Pokemon Go is pretty dang cool, I will admit. Even I myself have gotten sucked into the world of becoming a Poke-master once again just like when I was in second grade. However, augmented reality to me is really intriguing. While scrolling through Facebook today, I saw a friend had shared a post about making a Harry Potter augmented reality game. I personally think that different franchises should follow Pokemon's lead and make augmented reality games to be used on smartphones so they become more popular. So, I've come up with what I think might be three really cool ideas for franchises that could have augmented reality games.
1. Legend of Zelda
I've recently become a fan of LoZ, and I think it could be a good concept, just like Pokemon, for augmented reality. It would be awesome to be able to customize your character and help Link save Princess Zelda, or just play as Link if you want. Every time you move could be equal to moving through different parts of Hyrule. At different points you fight different monsters, and before you level up, you have to fight a boss. You could have the option to fight a final boss and end the game and start over, or you could just keep fighting monsters if you want.
2. Marvel Comics/DC Comics
Being a superhero would be amazing in augmented reality. You could customize your character and follow a gender-neutral origin story. To obtain different superpowers, you would walk and discover them just like Pokemon (or just like spells in Harry Potter). You could also discover different superheros and join different super groups like the Justice League or the Avengers, which would be similar to Pokemon teams. You could also form different super groups with your friends! And while you're out walking around, you can encounter different villains to defeat or battle other superheros to see who has the best power, which would be similar to Pokemon battles.
3. Fantasy based RPG
I think some kind of medieval fantasy game based off of titles like Skyrim or Dragon Age would be really cool. You would choose your race-- like a human or an elf-- and customize how you look, similar to most fantasy RPGs I've played. There would be a general story line that the game would follow, and while you follow the story line, you would also do side quests. You can walk and find monsters to battle and level up, as in most RPGs and like in Pokemon. You could also find loot such as swords and armor as you walk around in real life.
These are just some ideas I came up with in my head after reading about an idea for a Harry Potter based AR game. While virtual reality has kind of come and gone already, augmented reality is now here. If these new technologies can keep making my RPG dreams come true, then I will be eternally blessed. Hopefully AR can bring something for everyone to enjoy. If not, have fun laughing at the people who may look silly doing it, but are really having a ton of fun.
