Iyeeshea_A2
"Astroblast" is an exhilarating arcade-style game set in a vibrant and retro-futuristic world. Players take on the role of a female alien protagonist, tasked with navigating through various levels while collecting diamonds and fending off pesky humans. The game incorporates classic design elements associated with aliens, such as a green complexion, exaggerated head-to-body ratio, and large, expressive eyes. However, to add a unique touch, the alien character is adorned with a stylish dress, human-like hair, and a charming flower accessory, adding a hint of whimsy to the otherworldly character.
The game's menu navigation screen immerses players further into the alien-themed arcade experience. Featuring dynamic visuals of planets and humans fleeing from laser beams, the menu sets the tone for the action-packed gameplay ahead. Diamonds, the primary collectible in the game, are prominently displayed on the menu screen, giving players a glimpse of the treasures they'll be seeking during their adventure.
Incorporating principles of user experience (UX) design, the game's menu interface is designed for intuitive navigation. Clear and concise buttons labeled "Play," "Instructions," "Settings," and "Credits" provide easy access to essential information and options, ensuring that players can quickly jump into the game or access additional features as desired. The use of vibrant neon colors, such as pinks, greens, and bright pops of color, not only adds visual flair but also enhances usability by drawing players' attention to key elements and calls to action.
While embracing the nostalgic charm of 80's arcade aesthetics, "Astroblast" strives to offer a fresh and original gaming experience, avoiding cliché design choices and delivering a visually engaging and immersive adventure for players of all ages.
| Status | Released |
| Platforms | HTML5 |
| Author | Iyeeshea |
| Genre | Interactive Fiction |
| Made with | Unity |
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Hey Iyeeshea, I hope you find my comments to be fair and helpful.
Consistency
The application is consistent with the video game format. It features relevant buttons such as 'Play (Scene)' and 'Settings,' which are common in most video games. The button-text fonts reinforce this. These familiar features make it easy for users to adapt.
The application is also consistent in design and style, demonstrated in the backgrounds used, the colour scheme and the button design and feedback, making the application coherent.
Hierarchy
The placement and size of the title are appropriate as they stand out, making it memorable for users. The button layout of the main menu also honours the hierarchy principle as it highlights the primary function of the application, with the 'Play Scene' and 'How to Play' buttons at the top.
Within the game scene, the button layout could be improved. The 'Menu' button is the least important function within the scene and it detracts from the gameplay. It could be placed in another position.
User Control
The 'Reset' button in the game scene adds to the user-control UX aspect providing convenience and flexibility to the game.
The 'Menu' button in the game scene could include a confirmation message that allows users to confirm whether they intend to navigate to the Main Menu.
Accessibility
The 'How to Play' button in the menu scene displays the potential for assisting those who need help understanding the game on the first try.
Some of the colour contrasts may be too bright for users to read. For instance, the 'Menu' button in the game scene and the 'Play Scene' button in the menu scene are constantly bright (unless hovered over), making it difficult to read the button text.
Another instance is demonstrated in the webpage that features the game. The white text in the description section is difficult to read against the light-blue background.
Usability
The product is learnable due to its familiar layout and simple controls. It efficiently achieves its purpose.
There are a few errors. For instance, the menu button in the game scene is positioned too close to the gameplay buttons, and users could accidentally press it mid-game. This error could frustrate the user and discourage them from using the application.
Another error involves the 3D playable character and the 'Grow' button. When pressed, the character object increases in size too quickly, rendering the feature almost ineffective.
The unusable buttons (How to play, Settings, Credits) should be made inactive so that the application communicates to the user that the feature is yet to be implemented.
Typography
The fonts used within the application align with the neon/alien theme portrayed within the game, making it appear vibrant, fun and retro. They are easy to read and have been sized appropriately.
Feedback
The buttons provide adequate feedback when hovered over and clicked. The only detectable issue is that they remain highlighted after being clicked instead of returning to their initial colour.