GameMakersToolkit
patreon
GMTK Newsletter (March 2017)
🕑 Added 2017-03-31 09:17:57 +0000 UTC Hey everyone!Post Script
So, it's not every day that your favourite developer releases a critically acclaimed game in your favourite franchise, on a brand new console. So yes, much of March was spent playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
I adore this game. Its sense of mystery and discovery, its adventurous heart, its melancholic vibe. I can pick out criticisms and nit picks, sure, but overall I just loved this game. And I was pleased to get to talk about it in a couple videos.
An interesting thing was that I had to replay the game from the start to get some footage that I didn't capture on my first playthrough (notably some side quest stuff for the music video). Because I was rushing, I didn't get any extra hearts or anything, and went through the game with a sliver of health.
And this was really cool! I had to play very differently - fight more defensively and stealthily, do lots of cooking, and take weird routes around enemies. By allowing the player to set their own experience, this game will be really good for second playthroughs.
That's a very different experience to Boss Keys right now!
The history of the Zelda franchise is Nintendo starting with incredibly non-linear play (Zelda 1 was invented to be the polar opposite of everything Super Mario stood for), and then slowly losing it - first in the overworld, and then in the dungeons - until we get to the DS games I just finished, and Skyward Sword, which I'm playing now. These are games that are so restrictive, hand-holding, and scared to challenge the player in any meaningful way, that it's extra miraculous that BOTW even exists.
Though, to be fair, the dungeons in Skyward Sword are more interesting than I was expecting. You've got some cool ideas here, even approaching the sort of architectural puzzles that the series was dabbling in with Majora's Mask. And yet... the game just gives you all the answers. Between Fi and other hints, the player is rarely allowed to solve anything for themselves. It's a shame.
Anyway, anyway, I shouldn't be thinking about all this. While I want to play Skyward Sword now and get the script done, I'm not going to release the video until the end of April because the channel has inadvertently become hugely Zelda centric.
Sneak Peek
So what's next?
Well, I've got a script ready for a video on Psychonauts. Playing it for GameClub reminded me why that game is so special. I'm going to do a vid explaining why it's a cult classic, for those who never played it (or those who did, but failed to see past it's crummy platforming and whatnot, and missed the clever stuff at its heart).
I've been playing Snake Pass and I love it, and I've been thinking about a video on that game. But I might leave it for the end of the year, where I do a deep dive on the most innovative game I've played. It will certainly be a contender come December.
I do want to do the verbs video part two. And loads of other stuff. I keep flirting with ideas and then not committing. I've got a half-finished thing on Portal that I'll need to come back to, as well.
And now I'm thinking about other stuff! Someone on Twitter asked about Red Dead Redemption, and I reckon a video on that game would be cool seeing as a sequel is in the works. My only hesitation is that most of what makes that game special is stuff outside of the GMTK purview - graphics, atmosphere, story, music, etc. Stuff that is all super important for a game but doesn't exactly fall under design. Then again, it's been years since I played it, maybe I'll give it a go and see if I can find a suitable angle.
And I'd like to do a video on a franchise. Most of my vids are about individual games - or a ridiculous year-long project about Zelda - but it'd be neat to do a video on a franchise to see how it changed. I was thinking of starting with something small, like Dead Space. I'd play all three games, and Extraction, and see how the series changed over time.
I also asked people on Twitter for things they'd like to see in videos. A lot of people like level design videos, so I've also got that to consider.
Ultimately, I'm in the best possible position. When I first started this channel I was worried that I would run out of video ideas after a year. But I now have enough ideas to last me for a decade. The painful part is just deciding what to do first!
Mark's Month
As for games I played this month. Well, I finished Obduction. Loved it. And I played Horizon Zero Dawn. I've said this pithy little line before, but I wish it were made in a post-BOTW world. This is a gorgeous game with lots of inventive ideas - but it feels so hampered by that Ubisoft-style design.
Camps, towers, repetitive side quests, a bloated economy of crap, waypoints, and so on. Instead of exploring this world with a mix of wonder and fear - I move from point to point on my map, and avoid the locations that warn they are too high level for me to explore.
Couple other things: the melee combat sucks. I'm still trying to put my finger on it but beating a robot dinosaur with a stick should feel better than this. And also, conversations in this game are like talking to a Wikipedia article. A lot of games do this: they're so excited about their "lore" that they make every character be a terminal for learning about the background to the world.
I've always appreciated games that have really thoughtful and inventive worlds - but the developers don't explain it all to the player. Instead, they sprinkle it into the world, giving you a place that obviously has a history and social structures and culture - but it's not all instantly explained on plaques and in conversations. That just robs the magic, if you ask me.
Okay, and someone is gonna have to tell me what is the deal with Nier Automata. My read on it, from playing for about 6 hours, is that it's got streamlined Bayonetta combat (some similar ideas, but doesn't seem to have as much depth), in a barren open world with often boring side missions.
When the game is accelerating - when you're getting to new areas and fighting bosses - it feels great. When it's in park - when you're wandering across a huge world and fighting cannon fodder robots who you can button bash to death - it loses its luster.
Point is, I like it, but I'm not seeing the 9/10s and 10/10s in here. I could either be missing something, or perhaps the story is going to pay off. Lemme know, I just feel confused.
This section feels more negative than I meant it to! Like I said, I also played Snake Pass which is incredible. Hollow Knight is a lovely little Metroidvania with some good ideas and a helping of Dark Souls influence, Snipperclips is co-op puzzle heaven, and so on. Oh, but Ghost Recon Wildlands kinda blows. Sorry.
Anyway! I want to stop this because I'm feeling kinda under the weather right now so I want to rest up. Thanks for your support this month. I'm planning to do another GameClub soon, I'll have some more Patreon reward stuff like tutorials and whatnot when I can, and as always, feel free to ask about anything.
Comments
Will_WMGC
I don't think you can be faulted for making a lot of Zelda videos. You talk about good design in games, that series has it by the bucketload. I just started BotW and it's really a game changer, masterpiece, etc. etc. The DLC finally makes sense, I'm nowhere near finished and I already want more! Glad the channel is in a good place.
Game Maker's Toolkit
That certainly sounds more enjoyable! I played a bit co-op and it just felt like a million average missions spread around a map. Preferred the older Ghost Recon games that has more deliberate level design. But yeah, that sounds like an interesting way to play - sucks that so many games have to engineered by the player to make them interesting, as many will never try to turn off the UI and whatnot.
Nice read! I'm curious about what you thought sucked about Ghost Recon Wildlands. I found that when I first played it on default settings I felt like the game didn't really encourage me to use my gadgets and recon/stealth but rather just do some sloppy recon then just burst in spraying bullets. So I and my co-op buddies turned off markers and some other UI plus put the difficulty to the highest and really tried playing it as we imagined it should be played and it was actually quite interesting and fun!
Game Maker's Toolkit
Thanks Kevin! Zelda has been weird and challenging and a lot of fun - already looking forward to making the Skyward Sword episode. I'll definitely be asking you guys for opinions on what to do afterwards.
mcwizardry
I think a franchise video like Dead Space could be very interesting.
So, I just signed up for Patreon just to support your work. Your Zelda videos are definitely worth my $money$; the Zelda franchise is something I *love*, and you've done it such justice. Please continue your long-form, critical analysis of it. I look forward to seeing what you bring to other games which I'm personally less familiar with. Keep up the good work; well done!
Game Maker's Toolkit
I've never really played FEAR, which is a bummer. I definitely will - I think Monolith is such an interesting developer so I'm keen to cover more of their stuff.
Game Maker's Toolkit
That's a good idea - hard to pick one level though! Lady Boyle's party, clockwork mansion, arimis Stilton's mansion, etc!
Essential indie games? Jonathan Blow's mind-bending puzzle games Braid and The Witness are good. For more 2D action and adventure, Axiom Verge, Ori and the Blind Forest, and Owlboy are in the vein of metroidvania. Story-heavy indie titles like Gone Home and Dear Esther are moving pieces but they hardly qualify as games. Inside and Limbo are dark platforming games. I'm certainly not Mark but let me know if you'd like to know more.
Vasily Prokhorov
Hey guys, I really like this Patreon community as well as many other game-entered ones. I was wondering if I could raise interest in F. E. A. R., the original, for its clever AI design that actually traverses the environment instead of having predetermined routers. In addition to that you have an interesting story/lore that personally made me scared of the quiet exploration parts due to the possible paranormal, thus making me let out a deep breath of release when I'd hear AI comm chatter. In any case, I thought I'd share one of my personal favorites. Thank you once again to everyone who makes playing games about more than just beating the campaign :)
I'll never get enough Zelda but I understand it might be a lot to others. The portal video sounds interesting too. What you said about lore reminded me of Metroid Prime, that game also handled lore and atmosphere perfectly. Finally a question, for someone who's not much of an indie gamer, what are some "essential" games you would reccomend?
Kyle Hinze
I almost just impulse bought Snake Pass. Then I remembered Persona 5 comes out next week.
Liam Harvey
Hope you feel better soon, Mark! Illness blows, obviously. The Nier stuff has given me a little pause—I had a lot of fun with the demo and the chatter seemed overwhelming positive—so it'll be interesting to check it out. At the very least, you're not a sheep!
Manuel Alcoba
+1 for a video on Dead Space :) Regarding Horizon Zero Down I have a very similar feeling. There is a lot to like in the game but somehow the result isn't bigger than the sum of its parts. Some things seem half baked like the melee combat you mention, riding on machines, the tallneck which are cool but feel a little wasted, ...even the skill tree. The world is very cohesive but the gameplay isn't.
Game Maker's Toolkit
That's a good question! I don't have a perfect answer, but let me think... I think part of it is that there's just less stuff in Zelda, and it's all really clear what it is. The menu is extremely visual, the objects are clearly shown in the game world, you're told what something does when you pick the first one up, and you quickly realise that stuff can be easily categorised (mushrooms, monster parts, critters). In Horizon I just feel like I'm stuffing my pockets with everything I see and I'll deal with it later. There's a little text notification, and then it disappears into a crazy menu of assorted junk I have. Plus, in Zelda, I found that I was very aware of things that I wanted. Hearty radishes, mighty bananas, hightail lizards. I could see them, go after them, and be pleased to add them to my collection. In Horizon I have no idea what anything does. I just go to the upgrades tab, hope I have enough stuff, and if not I'll try again later. Also, I think it was smart for Zelda to move the crafting to specific spots. You can never just open your inventory and smush stuff together - you've got to find a cooking pot (or fairy fountain, or etc). Something about that makes it feel a bit more deliberate. A lot for this stuff may be very personal - I haven't heard much discussion about it. But I'll keep thinking about it. Could be a good topic one day.
kyle disanjh
Newer Patron here - love these updates man. Totally feel the same way when it comes to Nier - It's got quite a following and I think it does a lot of cool things that couldn't be done outside of games with its story, but the gameplay just couldn't draw me in. Felt like a very bland open world next to Zelda and Horizon (I loved Horizon but totally get your gripes and agree).
I have to say snake pass does look really cool. Great music too of course. As someone who unfortunately is not able to play horizon or Zelda, could you go a little more into detail on the differences between their economies? What makes the stuff in horizon crap and not Zelda?
A video that centers on Dead Space: Extraction — how many developers port a franchise into a totally new gameplay experience besides Nintendo? — would be killer. (Especially since this IP is MIA.) I know you'd tease out all sorts of interesting insights from that examination.
Absont
I think you could do some cool commentary on a game like Dishonored or Dishonored 2. The shear variety of tackling the same obstacles in the game is what draws me back to it. Levels are compact and thought out as well which you've praised in other cases. Might be a fit for your channel.
Garrison Gondek
Have you played any other games by Yoko Taro? If not, I think Nier: Automata can be deceptively simple at first. Yoko Taro's games are often good but not amazingly special until you complete one playthrough. They're games meant to be played through multiple times, with things changing each time (including playing from a different character's perspective or through entirely different events), always unveiling more and more until you're either completely baffled (Drakengard) or completely heartbroken (Nier 1). I'd recommend pressing on. Remember that it's a Yoko Taro game with Platinum combat, not a Platinum game. Once it shows its hand, I think you'll be hooked.
Mithos56
Nier doesn't really shine until you've done a few play throughs of it. It does some stuff that only a video game can.
Game Maker's Toolkit
I've got a PS VR which I really like! I'm still not sure about getting one for PC. I mean, I should, I just have a million other things to play. If Oculus could also invent some kind of time manipulation machine then yes, let's do it.
Dave
Gah. Silly enter button posting the comment before I was ready. Are you going to do a video on Obduction?
Dave
I'd say the raving over Nier:Automata is that the cool stuff Yoko Taro is known for as a game designer is finally backed up by competent game design with Platinum at the helm. I just finished a playthrough of Nier for a video on my channel, and that's gonna be interesting to talk about because it's a great game while being a terrible game. The video will be on how that statement makes sense ^^ I'm looking forward to your Psychonauts video as it's a favourite of mine.
Thanks Mark! I'd love to hear what you think about Dead Space and the slow agony of the franchise into spectacular-yet-boring-blockbuster-action repeated over and over again…
Jakub Pander
Have you reconsidered buying a VR headset? ;)
