What do you think about...

[Stone Wera]

Being able to shoot enemies in the health bar, breaking the fourth wall in games, having baddies such as cyborg polar bears etc, and classic boss fights?

State your opinion on these things in games and give your own ideas.

 

[delet]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

 

[Decum]

I think the breaking the 4th wall thing might be interesting, shooting enemies in their health bar would be interesting as well but it would get harder as they lose more health.

 

[Lightslei]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

 

[Omikron009]

If a game's going to break the fourth wall then it should be in line with the atmosphere and tone of the game.

 

[Stone Wera]

If a game's going to break the fourth wall then it should be in line with the atmosphere and tone of the game.

For some strange reason, I seek approval from your avatar.

 

[delet]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

That'd be quite difficult, but I'm sure it's possible. If you can make the right moments serious or comedic, then I think you could get things to work out but it'd be quite difficult.

 

[Stone Wera]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

What's the game called? And how many cyborg polar bear sprites did you order?

 

[Sephychu]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

If you're going to break the fourth wall in a serious game, the most effective way to do it is to have a comic relief character that shows up at the times the fourth wall breaking begins, if you see what I mean, as if the character has the power to break the fourth wall. If you write it well enough, this can be enormously effective, and, best of all, funny.

 

[squid5580]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

I find comedy is always funnier when it tossed in a serious story. All depends on how you use it.

 

[Lightslei]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

If you're going to break the fourth wall in a serious game, the most effective way to do it is to have a comic relief character that shows up at the times the fourth wall breaking begins, if you see what I mean, as if the character has the power to break the fourth wall. If you write it well enough, this can be enormously effective, and, best of all, funny.

That's the hard part, the "Final Boss Character" IS the Comic Relief Character.

 

[Stone Wera]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

If you're going to break the fourth wall in a serious game, the most effective way to do it is to have a comic relief character that shows up at the times the fourth wall breaking begins, if you see what I mean, as if the character has the power to break the fourth wall. If you write it well enough, this can be enormously effective, and, best of all, funny.

That's the hard part, the "Final Boss Character" IS the Comic Relief Character.

Oh, dear... My brain just a'sploded.

How is the player expected to take him seriously? Shouldn't we fear him? Is he like an evil Gary Busey sort of guy? I respect Gary Busey, so I can take him seriously.

 

[10BIT]

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

There's nothing stopping a game from being both serious and fourth wall breaking. I've played a flash game (forgotten it's name) where you have to stop this evil wizard from escaping into the real world. I enjoyed that game a lot.

Without playing your game, no one can truly state whether the fourth wall breaking works or not.

 

[Zaik]

That would be a really funny way to handle a boss fight, making the actual boss immune to everything, but shooting his actual health bar killing him instead.

 

[Sephychu]

Breaking the fourth wall is great if the game isn't trying to be serious. If I'm playing a serious game, I want a serious story and no Fourth-Wall-breaking, but if it's supposed to be a silly, comedic story like in Time Splitters or the Disgaea series, then breaking the Fourth Wall is terrific.

Would you think there's a way to balance both? I'm working on a small indie game which is taking a lot of time. So far the game is like 70% serious, 30% fourth wall breaking. I've written most of the scripts, etc, I'm just waiting on sprites and mappers x.x.

If you're going to break the fourth wall in a serious game, the most effective way to do it is to have a comic relief character that shows up at the times the fourth wall breaking begins, if you see what I mean, as if the character has the power to break the fourth wall. If you write it well enough, this can be enormously effective, and, best of all, funny.

That's the hard part, the "Final Boss Character" IS the Comic Relief Character.

That can work pretty well. Give us some more context, and I might be able to help. Perhaps he inherently warps the reality of everything around him? Breaks rules? Maybe he could walk exclusively on the ceiling and be in negative colours or something.

 

[Benefactor]

Fourth wall breaking is rarely good, especially if it's blatent and far too obvious or common. 30% fourth wall breaking is far too much if you're making a serious game at all.

Although 72% of all statistics are made up on the spot, I have to agree with you. It gave me a small laugh near the beginning of No More Heroes 2, but it's hard to do very well.