IntoTheVerse — “Balancing Art, Story, and Mechanics in Web3 Games: Lessons from Successful Titles: Part 2.”
Welcome to another IntoTheVerse Journal!
A metaverse that is focused on creating utility, impact and provides players with total control.
How did Web2 Establish Immersive Worlds through Art, Story, and Mechanics?
Web2 was the evolution of the web that introduced social media, user-generated platforms, and advancements in technology that allowed game developers to create even more immersive worlds and optimization of art, story, and mechanics, as it had never been balanced before.
The emergence of broadband, websites, and online platforms meant game developers could now incorporate high-quality graphics, images, and videos. There was also an upsurge in illustration and animation because of greater software availability which created more eye-catching art styles.
Web2 also saw the evolvement of web technologies like CSS, HTML5, and JavaScript libraries, which piqued greater interest in visual effects, adding depth and immersion to gaming experiences.
Web2 also pushed the boundaries with story-telling as it created games that explored branching storylines, well-defined plots, and complex character arcs. The advancement of user-generated content and social media also propelled storylines to expand beyond the game as players could create and share their own stories, quests, and scenarios within the game worlds on different platforms.
Web2 also heralded the rise of online games with multiplayer and cooperative gameplay, which created a new way to experience games socially. Advancements in technology also created even greater immersive experiences through AR and VR, allowing players to travel through virtual worlds, interact with virtual NPCs and items, and use more intuitive controls.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim excelled at worldbuilding and created a fascinating storyline with deep lore, thought-provoking quests, and character and environment design that allowed a player to escape to another world. It carefully balanced the art and storyline with intricate gaming mechanics that gave players flexibility because it provided a variety of weapons, magic spells, and combat skills to suit different gaming styles. The leveling system also allowed players to shape their character's abilities according to how they wanted to enjoy and play the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild also offered an action-adventure open-world game that combined cel-shaded graphics, creative game mechanics, and a charming storyline that created a memorable gameplay balance.
Bioshock is another Web2 game that combined an excellent balance of art deco-inspired aesthetic, a thought-provoking storyline, and innovative gameplay mechanics. The narrative revolved around morality, the visuals were awe-inspiring, and the game mechanics included various weapons and plasmid abilities and offered a balanced blend of combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving.
So, what can Web3 learn from these Successful Game Titles?
Web3 can learn a lot from the evolution of art, storylines, and game mechanics throughout Web1 and Web2. Here are some of the key takeaways to include in Web3 video games to balance the art, storyline, and game mechanics:
World-Building
World-building is one of the most important factors in a video game. By thoughtfully layering up the small details in your universe, game developers will naturally begin to balance the art, storyline, and game mechanics in a game.
Web1 and Web2 games illustrate that intricate world-building creates a seamless, immersive experience and highlights the importance of crafting rich and detailed environments that players can explore and interact with. Creating flawed characters that connect with a player is also imperative because it reminds us of being human and makes the experience more meaningful.
Web3 can learn from this by crafting even richer worlds by focusing on the synergy between art, storyline, and game mechanic elements and ensuring they enhance each other. They can also place the power in the player's hands through trading in player-driven economies and player-owned assets and by utilizing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to create new captivating virtual worlds.
Accessible game mechanics
Successful Web1 and Web2 games have achieved a good balance between accessibility and depth in their games by creating flexible game mechanics that cater to both casual and hardcore players. Web3 can learn from this by including exploration, combat, puzzles or problem-solving, and platforming in their games. They can also build on this by offering Play-To-Earn and interoperability mechanics.
Engaging storylines
Strong narratives will always capture a player’s attention and keep them engrossed in the game. Web3 gaming studios can learn from Web1 and Web2 by focusing on creating a sense of purpose for a player by developing intriguing storylines, allowing them to make meaningful choices and creating good character arcs, and developing a good sense of progression, with the ability to level up throughout the game.
In conclusion, by striking a balance between art, storyline, and mechanics, game developers can create a truly immersive, escapist experience in another world. By examining a wide breadth of games from Web1 and Web2 beyond the examples above, we can see they demonstrate the power of cohesive world-building, engaging storytelling, and well-designed mechanics.
As Web3 evolves, game developers can optimize technology advancements to leverage decentralized systems, player ownership, and meaningful interactions to create even more captivating experiences. Within the gaming industry, Web3 has the potential to redefine gameplay, just as Web1 and Web3 did before, by continuing to push the boundaries with art, narration, and mechanics.
Stay tuned for more tech articles from IntoTheVerse.
IntoTheVerse is building a mobile-first, composable, NFT-Utility & Impact driven gaming Metaverse.
Follow us on Twitter, and LinkedIn, Instagram, Medium, and join the Discord community to stay up-to-date on news and events.
We are also live on Solana RealmsDAO and CeloHub
The IntoTheVerse team
🌎 Visit IntoTheVerse
👾 Join our Discord
🐦 Tweet with us
� Read with us on Medium
Aimee Gilmore is a Creative Writer at IntoTheVerse. Come say hi to her on Twitter or Discord.
