Homework #1: Game Review

Due: 1/20

Choose a game and write a review of it. You can select a game that you've played and know well or a new game that you plan on playing too much over the weekend! It can be any type of game, including casual games, console and PC games.

Your review should be at least 2 pages long (but not more than 4, please). To receive full credit for your paper, your discussion should include (but not necessarily be limited to) each of the topics listed below. Also, think about what you've like and disliked in the reviews you've read before. Feel free to organize the paper however you like but remember that a review has to be informative and entertaining in order to hold the reader's attention.  When you give an opinion, back it up with evidence, such as examples of game play.  Your grade will be based on whether it is comprehensive (covers the items below), informative, entertaining, and has good support for your opinions and arguments. Pay particular attention to the concepts discussed in the "Funativity" and Barry's "Game Design" paper handed out in class.

You can find examples of game reviews at pcgamer.com and many other on-line gaming sites.

Submit your document to the webct2.emich.edu drop box for this assignment.

• Basic Information (a paragraph)
• Game Title
• Company or Author
• Type of game
• Price
• Minimum stated hardware requirements
• Minimum reasonable hardware requirements (if different)
• Game Summary (a paragraph or two)
• Quick Overview
• Story Line (if appropriate)
• Player's Role
• Installation
• User Interface
• Game Play
• Scoring
• Artwork
• Sound and Music
• Special Features
• Manual (if appropriate)
• Bugs (if you noticed any)
• Game Review
• What is good/fun about the game and why?
• What is bad/not fun about the game and why?
• How does it compare to similar games in the same genre?
• Why is it better or worse than similar games?
• What is the appropriate audience for this game?
• How well does it meet the reqirements of a "good design" as we discussed in the lectures related to the "Funativity" and Barry's "Game Design" paper? Talk about choices, convexities, and flow, and other concepts from the papers. the talk on game design. (Several paragraphs on this.)
• Summary
• Highlights
• Low Points
• Rating
• Epilogue
• Web resources related to this game