Jonathan Yuhas - Game Design

A collection of thoughts regarding game design and development.

Outside of simulators like Madden and NASCAR, I've never fully understood the desire for visual realism in games. I realize that to many gamers, particularly hardcore ones, much of the draw of video games is the constantly advancing technology in the form of better graphics and realistic simulations, but oftentimes clear gameplay is sacrificed as a result.

Call or Duty 4 is probably the best “realistic” game I've ever played, and it constantly has to use UI/HUD elements to notify you when something in the environment is interactive. I would normally call that sloppy game design, but I can forgive CoD4 because it's essentially a simulation of modern combat, where camouflage and cover are part of the game's core interactions. Like the better Tony Hawk games or Skate, much of the fun comes from assessing the seemingly realistic environment for its gameplay uses. Eventually a good player will start to see the environment for its functionality rather than its appearance. A waist high wall will provide good crouching cover much like an empty swimming pool with gradually curved corners will make a good “half-pipe.”

However, in most cases you want the player to be able to identify (or at least be able to assess) an object's functional use as easily as possible. Mario games are built almost completely around this concept, but their universe is abstract and fairly nonsensical. A large number of people just can't relate to a stubby plumber that collects coins and jumps on turtles. But, there are ways to create more mature looking games without sacrificing clarity.

In Valve's brilliant Team Fortress 2, by going with a more cartoony, Incredibles-like art style, the developers were able to give each character class a very distinct silhouette. Not only did this make each class very identifiable in terms of gameplay, but it allowed the developers to come up with a fun and exaggerated personality for each of them as well.

Portal's sterile levels made it extremely clear what surfaces a portal could be shot onto, and little to nothing in the environment wasn't related to gameplay. This minimalistic (almost throwback) approach to game art was perfectly justified by the “test center” setting, and allowed for what may be the funniest writing ever in a video game. The heart-emblazoned “companion cube” will likely be remembered as one of the most iconic items in video game history. Yet functionally, it's just a cube with physics.

In the upcoming, parkour-inspired Mirror's Edge, it appears that the developers have gone as far as highlighting the player's path with warm colors in an otherwise nearly colorless world. Not only does it do wonders for clarity, but it gives the game's environments a very unique visual style.

These games prove that art can enhance the design of a game and still be incredibly striking. Like a beautiful sports car or a great work of architecture, the best games are a result of form and function working in unison.