Game Analysis: Rocket League

Summary

Rocket league is game where cars in teams of 1,2,3, or 4 go against each other in a game of soccer. In this game you can fly around with a car and try to score on the opponent.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements
The Basics
Name of the gameRocket League
The platformPC, PS, Xbox
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)Over 20 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?I would change how to get items. it’s kinda hard to get items without paying money.
PlayersNOTES
How many players are supported?the most amount of players in one game is 8.
Does it need to be an exact number?no but at least 2 players unless you’re in training
How does this affect play?Well depending on how many players there are you may need to change the way you play to fit the flow
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.Team competition
Objectives/GoalsNOTES
What are the players trying to do?They try to score on the opponents net
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).Collection
Rules/MechanicsNOTES
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.Well the main goal is to just score it but to make it easier you should come up with an attack plan like passing plays or aerials
ControlsNOTES
What controls are used?Depends, but you can change every bind to how you want to play
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?There wasn’t really a tutorial, but there are training courses, you just have to practice
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?Well I was spamming the controller because the controls are a lot different to other games like shooters
Resources & Resource ManagementNOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?Well the only resource in the game is called boost, you can use boost to make your car go faster but you have to refill after a short time
How are they maintained during play?Well it’s almost a need to have boost when you’re going for a play
What is their role?they play a big role because when you’re in the higher ranks it would be hard to attack/defend without boost
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)Time (game time, real-time, or both)Known information (like suspects in Clue)Boost
Game StateNOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?Amount of boost you have, your car, the ball, teammates and opponents, time, score
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.Info per player
SequencingNOTES
In what order do players take their actions?Usually you pass a lot to your teammates
How does play flow from one action to another?Well you have to communicate almost every play is different
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
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.Information sharing
Theme & NarrativeNOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?no
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?no
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?no
Does it have emotional impacts?no
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?no
The Elements in MotionNOTES
How do the different elements interact?Well depends on how the game goes
What is the gameplay like?It’s very fast paced and intense
Is it effective?Yes
Are there any points where the design choices break down?No not really
Design CritiqueNOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?Well I think it looks good
Why this set of resources?It fits the game because it’s very colorful and intense
What if they made different decisions?I think it would have been more dull
Does the design break down at any point?Not really
Graphics & SoundNOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?Yes
Did you find any bugs or glitches?No
What about sound?Its just right
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?No
Various Stages of the GameNOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:You should keep in mind that you have teammates if you’re playing with people and your boost as well and others boost
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?You just have to practice or get friends you can communicate with
Is the game fair?Yes
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?You can as many games as you want
What is the intended audience?Teens or older in my opinion, a kid would have trouble with the mechanics
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?

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