What Makes A Good Game? The Formula Inside. Part 2
By Phoenixfire103090 2 Comments
Introduction
Well it has been some time since my first blog hit the scene and now I feel it is time to continue my work with this formula and see exactly what you all here at Giant Bomb think. Let take a look at our formula so far after covering 2 components of games the Story and the Cast. Story that is not only epic, but able to be enjoyed multiple times+Cast that is relate-able, fun, varied, awesome, and useful+?+?+?=Good Game
Part 3 The Sound
The way a game sounds can in some cases make or break it. Hell there is an entire music genera of games because of this component. The way a game sounds effects almost every aspect of a game depending on the genera. With FPSs if you have a gun from WW2 you don't want it to sound like some Fischer Price pop gun, or if your playing a game with futuristic space guns you probably don't want the sound of a typical earth gun to fill the air with each trigger pull. When driving a modern race car you want to hear the roar of an engine not a pathetic purr. The sound that each element makes can serve to strengthen the gameplay aspect of a game (See Part 4), and to enhance the experience that the player has Beyond the sound effects of games there is the music. From licensed soundtracks from the biggest bands in the world to classical orchestras music is everywhere in games. Sandbox games such as GTA and Saint's Row 2 as well as music games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero pride themselves in having a diverse blend of music to fill out their soundtracks. Meanwhile games such as Halo and Final Fantasy rely on the musical talents of composers like Nobuo Uematsu and Martin O' Donnell to fill their respective games with wonderful music with full orchestras at their backs. A good soundtrack for a game should be one that you enjoy listening to multiple times. While playing Persona 3 and 4 I found myself falling in love with the diverse blend of music composed by Shoji Meguro. So much so my Ipod is now filled with his work.
If we look past actual music we must not forget that sound intertwines with Part 2 of our Formula, The Cast, and how it performs. Voice acting in games that rely heavily on the cast and story help to not only drive the plot forward but help you to get to know each character. While this might not be a huge concern in games with little to no story; to games that thrive on story and cast the way a character sounds is essential. Especially if it's a main character that will be around most of the time. More and more game developers are taking more time to find talented voice actors to take up the roles for their games. Actors such as Nolan North and Keith David who both have numerous live action roles are starting to pop up in more video games. Also more actors commonly associated with anime are making the jump into the video game ring (See Vic Mignogna). Now if you find the right man or woman for the role than you can help to straighten the cast element of your formula.
So if we bring our proper sound effects, strong soundtrack, and wonderful voice acting we just might have ourselves the proper components for this stage in the formula. So to avoid the formula being too long let's simplify it into this bit of data.
Sound that strengthens gameplay, the cast, and the overall experience
Well that make part 3 done. Now stew over this and the other two parts I have up, and let me now what you think. Once this whole thing is done I might rewrite a remastered edition that has all the information I have gathered on my own, as well as what you the gaming populous has to add. So don't be afraid to leave a comment, even if its bashing what I say all you are doing is expressing your opinion. Something I have respect for. So until next time Giant Bomb community, Shine On!
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