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Atmosphere in Games - Part 1 - Introduction
Different people play games for different reasons. Some people play for gameplay alone, for a sense of mastery, progression and accomplishment. Some play as a competitive sport. Some people are very...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 2 - Visuals
A modern game's graphics, particularly in the AAA field, tend to spell everything out- nothing tends to be left blind. It's not so much about the level of detail as it is a kind of constant flashiness...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 3 - Sound
(Courtesy of Bobby Owsinsky and the Mastering Engineer's Handbook) There is a tendency for sound to pour from every orifice of a game, particularly in the AAA field now. You don't just have background...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 4 - Music
There are certain games which use music as a game mechanic, which is fun, and makes sense for a game where the fourth wall doesn't matter - however mostly games use music as an emotional undercurrent...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 5 - Unique Gameplay Mechanics
I've always hated gameplay which detracts from atmosphere and this is particularly rife nowadays. Gameplay often feels gimicky today - has a twist, a 'unique' component to make it stand out from the...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 6 - Skinnerboxing and Gameplay
I'm writing this article with a preconception that most people reading will have an awareness of what a skinnerbox is and how it relates to gaming. If you do not understand this, please watch the...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 7 - Realism in Games
[center]They need to get out more[/center] Gameplay which contributes to a sense of atmosphere tends to involve realism - but not 'realism' in the way we tend to think of it regularly, but being real...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 8 - World design and level progression
What's the point in having a game look and sound great if it doesn't look and sound consistent? Again, this depends on what you're developing the game for and to feel like. But if you want some...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 9 - Narrative, Script and Voice Acting
[center][/center] We've all heard terrible voice-acting. We've all read terrible dialogue. I'm not sure which is worse, but obviously something's got to be done about it. You can't just walk out of a...
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Atmosphere in Games - Part 10 - The Overview
[center][/center] So how do we wrap this up? What constitutes an atmospheric game? As noted, it's more about leaving things out than in. It's more about thinking things through before the player comes...
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