D1 - Justification in relation to current trends

D1 – Justifying my ideas in relation to current trends in the UK computer game market

A current trend within the video game industry is that games often blur the lines between games and social media, with games such as Destiny and The Crew, which have emphasised the sense of socialising, sharing and connectivity. Players are currently enjoying the ability to share screenshots and videos of their gameplay with others through social media. With a total social media population of 7.2 billion users, a key way to attract people new users to a game is to incorporate aspects of socialising; this also attracts a new group of people to the game, who may not have played the game before. In 2015, Social network gaming earned a total revenue of $544 million, which suggest the audience are still highly interested in games of this nature. ‘Get Trollied’ fits in with this current trend as the app gives the users the ability to share their high score with those in the UK and the world, as well as being able to add users to a group in which they can try to beat each other’s high score. In addition, during key parts in the game, such as when Bert crashes into a stack of shelves, a screenshot will be taken automatically; this will then be presented to the gamer at the end of their game, giving them the opportunity to share the images on social media with others.

DLC’s are another popular trend within the current gaming industry. Gamers are currently interested in investing within a game they enjoy to unlock new content and features. Many games, including Grand Theft Auto, Halo and Red Dead Redemption have had DLCs (Downloadable Content) released to add to the gameplay and introduce new narratives, characters and often new features. DLC’s benefit the gaming industry, by generating them more money, for example in 2015 digital games and DLC’s earned a total revenue of $2.22 billion, as well as gamers, by giving them extra content for a game which they enjoy, and therefore are becoming a bigger part of the industry. Digital full games and DLC combined grew 33.9 per cent for the year of 2015, with subscriptions gaining 12.9 per cent and mobile games growing 10.4 per cent, this suggests that the popularity of DLC’s and mobile games will continue to grow, as the audiences interest continues to increase. ‘Get Trollied’ will include its own DLC that will become available on the 2-month anniversary of the games release, it will include the chance to purchase a different level, and will cost £5. The DLC will give the user the opportunity to explore two other stores to destroy and collect points, in order to beat their high score.

Mobile games are increasingly becoming popular, over the past 3 years; the amount of global mobile users had overtaken the amount of global desktop users, which is shown within the graph on the left. This shows that people are more interested in using a portable device, than a desktop computer, which is often only accessible in one place. As well as this, it suggests that releasing a game on a PC would mean less people would be encouraged to buy the game, as many now own a mobile rather than a desktop, therefore by releasing the game on a mobile phone, the game will be accessible for more users to download and play.

Within the top 10 highest grossing games of 2016, 7 out of the 10 games were animated and including options of interactivity. For example, with Clash Royale at the top of the chart, with total revenue of $1,969,094 the game offers the opportunity for users to collect items in order to expand their collection, as well as duel with other players in real time. This justifies the idea that games, which include aspects of socialising, are becoming increasingly popular, something which ‘Get Trollied’ also offers to gamers. The second highest grossing game of 2016 is Pokémon Go, which incorporates real life and animation to create a different world for the user to enjoy and interact with, this combination proved very popular as the game become the most played game of the summer during 2016. Seven out of Ten of the highest grossing games of 2016 feature some form of action, violence, etc. For example, the top five games, which include Clash Royale, Pokémon Go, Game of War – Fire Age, Mobile Strike and Candy Crush Saga, all contain some form of destruction in order to receive an achievement. In this sense, ‘Get Trollied’ will fit in with this trend, as the aim is to destroy as much as you can in order to receive points to beat your high score. This may suggest that games, in which the aim is to destroy objects, are often therapeutic for some users to interact with, ultimately increasing the attractiveness of the game.

P5(E) - Legal and Ethical Issues

P5(E) – Legal and Ethical Issues:

When creating the game, I will have to be aware of ensuring that I do not copy other games that are already on the market, this could result in copyright in which other companies may take legal action against me and my game. On the other hand I will also receive copyright on my own game as 'Copyright law gives the owner the right to prevent others from copying, creating derivative works, or using their works'. I will also have ‘Get Trollied’ rated by PEGI, to ensure that it receives a formal age rating. Since the game includes some strong language and violent behaviour, the game may be rated PEGI 12 which states a game includes ‘violence of a slightly more graphic nature towards fantasy character and/or non-graphic violence towards human-looking characters or recognisable animals, as well as videogames that show nudity of a slightly more graphic nature would fall in this age category. Any bad language in this category must be mild and fall short of sexual expletives.’. Because ‘Get Trollied’ is independently produced all of the royalties from the game will go straight to me, the creator, as all of the ideas that were brought together in order to create the game were my own, not the licensed work of someone else.

Ethical issues including drinking alcohol may arise when the audience play the final game as they may feel the game is encouraging the audience to consume dangerous amounts of alcohol, therefore to avoid this I may include a disclaimer at the start of the game to remind the audience to drink responsibly. A disclaimer discouraging the audience to get involved in violent interactions may also be shown, those who are of a younger age who play the game may be influenced more than those who are older and will see the humour more in the game, therefore a notice discouraging them of violent altercations may be required in order to ensure the game does not impact the behaviour of the audience. Micro-transactions may also become an ethical issue that may concern some of the audience, since the game includes in-app purchases, however as the target audience of my game is those aged 17 and over, the ethical problems of containing micro-transactions within a child’s game may not be related to ‘Get Trollied’ as the audience are old enough to make their own decisions, as well as most having their own income in order to spend on what they want, rather than children having to use their parents money.

P5(D) - Target Audience

P5(D) – Target Audience:

The audience for ‘Get Trollied’ will be those within an older age range, preferably around 17+, this is because it will contain moderately strong language, as well as contains references to alcohol. The gender target audience is not specific, as the game is accessible by anyone, with the genre being ‘racing’, but being combined with cartoon characters and products, the simple gameplay can be entertaining for both males and females. The game will be aimed at casual gamers as the game can be played on and off without the need of lengthy gameplay, this will appeal to those who don’t play games frequently but instead will play them from time to time, causally. Since they are more likely to play video games less frequently than, for example hard-core gamers, they may prefer to have the game easily accessible to them, such as on their mobile phone, rather than having to set up a games console or move to a play where there is one for them to play the game.

Casual gamers may often use games for different reasons, as displayed in the Uses and Gratifications Theory, which explains that people use media materials to satisfy needs. For example, those who play ‘Get Trollied’ may be playing it as a form of escape from their daily life, or a way to expand their personal relationships, through interacting with others to try and beat their high score. As well as this, casual gamers tend to be those who are less experienced when it comes to playing video games, therefore a game which contains simple gameplay will be more appealing to them as it takes little time to learn how to play. ‘Get Trollied’ has very simple gameplay, using controls which are frequently used on other racing games, therefore it will be easy for the target audience to grasp the concept of the game, as well as the controls that are needed to play the game. 

P5(C) - M2 - D2

P5(C) - M2- D2 from emma1fraser

Sample App Logo:

P5(B) - Production Process Chart

P5(A) - Production Process Chart from emma1fraser

Budget:

Since ‘Get Trollied’ is an independently made game, the funding will be done through Kickstarter, this will allow the audience to fund the production of the game, and can be beneficial as it ensures the game has a audience that will immediately be involved and interested in the game, generating some hyper around the release on social media, as well as helping it climb the mobile games app chart upon its release. Independently designing a game means that it will have a smaller team working on the production, therefore some of the jobs that are required may be distributed between a number of team members with some members having two jobs, etc., for example the jobs of the concept artist and level designer may be completed by the same person, reducing the costs that are generated by the salaries for the workers. After researching budgets from past, successful, indie games, they have ranged between £30,000 and £135,000, the average budget for an iPhone game has proved to be around the £30,000 mark, however, Angry Bird was produced as a result of £135,000, and created a revenue of around £65 million. Therefore the overall budget total for my game will be around £100,000, this budget will be spread out across the many different tasks (that were stated within the chart, such as marketing, distribution, development, etc.) in order to create and complete the game. This will allow enough money in order to create quality graphics and designs for characters and levels which will attract a large audience, as well as produce coding which allows for a smooth running game.

P5(A) - Proposal

Format	Video Game
Platform	The platform for my video game will be a mobile phone; the game will be available through the app stores that are accessible on a smart phone, such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. I have chosen the platform of a mobile phone, as mobile apps are very popular because of their portability; it allows people to play games no matter where they are. This is the case for ‘Get Trollied’ as it does not require internet in order to play the game, therefore making it accessible to everyone. As well as this, introducing a free game onto the app-store gives it a more approachable feel and will encourage more people to download it, especially with it being free to download. For example if I were to release ‘Get Trollied’ on a specific console for £19.99, far less people will be encouraged to/be able to purchase it, either because they don’t have the console or because they can’t afford to spend £19.99 on a game which they have no past experience with, and especially since it isn’t an established franchise, such as Grand Theft Auto, which most people will buy no matter what.
Synopsis	Bert the Trolley has had a rough day; he’s been left in the middle of a rainy car park as well as having a child kicking him in the back repeatedly for an hour and a half. He’s had enough and needs to relax. When the store closes, Bert wriggles out of the chains, which hold all of the shopping carts together, immediately going on a rampage throughout the store eating and drinking everything in his sight. Help Bert collect as many products as possible for him to consume and try to beat high scores within your area!
Characters	The main character within my video game is Bert, Bert is a shopping cart however, in this cartoon world, he comes to life at night-time and can talk, move around and cause havoc all on his own. He is a very outspoken and angry shopping cart and by the end of the day needs to let lose a little bit. I feel as though the audience of my video game will like Bert and some may even relate to him as well, as an over-exaggerated version of themselves. For example, just like any human, Bert has to go to work in the day time, only Bert’s job is to be a trolley and hold customer’s items before they pay, therefore by the end of the day he’s tired and sometimes a little angry by what has happened during his day at work, much like many of the older people within the audience that will be downloading the ‘Get Trollied’ video game. Other characters within the game are not as expressionate and interactive as Bert is as they are products on the shelves, which Bert crashes into in order to collect, therefore although they are present they do not have a main part within the video game.
Title	The title for my video game is ‘Get Trollied’, this relates to what goes on within the game, as well as being catchy, quite humorous and suitably hinting that the game is not for younger children as ‘trollied’ is a term often used to describe someone who is intoxicated.
Genre	The genre of my game will be ‘racing’; this is because the activity within the game is to race through supermarket whilst collecting and crashing into items. This will appeal to casual gamers who will play the game on their lunch break, during leisure or when commuting to work, school, etc. Therefore, linking to the uses and gratifications of media, which include escapism and entertainment as the game is fun and can provide a distraction for the user no matter where they are.
Content	The user plays as the cartoon trolley, Bert, the aim of the game is to crash into and collect as many things you can within a limited amount of time, each item equates to 1 point, but if you can catch items in the trolley, you get a bonus of 5 points. However, the more items you crash into and collect, the more ‘trollied’ you become, making the screen blurry and disorientated as well as the controls switching from time to time, for example left will become right and right will become left. The gameplay will be simple, yet effective, with the gamer having to tilt their device in order to direct the trolley, whilst being given an accelerator and break button on the screen. When racing through the shopping aisles the gamer must collect bottles of water to enable Bert to sober up to be able to collect more points, the user will be given 1 minute 30 seconds to begin with in order to collect as much as they can, despite this when they collect the water bottles this doesn’t only sober them up but adds 10 seconds onto the timer to allow them to collect more items and beat their high score.
Style/Approach	The game will be cartoon animated, therefore the trolley will be alive, expressionate and be able to speak, with voiceovers placed throughout the game, such as when items are collected or their high score is beaten. ‘Get Trollied’ will be bright and interactive, with the user being given the opportunity to control Bert the Trolley in order to collect points within the allotted time provided. The game will be for those of an older age, this is because the game contains some moderate swearing, but only were appropriate in order for comic timing. The product colours within the game will be bright versions of ordinary colours, in order to enhance the innocence of the store, until Bert enters and rips the store apart.
Audience	The audience for ‘Get Trollied’ will be those within an older age range, preferably around 17+, this is because it will contain moderately strong language, as well as contains references to alcohol. The gender target audience is not specific, as the game is accessible by anyone, with the genre being ‘racing’, but being combined with cartoon characters and products, the simple gameplay can be entertaining for both males and females.
Levels	The game only has one level, which can be replayed multiple times, this is because the aim of the game is to try to beat your previous high score, this adds a level of competitiveness to the game to encourage the user to try to beat their previous score. There will also be an opportunity for users to beat others within the area they live in, through connecting to the internet in order to enter the scoring chart.
Extra	‘Get Trollied’ will be a free game to download, however purchases can be made within the game. For example, the user can buy upgrades for Bert the Trolley, such as power boosts, which can be activated for him to crash into shelves more forcefully to knock more things off and get more points. Other upgrades include the opportunity to add an extra 30 seconds on to every game they play. These upgrades will cost between £0.50 and 1.99, for example, a pack of three power boosts will be £0.50, with a larger pack costing between £1.00 and £1.99 or added time onto each round costing around £0.69. A DLC, that will become available on the 2-month anniversary of the games release, includes the chance to purchase a different level, the DLC will cost £5, and will give the user the opportunity to explore two other stores to destroy and collect points, in order to beat their high score.

LO4 - Review

Rayman Adventures - Review

Rayman, an unusual creature who has no arms, legs or neck, however what he lacks in limbs and structural support for his head, he makes up for in long jumps, punches and swift attacks, all of which are explored in the new Rayman Adventures. Rayman Adventures is a 2D side-scroller platformer game, which adds to the iconic Rayman franchise. Quite swiftly, the game begins with a cut scene, which shows several Lividstones, the baddies of the Rayman world, on a flying ship stealing all of the Ancient Eggs that sustain the Scared Tree. The player then has a choice, after one of the eggs falls down and lands on either, the infamous Rayman or Barbara, a character who is young and funny yet hot-headed and comes fully-equipped with an axe. The player is given the opportunity choose one of the characters to begin playing with, this is the first of many choices and chances of interactivity in which the player receives within the game, which, for me, added to the experience and kept me interested, instead of having to sit through multiple cut-scenes waiting for them to pass. The game then allows the character, in which the player chose, to chase down the egg until they finally catch it, after catching the egg, it hatches, revealing a creature who later explains what has just happened. The main character goes on to then meet ‘The Captain’ who helps them out on their quest to save all the eggs. The story-line is pretty simple, which is usually expected of a free game, compared to a game in which you could pay £40 for and have a more complex narrative, often with a plot twist. However, the graphics within the game did exceed my expectations, I was anticipating graphics which were basic enough to allow for an interesting game-play, despite this, from the offset, the graphics, including the cut-scenes, were very impressive, and that of what you would expect of a game which you would pay for, the scenery is well thought out and gives depth to the game in order to bring a certain sense of reality to an animated game.

There are also many worlds throughout the game, including Medieval Mayhem, Olympus Maximus, Sea of Serendipity, Toad Story and Wild, Wild East, these are mostly based on the worlds from Rayman Legends, however upon first downloading the game, you learn the basic controls, select your character and encounter a number of cut-scenes which introduce the narrative. Although, before you can begin a game within a world you must download extra content to access that particular world and the levels it holds. This extra download can be either very quick or very slow, depending on your internet connection as the game requires internet in order to be played, even though you have to download extra content, rather than it already being within the game when its first downloaded, it does have its advantages as it reduces the size of the app, leaving you with more space on your device, which, in this day and age, we all so desperately need.

Rayman Adventures is a basic running game, however does have its differences from other popular games that have previously been released by Ubisoft including Jungle Run and Fiesta Run, as this game allows the player to change the direction they are running in. Whilst being able to run in different directions, the main character also never stops running throughout the gameplay in each level, this can make you feel a bit flustered and may mean you have to keep running at a wall for a while whilst you figure out where you need to go to complete the goals, which you are set are the beginning of each level, this can range from collecting creatures, coins or setting creatures free. The main goal to the game is to rescue the small roundish creatures known as the Incrediballs, in which there are 158 to be earned throughout the game, once these have been rescued they can help the hero throughout the game, as they can assist the main character by protecting them or collecting a bunch of Lums, which are an important source of magical energy, however these can only be used three at a time. The game is divided up into adventures which contains 3-4 levels each and cannot be revisited once the player has left the Adventure Map. However, there are a range of 4 types of levels: Exploration levels, Lum Lum levels, Brawl levels and Time challenges, each adventure has a harder optional level with a skull on the icon, but if you’re talented enough to complete the level it will give to twice as many rewards as the normal levels.

When playing each level, it is very quick paced whilst it keeps you on your toes it doesn’t give you much time to ensure you have gotten the most out of the level. Interactivity is also key throughout the game whilst needing the user to tap on things to open them throughout the small clips which help develop the story-line. To control the character you have chosen, you simply familiarise yourself with basic controls, including swiping to change direction and to attack, and tapping to jump, despite this, ease of use of these controls highly depends on the device which the game is played on, which may vary for each user as the game is available for both iOS and Android, for example, if the device has a small screen, you may find it difficult to hold the phone landscape whilst trying to perform the controls on the screen in order to control the character.

There is a part of the game in which an egg is held in an incubator, see the egg has to be in the incubator for 10 minutes, the user is given the option to either wait, halting their gameplay, or they can choose to pay with diamonds to speed up the process, for every minute there is left, a diamond can be paid, for example once the timer gets to 8 minutes the cost of diamonds goes down to 8. If the user uses all of their diamonds and can no longer speed up this process, they can make in-app purchase in order to buy more, to ensure their gameplay is as swift as possible, other in-app purchases are also available in order to quicken gameplay and satisfy the short patience of some players. When it comes to selecting a level, I felt as though it was more confusing than it needed to be, with another menu that contains your collected Incrediballs that looks rather like a level selector you are always forced to remember you have to go back to the Adventure Map in order to select a level to play the game.

Overall, Rayman Adventures lacks a few things, one in which is originality, I had many high hopes for this game when it burst onto my screen with impressive graphics and bright colours, but when it comes down to it, the player’s actions/controls are rather limited and ultimately quite dull. As well as this, bugs tend to be an issue for the game, whist myself encountering a number of crashes whilst trying to access certain parts of the game, including creating a gamer profile. Upon extra research I found that this is a common problem for others too, the only way in which to access the game again is to close it completely and reboot it. For a quick and easy game to play with little commitment, for example on your lunch or whilst on a train journey, this game would be appropriate and most likely satisfy the gamer, however with little depth and short play-through’s which offer little chance for you to catch your breath, the game may be disappointing for many, especially those, like myself, who have played through the Rayman franchise for many years.

P3 - Reviews

Outlast Reviews:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-reviews/10654725/Outlast-review.html

http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/outlast-review/1900-6415664/

http://www.polygon.com/2013/9/4/4691872/outlast-review-run-like-hell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=297tQuEU4cI

a)      Genre

Within the Telegraphs review of Outlast, they identify the genre as a horror, thriller game by analysing the games atmosphere, “It’s the noise that really gets you in Outlast’s Mount Massive Asylum. The creak of each floorboard, the moaning of each bough in this decrepit madhouse, the steady whumph of a ceiling fan dripping blood, the dull tone of a phone left off the hook, faraway screams that curdle the veins and your own panicked, desperate struggle for breath.”

Within a review from Gamespot it slightly depicts the genre of which Outlast may fall into, simply by describing the how tense and terrifying the game is. “You're always in danger, and when that danger is nipping at your heels and all you can do is flee, desperately hoping to shake off your pursuer, Outlast is a terrifying roller-coaster ride.” The thought of the game being a thriller is also shown throughout the review as the writer notes how he is apprehensive at times during the game, “every shadowy room fills you with apprehension, since you never know when someone might be waiting to leap out at you.”

In a review from Polygon the genre of Outlast is highlighted straight away within the opening lines, whilst depicting what makes it a horror game, as well as stating that it takes inspiration from previous survival horror games. “Outlast manages to squeeze new kinds of scares out of the very basic, very primal human fear of being chased…It taps into other sources of terror well-trod by its survival horror predecessors”. The review later goes on to describe the way in which Outlast creates the genre of horror, as well as giving their opinion on the pace of the game which ultimately lessens how ‘scary’ the game is, “Outlast weaves together a web of jump scares and scripted eviscerations, which, while fairly well paced, do not always hit the mark.”

The YouTube review by TGN begins by stating that the games genre is horror, “Outlast is the new horror game by red barrels” and goes on to joke that they had a “sleepless night” after playing the game through. It later goes on to describe the game as adopting very traditional aspects of the horror genre, “It’s very traditional horror, you’ve got your jump scares, your chase scares, the limited battery life on your night vision, thunderstorms, curtains blowing in the wind, an asylum…it doesn’t suggest originality and yet red barrels managed to do something that feels fresh” It also goes on to describe how the atmosphere within the game, including the audio, create a horror/thriller like atmosphere, “the audio is strong, breathing echoes in your ears, always harsh and ragged but becoming increasingly panicked as danger approaches…the forced awareness of your own presence is a terrifying way of drawing you into the game and putting you in the shoes of a faceless avatar”.

b)      Target audience

The Telegraphs review suggests that the game is for those who are older as the player says that, “Outlast put me on such edge that every door I peeked into or ladder I climbed, I was bracing myself for shocks that never came.” This would suggest to the reader that the game is not for the light-hearted, or for children to play. “Outlast’s haunted house is so brutally effective at keeping you afraid...”

Gamespot indirectly explains that the game is aimed towards those who are older. It frequently talks about the “Unspeakable horrors” which have evidently taken place within Mount Massive, maybe suggesting that the game is not for children, “Mount Massive's crumbling walls and bloodstained floors successfully create the illusion that you're in a once-functioning facility where unspeakable horrors have occurred”.

Polygon talks about Outlast as being a ‘survival horror’ game, as well as describing how stunned the player was upon discovering the terrifying setting, this would suggest that the game is not necessarily suitable for those of a younger age, “pretty much every wall of the asylum is caked in gore; the setting actually kind of undercuts itself with the almost comical amount of viscera strewn across the grounds.”

Whilst the YouTube review is not outspoken about the target audience of the game, it suggests as those it’s for an older age range, as well as for hard-core gamers as it later talks about the ‘several hours’ of gameplay in which the player goes through in order to complete the game. The horror genre would also suggest that the game is for those who enjoy scares, “The world is so rich and dense with threats that you’ll be constantly trying to second-guess the developers, desperately trying to predict the source of the next scare and so distracted that you rarely see it coming”

c)       Storyline

The Telegraph identifies the storyline within Outlast quite simply, they state who you are and why you’re at the location that features within the game. “You are Miles Upshur, a journalist leads to the asylum by an anonymous tip suggesting shady goings-on at the corporate-owned madhouse.” They also mention how they feel as though the storyline is a problem with the game, “The main issue, however, is the story. Most of Outlast’s sparse narrative is told through discarded hospital documents and Upshur’s own manically scribbled notes”, they then go on to say that the method is effective enough and balances the contrast between the technical medical notes and the character’s sparse diary entries. The review also briefly states what happens throughout the game, as it goes on to say “while a crazed ‘priest’ stops you from escaping while organising his own crazed cult”, which slightly gives away part of the storyline.

A review from Gamespot describes how the player is at a place called ‘Mount Massive’ in order to investigate allegations that have recently arisen. As well as recognising that the game is played in first person and how the environment contributes to the genre of the game. “Drawn by an anonymous tip, you come to Mount Massive to investigate allegations that an unscrupulous corporation is doing horrible things to mental patients in the pursuit of profits. You move through Mount Massive in first person…Mount Massive is supposed to be a place with a long, dark history, and as you make your way through it, you come to believe that it has been home to many horrors over the decades” As well as this, it identifies that the game includes classical elements of horror, with your character being chased throughout the asylum, “You're hunted through much of Mount Massive by a massive man who doesn't hesitate to rip your heart right out of your chest if he gets his hands on you.”

The storyline within the Polygon review is only briefly mentioned, it talks about the environment of the Mount Massive Asylum later one within the review but to begin with states the basics of the plot, “Following a lead, he (Miles Upshur) enters the dilapidated Mount Massive Asylum armed only with a notebook and night vision-equipped video camera.” However, the review does go on to talk about how the main character encounters patients within the asylum who disrupt his investigation, “Just about every patient is self-mutilated, gaunt and partially nude, either locked in a catatonic state or screaming obscenities while grabbing at the player through the bars in their cells.”

The IGN review which was featured on YouTube mentions the storyline of Outlast within the first few minutes of the video, it tells the viewer how the character arrives at Mount Massive Asylum after receiving an anonymous tip about abuse that may be taking place, it then goes on to say who the character is and the equipment they have with them, “after receiving a tip about abuse at the Mount Massive Asylum, Journalist Miles Upshur decided to investigate…alone…at night, armed with nothing but a camcorder…the gates shut leaving you alone”.

d)      Characters

The Telegraph review mentions the main character within the game, Miles Upshur, as well as the tormenting villains throughout the game, “recurring menace named Chris Walker”. The review does not mention any other characters that are within the game by name, but does hint at there being a ‘crazed priest’.

The Gamespot review briefly explains the simplicity of the character, and how they have a simple set of skills, “You're not a cop or a soldier or a genetically enhanced superhero. You are just a reporter”.

Polygon mention the main character of the game, Mile Upshur, and give a brief description of who he is, “Outlast casts you in the shoes of reporter Miles Upshur, a tenacious investigator with very few self-preservation instincts”. The review also talks about some of the other characters within the game which include ‘violent’ patients and monsters within the asylum who torment the main character.

The YouTube review talks about the main character within the game, “Journalist, Miles Upshur”, and goes on to state the equipment which he has with them, as well as briefly mentioning the inmates within the asylum who often chase and torment the lead character.

e)      Gameplay

The Telegraph’s review identifies the key equipment within the game, as well as how vital the equipment is, “This camera is essential to Outlast’s atmosphere and the only piece of equipment you will ever use. Most of your trip through Mount Massive’s bowels will be seen through the camera’s viewfinder…...the video camera also serves as a life-saving tool, with its night vision mode used to negotiate the blacker depths of the asylum”. It also notes what the characters can do throughout the game, which they identify is very little, “There is no combat in Outlast and no way to defend yourself against knife wielding nutcases”. The review also states that Outlast is a first-person game, as well as that there is “a pleasing physicality to Outlast that many first-person games fail to evoke”. The review talks about the way the character can move and look around, to the extent that the player can see his own legs, as well as this, it states that its ‘clever’ within the way it keeps the player curious about who, within the asylum, is a threat. “It’s also very clever in keeping you guessing over which inmates are threats.”. The review also takes note of other features within the game that you interact with, “your progression is occasionally blocked by busywork such as turning valves or finding fuses, clichéd objectives that bog down the pace of the game.” It also mentions that length of the game play, being around five hours long, however later the player gives their opinion that this is longer that the game can sustain.

Within a review from Gamespot, they identify the lack of control the player has within the game, as there are limited skills in which the character has. “You don't possess many skills with which you can fend off the hulking brutes, knife-wielding stalkers, and other homicidal… You can't shoot them, or punch them…You can only run and hide.” The review also depicts how the game allows the players to discover tracks in order to continue within the game themselves, without the game just doing all the work. “Outlast…requires you to go hunting for the track yourself”. As well as this, the review states that the game is played in first person, which allows the player to feel the movements within the game in a more realistic way. Gamespot briefly mentions some of the equipment in which the character has access to, referring to the camcorder whilst describing the atmosphere within the asylum, “you can penetrate that darkness with your trusty camcorder's night vision”. The review recognises objects in which the character interacts with throughout the game in order to continue playing Outlast, “You…venture off of your narrow route a bit to find batteries to power your camcorder's night vision or documents that shed a bit of light on what has taken place at the asylum”. It also hints at what the characters aim may be when being chased by the monster within Mount Massive, “finding a locker to hide in or a bed to slide under”.

Polygon starts describing the gameplay early on, whilst first talking about one of the abilities in which the main character can perform, which they give their opinion on as being ‘impractical’, “Outlasts modus operandi is found in a single, completely impractical ability: While running away from a pursuer, you can look over your shoulder to catch a glimpse of the monster that wants to tear you apart.” The review also talks about the way in which the game can either become extremely scary or not, depending on the options in which the player makes, “Where Outlast shines is in its moments of emergent horror; the optional moments that occur entirely at the will of the player. Unlike many survival horror games, Outlast will only scare the bejeezus out of you if you really want it to.” The review talks about the equipment in which the lead role has upon entering the asylum, as well as giving a brief description of what each thing does, “…armed only with a notebook and night vision-equipped video camera. The former provides all of Upshur's colourful internal monologue, as his mental state steadily deteriorates as he witnesses the facility's horrors. The latter lets him see in Mount Massive's pervasive darkness, though it chews through batteries faster than an overclocked Game Gear…The night vision effect is one of the scariest things Outlast has going for it, as it cuts the player's depth of view to just a few feet in front of them. The camera also serves as a documentation tool, expanding Upshur's insight into Mount Massive's operation when he captures footage of certain, especially horrifying set pieces.” The review talks about how the character has no weapon in order to defend themselves throughout the game, “You never wield a weapon throughout the course of Outlast's campaign; the only real power you're afforded is the ability to see in the dark, provided you've found enough batteries in the environment to keep your camera powered.” Polygon explain how the patients/monsters within the asylum interact with the main character and the way in which the player can go about escaping them, “When you do encounter a violent patient, your only option is to flee until you can break line-of-sight — an enterprise aided by closing doors in your wake or vaulting over obstacles — and find an adequate hiding spot. The latter strategy is far from fool proof, as your pursuer will spend some time turning over the room he last saw you in.” Checkpoints is another thing that is mentioned by Polygon, as they explain that it is alright if you die frequently as Outlast contains many checkpoints throughout the game, “Even if you manage to die, Outlast is liberal with its checkpoints.”

The YouTube review by IGN begins talking about the gameplay with the identification that the game is played in first person, this is presented through the physical presence created within the game, “where many first person games will forgo proper character models, Outlast provides you with legs and arms that respond naturally with the environment around you, your hands will rest against all frames as you lean cautiously outwards, legs will stretch ahead as you creep downstairs with your arms taking the weight as you do…” It also explains that the game includes several tasks of ‘sneaking’, as well as the player encountering many jump scares and having to ‘carefully manage light resources’. It also hints at some of the other activities within the game, stating that these are its strongest moments, “It’s at its strongest when its simplest, driving you relentlessly forward by fear and instinct…Enemies often patrol specific points but without a fixed route forcing emergency retreats as inmates swivel and come hunting for you, they actively seek out sources of noise and randomly search hiding places when nearby, and the tension as the locker next to yours is yanked open is heart-stopping.” The review goes on to explain other activities within the game which the player must complete in order to advance within the game, also hinting that often this is where the game may lose pace, “…the final levels begin to drag, it’s not helped by the fact that the many obstacles encountered in the course of the game are contrived fetch quests, ‘the generator is broken turn on two gas pumps to fix it’ ‘the pipe is blocked, turn two valves to release the water’, the strangely artificial tasks which feel out of place in an otherwise unpredictable place and outlast would benefit by having some of the fat stripped from its bones.”

f)        Platforms

The Telegraph Review states simply that the game is available on PlayStation 4 and PC, whilst saying that the game was tested on the PS4 in order to complete the review, however no comparison or notes are made on the accessibility/play-through experience of playing the game on PS4.

The Gamespot review of Outlast is based on the gameplay for PS4 however does not mention throughout the review that this is the platform in which the game was played on, in order to identify any special features, etc., which may have been useful throughout the game.

To the side of the review, Polygon states which platforms Outlast is available on (PS4 and Xbox One), however refrains from informing the reader which console the game was played on in order to from the review.

Within the review by IGN on YouTube, they don’t mention any platform in which Outlast is playable, or what console the game was played on in order to create the review. 

g)      Personal recommendation of reviewer

The overall personal review of the film from the Telegraphs review, states that whilst the game was entertaining enough and will stay with the player forever due to the jump scares, etc., the player is more likely to look out for new games from the upcoming developer. “While the ending will stay with me for all the wrong reasons, my main memories of Outlast will be of a deliriously scary debut by a developer destined to go far”. The reviewer also goes on to explain that they feel as though the silly actions throughout the game ‘spoils’ the atmosphere in which Outlast had ‘carefully cultivated’.

Overall, the Gamespot review concludes that although the game is terrifying to play through the first time, it can get less exciting/scary, the more you have to play again in order to advance within the game, before deciding overall that the game takes the player on a very exciting journey. “When you need to repeat scenarios, Outlast's gameplay takes on a rote feeling of trial and error…In the end, though, Outlast's few weak moments are overshadowed by the effectiveness with which it so often gets inside your head and scares the hell out of you. You sometimes end up feeling like you're just going through the motions the game requires you to go through, but when the ride is as well designed as this, the best thing to do is just get in and hold on tight.

Polygon overall concludes that whilst the game is ‘never frustrating’, which can be a common issue amongst other survival horror games, the game doesn’t ‘establish a fear of failure’, which is one of the main strengths in which a horror should have, whilst overall rating the game 7.5/10. “Outlast’s general lack of difficulty sounds damning, but it’s actually a double-edged sword. All survival horror games struggle with the mechanics of simulating danger with virtual death without being annoying about it. Outlast leans heavily on the latter — it doesn't establish a fear of failure, which kind of neglects one of the biggest strengths that interactive horror has going for it, but it's never frustrating; a boon few other horror games can claim.”

The IGN/YouTube review rounds off their review with a few personal opinions, they state that they can’t be too critical of the game as they were terrified playing the game too, as well as admitting, that despite its faults, Outlast is the best game to come out of the horror genre in while, “Overall, however I can’t be too critical because I was terrified, practically beside myself for the duration and going as far as to invite a friend round for moral support. Outlast is the strongest addition to the genre we’ve seen in quite some time, blending the best elements from horror, past and present, into a surprisingly fresh and unpredictable game. It’s a shame that the final levels fall back on repetition and meaningless busy work but there’s no denying it’s a strong first outing for red barrels.”