Conjectures on Game Development

With the release of browser versions of classics like Doom and Hexen at Newgrounds, it is the perfect opportunity to assess the progress of game design.

The most obvious improvement on these games is the graphics. The incoming DirectX 10 graphics cards promise to render incredibly detailed textures at excellent speeds. This is leaps and bounds ahead of the Doom Engine that can only create a semblance of three dimensionality. However, when playing these older games it is easy to wonder if these graphical improvements are conducive to a more enjoyable game. Hexen combines eerie (if simple) sound with tight level construction in order to create a very atmospheric gaming experience. This is a marked difference from many contemporary FPS games such as F.E.A.R. that have relied more heavily on graphical brilliance than competent level construction.

The second most obvious change is based in the style of game that was demanded in the days of Wolfenstein and Doom. Hexen is a very linear game that forces the player down a certain path with very little chance for deviation or player imagination. This is somewhat alleviated by the secret chambers all of these games used to encourage exploration. However, contemporary games such as the Grand Theft Auto series create a far more open-ended "sandbox" experience. While these approaches are different, neither is necessarily better than the other. Linear games allow developers to set tone and create more challenging environments and non-linear games allow the player to make more meaningful decisions and connections to characters. Combinations of these styles have been attempted with varying success and perhaps the most appealing games are the ones that encourage the player to "choose" the linear path designed by the developer. 

At the base of both of these conjectures is the importance of video game heritage. The PC has proven itself the most adaptable and enduring gaming platform. With advances in technology, changes in game design are inevitable. But we must not forget why the PC became such an appealing gaming medium. For games like Doom to be successful, developers like id Software had to create brilliant maps and game mechanics and while that is no longer a necessity these precepts would help many struggling contemporary FPS companies.

But at least we can now go back and play these classics, even if developers have forgotten the lessons they taught.

-The English Student