Two Rail - Shooters - Game Invaders: The Theory and Understanding of Computer Games - page 47

different in the many respects which we have highlighted. Having established activ-
ity profi les for our two games, we can now go on to consider aesthetics.
APPLYING AESTHETIC THEORY
In Star Fox we have a classic rail - shooter and the agency involves some piloting
our star fi ghter, from a third person perspective, navigating around all sorts of large
obstacles, fi ring a gun to destroy stuff, avoiding things fi ring at you, collecting
power-ups, and so on. So your intentions are more varied than Rez. You want to
rack up points, avoid danger, get in good positions to destroy targets, and so on. The
perceivable consequences are all directly associated with your intentions. Did you
get in the right position? Did you destroy? Did you avoid? It is often useful to refer
to the twitch factor when we are talking about agency. From Figure 5.1 we can see
that the twitchy activities predominate and the twitch factor score of 1.3 confi rms
that this is a fairly twitchy game.
Narrative potential is very much that of a traditional, level-based game. You
build up to the level boss for the major shoot-out which leads to completing the
level. If you die you get to repeat the level and get to know its narrative develop-
ment. Explosions are explosions and the music drives on in the background unsyn-
chronized with the gameplay. Star Fox plays by the rules—the genre rules, that is.
We are a fox piloting a starship! That seems like transformation to me. The
sense of transformation is probably enhanced by the fact that it is a lot easier to die
in Star Fox than in Rez. We can be shot at and crash into buildings and other solid
objects.
We are also co-present as we fl y as a member of a four-person/animal wing
where our other pilots are an eagle, a rabbit, and a frog. Your other wing members
can help you to some extent and you can help them to a limited extent. They get
very upset if you attack them! The additional aesthetic of co-presence contributes
mightily to a strong sense of presence. Due to its advanced 3D graphics—in its day
of course—the aesthetic pleasures of Star Fox were intensifi ed along with the pres-
ence that ensued.
Now let 's move on to Rez, which can be very twitchy or rather more laid back
depending on how you want to play it. This is because you can either shoot objects
directly—just aim the gun sight and press fi re—or you can lock onto them and
destroy a whole bunch at a time. You can also instigate the power-up sequence by
shooting the appropriate object as it moves in your view. So intention is concerned
with destroying any moving object. You are rarely under direct threat but there are
missiles that will kill you if you let them hit you. Perceivable consequences consist,
not surprisingly, of explosions which tell you what you have destroyed. You soon
learn what to expect if you press fi re with a bunch of objects locked on. If you got
the power-up object you will then get a sequence of these, leading to the power-up
itself.
But perceivable consequences are more than this as the explosions are stun-
ningly beautiful and are made up of bright fl ashes of light and colorful clouds of