What makes a PC game the most
valuable to me is the replay value. Any game can be a great experience
but the best games in any genre have the mystique of allowing
different styles of game play even if the outcome is the same.
The other aspects of the game should all add up to the simple
question of: Would I play this game again?
The other aspects of a great PC game are the graphics, controls
and the storyline. Some PC games give players the opportunity
to make believe they are part of a story. Many times, short films
(cut scenes) play between levels to further the story. I find
that players get impatient with watching cut scenes of action
and skip many parts of the story. Other times players will go
straight to the multiplayer section of the game and completely
skip the single player storyline altogether.
In terms of the single player game structure, there needs to be
urgency for the player to want to complete the game. Many times
players will find a game too confusing and not worth their time
to complete. The driving force for a single player game is the
importance of getting to the end. Along the way they want to be
immersed in a world that changes according to their involvement.
For multiplayer games, it is slightly different. Multiplayer needs
many variables in order for players to truly feel they are actually
playing against one another. Games like capture-the-flag can be
tiresome without creative players trying out new things with the
game’s engine. Sometimes players will make up their own
modifications. It is important to make the players feel integral
to the game in order for their game play to be an extension of
their perceived personality.
The successful games of the last decade were all innovative in
their game design and game play. “Myst” the first
popular PC game to hit mainstream media let the player explore
its puzzles at their own pace. The first-person shooter “Half-Life”
made the player part of an entire storyline with original weapon
designs and terrific artificial intelligence. “Grand Theft
Auto” put the player into an entire city where he/she could
literally do anything without morals. All these games have tremendous
replay value because the player can literally do hundreds of permutations
in the game and find different things. This is what makes a game
special.
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