Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
How games look these days has become an important aspect of game design.
Playback systems are much faster, allowing for more complex imagery, highly elabo-
rate animation, and using the camera to help make the experience more immersive.
Camera angles
Earlier forms of games were all 2D. The camera tended to be locked down,
allowing the player to maneuver through a playing field that usually had obsta-
cles to get past. Some of these games that kept the locked-down camera were
Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Sonic,
Resident Evil
,
and
Devil May Cry.
Although the camera is locked down, plenty of games still use 2D, such as
solitaire, mahjong, and chess. This format is also a huge favorite for designers of
casual games, as evidenced by such favorites as
Tetris, Angry Birds, Classic Doom,
Sinistar
and
Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
With the introduction of 3D graphics, greater complexity was incorporated
into games, and allowed the designer to place the camera in different locations
to create a significantly different gameplay experience. Shooters are an example
of how this ability to move the camera around during play significantly changed
the experience. The flexible camera angle allows the player to turn and see who
is shooting at them.
One of the drawbacks with 3D is tiny spaces in the game environment. The
camera may need to raise up rather high in order to see the character and the
environment, so using this type of camera can be tricky in confined spaces.
Point of view (POV) affects the camera angle. You can design games to be
played from a first- or third-person point of view (TPS POV). As with so many
elements, the designer must choose which POV to use so that gameplay isn't
sacrificed.
Many game makers enjoy designing for the first-person POV (FPS POV) cam-
era because it can let the player really get into what their character is feeling
and doing. It also adds more realism because players watch the game unfold
through the character's eyes. For example, if you hear something coming up
behind you or see a shadow cross your path, but you can't see yet what is casting
it, this adds realism; the level of suspense soars because essentially you're seeing
and experiencing what the character is.
A good example of the type of immersion experienced using FPS POV is in
the game
Half Life
from Valve. The gamer assumes the role of the lead charac-
ter Gordon Freeman, and through the game interacts with other characters who
come right up to him (the player) to have conversations. The player sees Gordon's
hands appear in front of them as if they were extensions of their own hands when
A locked-down cam-
era keeps one cam-
era angle throughout
the game.
