What game do you immediately think of if I asked you to name a good game? Did you say Super Mario? Or Pokemon? Or something like Pac-Man. My favourite game is the original Resident Evil 4 for the Nintendo GameCube. But what makes these games so good? I believe a checklist of gaming elements must be checked off for a game to be considered a good game.
To me, a good game requires a compelling story that flows well from start to finish. A good story will lead the player to experience a variety of emotions, whether that would be excitement, sadness, or fear. Most importantly, the story must be paced properly to appeal to these emotions at the right points throughout the game. A rushed story will only ruin the experience as players won’t have time to process what’s happening and will not experience the emotions the developer intended. A story paced too slowly will also ruin the experience by boring the player; I’ve stopped playing many games for this exact reason. Pacing is crucial in making sure the game evokes the right emotions and ensures that the player enjoys the ride with the in-game characters.
The characters must be believable and easy to empathize with. The motives of the characters should be clearly expressed early in the game or the previous games. For example, we all know that Mario is going through all these platforming stages to defeat Bowser and rescue Princess Peach. We all know that Ash Ketchum plans on catching Pokemon (gotta catch them all!) and to one day become the Pokemon Champion. These are two popular examples of character motives, and it is not a coincidence that these two games are two titans within the gaming industry. Providing a background to the characters can greatly increase the believability of the characters too as it humanizes them and gives them a backstory. Deepening the understanding of how the characters act and respond to certain things ultimately allows for a deeper connection between the player and the characters. So when a character cries, the player will shed a tear alongside them.
The gameplay mechanics and controls have to match the game to further enhance it. Think of the control scheme as something that supports the game. You can have a brilliant story, but it can be completely ruined by a horrible control scheme. It’s like typing a school essay on your phone. Yes, it may get the job done, but everything would flow much better if you typed on a proper keyboard. This means a platformer like Super Mario should be controlled with only the actions necessary for a platforming game like running and jumping. Having unnecessary controls for a simple game will only overcomplicate the gaming experience. On the other hand, an action-packed game like DOOM Eternal has very complex controls that are difficult to master, but it matches the action-packed theme of the game and gives the player an adrenaline rush. In this case, a complicated control scheme works and enhances the gaming experience. Developers must design a control scheme which will correctly complement the game so that the experience is as smooth as possible.
Lastly, the art style plays a key role in the overall gaming experience. Higher-quality graphics don’t necessarily lead to better gaming experiences, and low-quality graphics can still offer a first-class experience. An example of such is Undertale (one of the best modern games) which adopts pixel art as its primary art style. I believe the simplicity of pixel art effectively forces the player to focus on the brilliantly written characters and story, which are two of Undertale’s greatest elements. On the other hand, Tekken 7 has very high-quality graphics which enhance the game as every punch and kick is so crisp and is often followed by a quick spark of light, which makes every hit more impactful and exaggerated. Every style has its own “feel” to it, all of which offer large benefits if implemented correctly. I believe a game mainly focused on its story matches a more creative art style like pixel art or something more animated, while a game that focuses on gameplay and action should have a higher quality. But that’s just my opinion.
These are the most important elements that I believe make a game good. If you wish, think of your favourite game and try to come up with how that game achieves each of the following elements.
Comments