatronics were stuck on a flat-screen. I felt safe controlling the mouse to interact with the various UI elements. In VR, however, the experience was astonishingly brought to the next level. I was right there in that enclosed, darkroom. Alone. I couldn’t see the people around me. No matter where I looked it was just dark creepy aesthetics. There was no way out. It was truly immersive. I can’t help but be engaged within the game.
In the PC version, there was a UI button to click which will bring the user to a screen that shows the CCTV footage of the animatronics (who are out to kill you) at various locations.
In the VR version, the developers made a fantastic choice of embedding all UI components within the virtual environment.
This time, the buttons were right in front of you, as if you were right there in front of a working CCTV system. You have to physically “press” the buttons within the game with your virtual hands as you would have done intuitively in real life. There were no distracting UI elements or HUD to break the immersion in this 3D environment. This particular design choice deepens the immersion I felt in the game.
Another interesting thing to note is that the jumpscares here were noticeably more terrifying. Look at this moment where the player runs out of battery. The doors are now left wide open for the animatronics to attack. The game doesn’t just end here. The audio-visual experience provided by this moment is simply beautiful. The lights turn off. You hear the distinct sound of the power running out. A pair of eyes blink open to stare at you. Then an oddly friendly and creepy tune of “Toreador March” plays in the background. You are left to dread your impending doom while still leaving you with a slight chance of surviving the night. You never know for sure. And most importantly, your senses had no way out of this virtual environment. You can close your eyes, but you won’t fully avoid the light. This particular experience can be truly terrifying for the player (and also fun to watch as a bystander). This moment is simply one of many ways the player gets jump-scared in the game, but it is my favorite one that encapsulates all the various techniques needed to engineer a scare.
Note: The environment was desaturated in this particular level
There were some features in particular that I believe could be improved.
Firstly, the replayability value is quite low in multiple game modes. There are certain techniques that you will pick up to deal with the game’s various puzzles. For several game modes, once you master a few simple techniques, the game becomes repetitive and slightly boring. This could be owed to the fact that this game is a collection of mini-games. There was great breadth but little depth in some places.
Secondly, on certain modes, as seen in the video clipped above, the environment’s color scheme was altered. In the above example, the environment becomes desaturated. In my opinion, this particular mode drains both the game’s life and creepiness factor. As a player, I felt less appealed and less engaged with the environment.
Thirdly, while the precursors to the jumpscare were well done, as discussed above. I believe more work could have been done by the developer to make the actual jumpscare more terrifying. The environment blacks out immediately prior to the scare and breaks to an animatronic screaming to your face. This seems to lack a little polish. I felt that the scares could integrate a little more to the user’s surrounding 3D environment to completely seal in the immersion of the scare.
Finally, there were limited interactions with prizes in the game. The player can only hold the prizes around or put it near the face to “consume” it. I understand this is merely a fun gimmick for the player to fool around in a VR environment. But it is albeit too repetitive and predictable. I don’t actually look forward to winning these “prizes” upon completing a level. Several simple ways this can be improved are by giving the prizes more interactive components such as buttons to perform actions/generate sounds or movable limbs instead of just existing as a static prop.
Overall I enjoyed this game immensely, not only as a player but also as a bystander. 🙂
Introduction: The new Augmented Reality Video function available supplements the BMW iX maps navigation system’s map view, enabling the driver to find their way on the road with great accuracy. It engages drivers with a live video stream from the driver’s perspective, shown on the control display and augmented by supplementary information that matches the context.
Interesting Features: When dealing with confusing junctions, for instance, an animated directional arrow is integrated into the video image to help the driver take the best turn-off for the planned route. Depending on the situation at hand, the Augmented Reality Video view is activated prior to the maneuver to be performed and disappears again afterwards. Traffic accidents can be reduced by providing drivers with the safest possible route when it comes to complicated junctions such as three-way or four-way junctions.
Possible Improvements: However, the driver will be constantly diverting their eyes from the road to staring at that center screen. It could be better if the augmented reality is in the windscreen in the form of HUDs, so that the driver can focus on looking at traffic along with the features as well.
Developed exclusively by a single man, Eric Barone (or more commonly referred to by his online alias, ConcernedApe), Stardew Valley is a game that appears rather simple at first glance. To the uninitiated, the $34 million net worth it has brought its sole developer may come as a surprise. Nominated for the 2016 Seumas McNally Grand Prize in the Independent Games Festival, and winning the Breakthrough Award in the Golden Joystick Awards (among others), Stardew Valley is likely a game you have heard of, even if you may not have played it. Premised on the concept of escaping a dull, stressful corporate life in the city, Stardew Valley promises a refreshing countryside change where the player starts their new life on a farm inherited from their late grandfather. At its core, Stardew is about resource-managing, another game in the farming simulator genre alongside other titles like Harvest Moon. Yet, there is something about being a humble farmer in the lively Pelican Town that sets this game apart.
One of the first trailers for the game released in 2016.
A video explaining the development process by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone.
Lens #2 & #3: Surprise & Fun
On its surface, the goal of the game is simple: plant and harvest crops, forage for materials, sell resources for profit, then rinse and repeat. Its mechanics involve an in-game clock, where the player cycles through 4 seasons of 28 days each, and every day, they are granted limited energy to to spend on actions, which gets refreshed when the player goes to bed at night. Yet, under this deceptively straightforward concept lies several key features which have garnered Stardew Valley its many loyal fans. Besides farming, players are free to explore the village, including delving into mines which are arguably almost entertaining enough to be its own game.
In caves, players can mine their way through different levels filled with rocks to pick, enemies to defeat and crystals to discover. These enemies even cause damage, and players are at the mercy of their health bar, which only appears when they enter a cave. Much like your typical dungeon crawler, the player can equip themselves with armour and weapons to boost their combat statistics.
Fishing is also a major activity featured in the game. While fishing serves as a means to gather profitable stock and food, they also pose a challenge for the player to collect different fish at different locations and in-game seasons.
With 40 achievements existing in the game, and an estimated 150-200 hours it takes to attain them all, players will be hard pressed to run out of things to do (https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Achievements). Cutscenes featuring the residents of Pelican Town and their lives reward players at various milestones, and the sheer assortment of items and artefacts to collect and use in the game intrigues players to continue making new discoveries through game progression, and the inherent endogenous value of rewards in activities such as mining or fishing compels continuous play. For example, the elusive prismatic shard found in the mines can be transformed into a high-level combat weapon, while rare crops like starfruits and ancient fruits can be harvested and cultivated to make incredibly profitable wine. Adding on to the RPG experience of this game is a skill level system, granting the player additional abilities as they progress.
Providing a diverse selection of activities allows players to take a break from the monotony of watering plants and harvesting crops, while still serving as alternative means for resource-gathering in the game so that players are able to continue progressing by upgrading their tools and accessing new locations. Essentially, Stardew Valley players are free to curate their own experience and set their own goals, and this freedom is part of the core experience that the game is selling, be it earning the most money, befriending – and even starting a family – with villagers, starting an extensive collection of rare fish or perhaps even challenging themselves to gather resources only by raiding trash cans.
An often underrated element that buttresses the success of Stardew Valley is its aesthetics. While the charming pixelated graphics making up the world of Pelican Town and its inhabitants are endearing, it has to be pointed out that the audio – also developed by ConcernedApe – provides an added dimension which elevates the gameplay experience. Catchy tunes signify the change of each season, cycling through spring, summer, autumn and winter, and upbeat music accompanies players in the mines as they battle their way deeper underground. Overlying the melodies of Stardew Valley are the chirping of birds greeting players at the start of a sunny morning, while the pattering of rain on the windows mark a stormy day even before the player leaves the house. Footsteps crunching on soil contrasts the clicking of shoes on linoleum and hard stone, and in multiplayer mode, the telltale chopping of wood from another player a short distance away renders the map unnecessary as players can tell when the other is near. These aesthetics, while often residing in the background, is invaluable in world-building and serves as reminder that while the sounds of nature may be overpowered by the very real, raucous city noises of a player’s life, there is always respite to be found in the whimsical Pelican Town off the beaten track.
Lens #44: Character
Another critical feature of the game which makes it so appealing is perhaps the relationships which exist between the NPC villagers, beyond the player’s direct relationships with them. With crushes, friendships (and even possibly affairs) depicted through dialogues with the various villagers, the player gets the sense that this virtual village is very much alive, the NPCs going on their way carrying out their daily lives offscreen. While there may not be a strong storyline in the game, the personable interactions and charming dialogue draws the player, and as favourite villagers are befriended, we may find ourselves unexpectedly invested in the lives of these virtual people. This take on world-building in a simple farming simulator is a refreshing change from the often solipsistic perspective adopted by other titles in its genre. The NPCs’ dialogue is often quirky and surprising, encouraging further interaction with them as their relationship with the player develops through gifts and events that take place throughout the game.
The most difficult part of this game is perhaps getting started. It is admittedly tough to love the game when one is equipped with poor tools, limited resources and unable to access mining or even fishing. Yet, when one is willing to stick through the initial hours spent on a rather insipid farming simulator, it is not difficult to understand why millions of people have devoted endless hours into this game. There is always something to discover and the love for the game is apparent from its vast community of fans online, with forums sharing play-through guides, less-known tips and even modifications by the more tech-savvy to further customise the gaming experience (many of which can be found on https://www.pcgamesn.com/stardew-valley/best-stardew-valley-mods).
Conclusion and Lens #7: Elemental Tetrad
Though classified under the farming simulator, Stardew Valley is much more than that. It is a farming simulator, life simulator, dungeon crawler, dating simulator all in one, packaged and presented with a wonderfully immersive audio experience and nostalgic visual 16-bit aesthetics. Its simple technical elements and cheerful colours attract children looking for a fun way to pass the time, but the story existing within the rich lives of the onscreen villagers and the surprisingly challenging fishing and mining mechanics continue to draw in more mature audiences time and time again. Allowing players to pet cute cows and fight off monstrous skulls with swords in the same day, Stardew Valley is an indie game that has effectively utilised the elemental tetrad of game design, and has mastered walking the fine line between relaxing and challenging, having a little something for anyone seeking refuge from a hectic life in a quaint pixelated town.
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