Funy and simple...
First of all, let me point out the good aspects of the game...
The concept works, just like the good ol' fashion arcade shooters.
The game has a good build-up along with the balance. You start out with a simple
hand gun to shoot a few enemies to get familiar (again) with the game concept.
Good choice for adding a Choice Element to the game that increases the replay
value to it. Each level, the tension rises which gives the player a new challenge
every level. This keeps the player's attention and it functions as motivation. The
player will be curious about what challenge lies within the next level... Also
getting powerful weapons (and different ones that depend on your choice)
makes it more interesting.
BUT, however... Everytime you gain a new weapon, you end up only shooting
with the the latest (powerful) one. I've tried to switch between weapons on
some points just to see if it would pay off. The weapons don't seem to have
their own advantage (and / or disadvantage) that encourages the player to
switch between his arsenal.
Too bad you stick with the same concept without trying to vary (enough) with
other gameplay elements like side challenges. If I'm correct, I did see some sort
of Bonus stage comming by "Get at least 85% Accuracy". I cleared the challenge,
but without real noticable outcome, actually I didn't know what my reward was...
Another thing on the weapons... I wander if you've prototyped the shooting
system before using it. It just didn't feel 100% correct, I missed Headshot while
I was surely convinced that I was standing right in front of them when I shot
them in the face... I noticed that the guns had a varying offset while I was aiming.
Did you find this necessary for the design? (Just as a question for yourself)
What is the additional value to the game by adding this to the game? How do
the players respond to it?
The same thing with the Weapon Upgrades... What is additional value of these
upgrades? Is the accuracy improved? What function does a Silenced weapon
have? Does it affect my accuracy? Can I remove this feature from my weapon?
These are some questions you can ask yourself as a Designer. Don't forget to
prototype your designs before you are sure about the effects of it and what
your own intention to the game is.
So the concept works, it kept my attention through the whole game. Only there
was no reason for me to play it again (not even for the other weapons)...
It was fun while it lasted, so I give it a 7.
Remember, I judge on skill level (NOT on professional level).
Keep creating new things, experiment with new concepts and be sure to
test 'em first before publishing it. =)
Please let me know what you think of this feedback. If you're interested I can
give you more in-depth feedback about the game and other tips about Game
Design if you like... Feel free to PM me anytime... ^___^
Regards,
Erik van Wees