3 Game Breakdown

LEFT: Need For Speed                  RIGHT: Pokemon

BOTTOM: Motherload

DRIVING

The Driving mechanic ranges far and wide, from the hardcore racing of Gran Turismo and Forza with their driving simulators; to the arcade style of Need For Speed and Sonic All-Stars Racing. With the first having a focus towards realism (handling and damage) with the latter promoting fun and generally boost manipulation.

Although I enjoy both, the arcade style is much more fun; and the multiplayer modes expand on this, with the driving simulators primarily being solo play (except for online leaderboards).

 

I find driving games to involve an adreneline rush, more-so when winning or making good time. They rely heavily on fast reactions; dodging traffic, avoiding crashed opponents, anticipating corners and eventually finding shortcuts upon learning the track(s).

BATTLE

The Battle mechanic is somewhat ambiguous, but in terms of pokemon it is related to the turn-based battling. In other games such as Final Fantasy, there is still an element of turn-based battling, but they include other variables, such as a turn bar, which can allow for each character to get their turn when the bar reaches full. While essentially the same, this can allow for multiple attacks from a character before an enemy gets a chance to retaliate or vice-versa.

Most of the fun in these battle orientated games comes from the character customisation. Either through skills, moves, equipment, or team-building; you can create an efficient force capable of handling many scenarios and coming out on top. The relaxed style of turn-based battling prevents pressure on the player, allowing for a chilled experience.

DIG

The Dig mechanic is a strange one. It allows players to create their own path, find and collect resources, and use these to upgrade equipment etc. In motherload, it's all about finding rare resources (always worth more the deeper you go) and spending the money made on upgrading your ship to allow for deeper progression. In minecraft, any resource mined or dug can become a building block. But there is still the rare resources at greater depths which can be used for upgrading or even more options for building your own creations.

The element of fun for digging is the idea of: "what else is down there?" or "if i upgrade my ship, I can get down deeper faster". In motherload, you have to return to the surface to sell off resources and more importantly to refuel the ship. Minecraft is similar with the need to return to the surface to collect more food, or to unload resources when the inventory is full.