Movement is at the core of many games’ gameplay. While some game genres are more intimately connected to movement than others, games in all genres often attempt to nail their specific movement mechanics for more fluid and enjoyable gameplay. This dedication to strong movement could take the form of smooth run animations, tightly controlled platforming, or approachable 2D movement. And such thoughtful execution of a game’s movement is worthwhile because its other mechanics cannot be fully capitalized upon if jittery or unrefined movement gets in the way. Movement is games is typically a form of game feel, referring to an overall punchiness of a game’s functions. With game feel, flying is replaced by soaring, swimming is instead propelling, and originally bland movement evolves into inherently enjoyable and meaningful gameplay. Much of the player’s time in games is spent moving his/her character, and the rewards of strong movement help cement that playtime as worthwhile.
Inherently satisfying
Even simple movement can be richly savorable. In the rhythm-based indie game Crypt of the Necrodancer, the player’s character moves to the beat of music. The player can move up, down, left, or right on a 2D plane. It might appear strange, then, how such simple, if not limited, movement options can entertain the player. And such movement would be boring if it were not executed to the beat of a changing rhythm. Each song in Crypt of the Necrodancer is, in the strictest of terms, an absolute bop. By blending such enjoyable music with character movement, the movement becomes inherently satisfying regardless of its inherent simplicity. As a result, Crypt of the Nerecrodancer enables the player to conduct their character through a rhythm-based dance in battle. That description sounds much more enjoyable than merely moving up, down, left, or right. Blending movement with music is a simple, yet influential design choice that establishes Crypt of the Necromancer’s intrinsically entertaining movement as a unique, engaging, and fresh gameplay experience.
Simplicity also aids Pokémon Emerald’s movement by keeping the protagonist easy to see. When the player instructs the protagonist to move, the camera seamlessly keeps the character in the center of the screen. Whether the protagonist is walking, running, swimming, or cycling, he/she is almost always in the center of the screen. This consistency across movement prevents jarring transitions between screens. Although a classic game, The Legend of Zelda features choppy transitions from one screen to the next, which is an assault on the senses that impedes gameplay. Pokémon Emerald prevented such arduous transitions by keeping the protagonist’s movement locked. As a result, movement does not impede the player’s progress. The protagonist’s groundedness on the screen regardless of movement is a straightforward, yet influential design choice that helps the player enjoy the game. While Crypt of the Necromancer engenders inherently satisfying gameplay through its movement, Pokémon Emerald’s locked movement prevents abrupt transitions from muddling the game’s other intrinsically satisfying gameplay mechanics.
Differentiation
Strong movement can help differentiate a game from the many others in its genre. First person shooters are one such genre largely stricken with indistinguishability among its games. Whether the aim is to shoot gangs, zombies, or aliens with a sniper, handgun, or rifle, almost every first person shooter uses the same cover system with movement. With this cover system, the player progresses until enemies are seen, at which point the player quickly hides behind cover for a defensive advantage. This process of movement then hiding, although not inherently poor in design, has been lazily copied and pasted into a myriad of first person shooters. This design trend’s omnipresence is exactly why movement in Titanfall 2 received critical praise. Freeform and agile, movement in Titanfall 2 features zippy wall running where the player deftly navigates flat walls to pierce enemy lines. This movement mechanic enables rich strategic implications with flanking procedures and stealth attacks; far different from the standard procedure of move, cover, then shoot. To encourage the player for this wall movement, Titanfall 2’s main character has deplorably low health. As a result, the player cannot engage the game like a standard first person shooter; instead, he/she must utilize the wall movement mechanics to avoid enemy fire, stay hidden, and neutralize enemies. As a result, Titanfall 2 created an inventive kind of movement that separated itself from the genre’s swath of self-same shooters.
While Titanfall 2’s movement differentiated itself from other games in its genre, unique movement can additionally distinguish games from others in its series. Super Mario 64, for instance, not only revolutionized 3D movement, but additionally began a new kind of Mario games in 3D. Previous entries in the Mario franchise excelled at 2D platforming fun. It remains a profound accomplishment, then, for Mario 64 to retain that platforming fun to this day, but in a more complex, 3D environment. Critics have long praised Mario 64 for its movement. Its lead developer, the iconic Shigeru Miyamoto, specifically began the game by developing Mario’s core movement instead of the game’s many level layouts. His intention to successfully create a rewarding 3D movement system that did not confuse the player paid dividends. Much like with Crypt of the Necrodancer, movement in Mario 64 is engaging and inherently satisfying, yet with added openness and movement variety. In 2D Mario games, Mario could move, run, jump, swim, and sometimes fly in limited ways. From the movement variability that 3D more easily enables, these movement options were expanded upon. For example, while 2D Mario could jump, 3D Mario can jump, double jump, triple jump, long jump, side jump, etc. These new movement possibilities helped mark a new age of Mario games while additionally creating the first widely successful 3D platformer.
Gameplay variety
Gameplay variety is similar to the previous point of diversification because they both aim to create a unique gameplay experience. Such novelty helps prevent burnout while additionally enabling new ways to have fun through gameplay. Kirby Air Ride’s exciting City Trial mode enabled such gameplay variety through kart selection and random minigame choice. In City Trial, the player has a few minutes to find a more powerful kart and enhance it through stat buffs. Each kart that the player finds offers wildly different pros and cons. While the Rex Wheelie, for example, endures slow acceleration for high top speeds and size, the Shadow Star sacrifices defense for speed and offensive capabilities. When on a chosen kart, the following gameplay is completely different because of the new kart’s movement. No longer is the player riding the slow, default Compact Star; now, he/she is riding a faster, more specialized ride. This new movement plays a big role into the mode’s next act: the randomly chosen minigame. Minigames could test karts’ flight capabilities, ground speed, fighting prowess, and more. Because the randomly chosen minigame benefits a particular type of kart movement, the player is tasked with making the most out of his/her chosen ride. Each kart’s unique characteristics dramatically impact minigame performance, thereby varying minigame gameplay. Even if the player finds and uses the same kart every time, the variance in minigames that are experienced will result in enjoyable gameplay diversity by rewarding different types of movement. By varying its movement through karts and minigames, Kirby Air Ride’s City Trial mode creates a fresh gameplay loop with unexpected turns to keep the player coming back for more gameplay possibilities.
Fulfill the game’s purpose
The previous entries mainly illustrated the implications of character movement, yet other kinds of movement in games exist. Although Captain Toad in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker has limited movement, freeform movement of the game’s camera allows the player to enjoy the designers’ intended puzzle box gameplay. In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Captain Toad is ironically not the main entity that the player controls; instead, the player more commonly turns the camera to see more of the level’s intricate layout. Once this layout is understood, the player merely conducts Captain Toad along the desired course. And the game’s camera movement is not complex either, but it does allow the player to engage some crafty puzzle-solving. As a result, the simplicity behind Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s camera controls removes additional hurdles that zoom or enemy mapping features could impose onto the player. And because the game is intended for mostly younger children, the simplicity behind its camera movement helps allow its younger target audience to enjoy the game in an understandable and intuitive way. Simplicity can be golden, especially for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s camera because it enables the player to savor rich puzzle box gameplay, subsequently realizing the game’s ultimate purpose.
Conclusion
Movement is a core component of games, thereby making its successful execution a ubiquitous goal for game designers. While some games, such as Mario 64, strive to create varied and dynamic movement, other games, such as Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, aim to enable simple forms of movement to not impede or overcomplicate gameplay. The choice of movement should align with the game’s ultimate goal. Platformers typically include dynamic movement potential, racing games commonly include breakneck movement, and strategy games frequently prioritize puzzle-solving gameplay over movement complexity. By establishing fitting movement, games can enable rich gameplay to intrigue and challenge the player with the mechanical implications of their movement. Although games typically prioritize different components, the importance of movement is largely set in stone.
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