Contextual Analysis

Contextual Analysis - Unit 13

Introduction

Both of these games & analyses directly relate to my game concept as both games are modern 3D Platformers and I am choosing to make a 3D Platformer.

The key point is how each game is fundamentally designed, with one of them being an indie game that takes inspiration from classic titles, and the other being a return-to-form collectathon.

A Hat in Time (2017 / Gears for Breakfast)

A Hat in Time is a 3D Platformer released in 2017 by game development studio Gears for Breakfast. (Self-Published)

You play as a hat-wearing space-travelling little girl aptly named 'Hat Kid'.

 After losing all the 'Time Pieces' that power her ship due to a toll-collecting Mafia Goon busting open the spaceship's door and causing them to scatter across space, she must now explore the different worlds to get them back.

After landing in Mafia Town, Hat Kid meets Moustache Girl, who agrees to help, but only under the condition that Hat Kid helps fight the Mafia. After beating up the Mafia Boss, Moustache Girl realises the power of the Time Pieces and wants to use them to become time-travelling crime-fighters. Hat Kid refuses this, which causes Moustache Girl to declare themselves enemies.

As Hat Kid was exploring a movie studio that has two rival bird directors, mountain villages dealing with a plague and selling her soul to a shadowy spirit in a spooky forest, Moustache Girl took advantage of her absence by breaking into the ship and stealing all the re-collected Time Pieces--making her immensely powerful.

Through the power of friendship (and self-sacrifice), Hat Kid beats up Moustache Girl, gets the Time Pieces back, turns the planet back to normal and finally resumes her space-travelling.

A Hat in Time is described as "Cute-as-heck" on both the game's Steam page and the main website.

The game is bright, colourful and mostly light-hearted. The game is tame regarding violence, as it mainly involves whacking enemies around until they disappear in a puff of smoke. 

However, it does have a few dark moments--albeit still in a cartoonish style, like a fake murder on a train or the entirety of Queen Vanessa's Manor.

There is some overlap in roles due to the plot largely only coming into play near the end. Regardless, this is how I think Propp's Character Theory fits in:

• The Hero: Hat Kid. She must get the Time Pieces back to continue her journey.
• The Villian: Ultimately, Moustache Girl. She plans to get the Time Pieces first and ends up transforming the entire planet.
• The Donor: The Badge Seller. Badges are used to unlock abilities or boost existing ones.
• The Helper: Every previous Antagonist-turned-friend during the final battle with Moustache Girl.
• The Princess: The Time Pieces. Hat Kid needs them to get back home.
• The False Hero: The Bird Directors. Either The Conductor or DJ Grooves, depending on the player's choice.
• The Dispatcher: Technically the toll-collecting Mafia Goon, as he is the one who initially causes the Time Pieces to scatter.

Due to the simplistic plot, the narrative does fit into Todorov's narrative theory:

1. Equilibrium: Hat Kid is travelling home and is just chilling on her spaceship.
2. Disruption of Equilibrium: A toll-collecting Mafia Goon busts open the spaceship's door and cause the Time Pieces to scatter across space.
3. Recognition of Disruption: As she now lacks the fuel to get home, Hat Kid must get the Time Pieces back.
4. Attempt to repair the damage: Hat Kid travels to four different locations in an attempt to get the Time Pieces back. She is initially helped by Moustache Girl but becomes the Antagonist after learning of what the Time Pieces can do.
5. New Equilibrium: After beating up Moustache Girl and getting all the Time Pieces back, Hat Kid can finally resume her space-travel home.

The game's overwhelmingly positive reception, charm, humour and genre is the reason I chose to analyse it.

In my opinion, this game is a perfect example that 3D platforming games can still be good despite the genre's slow and painful decline. 

What the game lacks in length is made up for in pure charm and solid gameplay.

Ergo, there are a lot of things I've discovered that I could take forward into my own ideas. 

Namely, how the levels are structured. Despite some levels being notably small, they are densely packed. 

This is a key point for me, as I want to avoid making big open areas of nothing--something that, in my opinion, the 2nd game I'm looking at does.

Yooka-Laylee (2017 / Playtonic Games)

Yooka-Laylee is a 3D Platformer released in 2017. It was developed by Playtonic Games and published by Team17. 

Similar to Banjo-Kazooie, the player controls two characters, Yooka and Laylee, who combine their abilities to explore big open environments, collect a bunch of items, defeat enemies and solve puzzles.

Yooka and Laylee's day of chilling out in their shipwreck of a home, named Shipwreck Creek, is interrupted when Laylee's book, is sucked up by the Novelizer 64, a device created by Dr. Quack to steal all the books in the world.

It is revealed later that Laylee's book in question is 'The One Book', an all-powerful book that can rewrite the entire universe.

Capital B, the CEO of Hivory Towers, is seeking out this book so he can use its powers. To avoid being used for Captial B's evil schemes, the Pagies within the book scatter themselves all over Hivory Towers, as well as the five worlds contained within it. 

The duo explore Hivory Towers, collecting the Pagies within the factory and five worlds so they can fully restore the book. After collecting 100 Pagies, the duo battles Capital B and reclaims the One Book. Yooka and Laylee proceed to invite everyone they've met to a post-adventure party at their home.

Like A Hat in Time, the game is bright, colourful and light-hearted. The game is tame regarding violence, as it mainly involves whacking enemies around until they disappear in a puff of smoke.

Due to the game's simplistic plot and character use, Propp's Character Theory can be applied:

• The Hero: Yooka and Laylee. They go on an adventure to get their book back.
• The Villian: Capital B and his evil assistant, Dr. Quack. He plans to use the One Book to rewrite the universe.
• The Donor: Trowser. He teaches Yooka and Laylee new moves--at the cost of some quills.
• The Helper: Dr. Puzz. She is found in each world and provides a unique transformation in each one.
• The Princess: 'The One Book', an all-powerful book that can rewrite the entire universe.

Again, due to the simplistic plot, the narrative does fit into Todorov's narrative theory:

1. Equilibrium: Yooka and Laylee are chilling out in their literal shipwreck of a home.
2. Disruption of Equilibrium: Laylee's book is sucked up by the Novelizer 64, a device created by Dr. Quack to steal all the books in the world.
3. Recognition of Disruption: After the book is sucked up and its golden pages are scattered, the duo go to Hivory Towers to get it back.
4. Attempt to repair the damage: The duo fight their way through Hivory Towers and the five worlds to get the Pagies back.
5. New Equilibrium: After beating up Capital B, they refill the book and have a party at their home.

There are a lot of things I've discovered from this analysis that I could take forward into my own ideas. 

Specifically, on what not to do. 

For context: Yooka-Laylee is a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie and is developed by former 'Rare' developers. 

The problem is that while the game did improve the classic game's formula, it still makes the gameplay and design feel fundamentally outdated. The game's "return to form" is the reason I chose this as my second game, as it gives me a modern example of the classic Collectathon formula which I can gather ideas from--despite personally not enjoying the game.

My biggest gripe with the game is the sheer scale of the worlds, as I find them to be way too big with not enough stuff to do. I have tried playing through the game twice and given up on it both times due to the game feeling like a chore to play. 

While I understand that what I'm saying is incredibly opinionated, it's still something I must keep in mind as I don't personally want to do the same thing. 

The last thing I want is for my game to be boring.