Game Making: The Latest Chapter Begins With Healing the Player

"It's so exciting!"

Looking at the cutscene in front of him, Song Ren couldn't help but sigh.

He has watched this cutscene countless times in the past few days.

However, in VR mode, there is still a slightly different experience, especially since these are classic IP characters that he is familiar with.

There was no choice to skip. After watching the final Kirby looking at the ruined world, and the Smash Bros. logo popping up, Song Ren officially entered the game.

Amidst the exciting background music, several options appeared in front of Song Ren.

The entrance to the battle between humans and machines; the entrance to the life soul "Lighting Star" in the single-player story; and the multiplayer mode to compete with other players online.

In addition, there are training gameplay for players, as well as unique winning brawls for each fighter character.

Another thing that surprised Song Ren was that in Super Smash Bros., players can also create an exclusive custom fighter by shaping their own faces, just like in Ma Zao.

Of course Song Ren didn't choose this customized fighter.

After all, the name of the game is Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

There are so many exciting and popular IP characters out there, why do you have to create a custom character?

At least you have to wait until you get tired of playing all these characters before you play a custom character.

"I'll try my hand at man-machine first, and I'll use Cloud as the character in my first brawl."

Song Ren clicked on Brawl happily, ready to give it a try.

Although Song Ren is still not completely clear about exactly which fighters are in the game.

But one thing is for sure, that is, Claude must be in it. After all, Claude has appeared in all the previous promotional CG animations.

As for why you chose Claude?

That's naturally because Claude is handsome! He also looks very much like him and has a sense of empathy.

"Hey! Can't you choose directly? Do you have to unlock them one by one?"

After selecting the regular Brawl option and creating a room according to the default rules, Song Ren was stunned for a moment by the content of the displayed interface.

Because it is different from the imagined large number of fighters to choose from.

Currently, he can choose from a total of eight fighters.

They are Mario, Yoshigo Mori, Link, Yoshi, Kirby, Bowser, and two games integrated into the premium membership on the switch platform. One is Firefox McLeod in Star Fox, and One is Samus Alain from Metroid.

Unlike ordinary fighting games, the characters that can be used by players in Super Smash Bros. are only some initial characters at the beginning, and players need to choose one by themselves.

The remaining characters require players to unlock the characters bit by bit as the game time progresses.

The single-player mode of Star of Light uses another set of unlocked modes. The player controls Kirby to explore the levels little by little to rescue the fighters trapped in various places.

This design is to allow players to become familiar with the game and at least understand how to use some fighters.

In addition, it is also to allow players to gain some sense of gain.

For many novice players, this design is still quite necessary.

And these characters range from Kirby, Bowser, and Tsuyoshi Mori, who are relatively simple to operate, to Link, Firefox, and Sasha, who are complex to operate.

In addition to these, there are also some RPG elements in the game. Players can obtain certain gold coins after each battle.

You can use these gold coins to purchase randomly refreshed clothes, additional music soundtracks, life souls and snacks for cultivating life souls in the shopping mall that comes with the game.

Unlocking new fighters and purchasing collectibles with gold coins are mainly used to divert players' frustration after failure. After all, Brawl is still a confrontational action game.

But as a player, Song Ren obviously doesn't need to think too much about these designs.

Although he regretted not being able to use Cloud as his first battle, he still looked forward to the game.

Looking at the eight fighters in front of him, Song Ren thought about it and chose Kirby as his character.

As for why?

Needless to say?

In the game CG animation, it serves as the C protagonist.

Although Sister Sa is really good-looking, Kirby is stronger!

Otherwise, how could it be its turn to save the world?

And this pink demon is so powerful, it can eat anything, and after eating it, it can also use the opponent's abilities.

After confirming his choice of Kirby, Song Ren looked at the nine levels of man-machine. Without any hesitation, Song Ren decisively chose the man-machine with the lowest difficulty level 1.

Tall buildings have risen from the ground. As a tough fighter, he still has a strong reputation for himself.

"This map is full of details!" When entering the game, the opponent is Link, and the map that comes immediately is also the initial platform in the picnic.

The perspective in VR mode, compared to the previous first-person and third-person perspectives, although this VR perspective with a scroll-style map is a bit strange.

But the game map is full of details.

The maps in the game are divided into three modes.

Normal mode, battlefield mode and end mode.

In the normal mode, the map in the game will change naturally, and as players fight, random events will occur.

To put it simply, the variables in the normal mode are relatively large, and the venue mechanisms will bring many variables to the battle situation.

As for the battlefield mode, the map is unchanged and has a platform that can be stood on. It is a relatively common competitive map.

As for the end mode, there are no steps to stand on. Players do not need to consider the platform. The fight will be relatively more exciting, but the skill of going up and down the platform will disappear.

What Song Ren chooses now is props + normal mode.

The movements of the fighters on the map, the dust brought up, and the dynamic feedback of animals and plants swaying in the wind are all quite in place.

Moreover, when fighting in the game, the camera is not fixed.

It will zoom in or out following the character, which is perfect.

If you just look at the pictures, Song Ren, who has played top masterpieces such as "The Elder Scrolls" and "Uncharted", can only say that the feeling brought by the chaos is far from amazing.

But it is very rich and full of details.

Especially the restoration of the character's movements is incomparable.

As for Kirby, Song Ren had only cleared the level of Kirby on the switch platform and did not play it in depth.

But "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" is too familiar to him. As a member of the old gangsters in Hyrule, he has invested hundreds of hours in it.

And Link controlled by the computer can be said to be almost perfectly restored, whether he is drawing a sword, charging up power, or drawing a bow or throwing bombs.

In addition, what makes Song Ren a little bit excited is the experience of the game.

"Sure enough, Kirby is so strong!"

In the game, Song Ren can be said to have beaten Link violently.

This made him feel an indescribable pleasure. Of course, he subconsciously ignored that he was actually fighting a computer, and it was the lowest level.

In the game, this kind of low-level computer person is not the kind that can't defend, attack, or dodge in ordinary AI performance.

Because that kind of computer person is actually not much different from a wooden pile.

As a designer who is well aware of player psychology, Chen Xu understands that computer humans that look like wooden stakes will not bring much happiness to players, so the AI ​​in the game has been improved.

Not just high-level, but low-level as well.

Although he is only a first-level AI, he is quite capable. He can even read the player's instructions, just like the lion in "Elden Ring". If the player shoots an arrow at it, the lion will move to the left and right. Swing, if you shoot straight on you will never hit, and you need to anticipate.

A more straightforward example is the BOSS Spirit Mantis in Metal Gear Solid in the previous life. Players can never defeat the Spirit Mantis with a 1P controller because the Spirit Mantis will read the player's input commands and dodge, but there is no way to switch to a 2P controller. It can only be blown up like a target.

The low-level AI in Smash Bros. now gives players the feeling that they can do whatever they want to fight.

Under such careful design, players like Song Ren who are meeting for the first time can only say one word: "It's great!"

Controlling Kirby in the game, he beat up the AI-controlled Link, even though it was just a normal attack.

But the visual effects brought by the combos and the vibration feedback brought by the game cabin gave him only one feeling - cool!

Charged slams, horizontal kills, upper kills, and gorgeous finishing moves after accumulating energy.

Song Ren had never felt that a fighting game made him enjoy playing it so much.

Especially with the highly integrated buttons of Super Smash Bros., there is no need to rub moves at all.

You must know that in some fighting games in the past, let alone the ultimate killer, he could not use even small skills.

The only means of attack is to draw A.

“This game really feels so simple!”