Tag «Flow»

Kingdom Hearts: What Happened to Tech Points?

In the original Kingdom Hearts, Tech Points were a feature in combat that allowed players to get extra experience for taking specific actions in battle. Tech points are awarded when the player exploits an enemy’s weakness, parries an enemy attack with an attack of their own, or uses an enemy’s attack against themselves Tech Point …

Share this post:

Genius Design – Ratchet and Clank Weapon Upgrades

In Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, automatic weapon upgrades were introduced to the series. Weapons would gain experience as they are used to defeat enemies. When they have enough experience, they upgrade to a completely new weapon, which is better than the original in every way in most cases (except the lava gun). Weapon leveling is …

Share this post:

How to Add Layers of Challenge to Keep Players in Flow

One of the best ways to keep difficulty balanced for different skill levels between players is Challenge Layering. Challenge Layering is when games have multiple goals of different difficulty at a given time that players can choose to complete. If they become bored or frustrated, the player can make the game harder or easier for …

Share this post:

FFX’s Chocobo Eater’s Brilliant Game Design

In FFX (now on Nintendo Switch, thank Yevon!), the Chocobo Eater is a boss in the early part of the game that exhibits great game design principles including planning for multiple player types, negative feedback, and flow control using challenge layering. The battle consists of 4 lanes. On each side of the battlefield, there’s a …

Share this post:

Xenoblade 2 – Combat Strategy + Analysis

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an outstanding JRPG and one of my favorite games of the year. with a strategic battle system that anyone interested in battle mechanics must examine. Battles force players to make quick decisions with risks and rewards keeping them captivated.  feel accomplished and satisfied after achieving goals they dreamed of minutes before. …

Share this post:

How to Keep Players in Their Flow Channel

When we create games, our goal is to create an experience enjoyable enough that it holds the player’s focus as long and as intensely as possible. When something captures our complete attention and imagination for an extended period, we enter an exciting mental state. The rest of the world seems to fall away, and we …

Share this post:

How Final Fantasy X uses Challenge Layering to Keep Players Immersed

Final Fantasy X (FFX) is a turn-based RPG originally released by Squaresoft in 2001 for Playstation 2 and remastered on PS3, PS4, PC, and now on Nintendo Switch, thank Yevon! Why is FFX so well loved and engaging? One reason is the use of challenge layering to keep players in flow. Challenge layering is the idea of …

Share this post:

3D Platformers – How Game Design Contributed to their Downfall (and hopeful revival)

Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Tooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Spyro the Dragon, Mario Sunshine, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, Psychonauts. After these games in the 5th and early 6th console generation, the 3D platformer as we knew it died off significantly. Games that continued their legacy ended up being wildly …

Share this post:

Who finds Zelda Skyward Sword more enjoyable than Breath of the Wild?

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has achieved universal acclaim amongst reviewers and fans of the series due to its open-world gameplay and amount of interesting decisions the players can take at any moment. Its predecessor, Skyward Sword, has been a controversial title in the series due to its hit-or-miss motion controls and …

Share this post: