Games.net

Why do I need a key when I've got a shotgun? It's a question gamers have asked for ages, and one writer is trying to find out the answers.

"Damn, no Diamond Key! Guess I'm zombie food..."

The gaming industry has progressed so far in graphical ability that all gamers are in awe of how games look today. So many gamers, website, and magazines rave how life-like and real graphics have come. But does that make it "real"? Senior Editor Eddie R Inzaut of GameWad doesn't think so:

"It appears that the focus, however, is primarily on the visual and aural recreation of what is "real." Conceptually, realism and authenticity are all too often cast in a secondary light, playing second fiddle to the moneymakers - eye and ear candy."

Harsh words from Inzaut, but I do agree that developers do put more focus into graphics than the game engine or gameplay. He believes, in term of realism, it all about interaction in the real world and translating it over to the virtual world. He makes notes that Resident Evil 4 was graphically one of the best games of last generation, but was restricted or hampered by it's inability of the most simplistic interactions as Leon's moves were predefined by it's story. Izzaut notes Leon's lack of ability to run up or jump over some of the gates as he is compelled to obtain the "key" to those gates. After all, you think a highly skilled government agent would be able to accomplish such a feet since he jumped a ten feet wall of lasers. Don't even get him started on "invisible walls".

Inzaut provides valid points in what developers have been doing wrong to provide realism in games today:

"It appears that grenade blasts do not damage single-paned glass windows, let alone doors and the like. It is strange that so many games present locked doors, often made of a simple material (like WOOD), to gamers who tote shotguns, heavy machine guns, and even rocket launchers"

Realism, I assume, is probably the hardest part in video game development. Developers would need to think of all the possible interactions and outcomes in the game while making each outcome unique so it doesn't become repetitive. For example, to include real-time physics such as velocity, free fall, and distance on how it affects the bullets trajectory and damage is most likely demanding to program as well as a destructible environments. We've seen games like Black, Dead Rising and upcoming game Assassin's Creed feature these types of physics and interactions to some extent, but to truly create a game engine to encompass all of these features would be one of a kind. From a technological stand point, it mostly could be done, but to develop and program them is a whole different task. The real question comes to, who is willing to develop such an engine to provide such realism?

Hey, thanks: Gamewad

games

Comments [ 1 ] Post your comment subscribe to this rss feed

Hamster4Sale

Posted at: 06/15/07 at 11:00 AM PST

Great article. Superficial barriers like gates and doors that impede the progress of a game character that should have no problem jumping over or blasting through them respectively have always been big immersion breakers for me. Things like that hardly ruin otherwise good games, but touches like being able to climb over or blast open obstacles really enhance the fun factor for me.

Post Your Comment

Games.net's Countdown to...