Genre & Theme

Before firing away with my chosen themes, I searched up the definitions of western and fantasy, on Google (Larry Page, Sergey Brin,1998), to apply an idea or see what reflects my game:

Western -

1. Situated in the west, or directed towards or facing the west.

2. Living in or originating from the west, in particular Europe or the United States.

Relating to or characteristic of the West or its inhabitants.
Historical: of or originating from the non-Communist states of Europe and North America in contrast to the Eastern bloc.

Fantasy -

The faculty or activity of imagining impossible or improbable things.

- a fanciful mental image, typically one on which a person often dwells and which reflects their conscious or unconscious wishes.

- an idea with no basis in reality

- a genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, especially in a setting other than the real world.

- denoting a competition or league in which participants select imaginary teams from among the players in a real sports league and score points according to the actual performance of their players

Music: a fantasia

From the definitions I collected here, they do give me the definitions of the obvious. However, the majority of them do not assist on giving extra ideas for my game. But the definitions that reflect my game are:

2. Living in or originating from the west, in particular Europe or the United States.

and

Relating to or characteristic of the West or its inhabitants.

And for fantasy:

a genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, especially in a setting other than the real world.

These interpretations give a clear visualisation of my game - basically what I planned for my game, except both combined together to make a unique world to not reflect reality aspects to suit my target audience, but also make a different world to ours, to make the gameplay interesting.

In terms of themed colours in games for boys ages 7-11, the games remain quite colourful with bright colours with a mixture of some realistic colours. This is because the games are still for young children, otherwise the games would become a bad influence upon the children. Besides that, the bright colours indicate the fun, happiness and heroic and brave traits of the main characters of the game. Of course, in PEGI 7 games, main heroes have bright bold colours, whereas bosses and enemies would have dark colours. But some enemies would also have bright colours, but there are always some connotational meanings behind those colours.

With story, even though the heroes would have a similar story to PEGI 18 game heroes, the PEGI 7s have a simple storyline that is neither disturbing or dark for young children. This allows them to face the game’s objections with a fun sense of confidence.

Brawl Stars (Supercell, 2018)

Theme

Genre

The themes of Brawl Stars are western and action. In terms of visuals, the developers achieved their theme: the environment is western, the characters are designed as western but in a simple style to target their certain audience. Each mode has plenty of action, and each mode has a part of the Old West. For example, Heist mode: the objective of the game is to damage as much of the opposite team’s gem safe. Whoever’s safe breaks down, wins. But this is similar to the Old West, even though not many heists were recorded, unlike present or recent days of America, the developers put some historical value in simply - different game modes. Furthermore, the design of the environment is very straightforward: the designers used an easy, small colour palette around the spectrum of the colour warm orange to define the western world without needing further specific detail or texture - since the audience is 9+. In addition to this, despite the environment’s colour palette consists of natural colours, they still have a light tint and the green bushes are bright and bold with green. This makes the game suitable for its age range. Overall, the design of the characters, the design of the environment are simple and round to attract and allow the young players to feel suited for the game and have fun. This also keeps the players confident to achieve their objectives within the friendly-designed environment.

Proceeding to audio, when the player levels up with coins/defeats an opponent/collects a gem/heals/collects a powerup, it all sounds bubbly, but not in a sweet and girly sound of bubbly, but bubbly in a way that’s satisfying to level up/collect something or raise a score. PEGI 18 games with realistic textures and deathly action would not have this type of audio, otherwise it’d be confusing as it would not suit the particular environment. In conclusion, it’s the bubbly audio that represents progress of the players’ character of Brawl Stars.

Furthermore, the music is quite faded, but I heard beats in a simple rhythm and constant loop. This keeps players in the flow of the game. I also heard that there were trumpets in the start and end of matches, and they had tunes of victory with crowds cheering - if a team wins. Games for an older range age range would have the victorious tunes of swords slashing and the sound effect of deep metal/rocks bashing together. Or maybe they would have trumpets but in a deeper tone.

The genre of the game is top-down shooter. The design of the characters are round with basic details and colors. When I played the game myself, personally, the game felt suitable for ages 9+, or even just 7+. But that’s because the violence in the game are violence against some humans which bumps the age to 9+. However, the perspective of the game (top-down) impacts the influence to the players. If it was a third-person - or worse - first-person, the players would be influenced by the game and become violent themselves towards other people.

Besides perspective, the level design is well-suited for top-down. Brawl Stars is a game of competing against each other, so the developers designed the map with blocks of walls in L shapes or squares, or any shape to keep the players maneuvering around to increase action, and yet decrease the rate of rage quitting because the map is too open, making players get defeated easily without the chance of time to heal or hide. In relation to this, the game has a HUD layer, and that layer is a set of bushes, so players can hide in them for a sneaky, sneaky sneak attack, or hide to heal.

In terms of characters, in gameplay, they’re seen in realistic view: bird’s eye view. This makes the players feel they’re ready to control their characters to win the match. In this perspective, players cannot see the entire bodies of their characters, otherwise if the characters were fully seen, the players would connect more with their characters, almost sensing they are them. And that I will apply to my game, because not only is it easier to design when producing my game, but also allow my audience to feel the hero of my game.

Juicy Realm (SpaceCan, 2018)

Theme

Genre

To begin with, the themes of this game are action and fantasy on a minor level. Visually, these are presented by the game’s constant objective of clearing the area against a mob of fruits by lots of shooting or slashing with swords, hence the theme of action. The fantasy - it’s on a minor level because the woods are mobbed with enemy fruits. Fruits with limbs. Even in different forms: blueberries as bouncy gangs leaping towards you, and an aubergine in a form of a dog chasing you. Furthermore with fantasy, the main characters also consist of a panda and a stern-looking warrior, of a large sword, with long blue hair. So this is unique. But this would be suitable for my audience if the game didn’t include the fruits’ blood, guns and the colour scheme in the forest stage, as it’s dark with cool colours. My game would be the same, except the guns would be replaced with fireballs, modify the environment to a lighter colour scheme and no gore.

In terms of audio, the music has a retro tune to the loop of the song. It also consists of beats, so altogether, in a loop, keeps the players in the objective of the game: defeat all enemies until the area is cleared. Supposedly a tune of action, but it is suitable for its target audience as there is music to not only keep the players upbeat with their objective, but also partial distraction from the sound of violence, otherwise the players would full hearing and concentration of the violent sounds.

The genres of this game are: run ‘n’ gun shooter and roguelike (a sub-genre of role-playing video game characterised by a dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, tile-based graphics, and permanent death of the player character).

The mechanics of the game suits the perspective: in gameplay, players can take control of the characters’ entire surroundings because of the game’s top-down perspective. Even though it’s not totally bird’s eye view, instead, it’s rocked over to a side where players can see the trees’ trunks or side of trucks and cars. But as the mechanics are a perfect fit for the perspective, players can see the characters’ surroundings, therefore it’s more fun for the players to run ‘n’ gun around the natural dungeons against enemy fruits, and circle around bosses. The story is about

“Many years in the future, humanity looks upward in despair at plants, now standing atop the food chain. How could they have been so arrogant...” - (Nintendo, 1985)

So this combined with the perspective and mechanics, fits together, because it’s as if it’s a zombie apocalyptic world and the heroes must survive with mass killing against the fruits, hence the perspective to know where the enemies are as players are running ‘n’ gunning.

As well as characters, because the game is partially top-down, this allows players to explore each characters’ abilities of combat: swords, guns or rockets.

Even though this can be violent with dinky guns and swords, yet the design is of the game is particularly round with the colours of the fruits, characters’ unique colour palette, and the design of Chibi in the characters - degrading the age rate, making the game appropriate for at least 8/9+.

Red Dead Redemption 1&2 (Rockstar games, 2010-2018)

Theme

Genre

These games consist of the themes western, action and some romance on one of Arthur’s former lovers - but that will not be discussed as I won’t be including romance to my game. Both games of Red Dead Redemption present a very western story and environment. So visually, the games are showing an Old Western environment, clothing and story. In terms of story, unlike the first game, the second game shows the majority of the Wild West, but no wars with Native Americans. But that majority consists of heists, gangs and their decline as they are pursued by lawmen, fellow gangs and Pinkerton agents. Even though this is a fictional recreation of the Old West, very few of the structure of the story are part of historical events of the West. Besides that, the game’s map design and character design are almost realistic, especially in the second game. The detail and texture of the grass, the trees, the characters’ clothes and the dirt on their skin, the blood spurting out when shot, and the movements of humans and horses. It’s all very realistic, making the game PEGI 18 because of the gory and unfriendly events. Proceeding with the theme of action, the game has many events of action: shooting enemies, cutscenes of shooting, galloping to a western quest, violent interrogation, chases, and none other than lassoing people. But what I listed, also bumps the age rate to PEGI 18, since this is pretty gory and visually realistic.

The genre of the game is third-person singleplayer, and because it’s third-person, it allows players to understand and play in the main character’s events and adventures of their lives. Along with this, as the players venture slowly with Arthur, for example, across the wilderness on horseback, the environment is fully detailed with texture and distinct colour of the natural western world. With this fantastic layout of the game map, and slowly marching towards the next objective makes the players feel Arthur’s epic journey and life. This comes to the discussion about the game’s challenges/objectives. To reach the challenges, the players must, of course, travel across to reach it. With this, along comes dialogue, journey of exploration, and judging other characters. Fuse them together, and you have a story. Most games reveal stories to players by making them achieve a quest in order to understand and progress through the western story. This is also suitable for the game’s genres, the challenges and the story is under the players’ and Arthur’s responsibility because it’s singleplayer playing the life of Arthur.

Cliches & Stereotypes

Many games and other media have their stereotypes or cliches. But with my game, I identified that my game consists of a hero who is confident enough to go against an army of southern creatures who want more land by force. Other than that, it’s a cliche of a hero against enemies, enemies being enemies just because they’re evil.

Examples of stereotypical and cliche moments can be Live Free or Die Hard (2007) film. A bald and strong protagonist, John McClane, who’s separated from his wife and his daughter doesn’t want to talk to him. The protagonist is hired to detect some hackers who are troubling the whole of the USA by disabling the infrastructure, power grid and to hack into money as theirs. The hero and sidekick, Matthew Farrel save the whole of the USA by stopping the hackers’ activities and saving the protagonist’s daughter from kidnap. Many games also include this, especially when the protagonist is male with the most common background: his wife/partner was murdered/separated. Leaving the hero alone and bald, yet he finds a woman who hangs around as they fight to save the world together - and then they end up dating, even though they thought that they’d never be together.

Live Free or Die Hard:

Another media with a cliche like other platforms of the media, is Resident Evil 4 (Capcom, 2005). The story consists of the hero, Leon Kennedy, who turned US government agent from former police officer of Raccoon City. The hero is on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the U.S. President’s daughter, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult. He saves her, but then she’s kidnapped again, held in a church, while Leon is injected with the Las Plagas (the plague for Spanish, a mind-controlling parasite infection), held captive, but he rescues Ashley again. The leader of this kidnap plans to manipulate Ashley with the infection. Leon defeats Krasuer, who was responsible for the kidnap, then Leon and Ashley remove their infection with a radiotherapeutic device. Leon defeats Saddler, who was the leader of the infection and they escape with the island blowing up behind them as they skid with a jet-ski, Ashley hugging Leon from behind. This plot was explained in a nutshell, but the game shows a common cliche. Other media consist this stereotypical plot - the hero is assigned to save a famous someone’s daughter from kidnap. The hero works with the daughter to save the world from a certain form of annihilation.

Resident Evil 4:

Another example that has one of my themes, western, Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar Games, 2010-2018) games and majorly most of the western stories in the media. They all present heists and robberies, gun violence, unlawful cowboys, gunslinger duels, gangs of unlawful men and other romanticism of the Old West, but the truth is: barely any of these activities actually happened. Further history about the Old West is further explained in the Culture tab. However, an example that presents this is Call of Juarez (Focus Home Interactive, 2005-2006). The plot goes by about a legend of the Lost Gold of Juarez. It starts with Billy returning to his hometown, but he finds his mother and other people dead. A woman alerts Ray (Billy’s stepfather’s brother) of gunshots at the farm where the dead people lay with Billy, but Ray finds Billy standing over the bodies, assuming he killed them. Billy panics and flees, as Ray tracks him down. Billy heads to his friend’s ranch, Molly Ferguson, believing she’ll be the only one to accept his innocence. But Ray finds them, with some Texas Rangers, chasing Billy into a fields and shooting him as he falls from a mountain into a nearby river. The rangers turn out to be bandits who have killed the majority of the occupants of the ranch and have taken Molly captive. Billy survives the fall, is revived by a Native American medicine man, but then knocked out again by the bandits, and held captive. They use him to find gold in the desert within one hour, otherwise they’ll kill Molly. Billy locates the gold, but followed by one of the bandits, Mendoza, who attempts to kill Billy, but Ray rescues him, telling him to find safety as he goes to rescue Molly. Ray finds Molly, but is trapped by Mendoza who sets fire to the cells. Billy arrives and puts out the fire. Ray and Mendoza fight, as they both killed each other in the end. Finally, Billy and Molly stand by Ray’s grave, as Billy follows the advice to remain his true self from the medicine man. The cliche presented here, is the villain who uses his gang to find and claim money. In this case, gold. Then the protagonist find them and fight to their deaths, but of course, the villain dies and the hero wins, with pride that everything is back to normal.

Call of Juarez:

A media that holds the fantasy theme, which is also part of my game, can consist of The Sword of Kuromori (Jason Rohan, 2014), for example. The book narrates that Kenny Blackwood flies over to Japan to spend the summer with his father, but things interrupt his adventures in Japan, finding himself caught in the middle of a hidden war that is about to explode. Racing against an impossible deadline, Kenny must find the fabled Sword of Heaven and use it to prevent the disaster, along with Kiyomi Harashima, together fighting off terrifying monsters along their way to find the Sword. Also finding their romance along the way, after some of Kiyomi’s feisty and sarcastic fits. The cliche shown here is the same explanation about fantasy cliches that Lizzy, the teacher, presented with a PowerPoint. A stereotypical plot about a semi hero that stumbles upon a task that he must complete to stop something along with a partner that they find romance in the end. Hero is now a full hero - he’s strong. However, this story, especially, is an anime cliche. The protagonist is a mere human or is a mere and average person, who knows, absolute, no combat skills, who stumbles upon an attractive, yet feisty and fearless girl along the way, and they venture together to defeat/stop a villain from claiming/destroying the world. Then the two find love.

Sword of Kuromori:

Overall, the media that is similar to my game’s cliches is Resident Evil 4 (Capcom, 2005) and Live Free or Die Hard (2007), because they consist of arrogance, which is Cooper’s downside of his traits. Therefore in this case, Sonic (SEGA, 1991-present) games would be most similar to Cooper Defence, because not only Sonic doesn’t contain as much romance as my game, but also Sonic is portrayed as quite arrogant, as he’s always confident in defeating any enemy that’s thrown at him and saving the princess (in some games), no matter the cost. Even though there’s no special beloved to save in my game, Cooper is confident enough to save his hometown from invasion - though, he successfully does the job.

Since I identified that my game conveys the cliche of a one-man-army hero, who’s certain that he can go up against an army of many enemies, which always appears too good to be true in the majority of different platforms of the media. However, I also realised that my game has the stereotypical hero who’s male, when the majority of games have male protagonists. But then supposedly, my target audience is masculine ages 7-11, otherwise, female players would be attracted to the game than male, because the game’s main character is female. Other than that, if I was to modify my plot of the game to avoid cliches, I would, perhaps, make the game evil - make Cooper the villain of the game, yet players play as him, and you play by collecting as much enemies as you can to be prepared to go against a hero who stands his ground to save the West. But, personally, I would not change anything, because I would find that my audience would enjoy the game as it is. If Cooper had his opposite personality, he wouldn’t be fun to play as, without his “fired up” smile and confidence, there’s no fun in completing the game’s objective. However, if this is how I explained my reasons for not changing the game’s plot, then this implies that I’m targeting at myself to create a fun game, and that’s what I intentionally wanted to make, to enable my audience to have fun and be happy with what they play.

Reference

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IGN (2018) ‘Red Dead Redemption in 5 Minutes’ YouTube. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wumxYqok3bQ [Accessed 15 September 2019].

IGN (2019) ‘Red Dead Redemption 2 in 5 Minutes’ YouTube. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO9WHHjhSr4 [Accessed 15 September 2019].

XD (2017) ‘Juicy Realm Gameplay Demo’ YouTube. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO4w3HP-610 [Accessed 15 September 2019].

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(From Google Images) Pocket Gamer (2018) Analysing Brawl Stars - the Schrodinger’s Cat of mobile gaming [Online]. Available from: https://images.app.goo.gl/WQqrpR3gypHdvYc89 [Accessed 16 September 2019].

(From Google Images) Reddit (2018) Before and After. How they looked before global [Online]. Available from: https://images.app.goo.gl/SHEKFpVPDjNpjjux7 [Accessed 16 September 2019].

Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Directed by Len Wiseman [DVD].

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Jason Rohan (2014) Sword of Kuromori, London: Nicholas Road.

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