LO3 Game Review

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D Review


The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is a 3D, open world, action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo exclusively for Nintendo 3DS. It is a remastered version of the original N64 game, with improved graphics and controls, and it was released on February 13, 2015. The target audience is just about anyone who is looking for some challenging entertainment and a good storyline. Its price, brand new at the time of release, was £35.

The general plot in the game is that a pesky child, who goes by the name of “Skull Kid”, has stolen a mask with great evil power. Skull Kid causes a lot of mischief with the mask, before eventually setting the moon on its way to crushing the Earth after a period of 3 days. Link, the hero, must use his wits and a spot of time travel to undo the many wrongdoings that Skull Kid put on the land, and eventually stop the moon from crushing the Earth. The game operates entirely within this period of 3 days of impending doom, so Link must continually travel back in time to the start of the 3 days, overcoming challenges that Skull Kid leaves for him and defeating the enemies that plague the land of Termina, until he defeats Skull Kid himself and solves the problem. Think Groundhog Day in video game form.

Link is the main protagonist in Majora's Mask 3D. As the hero in a non-gritty game relevant to all ages, he is someone who tries to do good in all situations and usually his goal is to prevent disaster. As happens in all Zelda games, Link finds himself in a bad situation at the beginning - in Majora’s Mask 3D's case, this situation is his horse, Epona, being taken from him by the Skull Kid, who uses the powers of Majora's Mask to do so. He then tells Link that Epona has been "disposed of", which gives us those feelings of support for Link that are necessary to make us actually want to play the game. Something that adds intrigue to Link is his lack of words - he rarely has conversations with anyone, and when he does, his responses are always given by "......". This mystery about Link makes us want to learn more about him. 

In terms of strength, Link isn't the brawniest fellow, especially as the younger Link is present in Majora's Mask 3D - it takes place earlier on in the Zelda timeline. This means that he often has to overcome obstacles and challenges by using his (your) brain, rather than muscles. Adding to the puzzle element of the game is the introduction of masks, which Link can wear to give him certain characteristics. For example, the Goron mask allows him to curl into a ball and roll at high speed, move heavy things and break rocks, while the Deku mask allows him to jump high and glide through the air. These masks add another level to the game, making it unique and keeping it interesting. Your mask collection builds up as you progress through the game, gain allies and defeat enemies.


Another element of the game that I really enjoyed was playing the ocarina, which Link received in the game's prequel, Ocarina of Time. You play the songs using the X, Y, A and B buttons, each one resembling a note, and each song does a certain thing. For example, the Song of Time takes Link back to the start of the three days - you play it when the moon is about to crush the land. Another key song in the game is the Song of Soaring, which can be played to warp Link to certain towns and locations in the game, saving precious time. The ocarina is an imaginative concept which, when coupled with the masks, makes the game original and really entertaining.
One small qualm I had with the touch screen controls was the difficulty in changing masks - you have to tap your current mask to open a menu, swap the mask you want to use with your current mask, and close the menu again. It felt a little fiddly and I thought it could have been done more easily, but this is only a minor flaw in an otherwise smooth and fluid control system.
The music in the game is another important part of the experience. As always in Zelda games, it's beautifully crafted and is often performed by a full orchestra. There are a range of instrumentals to go along with the section of the game you are in, each one evoking different feelings, and they really add an extra dimension to the game.

The controls for Majora's Mask 3D are optimised for the 3DS, as the only platform the game is available on. They feel smooth, responsive and make the game a pleasure to play, even when you're just wandering around landscapes. Complementing the controls is the non-linear structure of the game, as you are free to explore and discover more about the land of Termina as you please. One Circle Pad on the 3DS is used for movement, while the other is used to control the camera. In addition, when aiming a weapon such as a bow and arrow, you can tilt the 3DS itself. These controls immerse you in the game world and feel very intuitive and natural, not to mention the 3D effect unique to the 3DS which literally adds another dimension to Majora's Mask 3D.

The challenge in the game is that you have a time limit to save the world. Of course, you can time travel back to the beginning, but you still have to do a certain amount in the three days before you go back to actually progress - many things are reset to how they were when you travel back. Since the game is open-world, there are a variety of locations and biomes to engage us, and the freedom we are  given to figure out what to do next feels liberating and fun. The simple yet rewarding “hack-and-slash” style of combat is key to the game's success, as well as the unique masks mechanic. 

Gameplay is always evolving throughout Majora's Mask 3D, in the way that there are always multiple side-quests to be done which are given to you from people you meet in the different towns. While you don't have to do these, you can get some handy items and benefits if you do - for example, if you save enough money in the bank, you are given a larger wallet, which means you can carry more rupees with you before it gets full. The benefits you get from side-quests in turn aid your main objective, which is always changing as you progress in the game. All of these things make for a storyline that is never dull, there is never nothing to do, and it keeps you entertained for hours. 

In terms of things that could be made better about the game, it's hard to have any real complaints. I've already mentioned the slightly fiddly method of changing masks using the touch screen, so the only other thing I would mention is that the time travel aspect can be frustrating at times. This is because, with any Zelda game, you want to explore the landscapes as you traverse them and view all the details to get the full experience - when you're working against the clock, it can be more difficult to take it slow and really enjoy the environments. It can also be frustrating due to the fact that certain things are put back to how they were three days ago when you travel back - for example, if you didn't quite finish a dungeon when you had to travel back, you would have to start the dungeon all over again. This can be tedious, and so to solve both of these problems, I would increase the time limit so that we can take the game at a more leisurely pace and really enjoy it for what it is. Don't think that this is a major problem though - it's just something that happens every now and again during the game, but it certainly doesn't take much away from the overall experience.

To summarise, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is another solid entry in the series that just never lets us down. In comparison to other titles in the franchise, it is certainly more dark and unusual, with the time-travel mechanic, the crushing moon and eerie antics of Skull Kid. However, it combines action and adventure with puzzle, a trademark of the Zelda series, and Nintendo pulls it off just as well as it ever has. The improved controls and graphics, plus a 3D sheen, make this N64 classic into as good as a new game - it's definitely another one for Zelda and Nintendo fans to pick up as soon as possible.

LO2 Starter Task

The review of Forza 5 uses second person address (you can, you will etc.)

As a reader, this makes us feel more involved with the review and the game. It might affect our decision to buy more positively or more negatively than if it was written in first- or third-person.
It speaks to us as if we are going to be playing the game, which makes us think about whether we really want to buy it more.

The Verdict - "As a result Forza 5 is a very hard game for a petrolhead like myself not to love."

This review would persuade me to buy this game if I had the right hardware because the review uses very positive language and a lot of hyperbole to describe the game. It puts it in a very positive light, for example "Forza 5 is just looking to turn us on before we even turn a key".

LO2 Comparing Reviews

Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 - Review Comparison

Reviews used:

Official Xbox Magazine review by Chris Schilling

YouTube video review by Rare Bishop - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGMrYJVBYO4

Genre

Both the magazine review and the video review agree that the game has an arcade / party genre, as it has a classic arcade style, but it is also best played in a group. Official Xbox Magazine says “this is a game designed for the same kind of party environments in which Wii proved such a hit” while the video review describes it as “even more fun if you have friends or family members to play it with.” The reviews don’t differ too much at this stage as they both agree on the genre.

Target Audience

I think that both reviews also agree on target audience, which would be people of all ages. Xbox Magazine says that “anyone can flail around and have fun”, implying that the game is enjoyable for all ages, and the fact that the video review says “even more fun if you have friends or family to play it with” implies that any group of friends or a family, which probably includes people of different ages, can have fun on Fruit Ninja Kinect 2. Again, there isn’t much difference in the reviews at this stage.

Narrative

At the point of explaining the narrative, the reviews begin to differ. I thought that Rare Bishop’s video review went into a fair bit more detail than the Xbox Magazine. For example, the video review states states that there are a number of challenges to complete, and “what these challenges do is rank you up, so you get belts, so you’ll go from yellow to brown belts, stuff like that.” The video review also states that “there are four different festivals for you to go through, one of them is dodging ninja stars, one of them you need to hit a certain amount of targets, another one is the spotlight…”. These comments let give us a good idea of what the game is like and what you can do in it. The video review also helps in the way that you can see the game in action as you listen to the review. 

In comparison, the magazine goes into less detail. It gives you a good idea of the modes that are available and what you can do in them, but doesn’t expand on that. Whilst the video review explains what you can unlock and actually names the new modes as “festivals”, the magazine lacks this information so we don’t get an idea of what happens as we progress in the game.

Characters

Characters seemed to be a bit of a grey area for both reviews. Although they both lacked information, the video review was again a little bit better. There was not a single mention of characters in the Xbox Magazine review, leaving readers with only the obvious idea that you play as the fruit ninja. The video review did improve on this, saying “it [the game] can introduce new characters, and you can unlock these by levelling up.” This is not much of an improvement however, and so both reviews fail to mention the sort of characters you can unlock, how many there are, what they are called or what they do. The only thing we know for certain after both reviews is that the main character is the fruit ninja, who you play as.

Gameplay

There is not much to the gameplay in this game, as it is an arcade game and all based on the simple principle that you must use your arms to slice fruit, and get high scores. Therefore, the magazines say similar things on this front - Official Xbox Magazine states that “it replaces the neat finger-swiping controls of the original with full-body input, but you only really need your arms.” Rare Bishop’s video review echoes this with “it gets you up and active and gets you moving a little bit, even if it’s just your upper body.” While there are different modes and ranks you can unlock and achieve, it is all based on the principle of slicing fruit using your arms.

Platform

Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 is only available on Xbox One coupled with Kinect 2.0. No differences between the reviews here.

Personal recommendation of the reviewer

This is another section in which the two reviews are different in some ways. Both of the reviews do agree that the game is best played in a group, with Xbox Magazine saying it is a game “built as a piece of bright, breezy family entertainment” and the video review saying “it’s a ton of fun to play… even more if you have friends or family members”. 

However, the two opinions start to differ here. The video review says “I feel like fifteen bucks is a little bit too steep, especially for a game you can get for free on your phone or tablet.” The Xbox Magazine review contains no mention of value for money, which could be due to bias towards Xbox. Since the reviewer, Chris Schilling, is being paid to write the review, he might try to sell you the game more than a possibly more honest YouTube reviewer, who isn’t being paid. 

A similar case is when the YouTube review says “if you’re playing alone, I can feel it getting old really fast.” This is quite a critical comment which there is no sign of in the Xbox Magazine, perhaps again due to the reason mentioned earlier. The Xbox Magazine made no real critical comments throughout.

Overall, I think the video review was more detailed in places and was a little more critical than the Xbox Magazine. Chris Schilling gave the game 7/10, and while Rare Bishop didn’t give a specific score, I feel like it would have been more around the 6/10 mark.

LO1 Feedback and Feedforward Sheet

LO1 Sumo Digital Presentation Write-up

Notes from the presentation that Sumo Digital gave us about their company:

Sumo Digital employ:
-220 people in Sheffield
-40 people in Pune, India.

Jobs within Sumo Digital
Concept Artists take the content of the design document and visualise it into concept art, for example characters and vehicles.

Character Artists sculpt 3D characters from concept art. They use software such as Mudbox, Max/Maya and Photoshop.

Animators bring 3D characters to life.

Graphic Artists design menus, box art, logos and icons.

Technical Artists support the whole team by solving technical problems with design. For example, they might optimise software for different platforms.

Visual Effects Artists add special effects to video games.

The Level Designer builds the levels within the game where the action takes place.

Mission Designers add objective and purpose to levels.

Programmers work within game code to make sure it works smoothly and efficiently.

Render programmers make things look like they do in the real world, for example car paint.

AI (artificial intelligence) Programmers design NPCs (non-playable characters) in the game.

The Network Programmer makes online multiplayer work.

The Physics Programmer makes the game realistic, for example by working with collisions in a car game.

Sound Designers add audio and spot effects to the game.

The Quality Assurance team makes sure that everything is up to scratch!

LO1 Game Analysis: Mario Kart 8

LO1 Game Analysis: Mario Kart 8

In this analysis I will be looking at Mario Kart 8 in terms of genre, narrative, production process, characterisation, gameplay, target audience and platform. I will be commenting about their use to create the overall game experience.

Mario Kart 8 is a 3-dimensional karting game - the genre is racing. This genre can sometimes have realistic graphics and art or more cartoony, depending on the target audience. Mario Kart 8 shows the conventions of a karting game which is fantasy and not trying to be realistic. Its graphics, while very good-looking, are not realistic as it is supposed to be a fun game for all the family. In comparison to other fantasy racing titles, it is usually regarded as the king. It has been around for years and it is usually seen as more fun and being very imaginative. Contenders include Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed.

The “story” of the game is just that you have to race and try to win. There are many different courses for you to race on and enjoy. An objective would be to try and get the gold trophy on all the cups. The objective informs the gameplay in the way that you have to try and win the race. You simply pick the characters based on who you want to race as and the properties you want your overall kart to have (some characters are lighter, some heavier). The interaction with them is racing them in the cups and online. The target audience is people of all ages who want to have fun alone, with family or with friends. It appeals to such a wide target audience because everyone likes a competitive and enjoyable racing game! It doesn’t need a complicated story.

The game was developed and published by Nintendo. Elements of production which enhance gameplay are the ability to tilt the Wii U GamePad to steer, which makes the game feel more immersive. Also, the glider sections and underwater sections add a new dimension to the gameplay which makes it even more entertaining. Physics are generally realistic in the game, for example, you are heavier and slower underwater, and the glider on your kart helps you float in the mid-air sections. Being a cartoon game, it can’t be too life-like, but the physics aren’t wildly different.

The characters are relevant to the target audience in the way that they are family-friendly and colourful. There are 30 characters in total, differing in size and form, and this adds to the replay value of the game. The characters appeal to the target audience of families and friends because they are fun and have their own personalities when driving, such as their own range sayings depending on what is happening in the race. The characterisation matches the conventions of a fantasy racing game as their appearances and dialogue is appropriate for all audiences and the characters make the game more fun, especially since there are a variety from staple Nintendo games. In terms of physical strength, some characters are heavier and so don’t get knocked around as easily during a race. In terms of a story for each character, there aren’t any because it is simply a racing game, but if the player has played any of Nintendo’s other games that the characters are from, they would know their backgrounds.

The challenge present in the game is winning races and winning trophies on the four different speeds: 50cc, 100cc, 150cc and 200cc, each increasing in difficulty. An additional challenge is to get a three-star ranking on each grand prix, meaning you win all four races within a grand prix. The type of challenge engages the player whether he/she be casual or hardcore, as the casual gamer can win races on 50cc, while the hardcore gamer can try to 3-star all of the cups on 200cc, so there is something for everyone. The “levels”, or courses in this case, engage the player because they are imaginative and each one is different. The HD graphics also make them look incredible. Key to the gameplay’s success are the smooth and tight controls, interesting level design and the classic hectic Mario Kart item fun with family and friends. The gameplay engages with the narrative that you have to win races by giving you the controls and ability to win races! It also keeps the player’s attention in the way that the courses are short and sweet, and the positions are always changing during a race due to the item system, which can wreak havoc in seconds.

The target audience for Mario Kart 8 is primarily families and groups of friends looking for multiplayer fun and laughs. The indicators that the game is produced for this audience are the range of items (red shell, bullet bill, Starman etc.) which can devastate a player’s chances of winning in seconds, causing good-natured arguments and creating entertainment for all. The game appeals to the target audience because they have probably known the Mario Kart formula for years and they would buy it because they know it will be worth it. The colour and imaginative courses would also appeal to those who maybe haven't tried a Mario Kart game before. Other games targeting the same audience, such as Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed, might try to contend with it but generally seem to fall short according to reviewers. It seems as if Mario Kart is the king of its category.

The game is available on Wii U only - therefore it has been made perfectly suited to this platform. The game is suited to the Wii U in the way that you can tilt the controller to steer karts. The screen on the GamePad is also useful in viewing the locations of the other players on a map. Viewing it as the TV screen can be done if someone else wants to watch TV. The touch screen can additionally be pressed to honk your horn, as a comical touch.

Mario Kart 8 was developed using one of Nintendo's own in-house engines. It doesn't have its own name and there isn't any specific information available about it, which is typical of Nintendo - they use different engines for different games in order to fully optimise them, and want to keep their ideas under wraps. 

LO1 Game Analysis: Team Fortress 2

LO1 Game Analysis: Team Fortress 2

In this analysis I will be looking at Team Fortress 2 in terms of genre, narrative, production process, characterisation, gameplay, target audience and platform. I will be commenting about their use to create the overall game experience.

Team Fortress 2 is a 3-dimensional online war game, of the first-person shooter genre. It is actually unlike almost all other first-person shooters because it has a unique cartoon art style which makes it more fun and light-hearted than your average gritty, realistic FPS. In this way it doesn’t show conventions of the genre. In comparison to other FPS titles, it is more “casual” because of the more abstract art style and because anyone can enjoy it without having to be really good at it.

The story in TF2 is that there are two teams, Red and Blu, and they are constantly battling it out. There is a variety of online maps and game modes in which the basic idea is to defeat the other team. The objective of defeating the other team to win the game informs the gameplay in the way that you can choose from a multitude of weapons and you have to shoot as many enemies as possible. There are nine different characters (“classes”) to play as, and they all have different attributes and weapons. None of them have their own story, but the art style and their brief dialogue makes them all appealing to an audience. The interaction only ever amounts to firing the weapon and jumping, however! The story, or rather, lack of story, appeals to a target audience looking for shoot-em-up fun in the way that the game isn’t too serious or detailed and just provides entertainment.

The game was developed and published by Valve Corporation. The art style is designed to enhance gameplay as it sets it apart form all other FPS games and gives it its own appeal. The 9 different classes also enhance gameplay as instead of just choosing weapons, you choose a character which has his own pros and cons, such as speed, jump height and weapon range. The physics are not realistic as you can literally blow people sky high with your weapons, fall from a great height and not die, “rocket jump” to a great height, etcetera. This enhances gameplay as it makes it crazy and larger-than-life, perfect for creating the fun that the audience are looking for.

The characters are relevant to a casual, fun-seeking target audience as they aren’t too serious and might make you laugh in places with their screeching sections of dialogue and infuriating gestures. The characterisation doesn’t match conventions of the FPS genre as the characters aren’t serious and gritty at all, again setting it apart and making it more entertaining than other titles. Most of the characters are physically strong as they will involved in combat for the most part, except for characters like the “spy” and “sniper” who rely on being more stealthy, and the “medic”, who has to heal his team while avoiding combat. The characters aren’t strong in terms of background and storyline, but this isn’t necessary in a game like Team Fortress 2.

The challenge present in the game is avoiding being killed by the enemy team, whilst getting as high a score as you can by completing the objective and killing enemies as many times as you can. The challenge engages the player because you always re-spawn after death, meaning the game doesn’t get too boring or frustrating and you always get another chance. You notice your skill level improving quite quickly. The amount of maps/levels also engages the player because the environment changes enough to keep interest. Key to the game’s success are they simple controls - click to shoot, WASD keys to move, scroll wheel to cycle through weapons. Also, the responsivity and range of characters make the game successful. The gameplay is simple and enjoyable and this engages with the narrative as it too is simple, not too detailed, but doesn’t need to be. The gameplay is the important thing. The gameplay doesn’t ever “evolve” from what it was at the start, but there are enough maps and characters to give the game a really good replay value and keep you entertained for hundreds of hours.

I would say that the target audience for Team Fortress 2 is both casual and hardcore gamers of ages 15-30. The indicators that the game is for this audience are a light-hearted graphical style, an easy-to-learn control system that doesn’t require a steep learning curve, but also a highly competitive aspect for the hardcore players, as well as modes specially “for advanced players”. The game directly appeals to the target audience because it just looks like great fun straight away from the cartoon art style and inventive maps. This is then cemented by the experience when they try the game. The game doesn’t target the usual FPS audience as it isn’t so gritty and adult-targeted, meaning that people who might stay away from FPS games might play Team Fortress 2. It has a unique audience that might not be targeted by other games.

The game is available on PC, Mac and Linux via Steam, as well as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. However, the most popular version and its largest fanbase is on Steam. Team Fortress 2 is probably best suited to Steam platforms (PC, Mac and Linux), as it can be played on a range of specifications, and is portable anywhere on a laptop. In addition, the simple keyboard-and-mouse controls are easy to get around and accessible for anyone.

The game uses Valve Corporation's own Source game engine, which was finished in 2004 and has been evolving since then. Valve is a large company, owning Steam and having developed many games, giving it the resources and money to be able to make its own game engine.

LO1 Game Analysis: Cook, Serve, Delicious!

LO1 Game Analysis: Cook, Serve, Delicious!

In this analysis I will be looking at Cook, Serve, Delicious! in terms of genre, narrative, production process, characterisation, gameplay, target audience and platform. I will be commenting about their use to create the overall game experience.

The game is 2-dimensional and has an abstract art style. Its genre is "hardcore restaurant simulator". The stylistic conventions of a simulation game are cartoony artwork, not based too much on impressive graphics, just fast-paced fun. It is one of the few restaurant simulators that actually becomes very difficult quite quickly. Isn’t similar to any other game - it requires quick keyboard skills and fast reactions.

The basic plot is that you are starting a restaurant in the “SherriSoda Tower” and you have to build from a one-star restaurant to a five-star one, and become known worldwide. The story informs the gameplay in the way that as you serve customers well, more will come in to your restaurant each day and you will be able to afford better foods and facilities. Your star rating gradually increases, as does the difficulty and the reputation of your restaurant. The only character in the game is you, and you have to prepare the food using your keyboard quicker and quicker as the game progresses. The story connects with the audience in the way that it isn’t too detailed - the game is meant for pulse-racing, intense fun.

The game was developed and published by Vertigo Gaming. The abstract art style enhances the gameplay as it gives the game its own unique charm that other games lack. In addition, the simple to learn, hard to master keyboard controls, which amount to pressing a key for a certain ingredient, make the game very addictive. The game is animated and there aren’t many physics-related things in the game, other than food going into the pan, which looks bouncy and larger-than-life, adding to the fun and charm of the game.

The only main character in the game is you, the chef, other than the comical dating characters whom you receive emails from later in the game. These appeal to a casual audience as they provide laughs and light-hearted entertainment. Although we don’t see these dating characters in real life and only receive emails from them, they match the conventions of a casual, fun game as they make it entertaining and provide the fun. The characters in this game aren’t detailed and we don’t learn anything about them, but that isn’t the aim of this fast-paced cooking sim. It’s just to have fun and get your pulse racing as you struggle to keep up with the orders coming in!

The challenge present in the game is to make as many perfect orders during the working day as you can, making sure you don’t disappoint any customers or take too long to do chores such as flushing the toilet and washing up. It gets fiendishly difficult as the speed increases. The challenge engages the player because there is never a dull moment - you have to be focused all the time and try to do everything perfect.  Also, the increasing difficulty as your restaurant’s reputation improves keeps the game interesting. Key to the game’s success are the charming art style and simple controls. For example, the “K” key applies ketchup to your hot dog. The number of ingredients builds up as you unlock new foods until you are flying around the keyboard. The gameplay engages with the narrative of building a world-famous restaurant in the way that it gets harder and quicker as your restaurant improves. In addition, the player’s attention is kept by new foods, new challenges and “bets” which can win you money if you can get a certain amount of perfect orders. As your restaurant improves you also play on a live “Iron Chef” cooking television programme.

The target audience is people of any age who are looking for yet challenging, exciting and fun gameplay, but not in the gritty, combat sense. The indicators that the game is produced for this audience are a cartoony, abstract art style, no offensive content, and light-hearted, upbeat and generally fun gameplay. The game directly appeals to the target audience in the way that it is exciting and entertaining to play. The game has a unique target audience in the way that it appears to be a “casual” game, but the difficult gameplay makes it more hardcore. However, other games targeting a casual audience would also have a light-hearted graphical style and simple gameplay, so in this way it is similar.

This game is available for PC and Mac via Steam, the game being the same on both platforms and both utilising a keyboard, so it is not better suited to PC or Mac. The game is perfectly suited to keyboard controls because there are so many ingredients and foods in the game that it needs the array of keys available. What makes Cook, Serve, Delicious! so much fun is how fast you have to navigate around the keyboard to stay afloat in your overcrowded restaurant.

The game was created using GameMaker: Studio, a game engine allowing smaller companies and lone computer programmers to make games with a unique scripting language. It doesn't require much programming knowledge. Since Vertigo Gaming is a smaller game development company without the resources of a bigger company, it allowed them to make Cook, Serve, Delicious!.

LO1 Game Analysis: The Last of Us

LO1 Game Analysis: The Last of Us

In this analysis I will be looking at The Last of Us in terms of genre, narrative, production process, characterisation, gameplay, target audience and platform. I will be commenting about their use to create the overall game experience.

The Last of Us is a 3-dimensional linear game of the action adventure and survival horror genre. It contains a fair bit of blood and gore, as well as quiet and tense moments to make the audience feel on edge. In this way, it is similar to many other horror games. It has a classic storyline involving zombies, like The Walking Dead.

In the game, a young girl wakes up to find her dad come running through the door to the garden, telling her to “stay away from the doors”. The neighbours have “got sick”, meaning they are now like zombies, and they have to try and escape. The little girl dies and the father must survive on his own. This scary and eerie storyline reflects the gameplay as it is tense and atmospheric. It is slow-moving at first to evoke emotions. The young girl who we play as in the beginning is obviously vulnerable so we want to make sure she is safe and protected. After she dies and we control the father, we feel a sense of injustice and we want to avenge her death, making sure to destroy whatever is causing the “sickness”. This connects with a young adult audience of 18+ because the horror is thrilling and exciting as well as frightening in places, things which a young audience would look for.

The game was developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. There are a variety of weapons to use to defeat the zombie-like humans. There is also a specially designed “listen mode” to give players improved hearing and spatial awareness to locate enemies. Physics are based on real-life and it is made to look as realistic as possible in terms of movement.

Joel, the main protagonist, is relevant to the target audience of young adults aged 18-40 because he might be the kind of person that the audience want to be. He is their age, and strong-willed and powerful as he has to overcome a damning situation after losing his daughter. Joel has an appeal to the audience after this event because they would feel sorry for him and a strong sense of injustice - they would want to finish the game to avenge her death and restore some kind of order to the world. The character of Joel matches conventions of the survival horror genre as he has to be strong-willed to survive against the odds. The same applies to the action-adventure genre - he is a strong, powerful man who will keep going until the end. Based on my brief experience, I felt the characters were strong. Joel is the only one I played as, and he is physically and mentally strong, as he would have to be to fight on after his daughter’s death. I also felt that the daughter created a strong bond with the audience quite quickly as we wanted to protect her but she dies quickly and extremely unfairly, which makes us want to continue the quest as Joel and avenge her death.

The challenge in the game is avoiding being killed by the infected people and defeating them throughout, in order to restore order. The player is engaged by the game because they have new challenges to overcome in every area they go to. The environments are detailed so the game doesn’t get boring, and the storyline is kept interesting, while the combat also makes the game thrilling and action-packed. The narrative is one of dystopia and damnation with a hint of sadness, which is reflected in the gameplay as it progresses slowly and you don’t know what is around each corner. You are also always on edge because of the danger of the infected. The gameplay evolved in the brief stint that I played for, as first I played as the daughter, before she died and I had to play as Joel. The locations also change quickly and there are always new scenarios and information to deal with, which keeps attention.

I would say that the target audience is adults aged 18-40, and the indicators that this game is for this age range are bad language throughout, gore, combat and scares. The game directly appeals to the target audience because they would be looking for a gritty, adult action-packed game which would keep them entertained throughout. Other games targeting the same audience might be Watch Dogs or The Evil Within, as they are both survival horror games on the same platform. There are a lot of games like this out there with similar concepts of “shooting zombies”, so it isn’t the most original concept in comparison.

The Last of Us was originally only available on PlayStation 3, released June 2013. The Last of Us Remastered was then released on PlayStation 4 in August 2014 to bring better graphics, rendering, combat and frame rate. The game is more suited to PS4 because it is the same game, but enhanced for the newer and more powerful console, so it feels better to play.

The game uses Naughty Dog's own in-house "next-gen engine". The company says that it built on its older engine during the production of the game as they encountered problems, taking problems as they came, to avoid the struggles of creating an entirely new engine.

LO1 Game Analysis: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

LO1 Game Analysis: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

In this analysis I will be looking at The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D in terms of genre, narrative, production process, characterisation, gameplay, target audience and platform. I will be commenting about their use to create the overall game experience.

This game is a three-dimensional, open-world game for all ages over 12. Its genre is action-adventure coupled with puzzle. This game shows conventions in the way that it has a hero who is trying to save the day from evil. The game also doesn’t guide you by the hand; hints are given at what to do and you must use your own intelligence to solve the puzzle and progress through the game. In comparison to other titles in the genre, such as Tomb Raider or Assassin’s Creed, it is less gritty, but arguably more thought-out and a higher quality of game. Other games in the genre also don’t combine with puzzle too much, but a main feature of Zelda games is how you have to solve puzzles as you progress through the story, which is engrossing.

The story being told in the game is that a pesky child, who goes by the name of “Skull Kid”, has stolen a mask with great evil power. This pesky child causes a lot of mischief with the mask, before eventually causing the moon to crush the Earth after a period of 3 days. Link, the hero, must use his wits and a spot of time travel to undo the many wrongdoings that Skull Kid put on the land, and eventually stop the moon from crushing the Earth. The game operates entirely within a period of 3 days. Think Groundhog Day in video game form. This affects the gameplay in the way that the time is constantly showing on the screen, and you must travel back to the start of the first day every so often while making progress during the 3 days. You want your character to save the world so you try to complete your tasks quickly and stop the world from ending. You feel sympathy for the character, Link, who has his horse taken from him at the beginning by the Skull Kid, and you want him to be alright at the end of it all. This connects to the target audience of anyone over 12, really, as it provides an engrossing and entertaining game that requires some thinking.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is both developed and published by Nintendo. Since it is a remastering of an N64 game, Nintendo had to go through that game and re-render everything for the 3DS (and add the 3D element). The graphics have also been improved, so all of these things enhance gameplay on the new system. During the game, Link can collect masks from enemies which he can use to change into a different form, depending on the mask. This is developed to enhance gameplay because it is a unique feature that cleverly allows the player to use more characters. The physics engine is largely based on reality. Link can jump to a normal height in his regular form and if he falls too far then he will take damage.

Link is a character who is relevant to a non-gritty audience of all ages. This is because he is someone who tries to do good in all situations and usually his goal is to prevent disaster. At the beginning of the game (and in most Zelda games) something bad happens to him - in MM3D’s case, it is his horse being taken from him by the Skull Kid. Also, the fact that we never hear him speak a word in the games adds to the sense of intrigue around him. So since he has experienced misfortune and he is a do-gooder, this usually makes him appeal to the game’s audience. This matches character conventions of the action-adventure genre, as these types of game usually have a heroic main character who we feel we want to help out. In terms of strength, Link himself isn’t the brawniest, but with the help of some of the masks he can do things he otherwise couldn’t - for example, with the Goron mask, he gains the strength to move anything and can also roll very quickly when curled into a ball. Link’s lack of physical strength also adds to the puzzle aspect of the game, as you have to think around problems that can’t be solved by strength alone.

The challenge in the game is that you have a time limit to save the world. Of course, you can time travel back to the beginning, but you still have to do a certain amount in the three days before you go back to actually progress - many things are reset when you travel back. Also, many obstacles and puzzles in the game make it difficult to just go wherever you want and complete the game easily. Since the game is open-world, there are a variety of locations and biomes which engage the player, and the freedom the player is given to figure out what to do next feels liberating and fun. The controls feel very smooth and the simple yet rewarding “hack-and-slash” style of combat are key to the game’s success. Also, the masks mechanic and how easy it is to switch between forms feels really good. The control system is intuitive and this is very important for the game’s success. Gameplay engages with the narrative in the way that you are reminded of your aim occasionally if you aren’t working towards it at that time. Gameplay consistently evolves in the way that there are always side-quests sprouting up from different people which give you more than one goal to pursue. Also, once you have completed one main objective, it leads to another, so there is never nothing to do. As the story progresses, Link passes through a variety of biomes and this keeps up interest as locations are always different and there are new things to do in each environment.

The target audience is gamers of all ages over 12, who are probably looking for fun and a less violent and less gritty title. The indicators for this are the fact that there is no gore or blood spurting out everywhere, while the art style is colourful and not too realistic. There is obviously fighting, but this is part of the hack-and-slash combat and doesn’t involve other humans, or blood. The game appeals to the audience in this way as it isn’t dull and depressing, while the frantic combat, intriguing story and thought-inducing puzzles make for a fun experience. This game has a very large target audience. Anyone over 12 would enjoy this game, as the game isn’t “childish” and adults would enjoy the amount of thinking required to progress, as well as the game in general. I’d say that other games targeting an audience this large would have to contain similar elements too - not too “childish”, not too violent, and something that makes the game interesting for all ages.

This game, Majora’s Mask 3D, is only available on Nintendo 3DS, but the original, Majora’s Mask, was only available on N64. Since MM3D was only made for 3DS, everything is optimised for it, so it feels very nice to play and the controls are smooth and responsive. The game is suited for 3DS in the way that it can use two Circle Pads, one for movement and one for camera, the graphics are optimised, the button layout is intuitive and of course it has the 3D effect which is only available on 3DS.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D uses one of Nintendo's own in-house engines - it doesn't have a name of its own, and information on it is not publicly shared. Nintendo does this for many of its games, each one often having its own unique engine to optimise it.

LO1 Business Report - Sumo Digital

Structure
Sumo Digital was founded in 2003 by Carl Cavers, Paul Porter, Darren Mills and James North-Hearn.  The first of these three are all former members of Gremlin Interactive, which shut down in 1999. Carl Cavers is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Paul Porter is the COO (Chief Operating Officer) and Darren Mills is the Executive Art Director. They have acquired more board members since 2003 - these are Chris Stockwell, who is Chief Financial Officer, Ash Bennett, who is Technical Director and Sean Millard, who is Creative Director. The three Development Directors are Gary Edwards, Steven Zalud and Gary Moore. (Sumo Digital (2015) [online] http://www.sumo-digital.com) There are also two Non-Executive Directors, James Hall and Phil Frame, who joined the company from its merge with NorthEdge.

The company has over 270 employees, and they have two branches. Their main one is in the heart of Sheffield which has 220 of the employees where a lot of the development happens, but they also have a dedicated art branch in India. Darren Mills, the Executive Art Director, spends a lot of his time here as part of his job.

Platform Technology
Sumo Digital develops for almost every platform available, including phones, consoles and computers. In terms of phones, they develop for iOS, Android and BlackBerry, in terms of computers they develop for Windows and Mac, and in terms of consoles, they have developed for PSP, PS Vita, PS2, PS3, PS4, PSN, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox One, DS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U and even arcade machines. Of course, some of these consoles are outdated so they now only develop for the most recent versions, like PS Vita, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS and Wii U (Sumo Digital (2015) [online] http://www.sumo-digital.com/games). They have a license to develop on every major platform.

Game Types
The majority of their games are sports games, racing games or platformers. Sumo Digital themselves state on their website, "everything from driving games to platformers" (http//www.sumo-digital.com/#game-wrap). An example of one of their racing games is Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing (2010), an example of one of their sports games is New International Track and Field (2008) and an example of one of their platform games is Little Big Planet 3 (2014).

Although most of their games fall into the above categories, on occasions, Sumo Digital have made games from different genres, such as Disney Infinity and Dead Space Ignition (http://www.sumo-digital.com/games).

Games on Multi-platform

Sumo Digital’s first five games were single-platform, and it took until 2006 for their first multi-platform to be released, OutRun 2006. 21 of their 39 games developed to date are multi-platform. Their biggest multi-platform releases are Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing (2010), Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012) and Disney Infinity (2015), all of which are available on 6 platforms (IGN (2015) [online] http://uk.ign.com/companies/sumo-digital). They are licensed to develop on any major platform. 

Regulatory Bodies

Sumo Digital is regulated by PEGI in Europe and ESRB in the US. Almost all of their games range from a 3+ to a 12+, an exception being Dead Space Ignition which is rated 18+ as it contains extreme violence and strong language. This really is a different kind of game to what Sumo Digital usually make, as their games are usually family-friendly and are often rated no higher than a 7+ (Sumo Digital (2015) [online] http://www.sumo-digital.com/games).

Development Software
Sumo Digital program using C and C++, with a "minimum of 5 years' experience required" to work there. One of the engines they are currently using for video games is Unreal 4 (Sumo Digital (2015) [online] https://careers-sumo-digital.icims.com/jobs/1014/lead-programmer/job). The software they use for art is Maya, Max, Photoshop, Zbrush and Mudbox. (https://careers-sumo-digital.icims.com/jobs/1012/junior-game-artists---sumo-india/job). Their artists also use in-house state-of-the-art tablets to help design things such as characters and environments.

LO1 Initial Research into Sumo Digital