Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 522 A Purely Scrap Game

Therefore, under normal circumstances, it is still a massive grind game.

The same applies to "Final Squad". Although it seems like there are a lot of equipment to farm, in reality, there is only one way to farm: equipment. However, based on this equipment, three branches are given.

From largest to smallest, these correspond to different rewards for completing a set: equipment rarity, equipment set, and affixes.

If you give people points to play, you should give them points to enjoy.

Take the famous loot-based game "Warframe" as an example; the core loot mod cards significantly impact the player experience.

The same stomp skill, without an amplification (MOD) card, might only affect a few meters around the target, but with a MOD, it can affect tens or even hundreds of meters.

The feeling of stomping an enemy so thoroughly that they're barely visible is incomparably exhilarating.

As for "Final Front: Squad".

The most enjoyable part of the entire game happens to be the first tutorial, where you grind monsters without any equipment, and then enter the game again with equipment.

Because at this time.

The feeling that players' equipment gives is completely different.

The first wave of six-legged robots was melted almost instantly upon spawning, without even a chance to get close.

Their fragile bodies were torn to pieces by the intertwined fire lines, turning into blue experiential energy that rushed into the data analyzer in the upper left corner.

Is this the charm of equipment? I love it!

[Don't move, streamer. I feel like they could beat it even if they played it themselves.]

The reactions of the viewers in the live chat perfectly mirrored Kenta Yamada's feelings at that moment.

This feeling is amazing.

He only equipped each person with one or two basic white and blue accessories, but the in-game experience felt like going from fighting with wooden sticks to being mowed down by machine guns.

The swift death of each enemy, the crisp echo of each gunshot, constantly stimulated his nerves.

This is what Chu Chen meant by "feedback with perception".

Every bit of improvement you make can be clearly felt in the next battle.

This positive feedback loop is simple, crude, yet incredibly effective.

Soon, several larger shield-bearing omnics spawned on the map, advancing steadily while carrying heavy energy shields. In the previous round, these guys were quite troublesome, requiring either flanking maneuvers or focused fire to slowly whittle down their shields' durability.

This time, however, after a few concentrated shots, the guns of the three AI teammates instantly turned, merging with A-017's crosshairs. The four tracer bullet trajectories twisted into a deadly brace, slamming hard into the energy shield of the foremost shield soldier.

The seemingly indestructible energy shield from the previous round is now like glass being blasted by a high-pressure water jet.

Om-!
The shield first flickered violently, bursting out blinding electric light, and energy ripples spread wildly across its surface.

Just one second later, accompanied by a sharp, agonizing cry of despair, the entire energy shield shattered and turned into countless points of light.

The omnic behind the shield didn't even have time to react before it was instantly engulfed by the subsequent torrent of bullets and exploded into a pile of burning parts.

"Cool!"

Kenta Yamada couldn't help but speak up again.

From grinding the shield to breaking it and then killing the enemy, the entire process takes no more than three seconds.

This kind of exhilarating feeling is actually hard to experience in ordinary online games. After all, if you make players level up so quickly and have such a great time in online games, how can you charge money later?

But this is a single-player game.

Moreover, it's a spin-off single-player game, and it only costs 69 yuan.

The estimated time to complete the entire story and the normal difficulty map is 2 to 3 hours. During these 3 hours, players will feel a significant increase in combat power with each run, and the sense of satisfaction will accumulate continuously.

It doesn't matter if there isn't a corresponding set.

Because the normal difficulty level is designed for players to enjoy.

However, after you've finished grinding for two or three hours, you'll find that you're completely familiar with the rules and the system. Then, this grinding game is actually just beginning.

Take Yamada, for example, at this moment.

After grinding for two hours, he successfully completed the game. However, at the same time, the second level, "Abandoned Weather Station," was also unlocked.

Unlike the first level, the "Abandoned Weather Station" level has a small note below its icon. Essentially, it states that the Abandoned Weather Station is a difficult map with a low probability of dropping [Dark Gold] level equipment. Additionally, completing the level unlocks humanoid equipment.

In addition to the original five-piece set, a humanoid tactical chip has been added.

"Huh? Dark gold, a tactical chip?"

Although there were two more things to grind, after the two hours of grinding, Yamada was now more excited.

Almost instantly, I had the urge to play another round.

This "just one more round and then I'll go to sleep" mentality is the common magic of all excellent grinding games.

~~~
Yamada wasn't the only one taking another chance; Famitsu's reviewers did too.

Takayuki Imagawa, editor-in-chief of Famitsu, refreshed the webpage with some frustration. The screen displayed the real-time popularity rankings of various game forums and social media.

at this point in time.

The focus of major social media platforms in Japan has been on "Final Front: Squad".

"Sales exceeded 2.5 million units within three hours of release..."

"Topped the Apple App Store charts in seven countries, with a 92% positive review rate from players, receiving 'Very Positive' rating!"

However, Imagawa's frustration wasn't because StarCraft's game had sold like hotcakes again.

The reason is very simple.

As a game with a strong IP and a low price, even if it's garbage, it will sell like hotcakes first and then be criticized. So, the source of Takayuki Imagawa's frustration is not that StarCraft is a hit again, but that other media outlets have already given their reviews.

IGN Japan: 9.2 points, an amazing addictive cycle!

Dengeki Game: Stardust redefines the thrill of 'grinding games'!

Famitsu's official website still displays yesterday's news.

"Tanaka!" Imagawa Takayuki couldn't help but raise his voice.

"Has the first draft been completed? We need to determine the tone of the evaluation as soon as possible."

When Tanaka Kenichi heard this voice, his body trembled slightly.

"It's coming, it's coming soon."

Normally, Kenichi Tanaka writes very quickly, but the problem is that this time he got carried away with the game. The original plan was to play for an hour, give a preliminary review, and then continue playing to write an in-depth review.

But they ended up playing for three hours straight.

If Imagawa Takayuki hadn't come to arrest him, Tanaka Kenichi would probably still be playing games right now.

This situation is actually very rare. You should know that Kenichi Tanaka is almost 40 years old this year, and he almost never touches games after work.

It is already in the "electronic YW" state.

Furthermore, Kenichi Tanaka wasn't particularly fond of the Final Battlefront IP, but the charm of loot-based games lies in their purest "feedback" and purest "satisfaction."

His answer was somewhat vague, and his gaze unconsciously drifted back to his own screen.

Although I got so engrossed in the game that the review took a little longer.

But two hours of exhilarating fun not only allowed him to assemble a complete set of mixed-and-matched gear, but also gave him a thorough understanding of the system's appeal.

Every launch, every upgrade, and every replacement of parts brings the most direct positive feedback.

This feeling is like constantly replacing high-performance parts in an old car; with each ignition, the engine roar becomes more pleasant and powerful.

"...The biggest hurdle in traditional grind games lies in the delay of positive feedback. Players may need to spend dozens of hours to collect a set of equipment and experience a qualitative change."

"The Last Squad cleverly splits growth into two lines: inside and outside the game."

"The three-card selection in the game allows players to build a temporary strategy in just a few minutes and enjoy the thrill of 'mastering the ultimate skill'."

"Overall, Final Frontline Squad is a game with a very clear target audience. It is not suitable for players who are looking for grand narratives and complex storylines."

"But if you're a 'grinder' who enjoys the pure pleasure of watching stats improve, gear upgrades, and enemies melt, then congratulations, StarCraft has served you a feast."

(End of this chapter)