I'd like to talk about "game feel" through the lens of Splatoon, trying to break it down into its component parts. But feel free to break down other games, as well.
What do I mean by game feel? Game feel, at its best, is when it's a joy simply to move around. It's something special you feel from the moment you push the stick... tilt the pad... tap a button... or squeeze a trigger. Every input is inherently satisfying. It could be due to immediacy of control, wind-up and cool-down, animation and effects, sound cues, or other forms of feedback.
For me, with Splatoon, I think it's some combination of the following:
- The tight jumps in kid form: Sure, they pale in comparison to the lunging leaps you make as a squid. But the kid can still jump over the head of another kid, with a degree of air control that is precise and on point. It just feels right hopping from platform to platform. I find myself doing parkour from pole to pole in the plaza!
- The visualization of shooting: The torrent of ink is thick and chunky and disperses in the air. The arc is clearly visible, giving the bullets a strong sense of motion. It truly feels like you're expelling something into the world.
- The sense of impact: The way enemies swell and burst like water balloons, their weapons collapsing into pieces. The way bombs also inflate and implode, a visual cue (along with the high-pitched audio cue) to leap out of the way.
- The sense of layering: The way ink splashes and congeals on the ground, with a real sense of density and depth as it layers over itself. It feels like you're "building" upon the foundation of the stage. Like you're adding something more tangible than a mere "texture."
- The sense of swimming: Or rather skimming — a unique sensation in games. You swim just below the surface, at a high rate of speed. It's accentuated by the trail of ripples you leave in your wake (which can give away your location, so swim with care). And the way the audio muffles when you're submerged makes it feel like a separate place, safe and subdued.
- The kerplunk sound: This can be heard when you dive into your ink from a great height. It sounds like a golfball landing in the water. It's something many people won't consciously notice, but it still creates a sense of weight and impact.
- The frantic wriggling up walls: It really feels like you're fighting gravity, popping in and out of a painted vertical surface in an attempt to climb as quickly as possible. The payoff is a sniper perch or better vantage point from which to paint, but the risk is being shot as you climb. Tension, and release.
- The trails carved by blasts: This is particular to certain types of projectiles. A sniper snot from a charger... A cyclone from an inkzooka. The way they carve long, streaking pathways through a field of enemy ink is incredibly satisfying.
- Speed-based ink-skipping: The opening gambit of each match often sees players streaking trails and diving into them, blazing forward. They'll leap obstacles in squid form, clearing gaps with enough momentum. One can even maneuver minefields of enemy ink, skipping from puddle to puddle. This one-two setup — run and gun, swim and leap — creates a certain rhythm that reminds me of bunny hills on a rollercoaster — zipping forward, popping up, falling down, popping up, and zipping forward again.
- The triple-analog aiming: The game can be played in dual-analog, but I think most people will play with both sticks -and- gyro. The optional use of gyro allows for a degree of aiming and camera control that is so seamless it becomes an extension of the mind. Subtle wrist movements (on the scale of centimeters) translate to motions that are sweeping yet precise. You can zero in on moving targets with KBM-like accuracy and speed. It feels good just to aim.
There's more, such as the HUD element of the score counter climbing higher as you spread ink, and the visual feedback of your team's ink spreading (or shrinking) on the GamePad screen and your TV. But above are some of the key points I think make this game feel so good at a core level.
What makes Splatoon work for you (assuming it does)? What elements do you see in other games with good "game feel?"
What do I mean by game feel? Game feel, at its best, is when it's a joy simply to move around. It's something special you feel from the moment you push the stick... tilt the pad... tap a button... or squeeze a trigger. Every input is inherently satisfying. It could be due to immediacy of control, wind-up and cool-down, animation and effects, sound cues, or other forms of feedback.
For me, with Splatoon, I think it's some combination of the following:
- The tight jumps in kid form: Sure, they pale in comparison to the lunging leaps you make as a squid. But the kid can still jump over the head of another kid, with a degree of air control that is precise and on point. It just feels right hopping from platform to platform. I find myself doing parkour from pole to pole in the plaza!
- The visualization of shooting: The torrent of ink is thick and chunky and disperses in the air. The arc is clearly visible, giving the bullets a strong sense of motion. It truly feels like you're expelling something into the world.
- The sense of impact: The way enemies swell and burst like water balloons, their weapons collapsing into pieces. The way bombs also inflate and implode, a visual cue (along with the high-pitched audio cue) to leap out of the way.
- The sense of layering: The way ink splashes and congeals on the ground, with a real sense of density and depth as it layers over itself. It feels like you're "building" upon the foundation of the stage. Like you're adding something more tangible than a mere "texture."
- The sense of swimming: Or rather skimming — a unique sensation in games. You swim just below the surface, at a high rate of speed. It's accentuated by the trail of ripples you leave in your wake (which can give away your location, so swim with care). And the way the audio muffles when you're submerged makes it feel like a separate place, safe and subdued.
- The kerplunk sound: This can be heard when you dive into your ink from a great height. It sounds like a golfball landing in the water. It's something many people won't consciously notice, but it still creates a sense of weight and impact.
- The frantic wriggling up walls: It really feels like you're fighting gravity, popping in and out of a painted vertical surface in an attempt to climb as quickly as possible. The payoff is a sniper perch or better vantage point from which to paint, but the risk is being shot as you climb. Tension, and release.
- The trails carved by blasts: This is particular to certain types of projectiles. A sniper snot from a charger... A cyclone from an inkzooka. The way they carve long, streaking pathways through a field of enemy ink is incredibly satisfying.
- Speed-based ink-skipping: The opening gambit of each match often sees players streaking trails and diving into them, blazing forward. They'll leap obstacles in squid form, clearing gaps with enough momentum. One can even maneuver minefields of enemy ink, skipping from puddle to puddle. This one-two setup — run and gun, swim and leap — creates a certain rhythm that reminds me of bunny hills on a rollercoaster — zipping forward, popping up, falling down, popping up, and zipping forward again.
- The triple-analog aiming: The game can be played in dual-analog, but I think most people will play with both sticks -and- gyro. The optional use of gyro allows for a degree of aiming and camera control that is so seamless it becomes an extension of the mind. Subtle wrist movements (on the scale of centimeters) translate to motions that are sweeping yet precise. You can zero in on moving targets with KBM-like accuracy and speed. It feels good just to aim.
There's more, such as the HUD element of the score counter climbing higher as you spread ink, and the visual feedback of your team's ink spreading (or shrinking) on the GamePad screen and your TV. But above are some of the key points I think make this game feel so good at a core level.
What makes Splatoon work for you (assuming it does)? What elements do you see in other games with good "game feel?"
. Some people may disagree that sound effects are important to how a game feels, but it's right up there with character weight and animation for me.
