Chapter Three Book Work

So I am supposed to take game with a specific camera system and imagine it with a different setup.  Hmm, which game to choose?  Well today I will go for a game series that is a lot of fun Ratchet and Clank.  I will refer to the specific title Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty.  This is a third-person setup, lots of 3D platforming, not too difficult puzzles, lots of laughs and of course loads of enemies to dispatch.  Yes there is a zoom mode that you can look around first-person but this is not used too often, but does giver you a glimpse into an overall change in camera.  Now lets tinker with the design.

If we can imagine taking this game into first-person view things would need to change quite a bit.  First platform jumping in first person is never a fun thing.  It is more difficult to judge distance and when to jump.  This would put a damper on the level layouts and would for the most part need to be redesigned.  Especially the rail sliding events.  This would be too difficult to make the timed leaps while having to look at two different rails at the same time with only one point of view.  In first-person view the beautiful scenery would, for me,  not be as apparent.  This view would put you in a tunnel of sorts and you would notice less of the environment around you.  The games imagery is as much a part of the overall experience as the game play.  The animated interaction with objects would be missed as well.  When you go to climb up the air turbine towers you would not see yourself clinging to the sides.

Shooting directly at enemies would not be difficult and might be a little easier.  The difficulty would come in dealing with multiple combatants from different directions.  In third-person you can make out where you are getting him from a easier.  Also you would get to miss out on your character holding those funky weapons blowing things to bits.

After looking at these items you can see where I am going with this “what if” scenario.  Signature items like the platforming, puzzles and animation would take a back seat to a specific camera system.  Now I do love my first-person shooter games, but  Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty is not designed for that.  It is perfect as a third-person camera setup.  This allows for the most interaction and fun.  Overall the designers took the correct approach to the game design.