Written by Taoan, 2021 Cohort
What elements make a video game that attractive? I have reached a conclusion based on my personal experience: Without consideration of personal preference and graphics, it is easy to play (maybe some of them even hard to master), it brings a fresh perspective constantly, to the player and satisfies him/her.
What is easy to play in your opinion?
As for me, firstly it means the controller inputs are simple, easy to master, and maybe intuitive. For example, compared to other fighting games like Tekken or Street Fighter series, the moves of Super Smash Bro are simpler (though the moves of the Tekken Character Kazuya in SSB ultimate are as complex as his move inputs in Tekken…). Furthermore, the same player inputs in different situations, rendering different movements. Like in Breath of the Wild, Link can use his paraglider when players press the jump bottom in the air.
As for bringing a fresh perspective to the player, even though I think it is hard to achieve, there are some games that are definitely supplying this feeling in different areas. In Breath
of the wild, the amazing open world, full of details, attracts me to explore them, gives me a kind of “wandering” feeling; Another example is Sekiro. Even though it is a challenging game, with different forms of attack, parry, jump and rush, which you can use to react to the movement of bosses and enemies, their behavior and the movements are quite different, so it is always a new instance and a new experience for me as a player.
Finally, I think all games have the potential to satisfy the players. Actually not only video games, but also all entertainment is served for the satisfaction of the audience, in my perspective. Most games can bring happiness or other different forms of emotional recall/relatedness, same as video games. Defeat your enemies (bosses, CPU or other players), gain rare collections to upgrade your avatars, or go through the plot turns, relate with the characters… I think that’s the main reason why we like or play video games.
All in all, being easy to play, bringing freshness constantly and satisfying the players are the three things video games should bring to the table to keep our loyalty as players. I hope you agree with me and I also welcome your opinion.