Summary
The game I chose was The Forest, a horror survival game. I chose the forest because I like survival games but what sets The Forest apart from other survival games is the story and gameplay. The game is full of exploration, discovery, and some cannibalism, but that’s what makes the game more thrilling, especially with friends.
Game Play Analysis
| Formal Elements | |
| The Basics | |
| Name of the game | The Forest |
| The platform | PS4 and PC |
| Time played (should be at least 30 minutes) | Over 24 hours |
| If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why? | I would add some more monsters |
| Players | NOTES |
| How many players are supported? | 4 |
| Does it need to be an exact number? | No you can play with and number between 1-4 |
| How does this affect play? | It doesn’t affect it very much |
| Objectives/Goals | Your main goal is to find your son Timmy who has been taken |
| What are the players trying to do? | The players need to use any resources they can to find Timmy and to survive from the cannibals native to the island. |
| Rules/Mechanics | So in this game u can craft items with resources you can collect. You can get very creative with what u can make such as a skull club, a bone with a club on it, used as a weapon, it can get gruesome sometimes, you can make items ranging from a simple bow and arrow to C4. |
| Controls | Depends on your platform but they are the same as most other games. |
| What controls are used? | Well on a PS4 controller almost every button has a use. |
| Was there a clear introductory tutorial? | Not really, you have to figure things out as you go, which makes the game a little more fun. |
| Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller? | Well I thought it was easy, you can look at item recipes and it tells you what you need to make it. |
| Resources & Resource Management | NOTES |
| What kinds of resources do players control? | There are a lot of resources you can collect in the game, wood, tree sap, meat, cloth, and even body parts/skulls. |
| How are they maintained during play? | You can use some of these items t make or upgrade weapons or new resources like using cloth to make rope. |
| What is their role? | They play a massive role where crafting is almost everything in the game. |
| Game State | NOTES |
| How much information in the game state is visible to the player? | Resources, your hunger, your hydration, stamina, health |
| A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information. | |
| Sequencing | NOTES |
| In what order do players take their actions? | Well you are in a plane crash an everything after that is up to you. |
| How does play flow from one action to another? | You can collect more materials and in turn give you more options. |
| Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn. | Real-time |
| Player Interaction | Players can interact with other players, enemies, resources |
| Theme & Narrative | NOTES |
| Does it have an actual story structure? | Yes, it does. |
| Is it based on a historical event (or similar)? | No it’s realistic fictional |
| Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play? | Yes, you are stuck on a island with forest and caves around you |
| Does it have emotional impacts? | Yes you may feel fear or sadness near the end |
| Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)? | No it can happen throughout the game |
| The Elements in Motion | NOTES |
| How do the different elements interact? | Makes the game more interesting |
| What is the gameplay like? | Calm but can be scary other times |
| Is it effective? | Yes |
| Are there any points where the design choices break down? | Sometimes |
| Design Critique | NOTES |
| Why did the designer make these particular choices? | Well it was the best they could at the time |
| Why this set of resources? | I guess that was what they wanted |
| What if they made different decisions? | Well I think their decisions were fine I don’t feel like they need to change much |
| Does the design break down at any point? | Yes, but don’t they all |
| Graphics & Sound | NOTES |
| Does the game art pair well with the mechanics? | Yes |
| Did you find any bugs or glitches? | No |
| What about sound? | It was good |
| Can you spot any technical shortcuts? | No |
| Various Stages of the Game | NOTES |
| To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play: | You should keep in mind the time of day, nighttime is the worst to be alone or without shelter |
| What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them? | I had help from friends |
| Is the game fair? | Yes |
| Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience? | Yes |
| What is the intended audience? | I would say teens and older |
| What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun? | Fight enemies |