Assassin's Creed Syndicate Usability Review · Objectives and Methodology Result consists of a list of usability aspects referring to various aspects of the game: Assassin's Creed

Assassin’s Creed SyndicateUsability Review

Tiago Gonçalves

[email protected]

November 2017

mailto:[email protected]

Objectives and Methodology

Assess the usability of the game Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Focus on the early experience of the game - Sequences 1 – 3 (other sequences were also considered)

Identify positive usability aspects (while alerting to their possible disadvantages)

Identify top 5 usability issues that may compromise the experience

When appropriate, provide recommendations for improvements

Usability Review

Based on usability core principles and best practices (e.g., visual clarity, consistency)

Focus on issues that may affect how players interact with, learn, and enjoy the game

Platform Used

Assassin's Creed Syndicate: Usability Review - November 2017


Result consists of a list of usability aspects referring to various aspects of the game:


Traversal Stealth Navigation Combat Controls

Tutorials Interface General Bugs


Result consists of a list of usability aspects with varying degrees of severity

P

H

M

L

Positive – Good usability practice

High - A very difficult or persistent issue that can delay the player’s progress, forcing them to find a workaround, or “getting used” to it

Medium - A difficult or persistent issue that may significantly frustrate or confuse the player

Low - Not a necessarily difficult issue, but may still negatively affect the player’s experience


CCritical - A very difficult or persistent issue that can halt the player’s progress (not present in this report)

Usability Positives(4 examples)


Usability Positves

The game provides hints during loading screens (white room)

• These hints range from possible strategies the players can adopt to reminders on various features

• This ensures that even waiting times can be useful for the players to learn more about the game


P

Some hints can help explaining or reminding the player about various game features and controls

Usability Positves

Tutorial – Prompts for climbing/free running are placed over specific locations

• These prompts will sometimes be displayed even if the player tries to take an ‘alternative’ route

• This maximizes the likelihood for players to understand where they should go and how to do it

• However:

• This can break player immersion


P

Whatever the path taken, the instructions follow the player

Sometimes, instructions follow the player’s avatar suggesting their continuous use

L

Usability Positves

If the player is in trouble during combat, additional prompts will be displayed

• The sudden appearance of these prompts may capture the players’ attention and help them timing a parry or defense break

• However:

• Players may expect a different action to happen

• Players may be confused by the sudden (dis)appearance of prompts and be still hit in the process


P

L

Fighting enemy normally – no prompt Got hit + low health – prompt displayed No prompt after a successful parry

Usability Positves

Game allows the player to edit the HUD

• This allows players to minimize the potentially immersion-breaking notifications and tutorials

• However:

• The various options are not explained

• Players may need to try each one to be certain of their meaning


P

?

L

Usability IssuesUnclear and/or Inconsistent Controls(4 examples)


Unclear and/or Inconsistent Controls

Free run up/down is not always clear

Causes:

• Player can try to free run down to a nearby platform but do a different action instead (e.g., leap of faith)

• Player can move to certain platforms even without looking nor moving towards them

• Player can see the instructions for free running but following them may not work

Possible Impacts:

• Players may end up moving to an area that they did not intend

• Players may be put at a disadvantageous position (e.g., losing time when chasing, or being in an haystack surrounded by enemies)

• Players may not be able to move, contrarily to their expectations

• Players may not feel comfortable/in control in terms of traversal

• Players may be frustrated at this

Recommendations:

• Emphasize when the players will perform a leap of faith (special action) besides when they stop

• Avoid giving the players the notion that they can perform certain actions when they cannot

• If possible, try to prioritize free run based on the direction the player is moving


H

Supposedly can free run up… but nothing happens


Unclear how to leave viewing modes(e.g. souvenirs, sightseeing, assassination wall)

Causes:

• Game provides information on how to ‘navigate’ through those modes

• Some of the directions may not work

• No information on how to leave those modes

Possible Impacts:

• Players may not know how to leave those viewing modes(e.g., double clicking a direction key may not be clear to the player)

• Players may think that they need to start a sequence to then leave the wall mode

Recommendations:

• Similarly to other prompts, instruct the player on how to leave these modes


M

Player told how to navigate in the viewing mode, but not how to leave it


Shared controls for different in-world actions can lead to confusion

Causes:

• The same key (SPACE) is used to free run up and un/marking objectives when facing them in world

• The hit-window for being able to un/mark an objective is too short

Possible Impacts:

• Players can un/mark an objective by mistake

• Players can lose track of an objective/location they marked as relevant


Recommendations:

• Prevent marking objectives when the player is moving

• Force players to look to the location for a certain duration before allowing them to un/mark it


It is possible to mark an objective almost without noticing.

M


Inconsistent controls during cutscenes

Causes:

• Some cutscenes can be paused, others cannot

• Some cutscenes can be skipped, others cannot

• There is no clear difference between the cutscenes

Possible Impacts:

• Players may want to try to skip a cutscene but be unable to

• Players may want to interrupt the game and not be able to without losing information


Recommendations:

• Be consistent in the types of controls given over the cutscenes


L

Usability IssuesUnclear objective representation/notification(4 examples)


Unclear objective representation/notification

Unclear if/when the player lost their objective and how to restart it

Causes:

• The objective description simply disappears

• The player can be focused on some other action occurring on the screen (e.g., chasing, running away, fighting)

• It may not be clear to the player how to restart an objective

Possible Impacts:

• Players may not notice when an objective becomes invalid/inactive

• Players may feel lost on what to do next (the game was providing instructions until that moment)


Recommendations:

• Make it noticeable when an objective becomes inactive

• At least, early on in the game, inform the player on how to (re)start an objective


M


Item collection has no ‘visible impact’

Causes:

• The notification of when the player picks an item can easily be missed

• There are no animations referring to that action(Contrarily to other picking actions - e.g., open chests, loot bodies)

• Notifications are displayed at the top of the minimap, comparatively to chest pickups that show up over the chests’ location

Possible Impacts:

• Players may think that nothing happened

• Players may not care to search for more items

Recommendations:

• Inform the player on when an item is picked and about its importance(e.g., picking animation, character comments)

• Consider notifying the player similarly to when items are picked from chests


M

Picked a book here - nothing noticeable happen.Should I bother looking for more?


Map provides no information on the (vertical) direction towards objectives

Causes:

• Faded icons do not inform if the player needs to move up or down to reach an objective

• Downwards triangles, representing hiding spots, may be considered as vertical directional cues

Possible Impacts:

• Players may try to find an item or hiding spot but take the wrong path towards it

• Players may consider necessary to always use the eagle vision or mark the item on the map to find it – potentially breaking immersion

Recommendations:

• Inform the player on the general direction to an objective (e.g., arrows alongside the icons)


Left: Faded icons with no information on whether the player needs to move up or down Right: Downwards arrow at the location of an hiding spot(in this example, located below the player’s location)

M


Loading screen hints can mislead the player

Causes:

• Loading screen hints can suggest actions that are no longer possible(e.g., Train Memories)

Possible Impacts:

• Players may expect to have a new mission available

• Players may try to go to a specific location to start a mission

• Players may not understand why no mission is available

• Players may (lose time and) be frustrated at this

Recommendations:

• Prevent hints that refer to no longer possible actions to be displayed

• Inform players about the Progress Tracker options, instead


By this point, all Train Memories were completed.

M

Inconsistent use of in-world and objective markers

Causes:

• The majority of in-world markers match those used in the objective descriptions

• Objectives related with menu interactions can sometimes have those markers too

Possible Impacts:

• Players may be confused by this

Recommendations:

• Be consistent in the symbology used to represent in-game and menu-based objectives

Description markers match in-world objectives



Top: No marker on description, no marker in game Bottom: Marker on description, no marker in game

L

Usability IssuesNotifications (or lack there of) may lead to confusion(3 examples)


Notifications (or lack there of) may lead to confusion

Unclear when parrying may actually be needed

Causes:

• If the player is in the middle of a special animations (e.g., environment interaction), the enemy’s attack may not hit

• Not all special animations are highlighted (e.g., with unique camera angles)

• Similar situation for when an enemy will perform a ranged attack

Possible Impacts:

• Players may start considering the warnings unreliable

• Players may start ignoring the warnings and be hit

Recommendations:

• Warn the player when the enemy’s action imposes an actual risk


M


Forced camera angles can interfere with notification visibility

Causes:

• Opening chests located in small areas can lead the camera to change location

• Notification of the items picked up from chests can be located off-screen

Possible Impacts:

• Players may not know what items they picked up from chests

Recommendations:

• Force the notification to be displayed on-screen

• When opening chests, prevent the camera from rotating to a positionthat leads future notifications to be left off-screen


Due to the camera changing position, it was impossible to know the contents of the chest. Up until this point, it was still unclear how more worth gold chests were.

L


Timing of notifications may not be appropriate (Secrets of London)

Causes:

• After finding the first music box, the player is shown the world map, but noexplanation as to why

• The vault icon may not be noticed, considering the visual noise in the map(e.g., pulsing icons for the main missions)

• The vault icon may already be visible on the map

• An explanation of the music boxes will only come after the player closes the map

Possible Impacts:

• Players may be confused by this

• Players may spend some time searching on the map without any idea of what to look for

• Players may not understand (or care) to search for more music boxes

Recommendations:

• Display the explanation when the player first finds the music box

• Centre the map when highlighting the vault’s location


Explanation only shows up after the player closes the map – potentially after already giving up on searching for information.

L

Usability IssuesUnclear menus (3 examples)


Unclear menus

Replaying mission menu can be missed

Causes:

• Player may want to replay a mission to achieve full synchronization

• Option is ‘hidden’ in the Progression Tracker menu, which requires several jumps to access

Possible Impacts:

• Players may not know or be able to replay a mission

• Players may think they cannot achieve full synchronization

Recommendations:

• Replace the term Progression Tracker by another more clear to the player


M

Progress Log into Progress Tracker into Sequence into Memory and, finally, Replay

Unclear menus

Delete saved files/Start new game can be missed

Causes:

• Typically, this option is available in the Main Menu

• Most options available in the Options Menu are also available in-game

Possible Impacts:

• Players may not be able to perform a clean restart

Recommendations:

• Include this option in the Main Menu

• Refer to the previous issue


L

Usability Positves

Inconsistent use of confirmation steps

Causes:

• Some purchases can be concluded without confirmation

Possible Impacts:

• Players may spend some money by mistake

• Players may be frustrated at this if they do not have enough money left

Recommendations:

• Include a confirmation step in all purchases


Upgrade Item: Confirmation requiredBuy Consumable: No confirmation required

L

Usability IssuesPotentially incomplete tutorials(1 example)


Potentially incomplete tutorials

Game assumes the player knows how to rotate through items

Causes:

• Tutorials instructed player on how to quickly throw knifes (F)

• Game informs the player on how to equip and use smoke bombs – but not how to (re)equip other items

Possible Impacts:

• Players may try to quickly throw a knife and throw a bomb instead

• Players may be detected

• Players may not know to switch items

• However:

• By having to press (2) to equip smoke bombs, the player may consider pressing other numeric keys to equip other items

Recommendations:

• Provide a situation in which the player needs to switch between items and inform the player about it


L

P

Usability IssuesMiscellaneous - Bugs(4 examples)


Miscellaneous - Bugs

Possible to climb inside meshes

Causes:

• Using the rope to climb some buildings can cause the player to ‘intersect’ with buildings

Possible Impacts:

• Player will need to reload the game to leave the building

• Player may be frustrated about this


H

Can climb some parts of the nearby buildings, but cannot leave the inside of the building’s mesh


Cannot talk to nurse (Assassinate Dr. Elliotson)

Causes:

• Approaching the nurse shows no controls to trigger a conversation

Possible Impacts:

• Players may not be able to acquire the bonus of that ally

• Players may need to restart the mission

• Players may be frustrated about this


No prompt to trigger conversation (regardless of the angle and proximity to the NPC).

M


Objective icons from previous missions remain in world

Causes:

• Players can mark the locations of those items

• Icons show up in world

• Icons can show up during missions

Possible Impacts:

• Players may try to go to these locations

• Players may have trouble in understanding that these locations are inaccessible

• Players may lose time and be frustrated at this


Objective icon makes it seem like something can be done, when, in reality it is impossible to reach it.

M


Invisible NPCs during cutscenes

Causes:

• Some NPCs may be invisible during cutscenes

Possible Impacts:

• Player may not understand who is talking or doing something in the cutscene

• Player may not fully understand the information presented in the cutscene


L

Thank you!

Any Questions?

[email protected]


Documents

Assassin's Creed Syndicate Usability Review · Objectives and Methodology Result consists of a list of usability aspects referring to various aspects of the game: Assassin's Creed