Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=610https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3169(Gameplay Session 2) [GAMEPLAY] As I progressed through more of the levels, I found the core game mechanic of killing anything and everything in your path fairly satisfying, especially when limbs or heads came off. I can assure readers that I'm not truly supportive of going around lopping heads off, and although some may not appreciate the violence in the game, the game was originally based of a series of short stories created in the mid 20's. Thus, just remember that the books came before the game! Getting back on track--since Conan lost his armor, he seemed to have "forgotten" all of his cool combos. By killing enemies and destroying destructible environment objects, I was able to earn red experience runes that I could save and later spend on learning different sword-shimmering combos. Not only was it fun, but it was satisfying as well to dispatch of the different enemies by cutting of limbs or a head and receive experience runes as a result. For the most part, the levels and game flowed smoothly. There were certain points where I'd find myself become stuck due to difficulty of getting past certain stronger characters, but once past that small hurdle, continuing on with the game was no problem. [DESIGN] One of the really interesting and engaging aspects of this game is the depth of the skill tree and weapons system. Conan is able to wield three weapon types: single sword, dual-wield, or two-handed broad sword. He is able to switch between these on the fly at will based on what kind of sword(s) the player picks up off the ground dropped by fallen enemies. For each weapon type, there is a very large skill tree. Unlocking different skills requires that the player has enough experience runes to spend on each skill. Also, certain skills are not available for purchase until an earlier skill item is unlocked/bought. This system allows for supporting and encouraging the player to continually try to do well and earn as many experience points as possible so that they can unlock lots of new combos. The player will try to perform to his or her best so that they not only survive, but also earn more experience runes as well. The levels in Conan seem to follow a similar format. For the most part, the levels are primarily hack-and-slash your way through until you get to a boss or beat the level. Certain levels here and there, however, have minor puzzle elements embedded in them that the player must solve in order to continue. The puzzles seem to be surface-level though; if the puzzles were more frequent and pushed further, the game could potentially compete more with a similar title such as God of War. Overall though, Conan does a really good job of performing as an action-adventure title with a solid weapons and combo/skill tree system, as well as does the Conan title justice.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:27:22 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3169&iddiary=5993https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3169Jacob Pernell CMPS20 - Whitehead 3/5/08 -| Conan |- (Gameplay Session 1) [SUMMARY] Conan is a third-person action adventure game based off of the original Robert E. Howard Conan character. Set in a fantasy world, Hyboria, Conan must travel through different lands to hack, slash, and slay his way to defeat an evil magic lurking deep within the realm of this world. [GAMEPLAY] When I first started this game, my first thought was, "wow, this character is badass." Conan stood before me, clad in a shiny set of armor pieces with his hi-definition abs of steel hidden underneath the chest piece. Sword in hand and ready for action, I knew that Conan would let no man or beast stand in his way. Immediately into the first level, I was allowed to control Conan and have full-access to his weapon skill tree. Fighting against spirit type creatures, I made my way through a type of cave level that introduced the story of the game. Fighting against spirit/ghost armor warriors didn't feel as satisfying to kill as it did against real human enemies later in the game, but it was still fun to try out different combos on them. At the end of the first level, the story truly unfolds and Conan loses all his armor to a dark sorcerer. The narration and story is simple, yet solid enough that it allows the player to have a goal: find the various armor pieces and search for this sorcerer in order to defeat him.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:27:00 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3169&iddiary=5992https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2816(Gameplay Session 2) [GAMEPLAY] As I continued playing the game, I felt more and more attached to the characters. Chrono eventually meets up with Lucca, an eccentric female inventor who builds a time machine. Her randomness and eccentricity adds to the collection of fun and engaging character design. In addition to that, the enemies in the game are apparently aliens disguised as humans. When they revealed their true alien form and ended up fighting me a few times, their quirky yet evil personalities add to the fun of the gameplay experience. Overall, I felt that the game flowed smoothly. Most of the time, narrative/dialogue hints would guide me in the right direction as to where I should head, but still left me room for exploration and fighting enemies on the map. Every so often, I would get distracted and explore the map, or not necessarily know where to go, and so I would have to spend a little more time talking to people or walking around to find my correct destination. [DESIGN] One of the more interesting aspects of the game was the battle system itself. The battle system in Chrono Trigger is turn-based, so it is not unlike many other RPG's. However, the game does not cut to a separate "stage" in which the characters battle; the characters engage in battle right on the map or inside the dungeon room, and once the battle is completed, you are free to move around again as normal without having to cut back to a different screen. This allows for the game to flow more smoothly, since battles happen with almost no interruption between walking gameplay and the battle gameplay. At times, Chrono Trigger leaves things slightly ambiguous in terms of where to go. Overall, however, the game is fairly easy to follow and progress through to find the right way. If I were to remake the game or change anything, I would possibly add a few more dialogue hints if the character became absolutely stuck. The levels in Chrono Trigger are fairly straightforward. The "dungeon" type maps are a typical maze-like setup. They are varied enough in both art style/mood and layout to keep the players interested, and the rooms do have puzzle elements to them though, so the player is presented with challenge in addition to fighting off enemies to reach the final goal.Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:45:24 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2816&iddiary=5440https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2816Jacob Pernell CMPS20 - Whitehead 2/20/08 -| CHRONO TRIGGER |- (Gameplay Session 1) [SUMMARY] Chrono Trigger is an RPG with a story revolving around time travel through a fantasy world. With a unique turn-based battle system and engaging characters and story, Chrono Trigger really leaves the mark in classic RPG history. [GAMEPLAY] When I first started playing this game, I was slightly surprised by the lack of introduction and tutorial. Most recently-made RPG's have some form of tutorial mode to explain the battle system. This game just starts of and lets you immediately control Chrono, the main character, which I found quite fun since it allowed me to explore on my own accord without having to wait through a lot of intro cutscenes or tutorial modes. Another aspect of the game that caught my attention was the character design. Immediately upon seeing Chrono and his spiky red hair, I felt more attached to the character because he looked like someone I could trust playing as throughout the game. This goes to show that strong character design is a key aspect to game development.Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:45:06 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2816&iddiary=5439https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2524(Gameplay Session 2) [GAMEPLAY] The more I play this game, the more I love each of the stories behind the cases. I'm finding that a big part of the game is your attachment to the characters and each of the stories. Since the gameplay is fairly limited to simply pointing the stylus around the screen to collect evidence, the game must keep the player hooked in different ways. By having the quirky storylines and hilarious characters, the game keeps you interested in playing to find out more about the story. The game uses many narrative clues throughout each of the cases to guide your progress along. Again, the game is extremely well-written, and as such, the game gives subtle enough narrative clues to keep you headed in the right direction, but not specific-enough that it gives too much away. I found myself getting stuck a few times, but was eventually able to overcome it given these clues, feeling overall that the game was progressing smoothly. [DESIGN] The Phoenix Wright series uses a very simple point-and-click exploration system. For each case, there are several 2D anime-style drawn rooms or areas you can explore. Using the stylus, you can click and search around each of the areas you explore for different clues and evidence to add to your "Court Record" (the record for each case that contains all the evidence you collect). Some might argue that this gameplay style is too simplistic or can become slightly formulaic (click, search around, find evidence, repeat, etc.). However, keeping this aspect of the gameplay to such a simple point allows for the player to stay focused on what's important for the game: finding evidence to use in court in order to progress through the narrative aspects of the game. The other main gameplay aspect of this game is the "court" session. After you've found all the evidence needed, you move onto defending your client in a courtroom. The antagonist of the game typically is a recurring prosecutor, who also plays a large role in the progression of the narrative story. While you present evidence to the judge in the attempt of proving the innocence of your client for each case, the prosecutor constantly counters your evidence with an array of his own. This constant challenge makes for a brain-racking thinking puzzle throughout the court battle as you try to find contradictions in testimonies and presented evidence. Overall, Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations is a great expansion of the PW series. The stories are fresh, and new characters introduced in each case add to the quirky-ness of the game. Although the game does not exhibit very much emergent gameplay, the depth of the stories for each case seem to make up for this fact. From a player perspective, I look forward to playing the rest of this game and seeing how the story unfolds.Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:47:28 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2524&iddiary=4812https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2524Jacob Pernell CMPS20 - Whitehead 2/8/08 -| PHOENIX WRIGHT: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS |- (Gameplay Session 1) [SUMMARY] Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations is the third game in the Phoenix Wright manga-style mystery/puzzle game series. Assuming the role of a lawyer, "Phoenix Wright", you must defend your clients and prove their innocence by using the DS touch screen to collect evidence at different crime scenes and in turn, use these pieces of evidence in a court of law. [GAMEPLAY] Having played the first two Phoenix Wright games in the series, I began playing this game not entirely sure what to expect. In the previous games, I went through many different murder cases that were well-written and had exceptionally clever endings. Thus, I was slightly unsure as to whether or not the game developers could pull this off again. My fears were quickly allayed however. I was plopped right in to the familiar setting of the courtroom, so I felt comfortable knowing the gameplay would be the same. What took me by surprise however was that I didn't start the game as Phoenix; instead, the game takes place 5 years prior to the setting of the first game, and you play as Phoenix's old mentor, Mia Fey. What's fun about this is that you are introduced to Mia very briefly at the beginning of the first game, but have little interaction thereafter. So, playing the first case in this third Phoenix Wright game allows me to connect to this slightly unfamiliar character more. Even though most of the cases in the Phoenix Wright series have to do with murder mysteries, the development team does a really good job by writing unique stories behind each case. By doing this, the gameplay doesn't get old, because you're constantly exploring and learning about each new plot as the game unfolds. The fun and unique part about the first case in this game where you play as Mia is that the case revolves around a college-aged Phoenix Wright being framed for murder. Since I am familiar with the Phoenix Wright character from the first two games, seeing him in this scenario was both amusing but also made me more attached to Phoenix's character.Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:10:01 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2524&iddiary=4779https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2151(Gameplay Session 2) [GAMEPLAY] That's it--I'm addicted. It was extremely difficult to put the controller down, and the theme song of the game is stuck in my head (naaaa na na na na na na na, na na na na na-na-naaaaa...). Watching the game unfold and seeing your katamari progressively get bigger (and thus, able to roll up larger, more obscure objects) quickly became something that kept my hands wrapped around my controller and eyes fixed on the screen. I think at one point, someone came into my room while I was playing and said 'hello', and I merely gave them a light grunt in return and as recognition of their existence (okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but you get the idea of how much I've come to love this game). The music is one element of the game that definitely has spawned a fan base. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the title theme song has a tune that is almost instantly recognizable by anyone else that's played the game. One of my other friends came in the room, realized I was playing Katamari, and promptly started humming the theme song. Throughout the game, I constantly felt like I was progressing through the levels and accomplishing things. Occasionally, I wouldn't meet my goal of having the katamari a certain size (the King of All Cosmos tells you how big he wants the katamari to be by xx:xx amount of time), but I would replay the level and complete the goal the second time around. The level select screen is represented by different points floating above locations on Earth, so seeing more and more completed points show up made me feel proud that I was successfully progressing through the game. [DESIGN] The most blatant innovative gameplay aspect of this game is the idea of collecting things by essentially rolling them up. In other games, you collect objects typically by walking over them; however, in Katamari Damacy, the idea of collection is a main aspect of this game. Using only the two analog joysticks on the controller to move your katamari around, you must roam around the levels and collect various random objects to increase the size of your katamari. There are limitations on your Katamari at various points however. For example, if you are only 50cm big, you won't be able to roll up a pet cat, but will be able to pick up something like a paperclip or thumbtack. By accruing lots of smaller objects, you are able to "expand" your Katamari, eventually being able to pick up larger objects or characters so you can meet your goal. The levels reflect the initial size of your katamari. For example, the first few levels of the game are based in one or two rooms inside a house, and thus your katamari is small. As you progress through the game, you are placed in much larger levels, such as an entire city; as such, your katamari starts at a much larger size. Seeing your katamari grow bigger as you move through the levels and similarly seeing the levels you play in get bigger really supports the feeling of progressing through the game. Not all levels are just "roll up as much stuff as you can in x amount of time to make a big star". Some levels are "roll up as much of one kind of thing in order to make a cool constellation". Certain levels have specific goals in which you have to focus on making your katamari big at the same time that you collect as many of one kind of thing as you can. For example, one level requires you to collect as many crabs as you can in order to create the constellation for Cancer. These constellation levels interspersed within the regular gameplay allow for the player to not feel like they're just doing a repetitive task over and over.Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:59:20 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2151&iddiary=4245https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2151Jacob Pernell CMPS20 - Whitehead 1/25/08 -| KATAMARI DAMACY |- (Gameplay Session 1) [SUMMARY] Katamari Damacy is a action/puzzle game in which you assume the role of the son of the King of All Cosmos, otherwise known as the "Prince". The King accidentally knocked all the stars out of the sky, so he sends you on a mission. You must collect (or roll-up) objects on Earth using a sticky balled, called a katamari. The objects you collect get turned into stars, so the more your katamari rolls up each level, the bigger and better your star will be! [GAMEPLAY] The first aspect of Katamari that caught my attention was the abstract, almost garish art style. The title cinematic scene features lots of brightly colored animals, rainbows, and the King of All Cosmos character flying around; it is quite random indeed. Once I started playing, I noticed how simplistic the art in the game actually is. All the objects and characters in-game are very blocky and polygonal, almost to N64 graphics quality (no offense to the N64, of course). However, I wasn't bothered by the art style, and as I got into the game more, quickly came to accept it as something that is natural to the style and feeling of the game. The story I found was fairly simple, but has enough basis to keep you progressing through the game. The intro game cinematic shows a giant man wearing a cape, spandex-like blue clothes, and a horizontally cylindrical head flying around space. This man is the King of All Cosmos, and while flying around he accidentally knocks out all the stars in the sky. Since he is the King of All Cosmos and can do whatever he wants, he decides to send you, the Prince, down to Earth on a mission. Your mission is to roll a sticky ball (called a katamari) around different places on Earth to pick up different objects, which in turn can be turned into new stars and constellations. The more you roll up given the time limit set per level, the bigger/better your star is, and the more impressed the King is (although, since he's the King, it's very hard to truly impress him). While playing through each of the levels, I sometimes got caught up in the gameplay and forgot that my goal for the level is to make my katamari big enough to become a star. I found myself being sucked into the quirky-ness of each level, and just enjoyed rolling up the every-day objects found in the level. However, when the time limit ran out and I had reached my katamari's size goal for that level, it was satisfying seeing the King take my katamari and turn it into a star in the sky; this completion of one level made me want to keep playing and complete the remaining levels.Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:21:48 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2151&iddiary=4219https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1759(Gameplay Session 2) GAMEPLAY As I continue to play this game and learn more about the story, I find myself becoming more and more addicted to the game. As the story unfolds, you learn about the "darkness" that is slowly taking over the lands. In a style similar to Super Mario Sunshine, you have to clean up bits of darkness "goo" among the various platformer levels. Looking at the game as a whole at this point, it seems that there's a collection of random gameplay elements: we have your standard RPG game, a platformer aspect, a drawing system, and various mini-quests within a given level (such as the recently mentioned "goo" cleanup). However, somehow the game seems to unify these gameplay elements nicely in a way that doesn't make Drawn to Life feel cluttered or awkward to play. The level design, although a platformer, is pretty interesting. Even though it's linear, there are (similar to Mario) secret spots in the levels where you can obtain health, extra lives, or even special coins that allow you to upgrade your character and eventually learn special moves. Knowing that there's so much to unlock drives me to play further to see what I can potentially unlock. Overall, I definitely see myself continuing to play this game in the future. The unique drawing system immediately hooked me, and my friends enjoyed seeing what I drew and how the object in turn works as an object in the game. I look forward to uncovering more about the ever-creeping "darkness" and what other characters, objects, and weapons I can create. DESIGN I'd like to write a little more about the amazing drawing system. At the beginning of the game, you are prompted to effectively create the character you control. You are given a template to draw from, with different boxes and rectangles arranged in the approximate shape of a human figure. Using these boxes as guides, you can fill them in with arms, legs, a body, and a head. The game then recognizes where the limbs are separated, and from your drawing animates your character running, jumping, and waving its arms around. I was definitely taken aback and excited to play around with this system further, as it seems brand new and really pushes what the DS touch screen is capable of. Throughout the game, you are given more opportunities to draw things (such as a "snowblaster" weapon or a sled you can ride on). Although the game is single player only, I was able to share the game with my friends by passing the DS around to let them draw different objects. Given that it was being passed around a group of teenage college students, some very interesting (and not-so-PG-13 items were being drawn). Despite that, everyone enjoyed the drawing system of the game, and being able to immediately see their artistic masterpiece come to life.Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:52:39 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1759&iddiary=3501https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1759Jacob Pernell CMPS20 - Whitehead 1/13/08 -| DRAWN TO LIFE |- (Gameplay Session 1) [SUMMARY] Drawn to Life is a adventure/platformer/RPG game that pushes the possibilities of the Nintendo DS touch screen. Based in a "typical" RPG fantasy world, you are the "Creator" (a god-like figure) of a village of Raposas (anime-styled creatures). Throughout the game, you create various objects and playable characters using a special drawing system. [GAMEPLAY] I was pleasantly surprised when I first started up Drawn to Life. The introduction is very short, so you're thrown into actual gameplay very quickly. You learn that you are the "Creator"--a god-like figure that uses the DS Stylus to tap on objects on screen and draw characters (including the one that you start off controlling)/objects that are able to be used in game. There are two modes of gameplay so far: I will label them "map" mode and "platformer" mode. RPG's are one of my favorite game genres, so when I started in the typical RPG map mode (i.e. your sprite character runs around on screen throughout the town and is able to interact with other NPCs), I got excited. Nothing too new or special about this mode, as it's fairly standard among RPGs. However, when I was sent off on my first quest to rescue someone from the town, I was taken aback. Upon entering the first 'stage', I was presented with a level that was extremely reminiscent of the classic Super Mario games. I still controlled my same character, but instead of walking around and interacting with NPCs in an RPG environment, it ran, jumped, and attacked enemies in a platformer-game style. The fun-factor quickly superseded the oddness of the game style shift from RPG to platformer, in that the controls were very intuitive (c'mon, everyone's played Super Mario!) and collecting coins or defeating small enemies in your path was very satisfying. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:36:30.)Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:31:42 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1759&iddiary=3490