As one of this week’s tasks, we are required to assess our game according to set of 18 criteria which will indicate how the game will be designed (Week 2: Challenge Activity – Game Outline, n.d.).
Game name: Púca
- Game Mechanics
Explore and discover various places on an island, interact with character and find quests to do on the way, which develop the story. Shapeshift into various animals that have different abilities that help you complete each quest. Collect items that can provide health to the player character, weapons, armour and items that are specific to given quests.
Talk to characters, collect items and solve puzzles as you explore a series of levels in order to solve the mystery of your existence. Use your brain and your character instincts. Uncover new environments, traits, threats and abilities with each level. Fight various monsters or people that create conflict on the island.
- Genre
Action role playing game
- Player Fantasy
‘I am stranded on an island and I do not remember who I am. As I explore the island, I rediscover my special abilities as well as my true form and discover I must return to the otherworld.’
- Platform and Controls
PC. Keyboard to control player movement and interactions. Mouse to control camera zoom and angle.
- Spatial Abstraction
The game is three dimensional and is a largely realistic depiction of the world.
- Avatar
The player controls a character that can shapeshift between different animal forms, each of which has different abilities, strengths and weaknesses. The player character initially begins the game in human form, but as the game progresses, the player character takes on their true form.
- Camera Perspective
The camera follows the character third person from behind, although the player can move around the character with the mouse. The player has the ability to zoom in and zoom out using the mouse wheel.
- Goals and Scores
At first, the player is trying to find out who they are and how they ended up on the island. However, through completing quests and interacting with their surroundings, it becomes apparent that the player is a creature from the otherworld and must find a way to get back. The player travels to different places on the island and becomes involved in the different dynamics between creatures and people on the island. As they complete quests, they unlock different shapeshifting forms to allow them to complete future quests. The more quests they complete, the closer the come to the end goal.
- Progression and Variety
Each part of the island is different and have different types of characters to interact with – some areas are more rural whereas others more built up. They all have different quests with varying levels of difficulty and it is down to the player to decide which form (if any) they should shapeshift into to complete the quest. Some quests are easy and involve resolving conflicts or running errands, whereas others are harder and involve fighting large creatures that terrorise the island.
- Tension and Rest
The player can explore the island at their own pace and can take the time to interact with non-player characters and also to pick up and examine items in a scene. There will be several combat based quests where the player will be confronted by people and creatures that they need to fight.
- Obstacles and Penalties
The player character can only shapeshift at certain points in the game, mainly before or after a quest. Unlike many RPGs which have a system for levelling up, the stats that the player have are determined by the form they shapeshift into. Each animal form has different stats and a different set of strengths and weaknesses. Certain animal forms will be more conducive to different kinds of quests and a common reason for failing a quest would be choosing the wrong type of form. If the player fails a quest, they must try again and they will be given an opportunity to use a different animal form.
- Resources
The player character will have health points and magic points; the latter can be used to cast spells. As the player progresses, they can unlock new abilities and forms that they can use to guide them through the quest. They will have an inventory for collecting items and currency to spend on new items.
- Decisions
The player character can choose which animal form they use before starting a quest. They can explore the island location in any order they wish and play the quests in any order they wish. To make an informed decision, they player will be presented with the difficulty level of any quest as well as the abilities that will be required to complete the quest successfully.
- Simulation and Chance
There will be several non-player characters around the island, some friendly and some not so friendly. The player will be able to interact with these characters. There will be an AI that determines when it is day and night as well as the weather in the game.
- Storytelling
The storytelling will be developed through the interactions that the player character has with non-player characters as well as the environment. The quests will be communicated to the playter through text-based mission descriptions.
- Art Direction and Style
The game will consist of a 3d realistic environment and will employ a colour scheme of naturaly and earthy colours, such as greens, blues and browns to convey the natural and ancient setting.
- Animation and Visual Effects
Characters in the game will have various animation cycles. In villages, non-player characters will walk around. Hostile characters will come towards the player character if they are looking to fight. There will be a lot of visual effects to show magic spells being cast.
- Sound Design
The game will consist of realistic sound effects including those from nature including sea waves, rivers, wind breezes. In villages, there will be various sounds such as people talking or carrying various tasks. The fight scenes will have numerous sounds of people fighting and attacking. Along with on screen dialogue, dialogue will also be spoken. There will be several sound effects to convey magic as well. The background music will be inspired by traditional Irish music but will be chosen according to the atmosphere of the location, as well as the situation that the player character is in at any given time.
References
Learn.falmouth.ac.uk. n.d. Week 2: Challenge Activity – Game Outline. [online] Available at: <https://learn.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/251/discussion_topics/4479?module_item_id=13019> [Accessed 2 February 2022].