P3- understand the importance of reviews for the marketing and promotion of computer/console games

The three reviews I will be looking at are Daz Games, Metacritic and GameGrin.

a) genre- this game is very heavily based on horror and psychological themes due to the theme it is looking into. It does a very good job at showing us this with all its twist and turns.

b) target audience- Daz games takes the route of the player’s aspect, he expresses players thoughts and feelings when playing the game through. He also considers the emotions that this game brings up, as he has played through and completed the game personally he is a trustworthy reviewer.

Metacritic looks at the view of a company that has played the game through different parts of the team and then came up with a final review based on everybody’s input. It considers the more technical side of the game like how the visuals and game play can impact on the sales and popularity. The kind of review is aimed at the more hardcore gamer as it looks at the technical side of the game.

Gamegrin is a mix of the two above as it looks at both the technical side and the overall likeability. it considers the players and how they are going to feel during the playthrough often going through the emotional cycle of the player at any one given time during the gameplay. They give the game a 7 overall out of a possible 10 which means that it has a good balance between technicality and player emotions during it. it comments on the visuals but also comments on how the player can often and most likely will get attached to the character that they are playing as.

c) narrative- There are a range of different reviews for Fran Bow due to the narrative it looks into, the storyline looks into children and mental health issues. Daz Games said that “it was the most disturbing games I’ve ever played” due to the issues that were brought up and explored.

Metacritic says that “Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.” It goes onto say “it is disturbing yet adorable, full of violence but at the same time tender.” It also comments on the story and how it very quickly turns into a deep, hard hitting story, yet it still contains some light hearted, funny moments. They have also said it does get confusing whilst playing especially towards the end.

d) characters- Daz Games says the game is mainly based around one character and her interpretations of the surrounding characters. The main character being Fran, she comes across many different monsters and demons on her way. He also loves the way the game follows the one character on her travels and gives great details so we can get to know her well. He gave the game a 9/10 for the character work saying that the player can actually become emotionally attached to the character that they are playing as.

Metacritic also said the game follows the one main character and gets the player really involve in the characters life. The story and character are both very detailed and allow for the player to become attached with Fran whilst playing. It brings up the strong link between characters used in the game, it engages the players a lot more as they are able to play through Fran’s eyes and opinions.

e) gameplay- Many reviews will agree the gameplay is outstanding; Metacritic says that the gameplay follows one character and is played from a 3rd person view. It is also a point and click adventure and so the gameplay is very intensive and focused on the player and the way that they interact with the story. Metacritic also said “the gameplay is gripping and unexpected leaving the player stuck between tough decisions based on the characters life and story”.

GameGrin, said the gameplay is compelling and that “the most important aspect of the game is how it plays in comparison with the story as there is no point having a brilliant story without good quality gameplay”. It also brings up that the game is easy to play meaning everyone can get involved. This really helps the story and means that the gameplay is simple but interesting and fun for anyone. It also commented on the good art style of the game and how the game was designed which includes many advanced features and alot of work ahs been put into making the game look very complex.

f) platforms- Fran Bow can be played on PC through steam download and on android and IOS through the app store and google play. Metacrtic point out how these are good consoles to get more casual gamers involved. It also says that the game is sold rather cheap for a PC game this is positive for the developers as it will most likely sell more copies.

g) reviewers recommendation- Gamegrin also brings up similar information saying that the game is widely distributed between platforms and since the the game is a point and click adventure it is already suited to be brought to android. But they also said it's not available on consoles like PlayStation or Xbox and this could be a a big loss of sales due to the huge market for consoles in the modern day. They rate the game a 7 overall and although it is a good all round distribution platform it can be improved in the future by bringing the game to some sort of console.

links:
metacritic- http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/fran-bow
Gamegrin- https://www.gamegrin.com/reviews/fran-bow-review/
Daz Games- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbQbiNE1xP8

P2

Life is Strange

P2A- genre

Life Is Strange is an episodic graphic adventure video game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. The game is made up of five episodes which were released throughout 2015. The plot focuses on Max Caulfield, a photography student who finds out that she can rewind time, leading her every choice to have a butterfly effect. Meaning the player's actions will adjust how everything will happen. The game involves puzzle solving as well as using branching choices for conversation.

P2B- narrative

The plot focuses on Max Caulfield, a photography student who finds out that she has the ability to rewind time, all of her choices however have a butterfly effect. After seeing a storm that will happen 5 days later, Max must take on the responsibility to prevent it from destroying her town. The player's choices will change the narrative, and how you proceed to play the game. The story is made so that the characters are the main focus that lead the game causing players to start getting an attachment to them. It is a decision adventure game which involves the player in the story directly and paints a very vivid picture of the problems of the characters.

P2C- production process

Life is Strange is Dotnod Entertainment’s second game after Remember Me. Development took place in April 2013 with a small team of 15 people it was later said they would collaborate with Square Enix. A lot of the budget went towards voice actors for the game as well as writing it. It was originally written in French and later translated into a game script by the developers and design team. Story and character development were highlighted over point and click puzzles and making choices that unravel mysteries and narrative unfolds. In July 2014, the important part of casting the voice actors started, these were recorded in Los Angeles and when needed the writer would on skype. Another important thing decided during development was the idea of using effects like double exposure and overlapping screen space each time would rewind time. The textures seen in the game were entirely hand painted, adapted to achieve what art director Michel Koch called "impressionistic rendering". They also took inspiration from games like Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead.

P2D- characters

Maxine Caulfield

Often referred to as Max, is the main protagonist of this game. She’s 18 and an aspiring photographer at Blackwell Academy. She left her mom and dad and returned to the town where she grew up; Arcadia Bay, Oregon. Not long after joining Blackwell she saves her childhood friend, Chloe Price from being killed. She soon discovers she has the ability to rewind time. After joining forces with Chloe helping her find out what happened to Rachel Amber, Max must also discover how to use her powers to save the Arcadia Bay from a devastating tornado.

Chloe Price

Chloe is the second protagonist of Life is Strange. She was best friends with Max before she moved to Seattle, leaving Chloe in their hometown of Arcadia Bay. With Max’s return their friendship grows once again throughout the game. After Max left, Chloe became best friends with Rachel Amber before she went missing, and now she is getting help from Max to finally find out what happened to her.

Mark Jefferson

Mr Jefferson is a photography teacher at Blackwell Academy and is the main antagonist. He is a famous photographer and a widely recognized artist across America, who gained popularity during the '90s. At the start of the game he is shown as the cool teacher, who is greatly admired by his students, and does his best to encourage and help them. However, it’s later revealed that it was all an act, over the course of the game Jefferson was either directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths 7 characters.

Other characters that have effect on the game include Kate, Nathan, Warren and Victoria but these aren’t as important to the main story.

P2E- gameplay

Life Is Strange is a graphic adventure game played in a third-person view. The games main feature is being able to rewind time allowing the player to redo actions. The player can examine and interact with objects, bringing in the aspect of puzzle solving in the form of fetch quests and making changes to the environment, items that are collected before time travelling will be kept in the inventory. The player can explore various locations in Arcadia Bay and communicate with other characters in the universe giving that extra immersion. Dialogue has multiple choices and can be changed using the rewind power, these choices can have huge impacts on how the game plays out from their as well.

P2F- target audience 

The target Audience for Life is Strange is more mature audience due to the themes it looks into, it can be very complicated at times and therefore not appropriate for younger audiences. This game is more aimed towards core game, it is too complex for casual gamers and it doesn’t have enough for hardcore gamers. It sits right in the middle with a deep storyline but nothing too challenging.

P2G- platform

Life is Strange was originally only digitally available on PC through Steam, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on the PlayStation Network, and Xbox 360 and Xbox One on Xbox Live. It was released in episodes between 30 January 2015 and 20 October 2015. Later on a retail edition was released for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One in North America on 19 January 2016 and in Europe on 22 January 2016. The limited edition version of the game featured an art book, the soundtrack, score and a director's commentary.

Super Dangan Ronpa 2

P2A- genre

Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye, Despair Academy is a visual novel, adventure video game created by Spike Chunsoft. It is the sequel to Danganronpa, it focuses on problem solving and the element of mystery. The game relies on a lot of quick time events that have a puzzle solving element involved. It is a first player game as you play through the eyes of the protagonist Hajime Hinata as he tries to solve the mystery of why he and his class mates are trapped in a mutual killing game.

P2B- story line

The story follows a group of high school students who are trapped on an island by an unusual stuffed bear by the name of Monokuma. To escape the island, a student must kill one of their fellow class mates, and not be caught in the investigation and trial the follows. However, for those who are caught they are soon executed in a brutal manor. There are 16 students and we see this story through the eyes of our protagonist Hajime Hinata, who seems to be very different to the other characters.

P2C- production process

Super Dangan Ronpa 2 was published in Japan on July 26, 2012 on PSP. A limited edition copy was also available, this came with a Monokuma case, art book, keychains, badges and a CD. The game was made as a sequel to the original Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, and included some old features but also included some more up to date ones. The game was eventually localized and made available for those across Europe and America, this was done by NIS America who also released a standard edition along side the limited edition.

P2D- characters

Hajime Hinata

Hajime Hinata is the main character and point of view for the game, he is a member of the mutual killing game. He is a member of the reserve course and has no key talents and is very generic, but after taking part in the Izuru Kamukura project (brain alteration project) his original memories were replaced and he was turned into an entirely new person. In the end he manages to come to terms with himself and he along with 5 others escape the game leaving them to attempt to save their remaining friends.

Nagito Komaeda

Nagito Komaeda is also a member of the mutual killing game, he has been given the talent of Ultimate Luck. Despite hardships throughout his life including loosing his parents and developing frontal lobe Dementia and Cancer he remains general positive. He has a strong obsession with hope and at some point in the first trial reveals his true nature, and is shown to have strong feelings towards Hinata.

Nanami Chiaki

Chiaki Nanami also known as the Ultimate Gamer is the third main character in the game and another member of the killing game. She is a generally bubbly and outgoing girl known to sleep in any circumstance, she is proven to be the 'traitor' and is executed along with Usami. But after this it is shown that the real Nanami was already dead and this one was in fact an AI version added to the game to watch over and take care of her classmates. She was created and added to the game by Chihiro Fujisaki, a participant of the original killing game in Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.

Monokuma

Monokuma is the main antagonist and the cover for Junko Enoshima, the mastermind behind the mutual killing games. His a stuffed robotic toy and also an AI just like Nanami during the game.

P2E- game play

This is a first player game, which is played through the eyes of the protagonist Hinata. It involves many mini games which are played within the ‘class trials’ these are a part in each chapter that are used as a way of solving the murders. Most part of the game is a visual novel with interactions with other characters. However, during class trial you are a lot more involved and play mini games such as logic dive and hangman’s gambit. These involve both memory and puzzle solving abilities.

P2F- target audience

The target audience for dangan ronpa is more aimed at core gamers, this is due to the fact it’s a much longer game that can’t be picked up easily by casual gamers. Due to the nature of the game and its layout in chapters it makes it easily playable for core gamers who have a wider variety of interest in games but don’t want to dedicate as much time as those who are hard-core gamers.

P2G- platform

Super Dangan Ronpa was originally only released on PS Vita and PSP in July 26, 2012. It was a physical copy that also had a limited edition version that included the OST, an art book. However, in September 5, 2014 it was released on PC through Steam along with its first game Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc. Also at the start of this year April 18, 2016 it was also brought out on PS4.

That Dragon, Cancer

P2A- genre

That Dragon, Cancer is an art, adventure game. It is referred to as an interactive new media the style   throughout the game is very simple and purposely pixelated as well as containing no great detail on the characters as seen by their lack of face, this makes the game a more relatable and engages all players especially those who have been through what takes place in the game. The gameplay is very simple as not to take away from the main focus which is the plot.

P2B- storyline

The plot is based on the true story of Joel Greens, who had a 4-year long battle with cancer. We follow the life of the young boy and all the struggles and good times he and his family had. It is a walkthrough storyline and the player goes on a journey through their lives. The game involves things like child care and decision making as well as a backstory that is made to show people the reality of such a situation. It is very cleverly designed in such a way that it builds up drama and then tension adds to that to form a bond with the family who are behind the computer screen that when they finally come into trouble it really plays on the feelings of the player

P2C- production process

The production process originally had the game start as a Kickstarter, which is a service on steam for indie games looking for donation funding by the public and was intended for windows and IOS and the art style was actually formed due to the lack of funding and low budget. A total of £85,000 had to be raised to avoid a late release and if goal met, would be aided by personal funds and the Indie fund. Development was funded by Ouya in exchange for a time-limited exclusivity for the micro-console. There was a development team of 8 which did include the parents of Joel who are the main developers of the game

P2D- characters

Main Characters

Joel Green

A young boy who the story follows, he was suffering from cancer and we watch his fight throughout the game.  

Ryan and Amy Green

These are the parents of Joel and the game follows their story seeing their ups and downs of dealing with the cancer their son has, showing their emotions, feelings and how they deal with the cancer.

Narration from other family members are also involved, this makes the game feel more real for the player and allows for a more immersive and enjoyable experience where the players actually become attached to the characters

P2E- game play

The game is played out in a first and third person view with the perspectives changing throughout to give the overall enjoyable experience. The game is played as an exploration and based on real and surreal experiences following the green family in the family struggle. The game has a very unique art styles in which the faces of the individuals within the game are not rendered meaning that the characters have no faces. This means that the player is open to imagination and is symbolising that this can happen to any family within society.

P2F- target audience

The target audience for this game is casual gamers as it is a simple quick pick up game. It is a simple point and click game meaning that the player doesn’t need to have much knowledge in how to play games, if this was on the Xbox for example there would be too many buttons.

P2G- production process

The game made for PC & Mac and was distributed on website they created themselves in order to make sure all profit went to charity and find a cure for cancer. If they were to release the game on something like steam they take parts of the profit, therefore not everything would go to charity. The game costs £6.49 and was 90 minutes long. However, the game later came out on steam and cost £10.99 as well as on IPhone which cost £3.99 on the app store.

Resident evil Revelations 2

P2A- genre

This game can be seen as both a first and third player shooting game, depending on which part of the game you’re playing. The main aim is to shoot monsters however other weapons are involved but most weapons used by the main character of the game is firearms. The game is played through various characters which change throughout the game, due to the game switching between past and present events.

P2B- storyline 

The game follows 3 main characters Claire, Moira and Barry, Claire and Moira work for a biohazard company and are kidnapped then left on an island facility along with mutated monsters known as the “Afflicted”. Claire and Moira try to work with others who were also kidnapped to try and escape, however many of them die or succumb to fear which turns them into one of the “Afflicted”. They both decide to go to the overseers watch tower where they’re met by an old friend who is now mutated leaving them no choice other than to kill him. They soon find out the overseer’s real plans though and discover she is in fact Alex Wesker. Barry arrives on this island 6 months later to try and save the Claire and Moira, in the process he meets Natalia who takes him to the last place she saw the girls alive. They narrowly escape the mutated Alex, the two are separated but Natalia manages to scare Alex. But they are later greeted by Alex who has once again mutated and now they have their final battle to survive which ends one of two ways.

P2C- production process

Production for this game started around the release of Resident Evil Revelations'. Proposal art was made for the game, later they decided on calling it Revelations 2. Based on the biohazard revelations 2 Concept Guide, Sushestovanie Island didn't come into existence until after the game was greenlit, with art instead showing a large city populated by older, large buildings against a river. The Afflicted appeared in one artwork, hung to trees in a forest. In a third picture, a landfill was seen near a railway bridge, with the giant statue of an unidentified dictator dominating the skyline

P2D- characters

Moira

Moira is a new character introduced in this game, she is daughter of Barry and unlike her dad she has a fear guns and is not very well adapt for the world she’s currently in. her character has the biggest development as she over comes her fear of guns and saves her father.

Barry

Barry is a character who has been featured in previous resident evil games and is known as the gun’s expert who assists our protagonists. He is also the father of Moira and is also another important character in this game, he develops a lot in his quest to find and save his daughter.

Claire

Claire is our main protagonist and is one of the original resident evil characters, this is her first debut after the second game. She is a professional in the world of resident evil and knows exactly what she’s doing when it comes to fighting off monsters, this is clearly seen in revelations 2 as she takes care of Moira.

P2E- game play

Unlike Revelations, Revelations 2 returns to co-op in its campaign, however, it was revealed that the co-op is for local, offline play only. Also included is the return of "partner zapping", a concept that was only previously seen in Resident Evil Zero. With this, players who are playing solo will be able to freely switch between the two characters: Claire Redfield and Moira Burton. Claire has access to weapons and firearms, while Moira is the support role.

Claire is responsible for the firearms such as handguns and shotguns, as well as a knife she can use freely. Due to this, Claire is the main fighter and it will fall upon her to kill any enemies they come across, should players choose to not flee. Claire is able to heal herself with herbs found, but unlike many previous games, healing takes time.  

Moira is a support role, her main item is a flashlight. With this, Moira is able to not only provide light for Claire but also use the light to blind or stun Afflicted. The flashlight can be used like the Genesis scanner from Revelations, able to reveal hidden items and secrets that Claire otherwise cannot see. Moira also finds a crowbar which she can use to pry off boards that are blocking doors, and swing as a weapon in self-defence. With the crowbar, Moira can incapacitate an enemy if she strikes it from behind.

P2F- target audience

Resident evil’s target audience is hard core gamers; it is a game you must stick with and isn’t easy to pick up where you left off. Also with the feature of auto save in the games rather than being able to save yourself it will lose interest with casual gamers. As it is also 10^th in a franchise it shows that this game is made for those who are big fans and have played the previous games due to the linking of the stories. Due to it being a console based game it can be difficult for new players to pick up on the controls.

P2G- production process

Revelations 2 was released on February 25, 2015 in weekly episodes on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. After the release of the final episode a complete version was also released. Sony went on to create a PlayStation Vita version of the game which was released on August 18, 2015. The first episode of the game, Penal Colony, was made free to download for PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on November 18, 2015.