The Influence of Method of Control and Visual Aspects on Exploratory Decisions in 3D Video Games Environments

Computer games are currently the most complex interactive medium. Understanding how to manipulate the player's attention avoids getting lost in the environment while the player is receiving a significant amount of audiovisual stimuli. By appropriately selecting the visual aspects of the environment, player navigation can be aided. This article focuses on the examination of selected visual aspects such as lighting and colour, movement on the scene (animations and special effects), space composition and attempts to analyse their effectiveness in influencing the players' decision-making process during exploration. The research compared two methods of control - keyboard and controller - to see what additional effect on the player's route choice this will have. The results of the study show how the different methods supporting navigation and methods of control influence the gameplay.