July 31, 2009

Zoned In: Graphics can set the foundations of a good game experience
By Michael Lafferty

Stories are important, but immersiveness is often tied to visual stimuli

Tecmo sent along the latest demo for the upcoming PS3 title Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and while the gameplay was not blow-the-doors-off innovative, the game was still jaw-dropping gorgeous and a whole lot of fun to play.

But step back a moment and think about the latest iteration of the Prince of Persia title. Not exactly groundbreakingly innovative there, either, but the game was very well received, and a lot of that had to do with the graphical style and the interaction of the principle characters.

As games’ journalists, we often lament that too much emphasis is put on the graphics and not enough on story, but maybe it’s time to step back and look at that again. It has been argued that no original American novel has been published (original in idea) since Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Whether true or not, we have to face the inevitable conclusion that overriding themes are a constant and that no book, either now or then, can get away from one of those themes … which means that most of what we are getting are the same themes in new packaging. And video-games are all about the “video” element, hence the name.

Ok, as an example of retread themes … perhaps the most overused is the one where evil had threatened to take over the world, was vanquished and now things appear to be a portend of it returning, with you – as the player – the only hope of stopping it once again. Some games might tread into the shady areas of gray, where you are not quite certain what is good and what is evil, but essentially the games play out the same.

Is that a bad thing? Nope.

My youngest daughter made brownies this week, for the second time since Saturday. Everyone in the family had dove into the first batch, and are doing the same to the second. We might not have them again for a month, but that doesn’t mean we won’t enjoy them when we can. My almost-15-year old makes homemade spaghetti sauce and we seem to have spaghetti once a week. Each sauce she makes has the same basic ingredients, but is subtly different each time (no recipes are involved).

Many times when I talk games with others, I am told what games they enjoyed and what would I recommend that is similar. They are not looking for a game that is completely dissimilar, but rather a game that is a new experience with the same feel. And one has to look no further than sports titles to see games that are the same year after year in many regards. What makes them different? Subtle tweaks to the gameplay and graphical upgrades.

So while I’ve harped, in the past, about more immersive storylines, perhaps what I should have touted was the immersive nature of the game in the way it is visually presented.

Take Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, for example. The dark streets set the stage for the attacks and draw players into the game by giving them visual stimulus. An environment that is creepy is much more likely to make the player jump when an unexpected enemy pops out of the darkness.

A game’s visuals are the first thing that pulls us in. So much of our first impressions stem from that first look at the game, and that is often driven by the graphics. And much of what we think of the game builds off those first impressions. Yes, there are other elements that have to combine to make for a game that hits on all cylinders, but a weak story can often be overlooked if the graphics are stellar, or if the interaction of the main characters is first-rate.

So the next time you hear me spout off about how there is too much emphasis on graphics, feel free to toss a cyber-slap my way.  

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