Intensity Curves

When a reviewer claims that a game has "no fat" or that it is "100 percent action" and they consider this a good thing it makes me cringe. Modern Warfare 2 was an example of a game that was praised for lacking "filler". Those who have played the single player campaign can attest that MW2 is all action. There is no repreive, no breather, no moment of reflection. And I am here to tell you that this is a bad thing. If one were to graph the intensity curve of a game it should look something like this -

 

The black line is Modern Warfare, while the green line is what we want to happen. Prolonged exposure to adversity is bad. Players will eventually become anxious, and will gain a tolerance to the intensity. It leads to a game where players become numb to the action, and tire out very quickly. A good game will keep a player hooked for hours. A game that is too intense, well, players will quickly turn away from it.

 

So the solution is to have multiple ups and downs. Have grand moments of intensity followed by quiet moments of release. Let the player deflate, catch his breath, and then gear him up for the next encounter by slowly increasing the tension. Humans naturally enjoy overcoming challenges, and adrenaline rushes are never a bad thing. The goal is to let a player overcome that challenge, and then present a reward, before slowing things down and then moving on.

 

So what are some examples of this type of game done right? A recent one would be Dead Space 2. In fact, survival horror games in general often have incredible pacing, especially ones that combine action with horror. Let's take a look at the first couple minutes of Dead Space 2. You start out in low intensity, as the game sets up the story in a series of cutscenes. You then get a huge rush as your doctor is killed and you are forced to flee or die. It's important to have a great opening hook in an action game. Something that is easy, but gets your blood pumping. The escape sequence is the perfect example of that. You can't die, but aggressive music, and violent visuals really ratchet things up. Eventually you get the plasma cutter and have to engage in some light combat. Again, this shouldn't be too difficult. You don't want the player to die in this situation because that will deflate the action, and ruin the momentum you are building. Finally you have a climactic experience and you get your reward (in this case your suit). Then you have some downtime where the story progresses and the horror elements are introduced. These momentary lapses of sanity are breathers. They let you put down the controller and watch Isaac go insane. Not a pleasant thing to watch, but not something that requires effort on the player's part.

 

Dead Space 2 breaks up the action with cutscenes, puzzles, or simple exploration. It get's the importance of calming the player down before turning the dial up to eleven. It's these moments of quiet that Modern Warfare 2 is missing. In fact a lot of modern shooters are missing it. Vanquish is a really recent example. It's a great game, but I eventually just stopped being impressed, because there was no reprieve and the developers just couldn't up the intensity any further.

 

If you are playing a game some time soon and find yourself tiring of it even though you haven't played for long, or maybe getting bored of it even though it is full of action, think about the amount of time the game has given you to catch your breath. These moments are the key to making an exciting and compelling game, and too many game designers seem to be missing this key ingredient.