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.”

P2(A-G)

A) A)      Genre:

-          New Super Mario Bros is a platformer, side scrolling video game amongst the Super Mario series. The series was developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game is most consistently within the platform genre which involves moving an avatar to jump between suspended platforms and/or over obstacles to make progress and access new levels within the game.

-          ‘That Dragon, Cancer’ is described as an art, adventure game. The simplistic controls have also had the game be placed under the genre of ‘Point and Click’ as the player interacts with the game by selecting features/objects to advance through the game. The genre of Art is described as a work of interactive new media, the art style of the game can be seen through the design of the characters who have no faces, as well as being quite pixelated, this has been seen by many as a way to allow people to relate to the games.

-          Until Dawn is an interactive drama survival horror adventure video game, the game is based around the concept of the ‘Butterfly Effect’ and so the game involves a lot of interactivity, as well as simple selecting options/actions for the characters to complete. The game has main elements of horror, it also includes a lot of jump scares and tense moments.

-          Batman: Arkham Knight is an action-adventure video game; the game is based on DC Comics Superhero Batman. The game incorporates action sequences and activities with the adventure aspect of a different world within Gotham City.

B)      Narrative/Storyline:

New Super Mario Bros. - At the beginning of the game, Princess Peach and Mario (or Luigi) are walking together when lightening suddenly strikes Peach’s castle nearby, Mario then runs to help but as he does so, Bowser Jr. appears and kidnaps her. Mario quickly rushes back and gives chase, he then ventures through eight worlds pursuing Bowser Jr. and trying to rescue the kidnapped princess. Mario catches them and confronts Bowser Jr. occasionally, but is unable to save the princess from the young Koopa’s clutches, at the end of the first world, Bowser Jr. retreats to a castle, where Bowser, his father, awaits Mario on a bridge over a void filled with lava. Mario then activates a button behind Bowser to defeat him, and the bridge underneath Bowser collapses, causing him to fall into the lava which burns his flesh, leaving him as a skeleton. Despite Bowsers defeat during the first level, Bowser Jr. continues running through the remaining worlds with Peach in tow, forcing Mario to chase after him before reaching Bowser’s castle in world 8. This is where Bowser Jr. brings his father back to life, creating Dry Bowser. However, Mario once again defeats Bowser by dropping him into a deep pit. During the final battle, Bowser Jr. flees once more across a lava chasm to a larger castle, where he throws his father’s bones into a cauldron and revives Bowser in a more powerful form. They then attack Mario in their new group, however Mario drops the pair into the pit below. Within the game’s final scene, Mario rescues Peach, who kisses him on the cheek, throughout the credit Bowser Jr. is seen dragging his father across the floor.

That Dragon, Cancer was created from the experience from Ryan and Amy Green had after their third child Joel was diagnosed with an ‘atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor’ when he was around the age of 12 months old, in November 2010.  The doctors had only given the child around four months to live, despite the developing seven additional tumors, Joel continued to live for 4 years. The condition left Joel mentally underdeveloped, meaning he was unable to speak until he was around 2 years old. In early 2014, Joel's condition worsened, and family temporarily moved from Colorado to San Francisco to take part in an experimental drug trial, which later failed to relieve any of the new symptoms. Ryan and Amy, following the advice of the hospice, decided to take him off his feeding tube, and he died on March 13, 2014 at the age of five. The game follows the events in which the parents experienced, from being told about Joel’s illness to the time in which he died.

Set in Western Canada, Until Dawn centres around a group of eight teenagers who decide to stay the night in a cabin on the, fictional, Blackwood Mountain, exactly one year after the disappearance of two girls, who were friends within the group. Shortly after arriving, the group find themselves under attack by a psychopath, and must attempt to survive until sunrise. Throughout the adventure, players can alternate between all eight characters, making many important decisions as the plot deepens, these choices can drastically affect the game's outcome. This feature leads to hundreds of different scenarios.

Batman: Arkham Knight, which was written by Sefton Hill, Ian Ball and Martin Lancaster, is based on the franchise's long-running comic book mythos. Set one year after the events of Batman: Arkham City (a previous game within the franchise), the game's main storyline follows Batman as he confronts Scarecrow, who has launched an attack on Gotham City, causing a city-wide evacuation. Scarecrow is also able to unite Batman's greatest foes to finally destroy Batman, with the help of the mysterious Arkham Knight.

C)      Production Process:

The production process of New Super Mario Bros. began after it was announced that the game would be made for Nintendo Ds to be released on May 7th 2006, this was 20 years after the original Super Mario Bros. was released. The games new power-ups were also announced at the same time, these included the Blue Koopa Shell and the Mega Mushroom. Nintendo also voiced that the game would be played in 2D whilst being made using 3D models to ‘create a 2.5D look and feel’. The release date was later pushed back to May 15th, after Nintendo decided to release the game on the Nintendo DS Lite at the same time. The games designers were given much more freedom with the designs in New Super Mario Bros., compared to the previous 2D games. Characters, enemies, and objects could now be created with much more detailed animations, without requiring that they be designed by hand. To provide visual cues, the developers made the game's camera more dynamic, the cameras can now zoom in and out of action depending on the situation to provide focus where necessary.

Physics also play an important role in New Super Mario Bros.'s improved game mechanics., for example, without the rigid restrictions of tile-based sprites and backgrounds, the designers were free to explore new gameplay mechanics. For example, when Mario lands on top of a tree, it teeters over and eventually falls if he is stationary for too long, as well as this Mario has the ability to swing on ropes and walk on wires which will bend and stretch under his weight. Early in the game's development, the developers planned not to use voice acting to stay true to the spirit of the original Super Mario Bros., however, voice acting was agreed by developers, who decided that it would serve the game well. New Super Mario Bros. features original music composed by Asuka Ohta and Hajime Wakai, under the direction of the original Super Mario Bros. composer, Koji Kondo, who also created the "Aboveground BGM", the main theme for regular levels. The game's music dictates gameplay, for example when enemies jump and dance in time to the music.

That Dragon, Cancer - The idea for the game arose when Joel was around 4 years old, Ryan Green thought of the idea for the game whilst in church after recalling one night at the hospital where he was trying to stop Joel from crying, it was only after he sat down and prayed to God did Joel stop crying, Ryan recalled how that reminded him of a video game with subverted game mechanics. He wanted to relay his experiences of raising Joel to a larger audience, and felt that an interactive video game would be a better medium to express a message of grace. Joel’s Parents, Ryan and Amy worked with their friend Josh Larson, by late 2012, Larson agreed to begin contract work for a year, whilst working off savings to help bring the game to life, and after discussion with Amy, Ryan also agreed to spend three months to help develop the title before returning to work. The Greens and Josh then created Numinous Games Studio in order to help distribute the games title, whilst Ryan began to seek support for the project, he did this through making a demonstration of the game, which was the scene in which he was trying to calm down Joel. This demonstration caught the attention of the media, which immediately put the game into the spotlight, investors steps forward to offer to help fund the completion of the game, despite this some of the investors backed out, after concluding the project to be too risky. Ryan Green was able to successfully secure a deal with funding from the company Ouya in order to develop the game, however this was in exchange for a time-limited exclusivity for the micro-console. The game was developed amongst a team of 8 after Ouya allowed the parents to hire three more developers to work on the game. The additional funding, though significant, expanded the scope of the game and caused some setbacks, and for some periods, the Greens lived off loans and donations during the development.

Until Dawn was announced for the PlayStation 3 at ‘Gamescom’ in 2012 and was originally set to user the PlayStation Move controller. The game was announced as a first-person video game, and the players were expected to use the PlayStation Move controller to control the flashlight and torch, as well as to switch between the game's eight different playable characters. It was developed by Supermassive Games, who had previously worked on other PlayStation Move games. Whilst the game was being developed trailers and gameplay footage were shown to the public. Until Dawn was originally set to be released in 2013, however no more details about the game were given, despite this by late 2013, the game had still not been released. Until Dawn was reportedly cancelled, but Supermassive later clarified that the game was still in development, the game was re-introduced at ‘Gamescom’ 2014 and now served as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, as well as shifting to a third-person perspective and replacing the PlayStation Move feature with the DualShock 4's motion sensor. As well as this, the torch feature was removed from the game in favour of a more traditional level approach, with the characters becoming playable at different parts of the game. In addition to a trailer being released they also released a game demo. Apparently, the game's transition from PlayStation 3 to PlayStation 4 has led the developer to ‘rebuild the game and to rewrite its story, so as to create a more cinematic experience’, and to make the game to feel "darker and fundamentally more terrifying". On May 26th 2015, Sony announced that the game would be released on the 25th August 2015, players who pre-order the game would receive a bonus mission which features Matt and Emily. As well as the games standard edition, there was also an extended edition and steel-book edition that was available for players to purchase, on the 31st of July 2015, Sony confirmed that the game had been declared ‘gold’, meaning that it was being prepared for duplication and release

When creating Batman: Arkham Knight, the company, Rocksteady decided to use its own team of writers, headed by game director Sefton Hill and designer Ian Ball, with script elements by Martin Lancaster, as well as this Geoff Johns served as a consultant on the plot. Arkham Knight was announced in March 2014, after a leak of marketing material at the end of February. The game was described as the concluding chapter of the Arkham series from Rocksteady, with Kevin Conroy returning to voice Batman, after Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Within the early stages of development Rocksteady decided to make Arkham Knight available only on the then-upcoming next-generation of consoles, which was considered to allow them to focus on using the system resources to their fullest without reining in their idea to accommodate the older generation systems. The newest attention to the Arkham franchise allows for up to five times the number of on-screen enemies and riots, which can feature up to fifty on-enemies interacting with the environment to smash items and spray graffiti, these technical changes allowed for cut scenes to be rendered in real time in the game engine, where previous instalments had used pre-rendered videos to compensate. When describing the scale of the difference between Arkham Knight and the previous games, Albert Feliu (the lead character artist, said that a single character model in Knight could contain the same amount of polygons used to render the entirety of Arkham Asylum’s environment. Knight was the first game within the franchise to use the Apex physics simulation engine to have items like cloth, such as that of Batman’s cape, to react realistically to movement or wind. Warner Bros. supported Rocksteady's concept for the game, but both companies felt that three years was too long to wait between games, so Warner Bros. Games Montréal was enlisted to create the prequel, Arkham Origins, to fill the gap. Rather than having a multiplayer component, like the Arkham Origins, the developers decided to put all focus and effort into creating a single-player game, as they felt the multiplayer element was not needed.

D)      Characters:

The main characters within New Super Mario Bros. include Mario, Bowser, Princess Peach and Bowser Jr. Users play as Mario throughout the game, whilst Princess Peach, Bowser and Bowser Jr. as unplayable they still feature within the game and form the storyline. Mario is depicted as a short, pudgy, Italian plumber who resides in the Mushroom Kingdom, his adventures generally centre upon rescuing Princess Peach from the Koopa villain Bowser, he also has a younger brother called Luigi. Peach is a princess of the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, which is constantly under attack by Bowser, she often plays the damsel in distress role within the series and is the lead female. She is often portrayed as Mario's love interest and has appeared in all the Mario games to date, including Super Princess Peach, where she is the main playable character. Bowser is the leader and most powerful of the turtle-like Koopa race, and has been the archenemy of Mario ever since his first appearance, in the game Super Mario Bros., overall, his goals are to kidnap Princess Peach, defeat Mario, and take over Mushroom Kingdom.

That Dragon, Cancer - The characters within the game include Joel Green, the young boy who has cancer, Joel’s parents Amy and Ryan Green, who you can play as throughout the game. The game also includes other family members throughout the game when recordings are featured, which were made by the family when Joel was sick.

Until Dawn follows eight main characters that travel to Blackwood Mountain for their yearly winter vacation, the game allows all eight characters to be controlled. The playable characters are young adults, most of whom humiliated Josh's sister Hannah, causing her and her twin sister, Beth, to run away into the woods a year before, never to be seen again.

Protagonists:

- Mike – played by Brett Dalton

- Sam – played by Hayden Panettiere

- Chris – played by Noah Fleiss

- Ashley – played by Galadriel Stineman

- Jessica – played by Meaghan Martin

- Matt- played by Jordan Fisher

- Emily – played by Nichole Bloom

- Josh Washington – played by Rami Malek

Other:

- Dr. Alan J. Hill – played by Peter Stormare.

- Hannah and Beth – played by Ella Lentini

- The Stranger – played by Larry Fessenden

Antagonists:

- The Wendigos

- Makkapitew

- The Psycho

Characters within Batman: Arkham Knight include:

                Heroes:

                Playable Characters:

-          Batman (Playable) – Main Protagonist, Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, an American billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and owner of Wayne Enterprises.

-          Robin (Playable) – Robins main job is to serve as a junior counterpart to superhero Batman. The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped Crusaders.

-          Nightwing (Playable) – he first known as Richard John Garyson, whilst portraying the role of Robin, however later retired the role and took on the superhero persona of Nightwing.

-          Batgirl (Playable via DLC) – Batgirl is depicted at the female counterparts to the superhero Batman.

-          Cat-woman (Playable) - She is known as "the Cat" and has traditionally been portrayed as a supervillain and adversary of Batman.

-          Azrael (Playable) - Azrael is a member of a group of assassins who were created by The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas to "enforce God's Will".

Unplayable Characters:

Oracle, Alfred, James Gordon and Lucius Fox.

Villains:

Playable Characters:

-          Arkham Knight (Playable via DLC) – Arkham Knight is commonly associated with Batman and was the second character to take the role of Batman’s vigilante partner Robin.

-          Harley Quinn (Playable via DLC) - Harley Quinn is the Joker's frequent accomplice and lover, whom she met while working as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, where the Joker was a patient.

-          Red Hood (Playable via DLC) - The Red Hood is an alias used by multiple fictional characters and a criminal organization.

-          Black Mask (Red Hood DLC only) – A foe of Batman within the DC Comics universe.

Unplayable Characters:

Scarecrow, Two-Face, Penguin, Killer Croc, Riddler, Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Man-Bat, Mr. Freeze, Firefly, Hush, Ra's al Ghul, Deathstroke, Deacon Blackfire and Professor Pyg.

E)      Gameplay:

Whilst New Super Mario Bros. is seen in 2D, some of the characters and objects are ‘3D polygonal renderings on 2D backgrounds’. The player can either play as Mario, or his brother, Luigi, the character can collect coins, stomp on enemies, and break/open blocks. A total of 80 levels are available over eight worlds, these worlds can be seen on the Nintendo DS’s bottom touchscreen while viewing the world map, the map of the currently selected world appears in the top screen, which is used to navigate between the world's courses. Certain worlds require specific means of access, such as completing a boss level while using the Mini Mushroom, the main goal of each course is to reach a black flag at the end of the course. At the end of each world, a boss must be defeated before proceeding to the next world. Within each level, hidden at different points are three Star Coins. By collecting these Star Coins, Mario can purchase access to ‘Toad Houses’ to gain items or lives, as well as this Mario can also use these Star Coins to unlock ‘special backgrounds and paths’ on the world map. There are six power-ups available in New Super Mario Bros., the game allows the player to store an extra power-up when he is already using one.

That Dragon, Cancer is played as an exploration game from both third- and first-person perspective, it includes number of abstracted scenes which are based on the Greens' experience raising Joel after learning of his condition through his death. The player takes the role of Joel’s parents, Ryan and Amy, throughout scenes which capture some of the emotional moments they had to face during Joel’s life expressed as interactive art. The game allows the player to interact with the characters and make certain choices, which are similar to those that the family had to face. An example of this includes the first scene in which the parents have learned of their child's diagnosis, having the player consider their new responsibilities for caring for the child while reflecting on the "absurdity and sterility" of the hospital setting. The game includes some fantasizing and imaginative reconstructions of some of the real moments the family experienced, as well as the aspects of interactivity the game includes narration from both Ryan, Amy, and other family members. This narration came from both recordings and voicemails that they had made during their time with Joel. Amongst these scenes include cards, letters, and other mementos of support for the Greens, sent in by people that had experienced similar losses in their life.

Until Dawn is designed to be played multiple times over, as players are not able to see all of the games content with a single play-through. Each play-through can last anywhere up to nine hours in length, with the games mechanics utilising the in-game system called the ‘Butterfly Effect’, in which any choice by the player may cause consequences later on. For example, finding a weapon in an earlier chapter may allow the player to pick it up during another part of the game when a chase scene leads back to the same room. Throughout the game, players will have to make decisions during ethical or moral dilemmas, such as sacrificing one character to save another. The Butterfly Effect system blurs the line between right and wrong decisions, and it is possible for players to keep all eight characters alive, however it is also possible for all eight of them to die, this allows for many different paths and scenarios as well as offering several different endings for each character. The game does not allow for a previous game to be loaded half way through or at any part of the game, meaning players are not allowed to change any of the previous decisions they may have made. The different endings of the games have different variations depending on the combination of characters that are still alive at the end of the game. The gameplay is focused on exploration, quick-time events and discovering clues as well as making decisions, there is also an in-game system that will keep track of all of the clues and secrets players have discovered in total, even if there are multiple play-through’s, these clues will allow the player to piece together the mysteries of Blackwood.

Batman: Arkham Knight - The game is presented from a third-person perspective, with the main focus on Batman's melee combat, detective skills, stealth abilities and gadgets, as well as this the game also introduces the Batmobile as a playable vehicle, which is used for transportation, puzzle solving and combat. The game increases the amount of Batman's gadgets and combat attacks and offers a more open world structure, allowing the player to complete side missions away from the primary storyline. Batman: Arkham Knight is set within Gotham City, this is opened up to the player within the beginning of the game, in which they can freely travel around within its set boundaries. Many of the gadgets and the gameplay elements from the previous Arkham games return, including the grapnel gun, line launcher, batarangs, the countering system, Detective Vision and the Remote Hacking Device. Some of the new gadgets include the Voice Synthesiser, which can be used to imitate other characters' voices such as Harley Quinn and the Arkham Knight to direct thugs into traps. The grapnel gun can now be used to instantly switch directions during a glide, as well as being fired twice while in the air to chain grappling moves together. The game provides the opportunity of ‘FreeFlow’ combat system, this allows for standard attacks, including strikes, counters, and dodging, these can all be combined to keep Batman attacking while moving between enemies and avoiding being attacked himself. The new system also supplies the ability to combine attacks on prone enemies without interrupting a combo streak. The game introduces "Dual Play", in which players can seamlessly switch control of Batman to one of his allies (Robin, Nightwing or Catwoman), the player can enter this when they have accumulated an uninterrupted combat streak, each successful, uninterrupted attack adds to the player's combat score, which carries over between each controlled character and unlocks double-team takedowns on opponents at higher scores. Arkham Knight also introduces the "Fear Takedown", where Batman can subdue up to five enemies simultaneously as long as he remains undetected, however time is slowed after each takedown, allowing the player to target the next enemy. Arkham Knight features side missions, known as "Most Wanted" missions, which can be attempted at any time and feature prominent characters from the Batman universe. The challenges consist of collecting trophies hidden throughout the city, through the use of gadgets or Batman’s car, the Batmobile, to disable traps and barriers, and completing timed races. As well as this Batman can now investigate crimes, such as murders, using his ‘Detective Vision’ to reconstruct the crimes to locate clues and identify the perpetrators, or use his Tissue Scanner to investigate a victim's skin, muscle, and bones for clues, completing the story mode unlocks a New Game Plus mode, enabling the player to replay the game with all of the gadgets, experience, abilities, and ‘Riddler’ collectables that they have obtained. The completion of some tasks are reflected in the Gotham City Police Department, with thugs and supervillains becoming incarcerated, and criminal memorabilia from missions and previous games being collected in the evidence room.

F)       Target Audience:

The target Audience of New Super Mario Bros. can range from hard-core to casual gamers. The game, with being a platform game doesn’t have much of a storyline that has to be followed, the plot is very basic and something which a player can leave for a few days or weeks and still come back to play. However, it can also appeal to the hard-core/retro gamers who would want to play and complete the game in order to depict comparisons between the retro Mario Bros. games and the newest addition to the franchise. The age of the target audience can also range from those who are younger, as the game is quite straight forward to grasp and understand, to those who are older and are playing the game partly for a sense of nostalgia.

‘That Dragon, Cancer’ reaches out to a non-traditional gaming audience, as the game is not your typical, point and shoot, adventure, action, etc. game. It attracts those who look for something different within a game and offers a first person ‘experience’, which is a new growing genre of game within the gaming world. With the game being simplistic, it allows for casual gamers to also be attracted to play the game as the controls resort back to the simple ‘point and click’ ways of gaming.

The target audience for Until Dawn is those who are older and interested in gaming, the game is one in which you have to invest time into, with each play-through being around 9 hours long, therefore it is not the kind of game which a child would play when they came home from school, as well as considering the age rating is PEGI 18. The game is aimed at those who like something different within a game and not the standard, everyday point and shoot or sports game. I think this game would be mostly played by hard-core gamers who can afford to invest time into the game, rather than casual gamers who will play it every now-and-then. As well as this, hard-core gamers may be attracted to the other elements to the game which aren’t as ordinary, for example the choices that are made which cause a ‘Butterfly Effect’ to occur.

The target audience for Batman: Arkham Knight will mostly be those that are interested in comic books or Batman in general, including the many movies that have been made about him. Many causal gamers may venture into playing Arkham Knight as the game can be saved and continued at a later date, with the gameplay not being too strict for it to only attract hard-core gamers who would most likely play the game until its fully completed. With the game focusing on Batman, a fictional character, the game would not be restricted to an older age range, and may possibly be played by those who are younger. The game may also attract core-gamers with the controls being simple and easy to grasp, they may play the game enthusiastically up until the point of completion or until they lose interest.

G)     Platforms:

New Super Mario Bros. is sold mainly on Nintendo devices, such as the Wii, Nintendo DS, as well as 3DS. The game has sold 30.80 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling game for the DS, as well as being one of the best-selling video games of all time. As well as being available on the newer Nintendo DS, Nintendo also made the decision to release the game on the Nintendo DS Lite.

‘That Dragon, Cancer’ is 100% digital, the game is available to play on PC, Mac and iOS platforms, which includes iPad and iPhone. The game can be purchased on the app store to download onto iOS platforms, which costs £3.99. However, users are also able to purchase the game from the main website which is encouraged by the creators as they place certain donations onto the price to help raise money for cancer charities, from the main site the game costs £6.49. The game can be purchased on a site called ‘Steam’ also which allows the user to download the game to their PC, on ‘Steam’ the game costs around £5.49, however the site will take a portion of the profit before the game creators/developers get their share.

Until Dawn was originally scheduled to be released on the PlayStation 3 and feature PlayStation Move support, but in August 2014 the game was reintroduced as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, and was released worldwide in August 2015. With Until Dawn being made and developed by Sony, the game is restricted to PlayStation 4 and is not available on any other platform. The game itself to by on a disc is around £20-25, depending on the retailer, however the game is also available to download onto your PS4 for £29.99 from the official PlayStation store.

Batman: Arkham Knight was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows on June 23, 2015. In the UK, the Microsoft Windows version was only available as a digital release, as well as this an OS X and Linux version of the game developed by Feral Interactive, and was scheduled for release in early 2016 after originally being scheduled to release in late 2015, however this version of the game was cancelled in February 2016. Two Collector's Edition editions were also announced, the Limited edition contained the game in a Steelbook case, an 80-page concept art book, an Arkham Knight issue #0 comic book, alternate costumes for Batman, Robin and Nightwing based on DC Comics' The New 52, and a statue of Batman. As well as this the Batmobile edition contained the Limited edition items, but replaced the Batman statue with a transformable Batmobile statue, however, on June 17, those who purchased the "Batmobile Collector's Edition" were notified that the edition had been cancelled due to a quality issue with the Batmobile statue from designer Project Triforce. The price of the game varies between each console, to purchase a disc version of the game for PlayStation 4 it will cost around £24.00, for Xbox One, Arkham Knight costs around £15.99.