Physics and Psychics

Okay, I present you these two videos. I want you to watch them both at the same time.

First, Burnout 3 Takedown:

Second, Forza Motorsport 2:

Now then, astute viewers should notice a difference. This is something I’ve found myself explaining to people over the course of…a while now. Mainly: Burnout is a racing game, and forza is a driving game. Some people are skeptical when I say this, but let me explain.

Driving games are technical. You need to use your brakes. Perhaps driving “simulator” is more accurate, but it’s generally thought of as a game because it’s built around competitive races. But usually they are closer to simulators, attempting to test your skills as an actual driver. Turning, braking, maintaining momentum, tuning, shifting, drafting, drifting, passing, not hitting other cars, etc. These are some of the skills you need for driving games. Some driving games are: Forza, Sega GT, PGR, Grand Tourismo, Sega Rally.

Racing games are visceral. Their basic teachings are “Go fast. Faster. No, go as FAST as you FUCKING can. See that guy in front of you? Fuck him. If he deserved to win he’d be going faster then he is. GO FAST.” Many times they are designed so that you do not need to use brakes (to any reasonable amount), they have very exaggerated physics, and they generally test your skills of mastering the game’s engine, rather then actual driving physics. Also, many times they have weapons or power ups. Some racing games are: Burnout, F-Zero, Mario Kart, Micro Machines, Crusin’ USA, Megarace, Carmageddon, Kirby’s Air Ride.

I want to specifically bring up Kirby’s Air Ride, because I think it makes an importaint choice. Your “cart” is constantly accelerating in that game. You interact by applying brakes, using power-ups, and steering. But I think they do what Return to Sector 9 did with shooting – namely, doing it for you. Both these games take the most integral part of the gameplay and make it an inevitability. In Grand Tourismo and even Burnout, you have the option of never acclerating. Just sit there on the starting line and go make a sandwich. But that’s unexpected, and defies the objective of the game. Not in Kriby’s Air Ride. you have no choice but to move. Just as in Return to Sector 9, shooting is the point of the game, and they do it for you. In a way, be removing that option, they’re removing a choice from the player which forces them to focus on other aspects of the game. In RtS9, it’s doging and aiming, and in Kirby it’s steering and power ups. I think this is interesting and can make a game more fun…somehow…I’ll experiment with this later.

Yeah, my point is basically that, in the back of your mind, you knew that people who like Mario Kart might not like Grand Tourismo, but you may not have thought of separating them more then by name.

F*R*A*G: ‘Fast’ is one of those words that starts not looking right when you write it more then 5 times in a row.