Prototype

James Palermo
GAM390 - Experimental Gameplay
University of Advancing Tecnology
Despair
Despair is a video game !ic is a fast paced orror s"rvival action game# Te game
feat"res fast paced paranoia# Te player$s caracter is al!ays on te r"n for teir s"rvival
!it frenetic figts from infected "mans# Te player is %attling ordes of infected
enemies !ic act li&e s"per"man "ndead creat"res# Te player m"st find o%'ects tat
can %e "tili(ed as !eapons# Te game feat"res fervent and ro%"st co-op and m"ltiplayer
options# Te player feels te intensity as tey try to elp teir team of s"rvivors stay
alive# Te player$s goal is to save not only teir caracter) %"t friends as !ell so tey may
live to see anoter day# *f a player %ecomes infected tey !ill come %ac& as one of te
infected enemies and attac& teir teammates "nless tey are given an antiviral# Players
%attle te infected "sing any items fo"nd !ic can %e "tili(ed as !eapons# Despair is a
motion %ased game designed for te Playstation 3) +%ox 3,0) P-) as !ell as i./ and
Android mo%ile devices# Players "se te Playstation Move controller on te Playstation 3
to mimic real-life actions as tey figt te infected# 0inect and cameras on P- and
mo%ile devices capt"re te player$s movements#
Players progress tro"g te game %y traversing vario"s locations as tey %attle
ordes of te infected# Eac location is a separate level and te player is re!arded after
completing eac level# At te end of eac level tey !ill ave to complete a series of
tas&s and reac certain goals# Te end of eac level feat"res a %oss %attle# Te player is
re!arded %y "nloc&ing te next area# As te player does !ell in gameplay tey !ill %e
a%le to craft %etter and stronger !eapons tro"g experience points# As te player levels
"p tey get stronger and can figt in te more diffic"lt areas of te game# Te final %attle
at te end of te game !en te player reaces te escape elicopter is on an epic scale#
Te player1s2 m"st ma&e teir !ay tro"g an "ndergro"nd s"%!ay !ere tere is no
ligt) except for a flasligt or a ligter !ic can also dra! te infected o"t# *t is a
perilo"s 'o"rney to te elicopter %"t once tere) tey !in te game and are safe to live
anoter day# *t is te "ltimate player re!ard#
Te Playstation Move controller is "sed to mimic te real life actions of someone
!ielding a !eapon# All oter releases "tili(e te camera or +%ox 3,0 0inect to detect te
player$s controls and movements# 3en yo"r caracter p"nces) &ic&s) or its one of te
infected enemies !it someting s"c as a %ase%all %at) yo" m"st mimic tese moves
realistically !it te Move controller in yo"r and# Te /"% controller is "sed for
movement of te caracter# 4y act"ally acting as if yo" are really !ielding a !eapon and
figting te infected) te player is immersed deeper into te gameplay experience# Tere
are more elements of interaction !it te Playstation Move tan a standard controller
co"ld offer te player# Te game can only %e played on te Move and /"% controllers or
"tili(ing 0inect or camera capt"re on te oter releases#
Despair as %een s"ccessf"lly prototyped %y te metod of paper prototype and
creating story%oards# Paper prototyping !as cosen %eca"se it saves time and money# 4y
doing te prototype tis !ay te game can %e examined !ell in advance of large scale
coding and art asset prod"ction# *f canges needed to %e made it can %e done !ito"t
aving to scrap all te man o"rs of programming and artist la%or# Tis is te place to
find %"gs or errors# Any pro%lems in design cascade to te rest of te team# .ne of te
most important reasons to ma&e a prototype is to test te mecanics of te game s"c as
te com%at as pict"red %elo!#
Testing %alance is anoter reason to paper prototype# *terate and improve "ntil it is in
a proper %alanced state# 5ext te flo! !as tested# Are te components r"nning smootly
from scene to scene in te story%oards6 *s te level design "p to par6 *s te caracter and
enemy art relating to te loo& and feel of te overall game6 Evidence of tese 7"estions
are in te pict"re %elo! from te story%oard prototype#
Anoter reason to prototype is to ma&e s"re te game is f"n# Are all te components
coming togeter tat not only ma&e it !or& %"t ave tat special someting !ic clic&s
!it te player6 Te goal is to ma&e it so tey !ill !ant to play and are aving f"n doing
so# *t$s a%o"t all te elements coming togeter# Te game as to deliver !at yo"
promise and appeal to te target a"dience# /ince Despair feat"res a %rooding) dar& and
orrific atmospere8 te art design) level design and everyting m"st come togeter
properly and tis incl"des te so"nd effects) control) and m"sic all to ma&e te player
9feel$ and ave f"n# Evidence of creating te vis"al aspect of te atmospere is in te
screensot of te story%oard %elo!#
/ometing migt appen !en prototyping) !ic is finding oles in te r"les tat
!ere originally set "p# /ometimes it is a matter of '"st forgetting an important step in
game set"p or initiali(ing) or it can %e placement of enemies in certain areas# Pict"red
ere is an infected enemy %elo!) placed and positioned in one of te environments#