Category «Game Analysis»

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:

The Importance of Mario Odyssey’s Linear Primary Objectives

  While Mario Odyssey’s level design is open for players to choose what they want to do, the game wouldn’t be as impactful without its linear, primary objectives in each world. The moment you enter a world, the game gives the player a goal. The level is designed around guiding players towards the primary objectives …

Share this post:

Evolution of 3D Mario Level Design – Part 2

In part 1, we discussed how 3D Marios were gradually becoming more player-friendly to grab a broader audience in 3D platformers. Mario Galaxy started the trend of more linear levels to prevent players from being confused with exploring 3D space. However, these levels were often a hodgepodge of random ideas with few challenges for players of …

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:

My Best Games of 2017

For me, this was an incredible year for games. As a 3D platformer and JRPG fan, this year was much-needed candy to my palette. Let’s do this by category: Adventure/Action RPGs Zelda: Breath of the Wild– Quite the experience. Probably the ultimate form of adventure we’ve seen in any video game to date. Buy this …

Share this post: