London Anime Con. A newly-created event for video gamers, manga-lovers and anime-obsessives alike. It was the Kingdom of Otaku in a sense, a haven for those obsessed with the above. Hosting vendors with cheap video games, £3 mangas, a nearly-unlimited supply of video games to play all day and a collection of different...
... bands, panels, and so on, it wasn't to be missed. And I'm glad I didn't miss it, despite mismanaging the best way to get to the Con. I nabbed two cheap games for about £10 each (secondary retail value being £30 for Resident Evil 4's Limited Edition), these being Resi 4's Limited Edition and Final Fantasy 10. Little did I know that FF was to set me on focusing what makes a game good.
When I first bought Final Fantasy, I started with 12. It was back in the heyday of the PS2 - it had received mixed reviews, but after seeing a video of it online, I decided to try it out. And I'm so glad I did. It suited me perfectly, and I'd give it no less than 98% if I were to review it. And so began my journey of collecting all the other Final Fantasy games - merely a part of my journey to discover what makes games good, and why games appear to be in decline now. And I think I've found it.
When I first bought Final Fantasy, I started with 12. It was back in the heyday of the PS2 - it had received mixed reviews, but after seeing a video of it online, I decided to try it out. And I'm so glad I did. It suited me perfectly, and I'd give it no less than 98% if I were to review it. And so began my journey of collecting all the other Final Fantasy games - merely a part of my journey to discover what makes games good, and why games appear to be in decline now. And I think I've found it.
True video games are difficult to make, due to the demands of those who play them. People want the best, the free and everything right now. They don't want to wait. But there are a few ways around this - charge low prices, make short games and don't announce games until they're soon due. Other than this, the game itself is the core of what makes videogaming great - if you're not worried about your profits, this is really something to focus on. Square Enix are a good example though - it doesn't matter how much you put in your game, if the game's not designed well, it won't play well. (FF 13!) But the instances where Square have done it right really hit home and made everything such a success for them.
Final Fantasy 9. Probably the best story I've ever seen. I'm watching a Let's Play of it on Youtube, and I'm at part 15/130 at the time of typing. But I've already discovered why the game is so good.
Final Fantasy 9. Probably the best story I've ever seen. I'm watching a Let's Play of it on Youtube, and I'm at part 15/130 at the time of typing. But I've already discovered why the game is so good.
Diversity.
Final Fantasy 12 had it. Final Fantasy 13 doesn't. Final Fantasy 9 has it. Resident Evil 4 has it. The Elder Scrolls (Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim) has it. Metal Gear Solid has it. To lesser extents, games like SOS: The Final Escape and Croc: Legend of the Gobbos have it.
And so I found a pattern. It was mainly the Playstation 1 and 2 games that exhibited this trait. Being 'cheap' to develop for (compared to the playstation 3, for example) developers were able to put more content into the game for a lower price. Nowadays, too much money is spent on the game's graphics and the coding of the game to fit new systems and demands. Therefore, this has resulted in the loss of what attracted players to games in the first place, and keeps them there. Diversity.
I'm thinking of writing a guide to what makes games great. I believe that I have a few, if not all the answers relating to how to make them fun, how to keep the players attracted and to ensure that the game is not lost within its own creation. Do let me know what you think.