On June 27, Tencent unveiled more than 40 products and content at the "SPARK 2022" game launch. Among them, the number of new game products is not much, only 12, even if you add 1 cloud-native game technology Demo, it is only 13, less than one-third of the total.
However, because of this, the content, style, and gameplay of these new games are worth paying attention to. To put it bluntly, each of them, regardless of the progress of development, whether it looks refined or not, whether it is attractive or not, has a more or less clearer meaning — perhaps for greater commercial success, perhaps to fill a gap, perhaps to find the future direction of a certain type of development.
The "hard battle" and "winner" highlight the overall temperament of "Dark Zone Breakout"
In these new games, I am particularly concerned about the category of "finding the future direction". The reason is simple: in these high-speed and chaotic times, those who are willing to move forward – even though we probably don't know which direction is ahead – are always more admirable.
For me, Dark Zone Breakout can be put in this category. Before the launch, I had heard about it and seen some of its achievements, such as before it went live, it had achieved a relatively good number of appointments. But this is actually not so important, for a game from a "big factory" and has enough resources, high popularity and high ratings are not news. What I care about is how it sees the future of FPS and what they do for the ideal FPS game.
To put it bluntly, Dark Zone Breakout wasn't the pioneer in the field, but they still wanted to try to be a pioneer – why?
On July 13, as soon as "Dark Zone Breakout" was launched, it immediately topped the iOS free list, which is the answer sheet they handed over.
Find a new balance in "realism."
To be honest, my first impression of Breakout was balance. Although many games now like to lean in the direction of "breakthrough" and "innovation" in publicity, I think it is not easy to achieve a balance - throughout the history of games, because it has taken two steps forward than the times, resulting in the overall level of creativity can not keep up with the creative, failed to achieve the due achievements of the works are not in the minority; Correspondingly, games that go more steadily and find a balance between quality and innovation are more likely to achieve a win-win situation between player reputation and commercial effects.
In the case of shooters specifically, "realism" — or, in other words, the more used word, "hardcore" — is a factor that especially needs to be balanced. Roughly speaking, the realism in the player's mind can be divided into three categories, the most shoddy one is only in the art style close to the realism, the gameplay is still a change of skin and old-fashioned; Secondly, the accumulation of common resources in AAA masterpieces, such as more detailed scenes, more realistic shooting feel, more realistic sound effects, and detailed portrayal of the mission system, which can allow players to experience battles and confrontations that are difficult to experience in reality under the guidance of the game framework; The third is the "hardcore" that many players do not hesitate to appreciate, but with a little sense of alienation - the gun shape, sound, feel, and use method are infinitely close to the real, but also because of the truth, there is no map in the game, there is no teammate logo, you don't know where you are, when you shoot, you don't hit, who hit, even if you are unfortunate to be hit, you may not be able to find out who defeated you at all.
If the "degree of authenticity" is drawn as a curve, the first category is no longer attractive to most players; The second category is somewhat smooth, smooth enough to play, can provide the refreshing pleasure that shooters need, but over time it is also somewhat homogeneous; The third category is undoubtedly the highest in terms of status, but the high curve also means that the peace is low, the difficulty rises sharply, and often only the player who loves deeply can experience the fun.
Judging from the content currently available, "Dark Zone Breakout" has found a balance between the second and third types at the level of "realism". Realism is not the same as blindly increasing the difficulty, nor is it the restoration of reality without screening, but more diversified design and a longer-term sense of happiness. To put it bluntly, it is hardcore and refreshing, "I want it all".
To do this, the game must improve all aspects on the basis of the existing excellent works, and integrate them into one, in order to satisfy the average player who is looking for happiness, and the hardcore player who is pursuing a real experience at the same time - this is indeed difficult, but it is not impossible.
One of the most striking points is that the core goal of Dark Zone Breakout is not the "kill the enemy" and "ensure survival" common in shooting games, but the relatively novel "evacuation battlefield": in the game, players search for and collect valuables in various areas of the map, and only when they reach the evacuation point with them is victory. Once the player is killed before reaching the evacuation point, most of the supplies they carry will be lost and become the spoils of others.
"Successful evacuation and bringing out enough supplies" is the core of the gameplay of Dark Zone Breakout
Objectively speaking, the gameplay with the goal of evacuation is not the original of "Dark Zone Breakout", but after a period of trial and exploration, it has become a major trend in future mobile shooting competitive games. Its advantage lies in the pluralistic elements it contains, which can bring enough possibilities: truth, refinement, game, logical thinking... Choosing one or a few of them can give the gameplay a big boost.
After "tactical competition", whether in the industry or players, people have been looking forward to a new category that is fun enough and has popular qualities for too long. "Withdrawing from the battlefield" is not necessarily the optimal solution for competitive shooter innovation, but the tactical gameplay it represents does have a lot of potential. From this point of view, "Dark Zone Breakout" is indeed a pioneer full of pioneering spirit, and it just happens to stand in a high enough position.
What "tactical games" can bring to shooter games
"Game" is a somewhat broad term. In fact, the game and strategy elements are quite well matched with most game types. Needless to say, those games that focus on PvP and whose core fun is to fight with people are endless, even if they are mainly casual and relaxing match-3, strategically stacking materials will help you go further.
Combining gaming with tactics, coupled with the core goal of withdrawing from the battlefield, has brought some new directions to competitive shooter games: unlike many "start with one person, all the equipment depends on picking up" games, the strategic nature of Dark Zone Breakout begins before entering the battlefield. Players who like to be safe can choose the right equipment from their own warehouses and enter the game with full armament; Players who believe in the wealth insurance can also carry only part of the basic equipment and materials and enter the room lightly.
Because each game changes a lot, the choice before the opening game is far more than "with or without equipment" - ordinary weapons? Sniper rifles and high magnification mirrors? Do expensive bullets have to be better than cheaper? What about light running charts? To some extent, the choice of equipment has prejudged the player's actions in the game, and this prejudgment itself is a manifestation of the game. Both reality and the experience of the game tell us that even if we are fully prepared, misestimating the situation can still cause great mistakes.
Players can choose between two modes to enter the game: "Tactical Action" and "Camouflage Infiltration"
During the course of battle, the player's most important action is to explore the map and collect as many high-priced supplies as possible to evacuate. It doesn't sound too thrilling, but it's no easier to experience than to completely destroy an enemy or ensure survival. Players can still choose to hide or shoot in front of the gun, but the former often does not get enough materials to support subsequent growth, and the latter is easy to expose themselves and lead to premature sacrifice... Ultimately, every player needs to adapt to the strategy and implement the idea of focusing on strategy throughout the game. At the end of a round, the player can load the obtained materials into the warehouse or put them into the market for trading, and the calculation and income are still determined by the player.
It can be seen that these different links before, during and after the war have a strong correlation, so that the "tactical game" as a whole shows more changeable ideas and more inclusive attributes. And the changes it brings to competitive shooter games are not limited to gameplay - judging by the current excellent performance of "Dark Zone Breakout", it still has more room to play, which needs to be deeply explored by future developers.
After adding strategy and game elements, shooting competitive games can embrace more diverse content
The reason why tactical game games such as "Dark Zone Breakout" may bring changes to the genre of shooting competition is because they have revised the logical idea from a deep level: from killing opponents to withdrawing from the battlefield, the implicit meaning is higher technical thinking and more delayed gratification - shooting games have always been regarded as typical of instant gratification, and the addition of game elements can make up for the lack of long-term experience.
A very typical example is that Dark Zone Breakout designs the sound message to be more realistic, and when the player kills an opponent, the sound of the battle can easily become the target of other players. The question before everyone, then, becomes: Will you temporarily stop touching the loot in front of you for more profits? When you hesitate, how will the surrounding environment change?
Waiting for the rabbit, or taking the initiative? Victory or defeat is often just a thought
In real games, these reflections require the player to complete in a very short period of time, and many times we may make judgments subconsciously (or purely by luck). We may not always realize how different it is from the core of previous shooter games, but it is undoubtedly fun and worth experiencing.
This is in a sense a return to the previous topic - the innovation of "Dark Zone Breakout" in the direction of "realism" stems from the fact that it has found a new direction and balance: the experience brought by tactical games to players is undoubtedly closer to the real battle (although no one wants to really experience the war), just as the competition on the real battlefield is not about how many enemies to kill, but how much advantage they have achieved under the premise of ensuring their own survival.
Technological enhancement and immersion
It must be emphasized that before bringing different experiences through gameplay innovation, a good shooter must also excel in many "hardware strengths". After all, the player's direct perception of such games is still based on the value of the gun, the feel of the shooting, the realism of the environment, the quality of the art, etc., and once there is a shortcoming in some aspect, their evaluation of the game will plummet.
Judging from the current performance, "Dark Zone Breakout" has also done a good job in hardware strength. On the one hand, thanks to the technical improvement of the development team, the game has achieved a high degree of realism in shaping the picture, environment and atmosphere. For example, using the "Unreal 4" engine development, the use of global real-time dynamic light rendering, so that players can feel the natural light changes and eye adaptation effects when entering and leaving indoors and outdoors. Or natural and vivid skin and hair rendering – despite being in the first person after entering the battlefield, players can still see the well-modeled characters in the game lobby. Weather systems, volumetric clouds and atmospheric rendering are also included, and many technologies were even introduced to mobile games for the first time.
As scenes and lighting effects become more realistic, changes in lighting in the environment may also become factors that affect players' actions
In terms of weapons, senses, sound effects, AI and other details that are most closely related to the player's experience, "Dark Zone Breakout" also tries to be real - there is no minimap, there is no crosshair for shooting, the number of remaining bullets is not displayed, and it not only takes time to pick up supplies but also makes sounds... All the guns that appear in the game not only restore the mechanical structure according to reality, but also provide more than 10 kinds of modification parts and more than 700 kinds of modification accessories, allowing players to freely modify under the premise of complying with the physical rules as much as possible.
For shooter enthusiasts, a wide range of firearms and free modifications are indispensable
At the same time, the physical state of the player character is also cut into multiple modules, and the amount of health in different parts is calculated separately and interrelated, affecting the feedback of the game to the player: when the arm is injured, the gun will shake and it is more difficult to aim; When the legs and feet are injured, the movement speed becomes slower, and even it is difficult to move; Chest and abdomen injuries are more likely to die of blood loss. To ensure survival, players need to heal themselves using medicines, bandages, surgery, etc., while replenishing their vitality and physical strength with food and water.
The feedback of injuries in different parts of the character's body is different, and "how to treat" has become a strategy
On the other hand, and more importantly, the realistic design of the graphics, environment, weapons, physical state, and AI in "Dark Zone Breakout" is harmoniously combined with the tactical game gameplay. The graphics and environment are used to enhance immersion, and the realism of weapons, physical conditions and AI is itself part of the gameplay: a sufficient number of guns and bullets that are free enough for players to choose more tactics in the game flow, such as the use of lower-level bullets to avoid high-risk areas in the early stages, and the steady play method of beating the AI as the core in order to save money. Correspondingly, complex physical conditions and injury feedback also urge players to think more about how to save themselves with a higher survival rate if medical reserves are limited. Is it worth getting supplies in the target area at the risk of injury? Will you be busy for half a day, and you can't get what you get out alive?
On the surface, these designs have clearly made the game harder, or more "realistic." However, in fact, "Dark Zone Breakout" still retains a lot of the content that we are familiar with "like an FPS", and some details have also been traded off. In terms of results alone, it is still balanced between realistic and natural fluency.
The direction of the future
At this point in time, it seems premature to talk about the "future of shooting games", but it is undeniable that developers from different countries, different platforms, and different personalities have taken steps into the future. Tactical games are one of the results of their phased attempts: more strategies, delayed gratification, coupled with the improvement of technical level and hard power, and finally reach a balance and bring players a better experience.
Will tactical gaming be a new direction? Will it be the ideal shooter for some time to come? Dark Zone Breakout has shown confidence with its own quality and content-level commitment, but until it really succeeds, it will take time, players, and the market to prove it.
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"Dark Zone Breakout" was officially launched on july 13 on the full platform