Analyzing Game Engines: Unreal Engine 3

 

Proceeded by: Unreal 1, 2
Succeeded by: Unreal 4
Developer: Epic Games
Release Date: 2004
Games used: DmC: Devil May Cry, Mass Effect series

The Unreal Engine 3 is the third and current generation of the engine. It is currently being used by the Xbox 360, PS3 and the Wii U.  Its renderer uses  many advanced techniques including HDRR, per-pixel lighting, and dynamic shadows. It also builds on the tools available in previous versions. In October 2011, the engine was ported to support Adobe Flash Player 11 through the Stage 3D hardware-accelerated APIs. Epic has used this version of the engine for their in-house games. Aggressive licensing of this iteration has garnered a great deal of support from many prominent licensees. Epic has announced that Unreal Engine 3 runs on both Windows 8 and Windows RT.

It will be succeeded by the Unreal Engine 4 that will target the eighth generation consoles (PS4, Xbox one). One of the major features of UE4 is real-time global illumination using voxel cone tracing, eliminating pre-computed lighting. UE4 also features new developer features to reduce iteration time and allow direct updating of C++ code. New features of the debugger for "Kismet" (a visual scripting engine that debuted in UE3) allow developers to directly visualize code while testing. The developer can then jump to the source code and edit it in Visual Studios. Elements in the game can be clicked on directly to more easily change the game world. This also ultimately results in less of a divide between technical artist, a designer, and a programmer. The result is a reduced time to compile code and allows game creators to tweak settings in real time
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Analyzing: Machinarium

I just got finished playing the demo of Machinarium on Amanita Design's website and came away with a strange feeling about the game. The game is a flash based hybrid of point and click adventure with a touch of platforming and puzzle solving. You play a little robot that landed into the little ravine and as soon you have control you have your first puzzle pulling the main character back together. You could pick up items around the level to help you with your goal and sometimes you have to combine them to get through.

Also be prepared to use the hint button a lot, as the game does not tell you what you need to do, and if want the answer you have to play a Gradius like shooting game to unlock the answers. The music is calm and gives the atmosphere whimsical feel to the game. Sound effects a limited to metal clanging and beeps and machine hums. It was challenging and somewhat fun, but I doubt I would play it again.

Analying Post-1990 Games: Pokemon Y

If you grew up in the 90s like I did then you know there was three big things that made the decade as a kid. Toonami if you had Cartoon Network, Power Rangers when you were a little kids and more importantly Pokemon. Why am I waxing nostalgic? Because yesterday I just received the latest in the Pokemon series. The game is the same as you grew up with, you are a kid from a small town leaving home for the first time, you go to your local professor and get your first pokemon of three types Water, Fire, and Grass. You face off against gym leaders, villinous teams and your rival...not very different right? Wrong.

This time the adventure is in full 3d, that's right no more sprites. The camera moves and pulls in dynamic giving the game feeling of  life. If your a veteran of the series you will not have a hard time...but there is more than enough content to keep it interesting. And with they ability to catch 450 pokemon...just in-game you will have lots to do. The soundtrack and sounds have all been upgraded with even  some tracks old fans will recognized. Gamefreak has put a lot of love in the game making pokemon a different experience....now if only they can give us difficulty levels....

Pokemon XY Gameplay

Analyzing Pre-1990 Videogames: Castlevania

Developer: Konami
Platform:  Famicom Disk System/ NES
Release Date: September 26, 1986 (JP)/ May 1, 1987 (NA)
Genre: Platforming

Castlevania is the first game in the Castlevania series. It follow the story of Simon Belmont, a vampire hunter who is on the hunt for the lord of vampires himself, Dracula. Simon's tools of trade are holy daggers, holy water and his trusty whip...which has become iconic for the series. In Dracula's castle, he faces enemies from the undead, witches, and werewolves. The game itself is a platformer, comprised of six levels in a linear progression.  The player controls Simon Belmont throughout the game. The A button allows Simon Belmont to jump just like other platformer games, like in super mario bros ., but he can only jump straight up, left, or right; there is no midair control. 

There are many stairs located throughout the levels, but rather than simply pressing left or right to step up them, the player must initially press up on the directional pad. His primary mode of attack is via his whip by pressing the B button, which can be upgraded twice by obtaining special items throughout the course of the game which change it into a chain whip and extend its length. In addition, various "sub-weapons" can be obtained which provide different means of attack. By breaking chandelier and certain other items located throughout the castle, Simon collects "'hearts," which are then used as ammunition for the sub-weapon that he possesses.  Simon can carry only one sub-weapon at a time. The player can use a sub-weapon by simultaneously pressing "up" and B on the controller. 

The game operates on a mixture of a health and lives system, meaning unlike game such as Ghost 'n Goblins and Super Mario Bros. you won't die from one hit. Instead when you get hit, you take damage...however whenever you receives damage, he is knocked back a distance, increasing the challenge as this may lead to him falling down into a pit below which instantly kill you. He is not knocked back when on stairs. Each of Castlevania's six levels conclude with a boss battle: and as you might have guessed these bosses are generally taken from horror literature or legend, for example you can fight Igor, Frankenstein's Monster or even Medusa. 

GAMEPLAY VIDEO
Castlevania