VR Game Design Blogs | Ramazan's Blog

I Expect You To Die – Game Review #2

I Expect You To Die is a puzzle VR game about a spy with superpowers produced by Schell Games and released in 2016.

I played a demo version of the game and because of the demo function that limits your time in the game to around 20 minutes, I was stuck in the first level and the demo finished before I could even finish the level. I was a bit mad, so I had to buy the game to make myself feel better (I just could not leave the game without finishing the level), so then I realized how to clear the level.

The introduction to the game is very nice and the tutorials were very clear. For the first time, I really liked the controls of the VR game and they were very intuitive. The theme of the game works well with these controls as they explain that you are a new type of spy that has telekinetic superpowers and uses new methods compared to the old spies.

The puzzles in this game are relatively hard but entertaining to figure out, as there are unusual and creative solutions to the problems you have. Personally, I only cleared three levels so far (without any internet walkthrough guides) and it took me around 30-40 minutes for each level (with an enormous amount of restarts because in this game you only learn how things work through trial and error). However, there were points when I was about to quit and see the walkthrough guide because it felt like I already did everything, yet it did not work (always turns out I missed one minor detail).

The Core Loop of this game seems very easy and simple – you sit in your office, start a new cassette and go to the mission, solve the puzzle, go back to your office with the souvenirs, and open another mission (cassette).

The design is very simple, yet attractive and the Lore of this game is very neat. I specifically like that the AI voice and your advisor’s voice sounds always surround you and in case you are struggling with something they make jokes/give hints to you. Such a feature allows you to not feel alone with an “impossible” challenge, which helps you to stay more motivated to look for solutions.

Or should I say ‘sit more motivated’? The game requires you to sit, which is, currently, the perfect solution for VR games for casual gamers/users. And the fact that some of the levels require you to turn around, and tilt to the sides, this game feels very immersive.

On each level there are multiple items you can interact with, and, most of the time, instructions and hints for you, but not every item should be used – a bomb without a safety pin should stay untouched/molded sandwich should not be eaten (unless you want to go through the rest of the level with nauseous feeling and get the achievement).

The sound design in this game is good as well, as every item you touch makes suitable sounds with the response in your controllers as well. Such a combination of sounds in your VR headset and the controller vibrations helps you understand better what is happening in the game, what action made progress, and what is going to kill you. The jazz music is very soft and goes well with the atmosphere of the game, setting you in a very cliche, yet feel-nice mood of espionage.

I would rate this game the best VR game I played so far that does not require a lot of physical activity – you just sit and use everything you have next to you. In this game because of the telekinetic abilities, you do not even need to reach for these items – use the stick and it is in your hands (which sounds very difficult, but easy to use and intuitively understood). After I clear all the levels, I might see the reviews for the 2nd and the 3rd part of this game and choose if I want to continue being a spy or not.

Super Hot VR – Game Review #1 + Mini Challenge #1

VR Game Design Blogs

When I was in middle school, Super Hot was on fire on the internet and almost every gaming YouTuber was making videos about this game. After classes, I ran to play it on my mother’s old laptop (when it was popular) and enjoyed the new mechanics that I had never played and seen.

Super Hot is a game with very unusual mechanics — time moves when you move.

Super Hot was a very nice game that got its popularity for a reason, yet as it was initially just a project for a 7-day game challenge, it had only a few levels with minimalistic textures (which were obviously made for the time sake, yet became the style of the game).

These circumstances made Super Hot a one-day game because there are no updates, no multiplayer, the developer team is very small and there is barely anything that can be included in the game with such unique mechanics.

The VR version, however, was released recently and I wanted to try it out. Initially, I downloaded the demo version and played a few levels until it said I had to purchase the full version. I downloaded the full version, and played it for an hour or so — there are not a lot of levels, yet they were really fun.

As in VR headset it is hard to move around unless you have a full free space, the developer team decided to make it small levels where you don’t need to move a lot and just can stand in one place. The mechanics are the same, but they are more immersive, as you can move your head separately from your hands, so you can avoid the bullets flying directly to your head only by bending down or back.

The story is that you are a person in the room with a VR headset and different cassette cards that you insert into the computer and experience the level. The game gets harder and harder with the new level, but it is hard to play even from the beginning because only one hit kills you, so there is no room for mistakes. Yet, it is very nice and does not create a sense of an impossible level, which allows you to easily clear the level in 2 to 3 attempts.

What was interesting is that the guns in the game aim very accurately, just as in real life (you align the aim on your gun and it goes straight). Besides that, the NPCs were very responsive to what you do — when you try to throw the object at your enemy, it tries to evade it as well, so the guns are simply better weapons than knives/shurikens.

I would rate the game 7/10 because of the low number of levels and the very expensive cost of it. I believe they can expand the game, but the complication in it might be the problems with VR itself (you cannot move unless you have a lot of free space).

Mini-Challenge #1

I decided to use Super Hot as an example for mini-challenge #1 as well since I spent around 5 hours playing the game (a big amount of time for the VR Games).

The core loop of the game is very simple:

A player is in a room with a VR headset swinging on top and a cassette (cartridge) that has to be put inside of the computer in front.
A player appears in a virtual world with weapons and enemies.
A player has to kill all the enemies without being killed.
A player completes the level and achieves a new cassette (cartridge).

Besides the main core loop, some additional elements appear in the game – for example, achievements that you get based on your gameplay. Dodging 4 bullets at the same time gives you a “Chosen One” achievement, making it some kind of an easter egg for The Matrix. Such achievements are part of the core loop of the game that makes people continue playing the game and maybe retry clearing the level to achieve it.

After the last level, we are standing in the same room as before, but now we have a bunch of these cartridges with challenges to clear (speed-run, no-death, no-guns, etc.). Here, as basically, the game is finished, and the core loop is almost the same, but now you have to clear all the challenges instead of following the levels and the stories.

/by Ramazan 6.02.2024

The Game Awards 2023 – My Review

VR Game Design Blogs

As an aspiring game designer and developer, watching The Game Awards (TGA) was a captivating experience. The event offered insights into industry trends, innovations, and standout games. In this reflection, I’ll discuss the winners, exciting announcements, and the impact on the gaming world. For someone eager to work in this field, TGA wasn’t just an award show; it was a source of inspiration for my career in game development.

The selection of Cyberpunk 2077 as the best ongoing game is a bit complex; I believe the multiplayer game (like Valorant) would have been more fitting for a winner in this category rather than a single-player game. I do understand why Cyberpunk was nominated, yet patches and support of the game is mandatory to win in this category, as well as the new updates for the maps and nerfings of the equipment that developers of the multiplayer games constantly are working on.

The announcements were intriguing, and I’ve added several independent and indie games to my wish-list, however, watching the show itself was quite challenging, as some announcements seemed entangled with advertisements, making it difficult to understand which games are truly worth trying. One title that caught my eye is The Finals, and I eagerly anticipate playing it due to its announcement at TGA and positive video reviews online. The multiplayer shooter’s unique aspect lies in its destructibility, making the gameplay both enjoyable and entertaining to watch (which hopefully will make it a great “fun” and “e-sports” game).

Asgard’s Wrath appears to be a promising VR game, even though the graphics in VR games aren’t top-notch yet, they are reasonably decent. The incorporation of mythology into the storyline is always a compelling factor for me, so it makes me like the game already. However, a common issue with VR games like this one is the character’s movement. If we could use our legs for walking, it would significantly enhance the immersive experience and reduce motion sickness.

I was also pleasantly surprised to discover the Best Adaptation award, and it was a nice touch for the TGA organization to have the Fallout cast announce the winners, with The Last of Us rightfully earning the recognition, as it is both an outstanding game and show. I really like the trend of games making it to the cinemas and a broader audience because it makes more people know and want to play games.

The game developed by No Man’s Sky developers, titled Light No Fire, caught my attention with its innovative approach as the first real open-world game. The concept is quite extraordinary, and I can see it evolving into a great game, especially considering it comes from an independent team. If I had a chance to work on it, I would definitely use the opportunity because it looks very promising.

In general, all the awards seemed well-deserved and reasonable. Two games that have now climbed to the top of my must-play list are Alan Wake 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3, because of how many awards they got and how many positive video recommendations I’ve come across. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to experience them soon and provide a mini-review. As I soon will complete Cyberpunk 2077, I also plan to write a review for it on my website to make this website a proper blog for me to see how my vision of the games has changed.

/by Ramazan – 13.01.2024