I am a Top Down Designer. Meaning I approach designs with:
- High concept
- Vision
- Overall story
- Characters
- Etc.
Need to balance it out with Bottom Up approach:
- Input
- Moves
- Challenges
- Mechanics
- Scoring
- Etc.
Benefits of a Top Down Approach: The designer has a clear idea of what the game is, what it should accomplish and who it’s for. Throughout development of a project, it’s maintaining a clear line of sight on the vision that keeps everything on track.
Drawbacks of a Top Down Approach:
Without the mechanics to compliment the vision there is only a nice idea and eventually the design stalls when descriptions of how it’s all supposed to work are lacking.
Bottom line: Top down approach works if the designer(s) can follow through and describe everything from vision to function. Moreover, there is a more focused approach because everyone on the team will know precisely where they are going and what is expected.
Benefits of a Bottom Up Approach: Regardless of concept or nuance, the designer has a firm handle on what the intended platform is, how the game will function and what systems it will use. Furthermore, the mechanics are often much easier to apply to a variety of concepts with very little alteration required. This is ideal for tight deadlines and last minute changes that can dramatically alter a concept.
Drawbacks of a Bottom Up Approach: Being able to apply systems to any concept is a definite plus but without a firm grasp on the overall vision the project is left wide open to interpretation. Without clear direction a team will stall as everyone will attempt to develop in different directions.
Bottom line: By designing using this method, the designer will be hard pressed to defend a vision when the focus is on the systems and not the idea.
Because of the tougher economic times I imagine that publishers are less inclined to take chances on new ideas and gameplay, regardless of their instincts or personal feelings. Money is money and money makers certainly can’t take chances on untested ideas.
What a shame.
… there are a few tendencies in most reviews which are problematic. The first is the obvious problem of a grown-up reviewing a game for kids, or a hardcore gamer reviewing a game for the mass market. I think journalists should have the opportunity to see a focus group playing games, especially kids’ games. They really do play some games in dramatically different manners than a 25-30 year-old game fanatic.
Played the Heavenly Sword demo and was wowed by:
- Gorgeous visuals
- Lush environments
- Mocap galore
- Superb acting
- Engaging storyline
- Fantastic Controls
So, I went out and bought the game. I’ve been playing it for a few days now and still have a great appreciation for the work that went into this piece of interactive art, but… there are some boss fights in this game that follow the old school design standards that should have been dragged out back and brutally beaten and shot to death ages ago.
I find myself taken gently by the hand and lead along a vivid path of storytelling only to be rudely ripped from the immersion to repeat the same damned boss fights over and over again until a combination of sheer determination and luck overwhelm some extremely poorly designed battle sequences.
What I want is to flow through this cinematic experience, feeling every bit the champion. I do not, however, have any inclination to be savagely beaten in some Ground Hog Day torture session, where my self esteem is run through the meat grinder. I want boss fights that challenge and amuse; I want to feel vindication when I grind my enemies to powder! I don’t want to have to memorize pre-set patterns through miserable failure. If I can only learn how to win through repeated failure, the designer is forcing me to play how he wants me to and this is just wrong. There should be multiple avenues to success, which allow the player to explore their own play style. Most importantly the boss should not break established rules that the player has been asked to learn up to that point. If the player is taught how to block, attack and counter attack against enemies, these rules should apply to the boss as well. Use of unblockable attacks by enemies should be used sparingly and every single boss must be beatable with the same rules and methods that got the player that far in the first place.
These same frustrating road blocks also appear in scripted interactive cut-scenes and challenges that very clearly can only be overcome by those who have a solid understanding of the genre or have failed a hundred times and memorized what needs to be achieved. Either way it stinks and is a rotten way to treat such an interesting story.
Heavenly Sword is a truly impressive work of art and it’s honestly a shame to see that old and faulty design methods have put a damper on my experience thus far. Here’s hoping I can finish this game on an a high note instead of pitching it out the window, because I really really want to love this game.
Note: I did finally get through the game and despite my grievances with the boss fights and obstacles to the overall flow, it was worth it. This is truly an exceptional game with a bold story and it took balls to publish it.
In The Force Unleashed you can:
- alter (read: destroy) your environment
- hurl massive objects at your enemies
- grab objects 10x + larger than you (tie fighters)
- use the force to wreck or move massive doors
- use force lighting to electrocute people and vehicles
- use force push to hurl enemies, objects, and affect your environment
- use your lightsaber to basically reduce your enemy’s hitpoints
Yes, I said use your lightsaber to lower your enemy’s hitpoints. No dismemberment (like Luke losing his hand to Darth Vader’s saber), no bodies littering the floor, no chopping crates or doors in twine… In fact, the only way you know your enemy is ready to expire is by watching his green life bar deplete.
Frankly, I’m severly disapointed. The controls are shit; there is no real sense of impact or power (and I play on a 37’ LCD TV with stereo speakers); the demo level is boring and unimaginitive (your character can actually walk right off ledges and fall to his death); the AI lacks any sense of flare until they get Force grabbed and flung about; the HUD is poorly designed; targetting for Force Grab is terrible; there is no real sense of danger or power from a lightsaber and the AI doesn’t seem to fear it as they should and damage dealt is incredibly mundane.
I remain very curious about the story, given that it is, to date, the only thing Lucas has sanctioned that discusses the lives of the characters from his first 3 films (Star Wars, Empire & Return) but I will likely suffer to discover more about it because I’ll actually have to play the game…
Either, the demo does not clearly reveal what to expect from the game (as a demo should) or the game really is as craptacular as the demo seems to suggest. I’ll only know once I play the full game, which will be frustrating if I pay 70$ for garbage.
