Game Making: Start By Healing the Player

"It's so exciting!"

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

He had already watched this cutscene many times in these days.

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

I didn't choose to skip, watching the final Kirby looking at a collapsed world, and after the LOGO of the big fight jumped out, Song Ren officially entered the game.

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

The entrance to the battle with human and machine; the entrance of the single-player story of the soul of the "Lighting Star"; the online multiplayer mode against other players.

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

In addition, what surprised Song Ren was that in the big fight, players could pinch their faces and create an exclusive custom fighter just like Ma Zao.

Of course Song Ren did not choose this custom fighter.

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

There are so many exciting IP popular characters 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 go to play custom characters.

"Let's try a man-machine first, and use Claude as my first brawler."

Song Ren happily started the big fight, ready to give it a try.

Although there are fighters in the game, Song Ren is still not completely clear.

But one thing is certain, that is, Claude must be in it. After all, in the previous publicity CG animation, Claude has appeared.

As for why Claude was chosen?

That's naturally because Claude is handsome! It also seems to have a sense of substitution with him.

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

After selecting the option of regular brawl and creating a room according to the default rules, Song Ren was stunned by the content of the display interface.

Because it is different from a lot of fighters in the imagination.

At present he can choose a total of eight fighters.

They are Mario, Mori Xigang, Link, Yoshi, Kirby, Kubawang, and two games integrated in the premium membership on the switch platform, one is Firefox Mike Rod in Star Fox, and the other One is Samus Alan, the elder sister of the Galaxy Warriors.

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

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

The Star of Lights in the single-player mode is another set of unlocked modes. Players manipulate Kirby to explore the levels a little bit to rescue the fighters who are trapped in various places.

This is designed so that players can become familiar with the game, 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 quite necessary.

And these characters, from the relatively simple operation of Kirby, Kubawang, Mori Xigang, to the complex operation of Link, Firefox and Sister Sa are all available.

In addition to these, there are also some RPG elements in the game. After each battle, players can get a certain amount of gold coins.

And with these coins, you can buy randomly refreshed clothes, additional music soundtracks, and snacks for cultivating life souls in the shopping mall that comes with Super Smash Bros.

Unlocking new fighters and buying collectibles with gold coins are mainly used to transfer the frustration of players after failure.

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

Although he regretted not being able to use Claude as his first fight, 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 role.

As for why?

Does that even need to be said?

In the CG animation of the game, it served as the C protagonist.

Although Sister Sa is really good-looking, Kabi is strong!

How else would it be its turn to save the world?

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

After confirming the selection of Kirby, Song Ren decided to choose the lowest difficulty level 1 man-machine without any hesitation, looking at the total of nine levels of man-machine.

Ten thousand feet of tall buildings rise from the ground, and as a fighter, he still has a lot to do with himself.

"This map is full of details!" The opponent who entered the game was Link, and the map he arrived immediately was also the initial stage in the picnic.

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

But the game map is full of details.

There are three types of maps in the game.

Normal mode, battlefield mode and end mode.

Among them, in the normal mode, the map in the game will change naturally, and as the player is fighting, there will be random events.

To put it simply, the variables in the normal mode are relatively large, and the venue organization will bring a lot of variables to the battle situation.

In the battlefield mode, the map is immutable, and it has a platform on which to stand, which is a relatively common competitive map.

As for the finish mode, there are no steps to stand on. Players don’t need to consider the platform factor. The fight will be more intense and exciting, but the skills of going up and down the platform will disappear.

Now Song Ren chooses props + normal mode.

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

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

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

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

But it is very rich, and various details can be said to be full.

In particular, the restoration of character actions is invincible.

For Kirby, Kirby of the Stars on the switch platform had only cleared the level at the beginning, and did not play in depth.

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

And Link, controlled by a computer, can be said to be almost perfectly restored, whether he is using a sword or accumulating power, or pulling a bow and throwing bombs.

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

"Sure enough, Kirby is so strong!"

In the game, Song Ren can now be said to be beating Link.

This made him feel an indescribable refreshment. Of course, he also ignored it subconsciously. He was actually playing a computer person, and he was still the lowest level.

In the game, this lowest-level computer person is not the kind that cannot defend, attack, or evade in ordinary AI performance.

Because that kind of computer man is actually not much different from a wooden stake.

As a designer who understands the psychology of players, Chen Xu understands that a computer person like a wooden stake will not bring much happiness to the players, so the AI ​​in the game has been finely modified.

Not just high-level, but low-level even more so.

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

A more straightforward example is the BOSS Spirit Mantis in a metal gear in the previous life. Players will never be able to defeat it with a 1P handle because Spirit Mantis will read the player's input commands to avoid it, but switching to a 2P handle Spirit Mantis can't do anything. Can only be blasted like a target.

Now the low-level AI in Super Smash Bros. gives players a feeling, that is, how to fight.

With such a careful design, a player like Song Ren for the first time has only one word, cool!

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

But the picture effect brought by the combo moves and the vibration feedback brought by the game room left him only one feeling - cool!

Charged punches, horizontal kills, top kills, and gorgeous finishing moves after accumulating energy.

Song Ren has never felt that a fighting game has made him so enjoyable.

Especially the highly integrated buttons of the big fight, there is no need to rub it at all.

You must know some fighting games in the past, not to mention big kills, even if it is a small skill, he can't release it.

The only means of attack is a flat A.

"This game really feels so simple!"