The Sense of Progression

Games have evolved so much over the years. This piece is not to discuss the good and bad things about that evolution. Instead, it's something one Justin McElroy mentioned in the last episode of the Joystiq Podcast. "The sense of progression." I feel much the same, whereas I want something to (no pun intended) progress towards. It goes both ways, in online multiplayer games, and single player games.

pro*gre*sion
[pruh-gresh-uhn]
-noun
1. The act of progressin; forward or onward movement

In a single player game, progression is generally moving forward with the story. But moving away from story driven games, you have your arcade games, such as Namco Collection. The progression there is more or less defined by a "high score chase". I still see that as a form of progression, as you are moving up the leaderboard the better you get at the game.

However, using a game I personally like and an example they used on their podcast, Pixeljunk Eden, there is no real sense of progression there. Since there is no story, you are merely unlocking new areas to play in. Again, I love that game, but without a sense of progression, I have no drive to play it anymore. I got past the halfway point, then moved on to another game. Is not beating the game enough anymore? I could go back and play the game for trophies, but there are just to many games out there that I have had no interest in playing the game again. Again, it is not a bad game. I explained it as a "chill out game". Of course, the further you get, the more stressful the game becomes, and it looses that charm. Did they really need to ramp up the difficulty that much? I realize some people wanted a challenge, but the game was shown and everyone was like, "no, you have to try this game. It is the ultimate relaxation game", but it's not really. It starts that way, but it quickly becomes a hassle.

So what it is to make a "casual" one player game? Let me quickly say, I don't mean that term how most use it. I mean, how do you make a less-story driven game addicting? The aforementioned "high score chase" is one way. But something that has started to become standard in a lot of games is customization. Unlocking new parts, clothes, colors, weapons, upgrades, etc. This works especially well if you show people what they are working towards.

Which brings me to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The game that seemingly revolutionized online gaming. Adding perks, unlockable weapons, attatchments.. this is all stuff that has become standard to most games now. Of course, every game has their own way of going about it, but the backbone is virtually the same. You kill things, you get XP, you unlock new thing. Simple, yes? It is the very basics of an RPG, the "grinding" process, but put into the context of a shooter. This simple sense of progression, or leveling up, is what keeps you playing these multiplayer games hours on end. "Oh, just one more level and I'm done for the ni- OMG, I unlock that in 2 levels? SWEET!" I can't count how many times I have said that while playing an FPS. But it's things like this that draw you in and keep you coming back. Which is what a game should do.

In closing, the opinion here is my own, as with every article I write. You may be a different type of gamer than me. You may not need the "sense of progression" to keep playing a game. You may be content with endless side quests, that is fine. I am not saying you are wrong, and that I am write. We are gamers; we all have opinions, likes, and dislikes. :)

Go play some games.

-Sobær