Brainboy's Journal: Thinking about games and stuff

Just saw X-Play's preview of Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Seems like a really fun game. However, something I heard in the preview got me thinking.

"The plot, if you want to call it that, has something to do with Banner trying to get rid of the gamma radiated monster within him and...."

Now, obviously I don't know about that particular game itself, so I can't comment on it. That being said, it got some gears moving in my head.

Hulk is a very interesting character. He's more than a brute who smashes stuff, or rather the story is more than just about a brute smashing things. There is a lot of really cool stuff that goes on through the Hulk story, above and beyond the cool action scenes, which admittingly, are very cool. Now how can you convey this in a game, without it being a distraction. I'm not positive, but there are some ideas.

Perhaps it just a matter of good writing. That's certainly needed, but again, it is seperate from the gameplay. Or at least, it is not interactive. Well it could obviously, but somehow having too much KOTOR style dialogue in an action game like Hulk doesn't sound like the smartest thing. Maybe some, as Banner and such, but I dunno, it seems a bit forced.

An intriguing idea I had, was allow the game to have the freedom to do good things. Meaning, allow within the game, the option, to say, save some people, or protect a school or whatever. In that sense it would be a lot like the EMT missions in GTA. A possibility of doing good deeds. Probably would be better if you made it a little more accessible. In a lot of ways it could be a split second decision by the player. Do I just jump away from Abomination or do I protect the school he seems itching to smash? That would be cool.

In fact, one could read up on some Hulk comics and check out some things that Hulk did besides smash things, and put those in the game. They was one comic, where Hulk got 'tamed' and brought to a high class party (I forget the number, but it was the one where he fights Valkyrie). That could be funny.

Also, I remember, especially from the cartoon show, that Green Hulk and Gray Hulk would often have battles in Banner's mind and such. Making a couple of levels in Banner's mind is really obvious. With some good in game dialogue, it oculd present some interesting depth.

I suppose, these ideas are for the Hulk game, but they do get one thinking about games in general. Just fooling around with the grammar of games to find the best way to show some depth.