What's most important in a video game?
This is something I've been wondering for a while.
As you may or not know I'm a big fan of the Nintendo DS and particular games. Specifically the Phoenix Wright series and the recent release Professor Layton and the Curious Village.Whats similar about both of these games is the very simple and almost non-existence game play.
In it's truest form Phoenix Wright is a simple point and click adventure game, which while I'm definitely a big fan of, their game play is certainly nothing really special. If anything Phoenix Wright is a fancy choose-your-own-adventure book.
As for Professor Layton the game play consists of solving puzzles. Puzzles, thats it really! In fact it's game play could probably be in Brain Age or any one of it's many knock-offs.
However I love both of these games, how the hell did that happen? What makes these games great is purely style, atmosphere, storyline, and character.
While the Phoenix Wright series doesn't have the most amazing story the characters present throughout the game are some of the most unique characters in a video game. Each character is well defined and is unique(sometimes in extreme but thats ok really) and seems to covey true emotion and relationships with the other characters. The relationship between Phoenix and Edgeworth is very complex and I have never seen anything like it in any other game. They are able to be arch rivals and comrades in the courtroom at the same time during cases. (Specifically the last case in both the first game and the sequel) While everyone has their favorites every character is entertaining and doesn't overlap any other character, and while there are characters that are obviously dicks you still can help but like them, that's something that allways impresses me.
As for Professor Layton you have another case of distinctive characters and story. Once again each character is unique and all add something to the game, despite most of them being very minor. Of course the main characters are very entertaining also and they've quickly become favorites of mine. Another factor is it's style, it hasn't been in any other game I've played, and in all honesty I'm quite the nerd for early Europe "Gentlemen" kinda of style which the game and Layton has.
Of course another factor which is important are the game are very 'niche' uniqueness is always a good thing.
So these games get me thinking about how important game play is when compared to story and design. Obvious these games succeed most due to their design, as game play takes a back seat. However if the game play sucks no matter how amazing a story or characters you have it doesn't really matter. In many cases you can get away with mediocre design provided your game play is really good, in the days of Atari and the arcade you couldn't put much design into games so the game play was the focus. However now obviously design is an important part but I wonder if it's an requirement. Could a good game be made without any sort of graphics maybe? Obviously there are text-based games but that hardly would be successful today.
If anything it's the balance of both of these things that make the good game. But I'm hesitant to decide which is more important.
As you may or not know I'm a big fan of the Nintendo DS and particular games. Specifically the Phoenix Wright series and the recent release Professor Layton and the Curious Village.Whats similar about both of these games is the very simple and almost non-existence game play.
In it's truest form Phoenix Wright is a simple point and click adventure game, which while I'm definitely a big fan of, their game play is certainly nothing really special. If anything Phoenix Wright is a fancy choose-your-own-adventure book.
As for Professor Layton the game play consists of solving puzzles. Puzzles, thats it really! In fact it's game play could probably be in Brain Age or any one of it's many knock-offs.
However I love both of these games, how the hell did that happen? What makes these games great is purely style, atmosphere, storyline, and character.
While the Phoenix Wright series doesn't have the most amazing story the characters present throughout the game are some of the most unique characters in a video game. Each character is well defined and is unique(sometimes in extreme but thats ok really) and seems to covey true emotion and relationships with the other characters. The relationship between Phoenix and Edgeworth is very complex and I have never seen anything like it in any other game. They are able to be arch rivals and comrades in the courtroom at the same time during cases. (Specifically the last case in both the first game and the sequel) While everyone has their favorites every character is entertaining and doesn't overlap any other character, and while there are characters that are obviously dicks you still can help but like them, that's something that allways impresses me.
As for Professor Layton you have another case of distinctive characters and story. Once again each character is unique and all add something to the game, despite most of them being very minor. Of course the main characters are very entertaining also and they've quickly become favorites of mine. Another factor is it's style, it hasn't been in any other game I've played, and in all honesty I'm quite the nerd for early Europe "Gentlemen" kinda of style which the game and Layton has.
Of course another factor which is important are the game are very 'niche' uniqueness is always a good thing.
So these games get me thinking about how important game play is when compared to story and design. Obvious these games succeed most due to their design, as game play takes a back seat. However if the game play sucks no matter how amazing a story or characters you have it doesn't really matter. In many cases you can get away with mediocre design provided your game play is really good, in the days of Atari and the arcade you couldn't put much design into games so the game play was the focus. However now obviously design is an important part but I wonder if it's an requirement. Could a good game be made without any sort of graphics maybe? Obviously there are text-based games but that hardly would be successful today.
If anything it's the balance of both of these things that make the good game. But I'm hesitant to decide which is more important.
Labels: Design, Video Games
posted by manaleak34 at 6:46 PM
2 Comments:
Interesting post! I do agree with you- storyline is paramount to modern games today, although I do think you underestimate the game design in Phoenix wright. (can't say much for the other game as I haven't played it) I'm sure much thought went into the puzzles/level design by the game designers. Sure, you're playing through a choose your own adventure of sorts, but each level/crime scene has a map, evidence locations, and dialouge/questions you have to press the witness for. It's more than a glorified choose your own adventure story. The level design, I felt at least, was pretty engaging. It controlled the player's action and built tension within the game.
People still play MUD's, you know ;) Internet roleplaying could also be considered a text based game too. I wouldn't say they're completely dead, although the are definitely NOT mainstream. I'll agree with you there, most people don't bother with that anymore.
Also, I'm confused as to what you mean by gameplay vs. game design. Isn't 'game design' as to coming up with a balanced gameplay system and designing levels, similar to your description of 'game play?' Even Asteroids had game design/game play. I could be wrong. I've been very wrong in the past... But I thought they were pretty similar in the industry, and that 'game design' didn't have that much to do with storyline/art stylization. I thought it had to to with systems and level design. I could've just misunderstood you too. lol
Yeah I kinda used 'Design' pretty loosely. I was mostly referring to art, storyline, character etc. Basically everything that's not a specific game play thing.
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