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简单模式是否会毁掉一款游戏?

发布时间:2013-12-16 17:17:07 Tags:,,,,

作者:Chris Dunson

当你开始玩游戏时,你必须做出一些重要的决定(游戏邦注:通过了加载画面和公司logo页面时)。挑战怎样的难度?选择简单的任务并按照自己的方式完成故事?或选择复杂的任务去挑战自己?

复杂世界一定更好?

众所周知,因为太过复杂的操作方式,很少有人在玩《Rayman》系列游戏。许多操作装置让你基于按压按键的时间长度跳跃到不同高度上,但《Rayman》却是唯一一款规定,如果你太过频繁进行高度跳跃,你就必须离开的游戏。长久以来游戏中都存在一个一般原则,即必须让玩家去克服障碍。通过学习游戏规则并磨练自己的能力,玩家便可以超越任何挑战。

但如果不存在挑战会怎样?

对于《最终幻想XIII》,起先我认为这会是这一冒险故事的最终结局,但之后却发现这却是我玩过的最糟糕的游戏。我也在Super Nintendo上玩过《Barbie Super Model》。

在尝试着创造让玩家更容易亲近的游戏时,Square Enix删去了一切能将RPG变成RPG的内容。在游戏中不存在与之对话的NPC,大部分探索都是发生在狭窄的过道上,每个角色只有三个数据。游戏唯一突出之处可能是,作为PlayStation 3上外观最讨喜的一款游戏。缺少挑战和深度的事实真的让我很惊讶,并犹豫着是否还要尝试新的《最终幻想》。

不过也有一些不具有挑战但却深得我心的游戏。《Harvest Moon》和《Animal Crossing》便是两款我很喜欢的游戏,尽管在游戏中我并不需要躲闪子弹的攻击。这些游戏都很好地呈现出了独特的主题,引入了有趣的角色,并让玩家扮演他们在其它游戏中不可能遇到的角色。在《Animal Crossing》中,我发现自己真的很喜欢偶遇随机的村民(即作为我的邻居)。这些生物都有其独特的行为和言语的选择。

当我的一位邻居选择搬到一个朋友的城镇时,游戏真的对我造成了巨大的威胁。我真的很不想看到她离开,而作为告别,她给我写了封信并留下了一些家具。而这些家具碰巧就是我所需要的。于是它们也成为了我纪念这个虚拟好友的物品。

掌握自己的命运

white tanooki suit(from gamasutra)

white tanooki suit(from gamasutra)

在《超级马里奥3D世界》中,白色的马里奥似乎会让“怀旧”的玩家感到厌恶。白色的马里奥是在玩家于同一个关卡中连续死掉多次会出现的一种道具。该道具会让你所向披靡。而我看到的大多数抱怨都是来自那些使用了白色马里奥赢得关卡但却未“获取”胜利的人。说实话,我将这看作是一种过时的想法。

回到NES时代,那时候我们可以看到许多非常复杂的游戏。并不是所有人都想要花大量时间去学习紧张的操作整时刻所需要的准确定位和计时。在如今的游戏时代,开发者尝试着去创造尽可能简单的游戏,从而让基于各种技能水平的玩家都能享受到乐趣。

一个非常年轻的玩家可能会因为一个特别困难的挑战受挫,而白色马里奥的存在就是为了帮助他。更有耐心的玩家将发现自己失败了好多次时白色马里奥便会出现,但不管怎样这都是一种强制道具。如果你更想要看到挑战并希望从自己的过错中获得学习,你便能够忽视升级并专注种种问题。这都是取决于你自己的选择。

大多数玩家却并未注意到这点,如果特定的道具符合你的想象力,那么忽视这一道具便是提升难度的最佳方法。我曾经尝试过在《马里奥》中基于“没有任何蘑菇”的游戏,但我也尝试过《塞尔达传说》中的“三心挑战”,以及《王国之心II》中的“最低级别”boss战斗。通过在一款游戏中保持较低的生命值,我在另一款游戏中的体验便会降低,我便能够把简单的障碍转变成恶梦而引出真正的恶魔。在创造这样的挑战时,玩家需要摸清楚游戏机制的来龙去脉。错过一次躲闪或进行不合时机的攻击都有可能让你遭遇失败。如果你认为自己需要从游戏中获得更多挑战的话,这可能就是你所需要的。

选择你喜欢的

现在有些开发者会让你在难度模式间做出选择。当你选择了一个难度设置时,很少有游戏能够基于有意义的方式真正去改变游戏。通常情况下游戏只会改变一些值,如损害和生命值。

我喜欢与自己的搭档在爱与罪恶中玩《古墓丽影》。当她傻傻地放下控制器时,我将继续射箭。但是因为独自在具有难度的任务中坚持着,我最终决定放弃游戏。我真的很希望解决掉游戏敌人和攻击模式去揭开新的危险。但是让我失望的是,唯一出现的偏差只是敌人处理了更多的损害并拥有更多生命值。

因为已经玩了游戏很多次了,所以我已经适应了如何躲避燃烧弹以及敌人的投射物。提高这些攻击的损害对我并没有影响,因为这些攻击都不会打在我身上。虽然不是罗宾汉,但我却可以使用自己的弓和箭快速杀死对方。不管生命值是否增加,杀手锏就是杀手锏。甚至在复杂的行动场景中你也可以轻松做到这点。

之后出现了一款华丽的游戏《Catherine》。这款游戏让你攀升不断坍塌的高塔。为了上升,你必须使用一些组块推/拉技巧。随着高塔坍塌的速度不断加快,骗人的组块和烦人的同道攀爬者将妨碍你向上攀登。

如果解决谜题是你的特长,我认为你一定能够轻松地完成它。这款游戏应该是近来最具挑战的游戏之一。比起只是改变你攀升高塔的时间,难度设置也具有其自身的谜题。为了从一个级别上升到下一个级别,你所使用的技巧将随着不同难度设置进行改变。

我真心希望能够看到更多基于不同模式的不同内容的出现。

本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,拒绝任何不保留版权的转载,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

Are Games Crippled By Easy Modes?

by Chris Dunson

When you start up some games for the first time you have a very important decision to make (once you’ve passed the loading screens and company logos). What difficulty to play on? Take it easy and make your way through the story? Or play it on hard to truly challenge yourself?

A rose by any other difficulty would smell as sweet?

Rayman games are known, by the few people who play them, for their difficult platforming. Many platformers allow you to jump at various heights depending on how long you hold the button down, but Rayman is one of the games that will send you to the game over screen if you use your high jumps too frequently.
For a long time, in games, it has been a common principle that there needs to be obstacles for the player to overcome. By learning the rules of a game and honing their abilities, players can surpass any challenge.

But what if there is no challenge?

The original Final Fantasy XIII, which I wish was the last story of its saga, was the worst game I think I’ve ever played in my entire life. And I’ve played Barbie Super Model for the Super Nintendo.

In an attempt to make the game more accessible to new gamers, Square Enix cut out practically everything that makes a RPG a RPG. There are essentially no NPCs to talk to in the game, the bulk of exploration takes place in narrow hall ways, and each character only has three stats. The only thing the game has going for it is that its probably the most aesthetically pleasant game on the PlayStation 3. The lack of challenge and depth left me completely appalled and keeps me hesitant from trying newer titles in the Final Fantasy franchise.

There are games without challenge that I find myself able to enjoy. Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing are both games that I enjoy even though I don’t have to dodge bullet fire.
These games do a wonderful job at presenting unique themes, introducing interesting characters, and placing the player in a role that generally can’t be found in other games. In Animal Crossing I found myself really enjoying coming across the random villagers that made up my neighbors. These creatures all have their own odd behaviors and choice of words.

I could tell the game had a powerful hold over me when one of my favorite neighbors had moved away to a friend’s town. I was so sad to see her go, but as an awesome last gesture she had sent me a letter along with a piece of furniture. That piece of furniture just so happened to complete the set I was going for. I couldn’t of asked for a better memento to remember my virtual friend.

Master Of Your Own Destiny

The white tanooki suit in Super Mario 3D World seems to be generating some distaste amongst ‘retro’ gamers. For those of you who don’t know, the white tanooki suit is an item that appears after dying multiple times in a row within the same level. The item makes you invincible from enemies and spikes that would normally knock you out. The complaint I see the most is that people who beat levels using the white tanooki suit didn’t ‘earn’ their victory. I honestly look at this as a very out dated line of thinking.

Back in the NES days there were a lot of very difficult games. Not everyone wants to spend hours upon hours learning the exact positioning and timing required for intense platforming moments. In today’s age of gaming, developers try their best to make their games as accessible as possible so players of any skill level can have fun.

A very young player might get frustrated with a particular difficult challenge and the white tanooki suit is there to assist him. A more patient player who finds themselves failing a few too many times will also see the white tanooki suit appear, but by no means is the item mandatory. If you prefer the challenge and want to learn from your mistakes you can ignore the power-up and focus on the problems ahead. It’s simply a choice for you to make.

It’s not always apparent to most players, but ignoring certain items is a great way to ramp up the difficulty if it fits your fancy. I’ve yet to try a ‘No Mushroom’ run of a Mario game, but I have tried the ‘Three Heart Challenge’ in Zelda and ‘Minimum Level’ boss fights in Kingdom Hearts II. By keeping my health low in one game and my experience down in another, I’m able to turn simple hindrances into nightmare inducing spawns of true evil.
Player created challenges like these really require you to learn the ins and outs of the mechanics of the game. A single missed dodge or mistimed attack can be your last. This maybe exactly what you’re looking for if you feel you need more challenge from your games.

Pick Your Poison

Now some developers literally have you choose between modes of difficulty. Far too few games actually change the game in meaningful ways when you choose a difficulty setting. More times then not the game merely alters a few values such as damage and health.

I really enjoyed playing Tomb Raider with my partner in love and crime. When ever she was silly enough to put the controller down I’d steal it for myself and shoot some arrows through some unsuspecting hats. I eventually decided to give the game a go by my lonesome on the hard difficulty. It took me quite some time to figure out what the changes were. I was really hoping for end game enemies and attack patterns to turn up early alongside new threats. Much to my dismay the only differences I could note were my opponents dealt more damage and had more health.

Having already played the game a bit I was more then accustomed to dodging molotov cocktails and enemy projectiles. Increasing the damage of these attacks literally has no effect on me since the attacks are unable to land. I’m no Robin Hood but I was having no problem aiming for instant kills with my bow and arrow. Increased health, or not, a killing blow is a killing blow. Even on hard mode action scenes felt too easy and had become repetitive.

Then we have the beautiful game Catherine. This game has you climbing up a tower of blocks as it slowly collapses. You have to utilize several block pushing/pulling techniques in order to ascend. Trick blocks and annoying fellow climbers will slow you down as the tower seems to collapse that much faster.

If puzzles aren’t your strong suit I heavily suggest playing it on easy. This game is definitely one of the more challenging ones made now a days. Rather then just changing the amount of time you have to climb the block towers, the difficulty settings actually have their own puzzles. The techniques you have to employ in order to rise from one level to the next change with each difficulty setting.

I really wish more games had differing content between modes. Not that I’d cheat on Catherine to be with them. That would be wrong.
source:gamasutra


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