Critical Thinking Assignment

“Not only do we tend to think about the world according to what we want to see and what we need to see, we tend to think in terms of what we expect to see.”

I strongly agree with this statement, as people can easily make predictions in our mind, and it is what causes most accidents to happen. You expect the road to be clear, then BAM! Someone ran a red light, but you could not react quick enough as you didn’t expect it, you predicted something different.

Contemporary Game Assignment

1. Provide a detailed overview of the objective of the game.

The Game Swords and Sandals 2 is a strategic fighting game where two people face off in an arena. The objective is to level up your character and draw first blood on the battle field by depleting your enemies armor. You can also upgrade your weapon, enchant it, buy spells, buy armor, or buy a new weapon.

2. List 3 or more things you like about the game. Why?

  • Strategy – I really like the different things you can upgrade in the game, since there are so many strategies and combinations to choose from.
  • Skill – It takes a bit of skill to defeat an enemy, which I like. You have to choose whether to attack or move away to save energy.
  • Weapons – There is a wide range of weapons in four different categories, which is nice because you’ve got a nice selection to choose from.

3. List 3 or more things you do not like about the game. Why?

  • Repetitive – The music in the game doesn’t have much variety, it would be better if it had a couple different songs to play while you battle.
  • Weapons – While there is a wide variety of weapons, I personally think they’re overpriced.
  • Tournaments – This one is a bit nit picky, but I think you should be able to shop after a battle in the tournament, and not just one after another.

List 3 or more reasons why you think the game you are reviewing is successful.

  • Addicting – Trying out new strategies is very fun and addicting, which brings players back to the game multiple times.
  • Satisfying – It is very satisfying when you finally defeat your enemy, which makes you want to defeat more and more enemies to become the best.
  • Competition – Competing with your friends to get a better gladiator score is both addicting and satisfying when you beat them.

MDA Framework and Genre

What does MDA Stand for?

Mechanics:

Rules and systems that make your game work and make the player experience different things. It can be the math for calculating jumps and gravity.

Dynamics:

The actual experience the user plays that the mechanics create. The strategy of a shooter is made by mechanics but makes an experience of shooting enemies and getting to the finish.

Aesthetics:

The emotive experiences you want to play in a game. This could be expressive art, or great music inside of a game.

EIGHT TYPES OF AESTHETICS (Wikipedia):

  1. Sensation (Game as sense-pleasure): Player experiences something completely unfamiliar.
  2. Fantasy (Game as make-believe): Imaginary world.
  3. Narrative (Game as drama): A story that drives the player to keep coming back
  4. Challenge (Game as obstacle course): Urge to master something. Boosts a game’s replayability.
  5. Fellowship (Game as social framework): A community where the player is an active part of it. Almost exclusive for multiplayer games.
  6. Discovery (Game as uncharted territory): Urge to explore game world.
  7. Expression (Game as self-discovery): Own creativity. For example, creating character resembling player’s own avatar.
  8. Submission (Game as pastime): Connection to the game, as a whole, despite of constraints.