Learning Curve on new games.

[Audio]

Hey Escapist peeps o/

I'm doing some research into how (and what) games teach us while we play. I was wondering if you guys can help me out by highlighting some games I've not played.

What i mean by learning curve is how well and how much the game tests you; gives you new skills/weapons to learn. The best example i can think of is Legend of Zelda games. You find a boomerang in the dungeon, you learn how to hit multiple switches with it & collect rupees; then you get the boss which requires you to use what you have learnt. Metroid games do the same but seems to require you to more then Zelda. These learning curves are progressive and really helps keep the motivation and exploration.

I have recently got Magicka (steam deal !) and found it very brutal to start off with. I am aware that it was designed for multiplay but still; going off on your own to practice and the game saying: "experiment on your own" is quite harsh. It has taken me some time to find combinations that i like and use effectively. (ARSE mines ... fantastic) Because of this, i am really enjoying the challenge. The game is forcing me to memorize the bigger spells, be aware of elements/alignments i am using and plan on survival. (unless friends 'accidently' cross beams *facepalm*) I would consider this a steep learning curve but I look forward to being tested.. Is this because I'm an old gamer being used to the savage NES/SNES/Genesis games in the past?

What i would like from you guys are examples of good and bad learning curves.
- Which games throw you into the deep end
- Which games hold your hand
and do you prefer one? such as: is it rewarding to survive the deep end? Is it annoying or comforting to have time to experiment?

Thanks in advance guys =)

 

[ramboondiea]

darksiders, good learning curve, basically just loz with a bigger link.

wither 2- until the tutorial was added, the game had an awful learning curve.

resonance of fate- mix of both, it gives you the option of a hafty tutorial whih explains pretty much everything you need to know for the first several hours, but its entirely optional and miss-able,

mass effect 2 basically keeps reminding you what to do and how to play the entire way through it

the baconing- lets you do almost anything from the beginning but will eventually explain it all,

i personally prefer games that have some natural form of progression to them, if a game just drops me in and expets me to be mister awesome or if i have no idea how to use the controls or the things it gives me i get annoyed, a game is poorly de3signed if you need to google solutions

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Persona 2: Innocent Sin is a great example. It just got released Stateside, but it was originally released in 1999. It shows. The game throws you to the wolves and expects you to figure out game mechanics on your own after barely introducing them. The learning curve for games has dropped considerably since then.

 

[Audio]

I always felt World of Warcraft did a good job with the learning curve. Picking it up after a long break and you forget how many frigging buttons you have to work with. When you start, you get lots of time to practice and learn when best to use them. By the time you get the hang on it, you'll get some more skills.

I'm also wondering how Arcade games use learning curves. (presuming you bothered to watch the quick tutorial before shoving money in it). I've seen plenty of people die after 5 or so zombies in 'The House of the Dead' because they fail to learn the reloading system and aiming for the head.
There will be situations where it gives you explosives and shortly after getting it, you will have a cluster of baddies: that is the lesson. learn it or die