Homework 6

Game 1: Grand theft Auto V

1. The Tetrad
• Aesthetics - All the grand theft auto games in the franchise are loosely based on a real city in the world. Since they to recreate a real life place in the game you cant help but notice all the similarities and how real it actually feels. GTA V is one of the most realistic games out there all the plants, people, animals, vehicles, buildings, water literally everything feels so real when you interact with it in the game. When you go into first person mode you even feel like you are that character completely immersed in the game.
• Story - Like all the other GTA games the story in GTA V is amazing. Unlike a lot of other games nowadays you actually get three main characters to play and each of them has their own unique storyline. You can switch to any of the three characters at any time and play their missions till eventually the three separate story lines converge and you have make some major choices that effect different things in the game. Even the online portion where you get to create your own character has a special story line. Rockstar studios hired so many people as voice actors and did not cut any corners when it comes to the story aspect.
• Mechanics - For how massive this game is and how much A.I. interaction is going on all the time the mechanics are very fluid and easy to learn. From switching weapons to flying a helicopter all the controls are fairly easy to grasp and there are very few problems.
• Technology -  Just looking at the map of this game shows how much technology they put into creating it. The way the story connects and the way you interact with things in the world and change outcomes are just a few of the examples of how much technology they used.
2. Balance
• Again for how massive this game and its story are it feels well balanced to me. There is not any leveling system but the way the missions progress and all the optional side activities create a well balanced non linear game progression.
3. Emergent Properties
• There a very few bugs and flaws with the game and when there was Rockstar is always extremely quick to send out a patch and fix everything.
4. Interest Curves
• Like I stated before the non linear progression of the story is a great way to keep interest as well as all the different activities and objects you can interact with in the game.
5. Enjoyment
• I really loved playing this game, actually still play it today, and obviously so did a lot of other people because it won game of the year in 2013. 

Game 2: The Witcher 3

1. The Tetrad
• Aesthetics - Take one look at a screenshot of the sunsetting behind a distant mountain while your watching from the outskirts of a lush forest from The Witcher 3 and tell me you did not just fall in love. The aesthetics of this game are insane, the colors,  the particle effects, the scenery, the weapons, the armor, the animals, the people, its ridiculous how great everything looks in this game. 
• Story - You aren't really going to understand a lot at first unless you have played the first two games but it does a great job of explaining everything to new players. This story for this game makes you feel like you are in a movie or book, all the cutscenes are done with the same graphics and animation as when you are controlling the game which makes it seem more real and immersive. You get to pick what the main character Geralt says even in most of the cutscenes but depending on what you say there can be different outcomes. The fantasy and lore that is associated with the game is amazing, you can read about the history and creatures you encounter and reading sometimes gives you useful information about where to go or how to fight certain things.
• Mechanics - There is sword fighting, horseback ridding, crossbow shooting, magic, boating, and swimming and all of it feels smooth. There a few points where I encountered the random glitch while boating or horseback ridding but that was it. There are over 30 different sword fighting combos and many different finishing moves for all the different creatures and people in the game.
• Technology -  CD Projekt Red, the creators of the game, are a very small developing company compared to companies like Rockstar, EA, or Ubisoft but even for how small they are they used all the latest technology that was available to create this game. It is remarkably apparent when you play or see the game how much work and technology went into creating it.
2. Balance
• The level progression keeps everything balanced to whatever level you are which makes for a very balanced game no matter what difficulty you choose. There are parts where the game makes you feel that you might need to level up before fighting a certain creature or boss but there are no restrictions you could try and fight a major boss at level 4 if you wanted, highly unlikely you would be successful though.
3. Emergent Properties
• Like I stated in the mechanics section there a few glitches I have encountered here and there but most of them are hardly noticeable and do not hinder gameplay or performance. CD Projekt Red also sends out patches fairly quickly that fix any reported problems. 
4. Interest Curves
• This game is so massive and immersive I never once lost interest and in fact still play to this day. How the story progresses like a book/movie and how you unlock different weapons and armor all play a major role in keeping the gamer interested.
5. Enjoyment
• The Witcher 3 was by far one of the best games I have ever played and I highly recommend it to any and everyone.