I like 3D Jump’n’Run games such as Rayman 2, Jack & Daxter, and Ratchet & Clank. To describe what is good about these games is rather pointless, because every new game will have to provide other new features to make it worth buying. It does make sense to discuss what is bad about these games, however, such that future games do not annoy us for ever with the same old design faults.
Fault Number One is difficulty. People buy a game, including all its levels. They want to play all the levels they bought. They don’t want to give up in frustration, feeling like a motor-challenged idiot.
1. Games should not be too difficult.
2. Games should start easy and *stay easy!* People hate it when they have reached mid-game, or the final bad guy, and just cannot go on.
Next fault is frustration. When the game is easy enough to beat, but it takes hours of trying, then this is frustrating. People buy games to be entertained, however.
1. Make obstacles surmountable with few trials.
2. Place restart points close together, such that failing in a level does not require you to run through the entire level again.
3. Offer to restart the level in a menu, however, such that players can get out of hopeless situations.