Most people reading this have probably heard of the game Osu!, as it is widely recognized and popular in the rhythm game genre. To new players having just downloaded the game, you are given a tutorial and the game comes with beatmaps you can start with before downloading or making your own. There are variations of gameplay that nearly anybody could find enjoyable; classic osu!, osu! mania, osu! taiko, and osu! catch. Most people, including myself, would typically play classic, but the variation available allows the game to catch the attention of a wider audience, and gives the player the opportunity for a more unique experience. Compeition is another key aspect; what makes the player strive to improve their scores, and their ability to complete increasingly difficult maps. For the average player, this can come from the leaderboards - the want to constantly improve personal best's to reach higher on the leaderboards. These leaderboards are made even more competitive with the introduction of the mods which can either increase or decrease your score multiplier. Mods can be not only an important tool for increasing your score and placement on leaderboards, but also can be a learning tool to make the maps easier on newer players. Another aspect of competition would be the multiplayer aspect. Being able to play maps in real time against other players can drive players to do better, continue playing and practicing in order to get a higher score than others. I played multiplayer with my friend, Madison, and it was even more fun than playing on my own as we could also share maps that we enjoyed and talk with one another, along with friendly competition. This also brings in an aspect of community which is key to a lot of successful games. Through the game chat you can meet new people with shared interests, but also since beatmaps are produced by the community you can play maps that relate to your own interests. Osu! has reached such popularity, in my opinion, because it is so accessible. The game is free to download and so are the wide range of maps available for download. In Summary:
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LISA: The Painful is an RPG that manages to include plenty of crude humor, art, and language while having moral dilemmas and a narrative that you will continue to think about long after playing the game. The crudeness of the game however, is very fitting and done well. The post-apocalyptic setting makes sense with this, along with the, at times disturbing, soundtrack. The pixelated sprites are of low quality, but in a way that fits, and feels correct when you are playing. The soundtrack is odd, eerie, and yet again feels fitting with the game. The gameplay is turn-based, but the most important aspect of it, in my opinion, is the affect battles may have on you or your crewmates depending on your decisions. Character interaction and the decisions the player is forced to make is part of what makes LISA stick with the player so well. In LISA your choices matter, and the developers made sure to make those choices difficult, and I mean that in the best way possible. The technicality of the game is rather simple, as it was developed from RPG Maker, but the game overall is a very unique experience and demonstrates the character and individuality that is so important for indie games. In Summary:
So, Darkwood is a top-down horror game that has been available on pc for quite some time, but I believe is now available on consoles such as the ps4. I recently bought the game on steam and with all this time to kill I was able to sink some hours into it. This game is the type of horror that makes you feel, anxious and paranoid, a main proponent of this being the mechanic that limits your full vision to the light emitted from your flashlight. This not only makes thee game more fun to play, but adds to the eerie atmosphere that keeps you in suspense at all times. Another thing I noticed was the use of color in this game was really fitting in every situation. Overall the colors were very dark, however the mood could be changed when the typical blue-toned greys of the night shifted into oranges, becoming closer and closer to red, or even black. The most obvious use of color, though, would be the bright reds used in some situations, not gonna spoil much, but like in the beginning scenes when the moment of suspense is happening, your flashlight, which would have brought security, emits a alarming-looking, bright red light. This bright red is then used again throughout the game. Another thing I enjoyed about this game was the characters. Again, I don't want to spoil so I will only mention the wolf character ad doctor which keep up with the scary game title, however, when we meet the wolf it really provides a sense of security. Overall, this game was hard to play because I was spooked, but it was easy to come back to so I definitely recommend.
I think we all know about the fairly recent boom in Minecraft's popularity once again, but this time around it's a little bit different. Back in the early days of Minecraft it was really different from the game it is today. The original creator, Notch, went about updating much differently than the company now owning Minecraft, Mojang. Back when it was owned by Notch features were much more limited than they are today. Since then new biomes, mobs, and other features have been added. I think part of what adds to the recent spike in players of course cn=an be credited to influencers online that have entertained "the youth" with their Minecraft videos, but I think most people who were convinced they should get back on are those who remember the days when turtles, pandas, and polar bears didn't exist yet. All the new features combined with the media recognition are the main reasons, in my opinion that Minecraft is gaining back so many players. And do I think everyone is going to continue playing for a while? No. But I do think if updates like the upcoming Nether Update are being introduced to keep us entertained, then most people will.
Yes, I am making a post on Persona 5, you're welcome. Persona 5 isn't to recent, but it still remains relevant due to its overall positive reception from Persona fans. But why is it so good? Well, let's start on the physical appearance of the game. Persona games have a very unique style, and Persona 5 really builds on that for quality artwork. When you first open the game you are met with very stylistic animation that looks quite aesthetically pleasing. Even when you are fighting the style keeps consistent. Another important aspect of Persona though, is the story. Storytelling is the core of what makes Persona 5 such a good game, and here's why: unique characters, character development, plot development, and unique environments. You play as the main character, Joker, and you collect "personas" to use in battle. This gameplay is directly linked to the story Persona 5 tells us so it feels real, and the player can be fully immersed. When gameplay and storyline are separated, there is almost no point to storyline at all, but in Persona you follow the story as you play and advance forward. Going back to aesthetic sound design in this game also meshes very well with the visuals, and I personally really like the opening cinematic and how it works with the music. Overall Persona 5 meshes gameplay, looks, story, and sound all to produce a lovely game for us all to enjoy, 10/10.
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About meI am a Senior at DSA and currently taking the Advanced Game Art and Design course. I enjoy playing video games and drawing in my free time. The opinions expressed within this blog are my own, and do not reflect that of Durham School of the Arts of Durham Public Schools Archives
May 2022
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